James Moore's Blog, page 117

5 Ways Bands Can Gain From Running Sweepstakes Promotions

The word sweepstakes likely conjures up images of Ed McMahon ringing your doorbell with a giant check in hand. But the truth is that a sweepstakes promotion can be a great way to get your band’s name out there. And you don’t even have to show up at anyone’s door with an oversized check (unless you want to!). You can structure your sweepstakes in a way that will appeal to your audience, providing a prize such as free concert tickets, a backstage meet and greet, or access to a private show. Here are five ways that bands can benefit from running a well-planned sweepstakes promotion and what you need in order to get started.

Get better visibility on social media

If you are just getting going with social media marketing and hoping to improve the visibility of your profiles, hosting a sweepstakes promotion is a great way to do it. People love entering contests for the opportunity to win free goodies. Be sure to promote your sweepstakes on your social media so that fans can comment and share. Set up your content using a plugin such as ShareThis to make it easy for fans to share your content on major networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Grow your mailing list

Manyof today’s bands rely on email marketing as a means of engaging with their fanbase. Hosting a sweepstakes promotion is a great way to get more subscribers for your email list. You can structure the contest in a way that entices people to opt-in by entering their email address for a chance to win. It’san effective way to expand your email list quickly and easily. Make sure to use a reputable provider such as Mailchimp or Aweber to ensure that you’re in compliance with federal contact and email regulations.

Improve fan engagement

If you’re looking for a unique way to engage with your existing fans, a sweepstakes that focuses on giving away promotional items such as t-shirts or free tickets to upcoming shows are sure to be a hit. Fans will be likely to enter and share because they enjoy your music. Contests are a great opportunity to reconnect with your existing fans and improve engagement on your social media profiles and website. The best giveaways are branded merchandise that reinforces your brand, or opportunities that get people out to shows to enjoy your music.

Reach a broader audience

Everyone appreciates a good contest, including music lovers. Hosting a sweepstakes promotion is an effective way to make connections with a broader audience for your band. By sharing your sweepstakes promotion on social media, your website, and through local media outlets, you will increase your visibility and grab the attention of potential fans. Make sure that your giveaway is accessible to people who don’t know your music – include links to your website, free tracks online, and include your genre of music in the general promotional materials.

Get more press

As the old saying goes, there’s no such thing as bad press! Running a sweepstakes giveaway is an easy way to get more good press for your band. A well-structured promotion with a unique set of prizes is sure to grab the attention of some local press outlets and regional music bloggers. Consider reaching out to popular music blogs, print publications, and local radio stations in your town or city to inform them about your band’s contest. In all likelihood, various press outlets will want to feature your sweepstakes promotion if the prize packages are compelling and relevant to music lovers. You can write up a quick press release or just send a personalized message to your priority contacts.

Every band wants to make connections with existing and potential fans, and a contest is a great way to create meaningful engagement. There are several ways that your band can benefit from running a sweepstakes promotion. If you are hoping to increase your visibility on social media, grow your email list, improve fan engagement, reach a broader audience, and get more press, a well-thought out sweepstakes is a highly effective way to do it.

 

About this Author: W hen Mary Walters isn’t busy reviewing Marketing Resource’s Interactive Campaigns in and around the Chicagoland area, she is covering a wide range of marketing topics to keep her readers happy and informed! Outside of work, she is an avid reader and enjoys spending time on the lakefront!

As featured on Indie-music.com, Examiner.com, I Am Entertainment Magazine, Antimusic.com, and recommended by countless music publications, “Your Band Is A Virus! Expanded Edition” is the ultimate music marketing guide for serious independent musicians and bands. Get your copy now.

Black Sabbath Ascends In The Hand Of Dante

13, Black Sabbath’s first studio record with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978′s Never Say Die!, starts off just as one might expect. “End Of The Beginning” punches through with a trunk-rattling dirge of murky low-end guitar guts. It then swivels away into grey as Osbourne ponders his placement in time.

Producer Rick Rubin, the great conjurer of past inspiration, got founding members Osbourne, guitar demon Tony Iommi and bassist, and lyricist, Geezer Butler in the same room for the first Sabbath release since 1995′s Forbidden, and they don’t mess around.

Sabbath has had a revolving cast of players over the years with Iommi being the one constant. A full-on reunion had been gestating since 2001. When sessions finally recommenced last year original drummer Bill Ward dropped out citing, lamely, a “contractual dispute.” It’s a shame that 13 isn’t a complete reunion, but who better to take Ward’s place than the tough, militaristic Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine? The songs are given a harder edge thanks to his presence. You couldn’t ask for better personnel to keep alive the name of Sabbath.

This album is dense. The first two songs alone stretch out to nearly seventeen minutes. On “God Is Dead?” Osbourne sings of “blood on my conscience and murdering mind.” Voices echo through his head as he wonders on the current state of God. The question in the title switches to a pronouncement, then back again to a question.

It’s clear Rubin was using past classics as a template for this excursion. There are a lot of familiar sounds. “Zeitgeist” could be the sequel to “Planet Caravan” off Paranoid with its bongo hits from the cave. Osbourne travels saintly through the universe. “Lost in time I wonder when my ship will be found,” he hums. At the end Iommi teases out the despondency of your soul with his guitar. The next song, and the heaviest, “Age Of Reason,” keeps the mind from drifting. It exists on many different floors and Iommi’s guitar collapses one after the next. Nobody slides down the neck in unison with the drums the way he does. The results crush your spine.

