Review of The Indie Band Survival Guide

I recently read The Indie Band Survival Guide by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan. This book is extraordinarily readable, but is also a great reference for independent artists.

First of all, Chertkow and Feehan know what they are talking about. They experienced it first hand as part of their rock group, Beatnik Turtle. They have produced eighteen albums and they have written music for television and films, all without a label.

Right away, these guys do a great job of defining indie artists as well as the various support roles in the new music business. They also do a great job of describing the changing landscape of the music business.

This book is also honest and forthright regarding the challenges facing the indie artist. It places appropriate emphasis on the role of people in the development of any successful campaign.

I am particularly impressed with the layout of this great reference book and the use of specific examples that are woven into the detailed fabric of instruction. This reference provides an excellent overview of topics that include many marketing principles such as branding and creating effective web sites. There are many tips and resources that any indie artist should find useful in their endeavors to build a fan base. I especially like the section of the book devoted to getting noticed as it provides specific strategies.

The book provides sufficient information for developing a ground game, including how to get booked and how to make the best of each appearance. There is ample information about other elements of a successful ground campaign including pitching and various forms of direct promotion and publicity.

The Indie Band Survival Guide does a great job of describing intellectual property and rights.

The only issue that I have with this book is the application of The Long Tail to the product side of music. I read Chris Anderson's book, and I believe that it does apply to the distribution side of the music business. However, I am skeptical that it will apply to the production side of the music business as there is little justification to produce anything for one or two sales. If there are multitudes of distributors selling low volumes, then perhaps it might make a little more sense. Overall, on the production side, the tail needs to be more representative of the natural relationship between sales and quality. This, I believe, would be best represented by a linear relationship between popularity and quality. Of course, quality in this context must integrate the quality of the actual product with the quality of marketing and promotion in the real world.

In summary, if you have a great product (songs and ability to perform them) and you can apply the principles outlined in The Indie Band Survival Guide, then you have a reasonable chance of success. This book is well worth the $15 and I would consider it a must have for any indie artist.

American Idol Delivers on a Human Level, Falters on Image

Thank you Kris Allen and Adam Lambert for a great Season 8 of American Idol. The talent level this year was noticebly higher as many of the contenders would have won it all in previous seasons.

First and foremost, Kris Allen demonstrated a huge range of talent as a singer and as a musician, playing both guitar and piano. It is clear to me that Kris has a broad appeal with a lot of charm.

Adam Lambert has extraordinary talent that is difficult to summarize. I will only say that he should not limit himself to singing. I suspect that Adam has a great career ahead of him on stage and in film.

Danny Gokey really sang his heart out last night on Lionel Richie's "Suddenly". This guy has a lot going for him and he definitely won the hearts of millions of viewers with his voice, personality and story.

Allison Iraheta performed very well despite her 16 years. I believe that she will find success, but I hope that she will also continue her education as 16 is too young to put 100% into a career as a performer in my humble opinion.

The show was entertaining, yet the human element is what makes it enjoyable for me. I suppose I am not a huge fan of the outdated, rock god mystique. I really like the genuine human side of recent winners and runners up on American Idol.

while Simon insists on putting the "bigger than life" spin on the whole enterprise (and it is, along with Simon Fuller, his enterprise), I think that Carrie Underwood should provide a clue about what is working in today's market. That is, Carrie Underwood has demonstrated huge sucess without falling into the whole image trap.

Yes, there are some stars who continue to follow this approach. Prince perhaps best demonstrates the image approach to stardom. The guy definitely has talent. But, I believe his success has been muted by his image and attitude. There is no telling how much money this guy left on the table by alienating millions who just don't have the stomach for his super ego and self indulgence.

Recent winners and runners up demonstrating success with some grace and humility include Carrie Underwood, David Cook, and David Archuleta. Chris Daughtry has a bit of a bad boy look, but I think he is smart enough to not allow the image thing to screw him up.

This years winner and runners up will undoubtedly do well to remain true to themselves. Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, and Danny Gokey all exemplify an element of grace and humility.

Ultimately, I believe there is a price to pay for relying on an image. Nothing bears this out quite so clearly as some of the performers from last night.

Rod Stewart still has a distinct voice. But, I think Rod had the right idea when he launched a rather successful comeback a few years ago singing love songs and standards. Last night, however, he went back to his earlier image. The problem is, Rod Stewart is in his 60's. There is nothing that screams "NO" so loudly as a 60 year old man trying to dance on live television. Rod would have been ok to sing his mega hit "Maggie May" without trying to bust a move. In addition, I think Rod would have looked a whole lot better in a tux than the garish plaid jacket. I know he loves his Scottish heritage, but he reminded me of the Rodney Dangerfield character in Caddie Shack whose line,"It looks good on you, though", seemed appropriate for the occasion.