The running motor of “Live Forever” kicks the listener into a metallurgical trance. The floor becomes the ceiling. “Damaged Soul” is heavy slow-groove blues, until Iommi lets loose a few lacerating solos. “I’m not dying cuz I’m already dead / pray for the living cuz now I’m in your head,” Osbourne warns.

There are no mid-90′s Ozzy ballads here. He’s not trying to sing his heart out, instead relying more on his low-registered croak and quiver. Iommi slays each song with dark psychedelia, while Butler and Wilk maintain their rhythmic hammer.

This is the metal that Black Sabbath created somewhere around the moon landing and this is the metal only Black Sabbath can masterly recreate in this fucked-up Internet age. Their music still has the tremors of occult, like you’re walking through a sixteenth-century forest with dark, hooded clans. The songs are long, drawn out and pulverizing and if you’re not used to that sort of thing, you may grow weary. If you are used to that sort of thing, then this what you’re life has been missing lately.

Old fans of Sabbath will be very pleased. The purveyors of black magic metal have returned with perfect timing. In a world riddled with pockmarked landscapes and hate elevated, Black Sabbath is needed. Miley Cyrus and Keisha’s electronic goat-fuck party anthems just don’t accurately mirror this world. Damaged souls need damaged music in which to drink and smoke to and 13 is the perfect embellishment.

As featured on Indie-music.com, Examiner.com, I Am Entertainment Magazine, Antimusic.com, and recommended by countless music publications, “Your Band Is A Virus! Expanded Edition” is the ultimate music marketing guide for serious independent musicians and bands. Get your copy now.

Queens Of The Stone Age get hard and soft on rock and roll classic

God, it feels good when that first strike of sludge guitar hits on Queens Of The Stone Age’s new album, …Like Clockwork. First track, “Keep Your Eyes Peeled,” travels at a lowly lurk, like carefully stepping through a graveyard at night. Frontman Josh Homme takes deep painful stabs on his downtuned guitar while distressed ghouls crank away in the background.

It’s been a while since QOTSA have released new music. Since 2007′s mighty, bare-knuckled Era Vulgaris, Homme has been driving, red-eyed and burnt, through the California desert. He fronted the superb, eye-gouging Them Crooked Vultures with Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and old pal Dave Grohl on drums and dropped a third Eagles Of Death Metal record.

Now, Homme returns with old Queens’ players in tow, but has lassoed an army of friends, old and new. Grohl is here performing on a majority of the songs, founding bassist Nick Oliveri returns for one and Mark Lanegan, Homme’s wife Brody Dalle and Trent Reznor all contribute, while Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters, Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys and, yes, Elton John add their heft to the record.

The tempo shifts from song to song. The second track and head-bobber, “I Sat By The Ocean,” is the most overtly Queens-sounding with those slithering, braying guitars. “The Vampyre Of Time And Memory” slows way down, each measure strung together with ominous keyboard and fat synthesizer. At first “Kolpsia” throws the listener for a loop, sounding like a pasty dream, but then flaps open into a hotbox of feedback and 90′s riffage. A beautiful melody is pitted against Homme’s gnarled scowl and somewhere in the mix is Reznor on vocals, but it’s hard to pick him out.

Homme’s drugged, careless snarl is in full effect on the record’s best song, “If I Had A Tail.” “I wanna suck, I wanna lick, I wanna cry, I wanna spit. Tears of pleasure, tears of pain, they trickle down your face the same,” he sings along to the bump. An undeniable boogie is at work here. It instantly picks the body up and soon you’ll be reaching for a bottle of whiskey and car keys.

A great clamped-down energy controls “Smooth Sailing.” Homme finds himself at the bottom looking upwards, not giving two fucks about what comes next. “I’m burning bridges, I destroyed the mirage,” he sings, before offering a classic line only he could erect: “I blow my load over the status quo.” Lyrics like that, well, they just don’t come very often. The album then descends into the spectral “I Appear Missing,” where lost souls go hammering back into the dirt.

It’s devastatingly obvious Grohl and Homme are on the same rhythmic wavelength. One of the greatest drummers playing today, Grohl, holds these songs down with his consistent punch and full force rolling crescendos that just fucking explode through the speakers. The results of these two rock and roll hemoglobins is achingly satisfying. As a drummer, it’s impossible not to air drum wherever you are.

A steady, plodding piano from John finishes out the record on the title track. It brings out an emotional response heavier than any other Queens song before it. “Everyone it seems has somewhere to go,” Homme swoons, “the faster the world spins, the shorter the lights will grow.” It’s not all drug-taking, car-racing, lip-smacking, but down in the dirt reflection, too.

As the title may suggest, this album is another chip off the ol’ Queens Of The Stone Age block. It begins and ends with the grave, with slight detours in the middle of spirits rising and circulating. Homme feathers his vocals a little more and soundscapes creep in, but once it begins to sound too pretty, there is an off-note, a pinged sharp, that uglies it. …Like Clockwork is a borderline masterpiece of swampy rock and roll.

As featured on Indie-music.com, Examiner.com, I Am Entertainment Magazine, Antimusic.com, and recommended by countless music publications, “Your Band Is A Virus! Expanded Edition” is the ultimate music marketing guide for serious independent musicians and bands. Get your copy now.

Rock Survives And Thrives in 2013

Announcement after announcement and stream after stream, from David Bowie’s new album early this year to strong releases from Dillinger Escape Plan, Alice in Chains, Iggy & the Stooges, Queens of the Stone Age, and more, it’s easy to get excited about rock music in 2013. This post is merely meant to pay it forward to artists who I feel are doing inspired work within the fields of rock, metal, punk, prog, and their surrounding genres.

1. David Bowie

The music world was shocked when David Bowie announced he’d be releasing a full-length album in 2013 seemingly out of nowhere, and pleasantly surprised when it proved to sit well alongside his best work. Dark, incessant, cryptically poetic, and showcasing the bleak wisdom that comes from life experience, “The Next Day” was a non-mainstream release best listened to alongside “Heroes” and “Low”. Check out the tense and erratic title-track below:

2. The Dillinger Escape Plan

The Dillinger Escape Plan are known for consistently putting out inventive and artistic, yet extremely hardhitting material, a rarity in the music world. Typically you get the Radiohead’s on one end of the spectrum and the Slayer’s on the other. DEP proved it was possible to expand in all directions, blowing away any close competition with their critically acclaimed 2013 release “One Of Us Is The Killer”, an album I highly recommend. Check out “When I Lost My Bet” below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Iggy & The Stooges

While not necessarily a potent follow-up to “Raw Power”, anyone who claims it’s not a great thing for rock n’ roll to have Iggy & The Stooges back in action must surely have a case of whine-itus. Though their 2013 release “Ready To Die” was a mixed offering, tracks like “Burn”, “Job” and the title track showcase the noisy rock these legends are known for, and having them on the live scene is a practical godsend, if only for the display of a 66 year old man rocking harder than most 20 year olds. There’s a lesson to be learned there. Check out “Burn”, the strongest track on the album, below:

4. Queens of the Stone Age

Josh Homme and his sinister but fun rock project Queens of the Stone Age are back after a lengthy hiatus, and the prognosis is good for the new release “Like Clockwork…”. Pretty much every track is worth of recommendation, and the band is in fine form, with an album that is dangerous and seductive. This is expanding within the boundaries of rock. Check out my favorite cut from the album, “Keep Your Eyes Peeled” below:

5. Alice in Chains

Sludge rock giants Alice in Chains have just released their new full length entitled “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here”, and it’s solid. They’ve come into their own since the comeback release “Black Gives Way To Blue” and sound confident and recharged. Although it would be near impossible to come up with fresh inspiration close to the genius that went into “Dirt” and “Jar of Flies”, this is music to be enjoyed on it’s own terms. Check out “Hollow” below:

6. Kylesa

Kylesa may be a polarizing band, with their simplistic, sludgy brand of hardcore and stoner metal, but the group are firing on all cylinders with “Ultraviolet”, a release that finds them experimenting more while retaining their ethereal, riff-driven base. “Unspoken” should win them many new fans. Listen below:

7. The Breeders

Indie rock legends The Breeders are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their classic alternative release “Last Splash” with a deluxe reissue and tour. I’ll be eagerly looking forward to their Vancouver performance. Until then, I’ll be enjoying their catalogue.

8. Deerhunter

With “Monomania”, Deerhunter got noisy and psychedelic, bringing to mind Guided by Voices and early Pink Floyd, and both fans and critics loved them for it. Check out the title track below:

9. The Melvins

The Melvins are celebrating their 30th anniversary with extensive tour dates (I have my tickets for the Vancouver show), and they also released a covers album entitled “Everybody Loves Sausages” in 2013. Listen to “In Every Dream Home A Heartache” below:

10. Mudhoney

Sub Pop’s underground rock heroes Mudhoney returned in fine form in 2013 with “Vanishing Point”, which featured a mix of cryptic, silly and surprisingly spiritually connected lyrics backed up with solid rock dynamics. Check out the insightful “I Like It Small” below:

11. Kurt Vile

Kurt Vile’s “Wakin On A Pretty Daze” has been hailed as one of 2013′s best albums so far, and though his lazy delivery can get a bit tiresome after an in-depth listen, he deserves credit for doing his own thing. This is recommended listening for fans of Tom Petty.

12. Megadeth

Dave Mustaine and friends have returned with a new full-length entitled “Super Collider”, which is sure to make a lot of metal fans happy. Let’s just hope he keeps his conspiracy theories to himself and spares the internet the excess content.

13. Black Sabbath

Now that the album stream is open, I took a listen to “13″ today, and it’s stellar. Classic Sabbath through and through. Listen to “God is Dead” below:

14. Metz

Noise rock is back in a big way in 2013, thanks to bands like Metz, who are relentless touring to promote their brand of full-on volume abuse. Check out “Wasted” below:

15. Iceage

Iceage are bringing strong songwriting and real punk and noise rock sensibility to their listeners with 2013 release “You’re Nothing”. Check out “Morals” below:

16. Skinny Puppy

Canadian industrial/electronic/rock favorites Skinny Puppy went back to their classic sound on their 2013 album “Weapon”, possibly their finest album since “The Process” (which not many fans enjoyed, but I would HIGHLY recommend). Check out “Paragun” below:

17. Vista Chino

Finally, some new music from Kyuss Lives! members, now going by the name of Vista Chino. Check out “Dargona Dragona” below:

Beyond these, we can expect new releases from the likes of Animals as Leaders, Katatonia, Scale the Summit, High on Fire, Anathema, Baroness, Godflesh, Devin Townsend, Gojira and Down.