KISS is in the same category. C'mon guys! This is the problem with the image thing. You all looked ridiculous. Your days are numbered. Actually, your days have already expired. It just doesn't make sense to rely on image forever. How old is Gene Simmons? Having a 60 year old man slinging his unusually large tongue out on television is not entertaining, unless it was intended as a parody of themselves. I'm sure the ladies in the nursing homes went wild.

Lionel Richie, Carlos Santana and Brian May were all respectable, I think. However, this should drive the point home. They were respectable from the beginning. They are not doomed to maintain an image that is unsustainable over time.

I can list a whole lot of failed artists who would like another chance, but most of us know who they are. I could include those who died, perhaps in part, as a result of having an outrageous image. However, I don't think it is in good taste. So, I will leave it to you, the reader, to consider for yourself.

In summary, American Idol is alive and well. Yet, I really believe the rock idol, poser image is gone. The market is much more diluted these days, and the numbers will no longer support the extravagance of the 70's and 80's. Besides, we are wrong if we want our entertainers to maintain images that ultimately lead to obsolescence and in some cases, self destruction. Our entertainers should have the right to be ordinary people, living ordinary lives. I happen to like an entertainer who can appreciate their good fortune with at least a little humility and grace.

Indie Music Marketing: The Importance of Comparison

Indie artists are at a disadvantage. While there are some who will dismiss any thought of comparing themselves to other artists, I would like to offer a different perspective.

The Problem for Indie Artists

First of all, the biggest problem for indie artists is gaining exposure through unfriendly systems. The traditional systems that are in place today were built around an industry that has many layers of interdependency. These layers of interdependency are the various services that are frankly necessary to operate at higher levels. Agency, management, and promotion are only a few of these services. Some of these systems may seem "unfriendly" because they are reliant on larger publishers and labels. For the larger labels, publishers and related services, self sufficiency threatens their source of income. If we were on the opposite side of the fence, we would view it the very same way.

However, as indies, we are not on their side of the fence by definition. We are indies, which, aside from being a genre unto itself, is short for independents.

Part of the Solution for Indie Artists

Indie artists must provide many of the services through friends, by themselves, or by paying for specific services. New systems are developing to assist indie artists, but they are unfortunately mired among scores of new services that are yet unproven. Either way, it is an uphill battle for an indie artist.

It is necessary for an indie artist to create paths for themselves that are not always clearly marked. I would suggest trying to look at yourself from the perspective of your potential market. It is not an easy exercise, because it could not be further from the core business of making music. In fact, it can be discouraging. Most artists already have enough to discourage them, so it becomes a critical part of survival, for some folks, to avoid anything that is discouraging. However, if you don't have the money to pay for this service, then you may need to be a little more resilient. So, if you can be brave for a minute, take a look at yourself from a real market perspective.

How Do You Find You?

First of all, how do you find you? It is perhaps a silly question to some folks, because you already know where you are. But, the vast majority of your market has no idea where you are. This is very difficult for many people to imagine, but it can be powerful. Stated differently, how do you rise above the crowd?

Who Do You Sound Like?

I think there are many ways to differentiate yourself, but I want to address one of the easiest techniques for drawing people to yourself. It is actually very simple. Who do you sound like? Do not be afraid to compare yourself to well known artists. Why? Because your market already knows these artists and it can be like a beacon of light leading back to you.

"But I am unique", you may say. Yes, you are unique. But, there are elements that can be compared to other artists, including your style, the sound of your voice, and perhaps something a little less noticeable such as your lyrical phrasing.

It is a little contradictory in that you are trying to differentiate yourself by comparing yourself to others. However, you can also paint a very nice composite picture of yourself through comparisons with more than one artist. I know most everyone has seen it before, but you might say that you sound like the Allman Brothers with the funk style of Mother's Finest. It creates a picture that can lead people to you through association with well known artists.

The Added Bonus

Guess what? There's more. You can use these artists as keywords to help your prospective fans find you a little easier. The well known artists do not mind as it also helps them, but it is a very descriptive way to drive potential fans to you. What is the beauty of using well known artists as keywords? They are well known so they are much more likely to be used in search strings.

I would only caution that you should take your time to get this characterization right. Using an artist that does not describe your style or sound does nothing to help you because there is nothing more frustrating to a potential fan than to be disappointed at a poorly characterized comparison.

Get a Second Opinion

You should ask others for their thoughts on comparisons. It is very difficult to be objective about yourself sometimes, so this can be very useful. Ask a lot of questions. Ask them how you are similar. That is, are you similar in terms of sound, or are you similar in terms of style?