As featured on Indie-music.com, Examiner.com, I Am Entertainment Magazine, Antimusic.com, and recommended by countless music publications, “Your Band Is A Virus! Expanded Edition” is the ultimate music marketing guide for serious independent musicians and bands. Get your copy now.

11 Reasons Why Your Music Self-Promotion Isn’t Working

Self-promotion in the music industry is a topic that has been explored extensively over the past 20 years. Some of the basic ground rules are the same that apply to any business or freelancer. Most people in the industry, however, bands included, don’t know a whole lot about it. Many prefer to hover around the topic of social media because it’s all they know. After all, once you call yourself a “social media coach”, there’s really not much room for expansion besides posting an analysis of every new Twitter or Facebook development/etc.  Artists flock to new music technologies, discovery platforms, unsigned networks, indie authorities, and crowd funding platforms looking for the answer, and yet, the message generally being sent to the artists tends to do them a disservice. Promises, promises. Even the term “submit your music” can be very misleading. Submit it where? Well…the junk folder, to be blunt.

Just as people starting businesses often under-estimate the amount of work necessary, so do unsigned musicians and bands. A quick disclaimer: it IS possible to be very successful as a musician in 2013. You can do it. It’s helpful, though, to do away with some of the lies that we typically accept from today’s music authorities, and I’ll go over some of those here. The intention isn’t to be overly blunt. Just to tell the truth. Below are some reasons why your music self-promotion may not be working.

1) You’re waiting in line.

It’s wonderful that there are so many services for artists to use to send their music to either industry professionals, festivals, blogs, magazines, and radio promoters such as Sonicbids and Music XRay. Mixed feelings abound about these sites, but to call them positive or negative would be a snap judgement. Does it suck that it costs $40 to simply apply for X music festival given that this is a digital submission we’re talking about, and chances are your music will not receive a fair listen? It sure does. Would it possibly be a life-changing experience if you were chosen? It certainly would. Musicians today are accustomed to waiting in line for just about everything. After all, it’s busy as hell out there. While it’s necessary to wait in some lines, and good results can come of that, if you merely play by the rules and wait in lines you’ll get stagnancy, and that isn’t a very fun gift to open up for Christmas.

Artists need to think as creatively in their promotions as in their songwriting. Outsource your duties. Get momentum by getting freelancers on your side. Promote outside of the music blog arena. Hire people to promote your music; preferably a lot of them. Get the forums buzzing. Get people requesting your music. Get people writing about your music. Donate to blogs you like. Use Fiverr and similar micro-job sites. Read Tim Ferriss. Read business books. Get out of the “band” mentality. Ignore the music authorities and start infiltrating.

2) You’re only promoting on social media.

Don’t get me wrong. Social media, when used correctly, can have a massive effect on your success. The only problem is, since most industry guru’s and music marketing publications tend to focus on social media exclusively, the current generation of artists are spending all of their time posting, pinning, tweeting, hashtagging, reblogging, liking, sharing, tagging, stumbling, digging, and cultivating the perfect “reddiquette”, but in the end, without the proper balance, the result is something close to a Warcraft or Angry Birds addiction. Time down the memory hole.

It’s easy to forget that not everyone hangs around on these networks, and even if they do, they’re often tuned into only what their personal perceptual filters will allow; not something new. It’s important to keep your communication skills in tip-top shape, to send actual, conversational emails, make phone calls, and speak with promoters in person. The worst faux pas is messaging companies or industry people through networks such as Facebook. These often go unanswered, as these networks are riddled with spam, and real messages get lost in the shuffle. Send a real, personalized email and notice the difference.

3) You’re on automation.

Thought it might be a good idea to outsource your music marketing to a robot? Some of the most heavily advertised automated services such as Beatwire and Musicsubmit look very attractive to most artists. They promise to send your music to X number of journalists, radio hosts, and industry professionals, and charge a flat rate for doing so. The rates are often less than what most publicists charge, making it even more enticing. But how are these emails received? For one, most journalists and bloggers receive dozens, if not hundreds, of real emails daily from promoters, labels and artists who either wrote the message personally or at least prepared a proper email and clicked the “send” button. How much respect do you think they have for the “easy way out”, an automated press release, or possibly a Reverbnation profile delivered to their inbox? If your music submissions say anything along the lines of “powered by…”, you can expect little to no results. I’ve been added to lists by companies like these without so much of a “Hello” or “Would you like to be added to our recipient list?” You know what that’s called? Spam.

4) You’re not “showing them the money”.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve submitted an artist to X Magazine or blog and received enthusiastic response back from their sales department, who conveniently request that I pay an exorbitant rate for an online or print advertisement. When I mention that I’m unable to advertise but would still appreciate editorial consideration, I’m told that the sales and editorial departments are separate. For one, this is the public statement of many publications, but it’s simply not true in many cases. If you don’t buy their advertising, which is often over-priced given that you’re at times the only income stream, your submission goes mysteriously missing. Now, most artists can’t afford to advertise on multiple major magazines, nor is it usually worth it if I’m being honest.

This can be the same with music blogs, and any kind of music service, which makes sense to a particular degree. If you think about it, no one really has all the time in the world to sit around listening to and reviewing albums. There needs to be an exchange, whether it’s properly priced advertising, blog donations, paid reviews, crowd funders or anything else. If a paid review scenario is fair, do it. If it’s outrageous, move on. Remember, you can always find freelance writers who may be interested in writing about your music by advertising on Craigslist.

5) You’re not already on their playlist.

The front door appears to be open, but it’s all for appearances. Many music blogs featured in the coveted directories/aggregators (Hype Machine, Elbo.ws) are closer to personal blogs than anything else. Hundreds of artists submit music to them every day, but chances are they’ll never post a single one. The blog owner simply posts their favorite artists periodically. So why all this misleading the public then? Well, blog traffic is always a good thing for the webmaster, leading to advertising and potentially other partnerships, so cultivating an audience of indie musicians to rack up the hits isn’t a bad thing from their perspective. It ends up being wasted time for the artists, though. Some blogs are good enough to post a simple statement such as “Don’t send me your music. I only post my own findings.”

6) You’re not famous or gossip-worthy.

Which brings me to my next point. Many supposed “indie darling” blogs and publications have, over the past 10 years or so, turned into gossip rags, and you’d be hard-pressed to find any content outside of Lana Del Rae and ASAP Rocky (and not their new albums). Take these off your media list and don’t give them your traffic if they’re of no use to you.

7) You have nothing to barter with.

Put yourself in the blogger/editor/etc’s position upon opening your email. Why should they take an hour of their time to promote you? At the very least, you should have built a large network, and offer cross-promotion for the post. This shows respect on your part. The reason good indie labels, radio promoters and PR companies typically get much better results when promoting artists than the artists themselves get is because of leverage. They’ve built up their networks and regularly cross-promote. They may have arranged other partnerships or deals with the publication as well. You scratch my back. I’ll scratch yours.

8) First-time introductions.

If you’re emailing someone for the first time, it’s a lot like making a cold call telemarketing. You can’t expect the results to be overly high. This is another reason why good labels, radio promoters and PR companies get better results. They’ve established those relationships and they’re not saying “hello” for the first time.

9) You didn’t appeal to their ego (in the right way).

There is no one rule. Some bloggers want personal messages while others would blacklist you for attempting chit chat. Some want you to tell them how much you just loved their recent piece on Daft Punk’s new album (the 633rd one you’ve read), while others would see that as a trite move. There’s no way to win here. What I do, myself, is provide absolutely everything the blogger may need in a concise way, so no Googling is required, as well as sending a personal note going over why I connect with the artist being submitted. If you’d like an idea of how to do this, check out my music blog promotion template.

10) There’s no time.

I was horrified when I first learned that many music blogs and publications often receive hundreds, sometimes thousands of submissions a day. Once again, we’re waiting in line in the review queue. You can’t expect time to magically appear for these people. If I were in their position, I’d shut down. I’d take more time offline and leave the disappointed in my wake.

11) You haven’t differentiated yourself.

This is a big one. You’re lost somewhere in the supermarket, and it’s tough for the store manager to find you because you look similar to every other child there. You’re certainly not “the blue child”. If anyone ever told you to “appeal to the industry” or write songs for the radio/etc, it’s time to throw away those silly notions because they’re destroying what your art could be. Often, the reason an artist goes unnoticed isn’t mysterious at all. You may have, in an attempt to be “heard by the masses”, crafted yourself into a generic package. You’re not really yourself. You’re playing to someone…a hypothetical creation. Be yourself, the weirder and more original, the better. If there are two people doing what you do, the odds are already against you. Be the only one.

 

Montana Maxx: Detroit’s Dirtworker

On “City Of Gods,” off the mixtape, KingMi, from Montana Maxx (or Mt. Maxx), the Detroit rapper explains, “I’m from a city where it’s god this and god that / but when we hungry it’s sell this or rob that.” No flash. No champagne. Just real life in America’s currently most disheveled city.

On the horizon rapper, Mt. Maxx, brings along a few friends for this ten song mixtape, his second. The album comes unhinged with the opening blare of “KingMi Intro.” Maxx appropriately uses the operatic vocals from Kanye West and Jay-Z’s “H.A.M.” as his backdrop. “I’m not a god, but I work goddamn hard,” he spits. Maxx, not yet in the throes of fame, seats himself on record as the man in the midst of his ascent. He’s working hard to get to the top, but still living like the rest of us day to day.

In today’s Detroit this is not always easy.

The fourth and best song, “City Of Gods,” floats along on a lush guitar loop. It has a dead end mood. With Rockzamillion featured, the two Detroit disciples describe the tough love they share with their home. They illustrate the daily strife of living in the U.S. city hit hardest by our collapsed economy. A place with such celebrated musical history can eat away at your own motives and Maxx is all too aware of this.