Spread It Out

Finally, try to create a composite built on well known artists from different generations. This also helps to attract potential fans, as you may have an appeal to a larger demographic that may surprise you. If you are an older artist, don't dismiss the potential for younger fans and if you are a younger artist, don't dismiss the potential for older fans.

Spotlight on Emerging Indie Artists

I would like to introduce a new feature for Blue Muse Views and Reviews Blog and Blue Muse Independent Voice Podcast called Spotlight on Emerging Indie Artists. There will be a regular half hour podcast feature with a compilation of brief reviews for 3 new indie artists. However, Volume 1 will be an extended one hour version of the podcast recognizing 6 new indie artists. While these artists are members of BlueMusePublishing.com, they are not signed with Blue Muse Publishing, Inc. and are under no obligation whatsoever. Also, I am not paid for my reviews or endorsements.

As indicated, each written feature will be accompanied by an associated podcast by the same title on Blue Muse
Independent Voice. Each podcast will include the comments from the written review plus it will feature the actual songs referenced.

Although this initial feature covers six groups that caught my attention, there were many more who could have been easily included if I were not constrained by time and space. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with the very nice talent at BlueMusePublishing.com.

First of all, Jason Davis is very solidly in the Americana genre with a variety of very well written songs. The production quality on his recordings is excellent. I especially like the songs Wonderin and When We Were Happy.

Wonderin is very original, yet I get a Counting
Crows, Van Morrison and Jackson Browne vibe from the song. The structure and lyrics, as well as Jason's voice, are all great.

When We Were Happy is a slower tempo song that is again very original, but if Wilco had Leon Russell for a lead singer, this would be the perfect song for them. I hope you will listen to Jason's
other songs entitled Nashville, CA and Skeleton Key.

The next artist is a band called Victory Gin. These guys are from New Jersey, but you would never guess it to hear their music. The are also very much in the Americana genre with Dobro and banjo featured on many of their songs. While they have a lot of original songs, I especially like the songs
Home and Milk.

The song Home has a fantastic chorus that had me singing...."One day you'll be my corn fritter, long highway home". This song features nice guitar fills in the style of Duane Allman with a great bass break and then banjo fills at the end. This song is definitely an original and deserves airplay.

Milk is another original song that is very reminiscient of Wilco with a little more twang. I hope you will check out their other songs at Blue Muse.

The next group, Dixie Tradition, is very much today's country. These twin brothers have music in their DNA. I really like the songs Hold My Beer and Hardcore.

Hold My Beer is a great drinking song that seems to be based on a popular joke down South regarding a redneck's last words...."hold my beer, watch this". These guys are from Shreveport, Louisiana so you have to wonder where they get their inspiration since there isn't a redneck within several hundred miles of Shreveport. This music is very well written and performed.

Hardcore is another funny song that has great instruments, vocals, and rhythm with a great chorus. Please check out Dixie Tradition and please make sure you check out the excellent harmonies on National Anthem.

The next band, Reid, is very much in the hard rock genre. I am particularly impressed with the songs The Way It Should Be and John Lennon's Ghost.

The Way It Should Be is very reminiscient of Led Zeppelin style as well as the sound of the Robert Plant's voice. I am a great fan of Led Zeppelin, so this is a good thing in my book. This song features very nice guitar and violin as well as a nice bridge.

John Lennon's Ghost is a nice tribute to one of the greatest songwriters of all times. This song weaves a few of Lennon's classics into the lyrics and music. While some may scoff at this form of tribute song, I find it refreshing when an artist is willing to acknowledge an influence and pay open tribute with a
song.

Lachi is a singer-songwriter who plays piano. To me, her songs have the traditional elements that make a good song a great song, but there is also an originality in her style of music, lyrics, and the sound of her voice that makes her very interesting. I especially like the
songs These Words and Ugly Beautiful.

These Words moves quickly into a great shuffle rhythm with Lachi's very distinctive voice creating something between Rickie Lee Jones, Dolores O'Riordan, and Chrissy Hind. Ugly Beautiful seems introspective and bittersweet to me. The melody is lovely and I really like the rhythm of the song. The lyrics remind me of a Janis Ian song a little, but it is very unique and relevant.

Kotadama consists of two brothers from New South Wales, Australia. They have a very interesting sound that I can only describe as "new age outback". Stated differently, their sound is very original. My favorite songs are Calm Before the Storm and See You
Tonight.

Calm Before the Storm has a nice melody and beat. Not only is the style relevant in today's market, but I think the vocals will be very appealing. while you can hear the U2 influence, it remains distinctive and original.

See You Tonight is a nice change of tempo and style. Again, I believe this music coupled with their youth and Australian accents will appeal to teenage girls around the world.

Finally, I would like to thank Dano for the very nice interview with JD Wood in his ezine this past week.

All the best,

Del