A lot of the tracks on KingMi are very heavy on atmosphere with a mood to match. “One Night Stand” finds Maxx trapped in the aftermath of a relationship that broke apart, playing Xbox and serial dating, to try and get past it. “You jaded ‘cuz you self-proclaimed it,” he reflects. Over a thawing drum beat and a whispering premonition from the chords of a female throat, he struggles to escape his internal issues without the crutch of drugs. Later, on “Cold Outside,” Maxx deals with the anxiety of meeting the expectations of himself and his peers, never finding solid ground. It opens with sympathetic synth flourishes like a sci-fi soundtrack, then falls into a straight-forward beat that makes you wanna close your eyes and breathe deeply.

It’s back to living the high life, smokin’ and drinkin’, on “Kingshit,” featuring Pgrand. “We like touching dirty money doing king shit,” the two rap over foggy Bejeweled sound effects spewing in the background. ”Love You Momma” completes the mixtape with forceful odes of love to his mother. While the track sounds gloomy and Maxx is almost yelling, it’s filled with genuine admiration and a steep motherly love. He abrasively exacts the feelings he has for his mother. The honesty, for a rapper, is refreshing.

Maxx doesn’t often drop obtuse material references like many others in the game. His stories are tales of daily life, deep in reflection sitting in the middle of the living room. He’s introspective, eager to turn every plot twist of his life into an aggressive rhyme scheme. His flow is similar to many rappers today. More lofty run-on sentences rather than quick rhyming jibes.

Sonically, some tracks are fuzzy and too sparse, with nothing more than average, often used, drum beats breaking over some background noise. But, if a mixtape is simply a vehicle for your flow to practice driving, then Maxx has succeeded. He’s got a heart dripping axle grease. He’s gone past the point of simply dabbling in rap music during free time to living each verse day and night. KingMi is Maxx’s introductory roar.

Hear: KingMi

Dillinger Escape Plan’s “One Of Us Is The Killer” Lights A Fire Of Inspiration

Dillinger Escape Plan are back with the newly released “One Of Us Is The Killer”, out now via Sumerian Records. They’re a band that continually evolve, and to many, their last outing “Option Paralysis” was about as good as it gets; daring, frantic, and passionate. Well, I’ve listened to the new album about 4 times through already and, well, this is the opposite of “phoning it in”. If you peel back the layers of this band, who at first seem like troublemakers, angry for the sake of it…you find that they want to incite inspiration rather than misguided anger. They want to light a fire, and, speaking for myself at least, it works. DEP’s music has gotten me through many hard times in the past. There’s something in their reckless abandon and relentless approach that leaves no emotional stone unturned; if you can handle the ruthless self-inquiry, you’ll come out the other end a little wiser for it.

“Prancer” is vintage Dillinger aged to perfection; their “capture the Queen” revolutionary musical approach is in full effect here. Punk rock, hardcore, and math metal all work together to create a powder keg of attitude and energy. ”When I Lost My Bet” staggers it’s way to hardcore jazz masterpiece territory; vocally, telling someone off becomes art here, and a perfect metaphor for those chasing fame. “Stick around, you never know whose ego you can stroke a rung to climb a pill a line a mask to hide your face.” This could be one of DEP’s best all time tracks, although admittedly that’s a difficult call.

“One Of Us Is The Killer” introduces the falsetto/Faith No More-inspired side of Dillinger, and it’s welcomed after the pure brutality of the previous two tracks. Greg Puciato’s voice keeps getting better, and the pop sensibility of this track works well. It’s always nice to hear a metal band who utilize Portishead’s influence well. Downtempo and deeply emotive, this is a definite single, and has the potential to reach further than past tracks for the band in the mainstream.

“Hero of the Soviet Union” reminds the listener that they are participating in a surprise attack, and attention is absolutely necessary. What can you say? It’s pure insanity, and it’s massive. But wait for it…one of the strangely zen moments of the CD appears in the closer of this song.

“You smell like shit, not the truth

full of device, not devotion

conscience came right up to you

and then you threw it back

you are the scum of the earth

you are the scum of the ocean

to you it’s above as below

you smear your filth across the world”

Pay attention to the mournful backup harmonies, and there is a beauty in this call out. Call out the enemy, and you’re finished with it. This is a highlight of the album, and hard to top.

“Nothing’s Funny” begins with a punishing riff that locks into a groove metal verse. Heavy but beautiful throughout, and a perfect mix of Dillinger’s melodic and harsh sensibilities. Think Soundgarden at their meanest. “Understanding Decay” progresses further, with it’s stop/start jagged rhythm pulsing along. There are still many surprises up DEP’s sleeves, including the incantation/chant at the end.

“Paranoia Shields” starts with Marilyn Manson-esque vocals, and it’s another melodic heavy offering along the same lines of “Nothing’s Funny”. To call is accessible is a strange term to use, but it really is. Of course, they manage to make accessible incredibly interesting.

“CH 375 268 277 ARS”, to me, sounds like Dillinger Escape Plan’s answer to Nine Inch Nails’ “Just Like You Imagined”. It’s an instrumental, and it’s inspiring. By the time it unleashes, it’s overwhelming. Put it on your workout mix. Of course, after two minutes of instrumental music, Puciato has to come back strong, and he does. “Magic That I Held You Prisoner” is full on punishing; another solid offering.

“Crossburner” gives us the slow heavy that Dillinger excels at just as much as their spastic math punk. With basslines taking cues from “Antichrist Superstar” era Manson, this is industrial and heavy metal meets prog and trip hop. The track blazes out in a path of glory with the lines “I’m sorry we’re so far away”.

“The Threat Posed By Nuclear Weapons” gives a final taste of the versatility on the album, from quiet, creepy lounge jazz to full on metal and hardcore. Nothing short of perfect.

Overall, Dillinger Escape Plan have challenged and invigorated us once again. “One Of Us Is The Killer” is right up there with DEP’s best work, and it’s certainly bound to be among 2013′s best CD releases, alongside David Bowie’s “The Next Day” and Janelle Monae”s “The Electric Lady” (my advance prediction). Welcome back, Dillinger, and thanks for the inspiration.

 

 

5 Reasons Why You Should Finish Your Damn Album

Sorry for my bluntness. This is a quick point about the importance of finishing/releasing your album or EP. I often receive submissions from artists seeking promotion to music media. I’m always excited to take a close listen to new music, and sites like Soundcloud are an excellent way to preview an artist. They provide a perfect opportunity for artists to showcase their work for stream or download, but just like anything else, this shouldn’t end up as an excuse to be unorganized. Think of sites like Soundcloud as your online resume.

When I check into an artist and they have an endless list of songs, I’ll ask them what they were looking to promote. Usually the answer I get is “Oh, I just want to generally promote myself and see what happens.” The best question I get is “Can you shop this page around?”

Well, not really.

Here are some reasons you should set a timeline and release your damn album!

1) It will make you appear professional. Think about it. All of the artists you admire have a name, a face (or an image), possibly a logo, and they most definitely have an album or EP. Compiling your songs and representing them in a professional way shows that you care about your work enough not just to slap it on a website haphazardly, but there is actually some thought, care, and possibly meaning, put into it. In releasing an album you’ve decided to at least take part of the plunge necessary to bring your art to other human beings. Leaving random songs strewn across social networks and hosting sites indicates confusion and indecision, whereas the presentation of, say, an album stream (on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc) is professional and appealing. It tells a story.

2) It is the opposite of procrastination. It is a confident action, a footstep leading to whatever is next. If you don’t take this step, no other opportunities will come your way. No videos. No special editions. No fan clubs. Nothing to sell when you play live. Many artists talk endlessly about mixing and mastering, but you can tell that they’re indecisive, and that even if they finish their album they won’t invest anything into the promotion of said record. There is currently an over-emphasis on production, so what you end up with is a lot of well-produced music that no one will ever hear. Focus on the passion. Quality is over-rated and the industry is over-saturated. Do something different and don’t be afraid to be raw. Terrible quality? Who cares? Make it meaningful and truly charged, and let it loose to the public.

3) It removes you from esoteric thinking. It’s specific. If you release an album, you now have a specific product. Just as you can’t go to the store and buy “a thing”, you can’t really market “some songs”, unless you’re thinking of the publishing or licensing sides of the industry. If you never finish your album, you will never have anything to promote.

4) It motivates you and the people around you. We all know someone who is always “working on” a project, whether it be an album, a book, or an artistic work. At a certain point, you know they’ll never finish, because they’ve dissipated all their energy by talking about it. They’ve already generated all the love they need from your feedback about their ideas. If you can be the person who keeps their head down and finishes your project, you will inspire and motivate not only yourself and the people involved with your project, but others too.

5) Because no one cares. We’ve grown up in strange times. Musicians see their heroes recording for months at a time, walling themselves off in expensive studios, and releasing album trailers to the acclaim of millions of adoring fans. A certain mythology has developed around the event of releasing an album. This mythology has led artists to do some crazy things, among them thinking it has to be ‘perfect’, or thinking they need to hoard their work. But if no one is waiting for your album, just do. Do your album as the wind blows. For no reason and with no cause. Get it done simply because you love it, and the promotion side will come naturally (because if you love your art, you should promote it). If no one cares, let that free you, and then, let them care because you do.

Innovation in Music Series – Juno Reactor Exclusive Interview

Welcome to the 2nd installment of our “Innovation in Music Series”, where I interview artists who have blazed a path for themselves by following their hearts and bringing something truly vital and original to the world. The first interview in the series was with progressive metal giants Animals As Leaders. Today’s interview is with an artist who has been one of my very favorites since the mid-90′s and who I consider a true innovator – Juno Reactor. I previously included him in my “12 Essential Electronic Music Artists For Rock Fans” piece. Ever since I first heard “Bible of Dreams”, my life has been consistently enriched by the music of Ben Watkins (the man behind Juno Reactor) and his trailblazing music. In fact, interviewing Ben was a bit of a Chris Farley-type experience for me as I felt like quite the fanboy (“Do you remember…when you released “God Is God?…..That was awesome!”) Luckily, Ben was a class act, and very easy to chat with.

Juno Reactor’s new album “The Golden Sun Of The Great East” is a brilliant, genre-bending trip into Ben’s imagination, but the best thing about his music is that his work facilitates a journey into the imagination of the listener, too. It’s a truly creative process, and that’s why I’ve found Juno Reactor to be such a dynamic project to interact with.

In my conversation with Ben, which was on Skype this time so as to have a good flow, I have to say I learned a lot.  For one, an Alan Watts quote comes to mind about interested people being interesting.

It’s critical to be vitally interested in what you’re doing and not to feed distraction. Ben is absolutely passionate about trance music, experimental music, world music, classical music, operatic vocals, heavy metal, rock n’ roll, industrial, and all forms of electronic music…well, it’s safe to say he’s passionate and open to just about anything. Instead of going the tried-and-true way of abiding by genre expectations, he chooses to go his own way, to follow his passions and fuse all of this into his work. The results is a cohesive, “everything but the kitchen sink” sound that truly explores.

About his tendency to explore, Ben says “I love heavy metal. I love strapping on a guitar and playing it incredibly loud to everyone else’s annoyance, you know, but I love synths. I love electronic drums and I love opera vocals and I love Indian vocals and I love sitar…Where do you put it? For me I just have to try and put everything in there.”

In a Juno Reactor song, anything can happen, from tribal drumming and Indian chants to downtempo atmosphere and explosive metal. To him, it’s all in good fun. The fact that he has fun with it facilitates more natural creativity…and so the cycle continues.

“For this album, I felt I could really return to some of the roots of Juno Reactor without it being too similar. On this album, I spent quite a bit of time in Indie and absorbed the atmosphere of Mumbai, and a lot of the feelings and inspirations are very much coming from that really fantastic city.”

Also, I really got the sense that Ben Watkins enjoys the path rather than focusing on the road blocks. He does it because he does it because he does it. The original motivation for Juno Reactor wasn’t even to be a mainstream endeavor. It’s caught on because of the contagious passion of it’s creator.

When asked if he has any advice for independent musicians, Ben says “Just keep bashing the door. I’ve been bashing the door for so long that my main purpose is pretty much to survive it, you know? I met Dr. John years ago and I got that off him, really. It’s the journey. It’s not the destination.”

Check out the full interview in audio form below via Vimeo. Visit Juno Reactor here and buy their new album here.

Juno Reactor exclusive interview from James Moore on Vimeo.

Deerhunter’s new, “Monomania,” is a square fitting into circle speakers

Warning: Monomania by Deerhunter is not the album to listen to in the wake of a ratty hangover. It’s abrasive, snot-nosed, manic-depressive rock and as noisy as a traffic jam. There are few moments of calm. Your neighbors will not appreciate you blasting it, but their well- being is not of your concern and neither is it of Bradford Cox, the main force and singer behind Deerhunter.

Monomania, released Tuesday May 7, is the group’s sixth studio album and announces the addition of new bassist Josh McKay. It also comes after their longest music drought with their last output being 2010′s Halycon Digest. They’ve been fairly consistent with releases since their 2005 debut, but Cox has upped the ante with his side project, Atlas Sound staying just as active.

On previous Deerhunter albums there would be long dramatic drop-offs of noise washing over, scant ambient swirls, cymbals tinkering against each other, shots of whatever leftover noise just rattling on into infinity. This collection of songs is more straight-forward, focused, but still with a sloppy punk rock execution.

The album begins with a line of drool slipping into the slow creep California jam, “Neon Junkyard.” Acoustic guitars lay on top each other while a moody synth gurgles in the distance. “Leather Jacket II” throws the listener into a pit of feedback and jumbled guitar twine. The same squawking lick writhes throughout until the whole thing crumbles at your feet. Thankfully, “The Missing,” pulls itself from the noise and reveals a hazy charm. It’s like a song from a 90′s backyard smoke-out beaming back to us on broken down transmitters.

Cox slobbers all over the microphone. Each lyric is delivered with a repressed primal scream. His vocals are either enmeshed in distortion or floating, upside-down, in reverb. Most of the time it’s difficult to understand what he’s saying, but it’s clear that something in life is bugging him. He’s unsettled, impatient and before he lets it bring him down he’s going to burn out everything nearby.

Lyrics are like chicken-scratch scraps from his daily journal. On the blustering “Pensacola” Cox yelps, “The woman that I loved, took another man. Nothing ever ends up quite like what you planned.” Later he plans a trip to that city, seeking adventure as a means of escape. He pleads on the following track, “Dream Captain take me on your ship, Dream Captain it’s my only wish.” His head is spinning and this guy wants out.

He seems to be trapped by every emotional state known to modern man. He calls himself a “crippled coward.” His hair is falling out. He almost arrives at personal connection multiple times, but slips into a pit of despair. “If you need a friend,” he remarks on “Blue Agent,” ”then look someplace else.” Oh really? Then I guess someone else will have to use these two free Braves tickets I scored.

That song is the first to finally offers some space in the mix, with tiny high-pitched plucks on the guitar. “Monomania,” which comes toward the end, assures the album doesn’t completely go soft. It sounds like a motorcycle crashing into a van, spliced and looped, until the motorcycle drives off. Fittingly, the next song, “Nitebike,” offers a moment of contemplation on a cool night. Cox coos hypnotically over a limp acoustic ballad. “I was on the cusp of a breakthrough,” he spits before erupting in howls of moonlight.

Cox and his quintet are picking up the pieces dropped by Sonic Youth and other noise-rock conglomerates. In their headspace a song doesn’t ever have to be complete for it to be finished. Music need not be perfect or even comfortable. As long as you attack the scraps lying around with grit and desire, the audience will appear. Monomania is Deerhunter’s best album. It works, not for it’s songwriting and musicianship, but for it’s forced penetration and total onslaught to fill the speakers. Before you press play, make sure your door is locked.