Perfect Porridge

Minnesota Music @ SXSW

Greg Swan — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:45:29 +0000

Ever get the feeling you’re just one piece of the puzzle?

Greg Swan — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:06:20 +0000

I am the Dot hails from Denver via Atlanta and and is fronted by Young Coyotes member Zachary Tipton.

Here’s their video for “Love Song for Camus.”

Tipton spent 40 hours taking 5,000 pictures to fulfill his concept for this video, which was supposedly inspired by a dream about planting colored diamonds into the ground.

The Pack A.D.: brash anthems for bar fights

Greg Swan — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:26:51 +0000

I was a huge fan of The Pack A.D.’s Funeral Mixtape from back in August 2008.

The female duo from Vancouver, B.C. write gritty, bluesy, brash anthems with chords you’ve heard before but with a delivery all their own. Think Alison Mosshart gigging with a Meg White who can actually play the drums.

I’m pretty psyched they have a new LP. It’s called We Kill Computers and drops in April on Mint Records. Favorite tracks include “Cobra Matte,” “K Stomp” and “Crazy”.

The Pack A.D. : “Crazy” (mp3)

The Pack A.D. have two SXSW dates, the Mint Records Hootenanny on March 18 and a gig at Jaime’s on March 19.

Austin’s My Education tackle score for Murnau’s Sunrise

Greg Swan — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:23:48 +0000

Considering we’re in Austin this week, it seemed fitting to write about hometown instrumentalists My Education, who have composed an original score for director F.W. Murnau’s 1927 silent film classic, “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans.”

According to IMDB summary: “In this fable-morality subtitled “A Song of Two Humans”, the “evil” temptress is a city woman who bewitches farmer Anses and convinces him to murder his neglected wife, Indre. After Anses comes to his senses – just as he is about to kill Indre – the married couple renew their love in the city.”

This reminds me a lot of Electropolis Plays Metropolis from 2006.

Listen to track 4 while streaming the trailer below:
My Education : “Oars” (mp3)

Sunrise hits stores on April 27, 2010.

SXSW: State of Music Blogs in 2010, Part 20

Greg Swan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:34:45 +0000

Photo by Leslie Plesser (shuttersmack.com)

This is an interview series in preparation for my SXSW Panel: The State of Music Blogs in 2010. I reached out to a number of influencers, musicans, labels, marketers and music fans to get their perspectives on the topic and will be posting these in a series leading up to the conference.

Today we hear from musician Toby Cryns of Cryns #3, which is celebrating its second full-length album release at the Acadia Cafe on Friday, April 2nd.

Why do you think music blogs are so popular?
I think music blogs are popular amongst folks who try to stay on the cutting edge of music trends. Bloggers are the music mavens of the world. By and large they like to be the people breaking bands, and their readers like to help in that effort. Bloggers and their readers want to be the guy who said, “I liked them before they were popular.” Rolling Stone, other music magazines, and (god forbid) the newspaper tend to be behind the trends in that they pretty much write about music after it has reached a certain threshold of popularity considered comfortable by the bloggers. Bloggers are willing to stick their necks out a little further and take risks in supporting unknown bands.

How do you think music blogs/aggregators/social networks have impacted the industry?
Music blogs are the 24-hour news network of the music industry. They break news and bands before the big magazines and media outlets do.

How have they changed your music consumption and/or marketing efforts?
Bands feel like they have a shot at getting a write-up in a blog, whereas they feel the chances of Rolling Stone Magazine covering them is 0%. So, in that sense, I suppose bands now feel that it is possible to have a successful marketing campaign. There are measurable results (i.e. getting a write-up in x number of blogs).

On the consumption end of things, I think blogs are more trustworthy than the big magazines and news outlets. I trust bloggers’ opinions more than big media, because I feel like bloggers are more concerned with opinion and less concerned with sales. Most music review blogs never make a dime, so, to me, that lends them more credibility.

What’s the best thing to happen to the music industry in the last year or so?
I think that record labels are beginning to recognize their futility. In the same sense, more and more bands are coming to the same understanding. There is a role for record labels, but it is a much more limited role than it was in the past. They are no longer needed to break bands or to pay for music recording. They largely serve as a booking agent and marketing financier. As far as I am concerned, the lesser the role of record labels, the better.

What’s the worst?
The further criminalization of mp3 sharing. That lady in Minnesota who was ordered to pay a ridiculous amount of money on account of sharing some mp3s on the internet. The old Napster was the best thing that ever happened to music. I mean, us plebians could get ANY music we wanted for free at any time. This was the best distribution channel in the history of the world for 99% of bands. Unfortunately, the less than 1% of bands who were making big money got pissed off. And money talks. Contrary to what Lars Ulrich thinks, I believe the trading of 1s and 0s is completely different than stealing cars.

What is the single biggest strategy/technology/innovation/societal shift you think will impact music in 2010?
Facebook. More and more bands are going to market to their friends on this platform, as they should. Already, there is no better tool for marketing shows than Facebook. There is no better channel to tell your friends about your new CD, sell your t-shirts, etc. as well.

And?
I envision music blogs doing some consolidation in the near future. There is value to having many good writers contribute to a single website as opposed to having the information splattered across the internet in many different places.

Other reading:
Read other State of Music Blogs in 2010 interviews.
RSVP for the State of Music Blogs in 2010 SXSW panel.

Portuguese electro pop: Blasfemea

Greg Swan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:09:15 +0000

Portugal’s psychedelic electropop band Blasfemea are sharing the first single and video from Galaxia Tropicalia, their debut LP set release in America in April. RIYL Midnight Juggernauts, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Buraka Som Sistema.

Download it: Blasfemea : “Maria” (mp3)

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to the Nomad World Pub

Greg Swan — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:29:28 +0000

The Nomad is going to be celebrating it’s 5th year on the West Bank this Monday, March 15.

Local indie rockers Communist Daughter, jazz violinist Regina Carter and gypsy jazz trio Sidewalk Cafe will be rocking away the anniversary show.

SXSW: State of Music Blogs in 2010, Part 19

Greg Swan — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:30:23 +0000

Today we hear from Matt Lombardi, co-founder of Hear It Local.

Why do you think music blogs are so popular?
Music blogs are popular because they are so accessible. Fans like hearing about music from other fans – and blogs allow you to easily indentify like-minded writers with similar music tastes. It also helps that they are usually free sources of information.

How do you think music blogs/aggregators/social networks have impacted the industry?
These sources have completely transformed the industry for emerging artists. New artistists no longer need to rely on the help of industry professionals to grow their fan base. Talented artists with social networking savvy can connect with thousands or even millions of fans easily and cheaply on social networking sites.

How have they changed your music consumption and/or marketing efforts?
Online radio has opened up so many doors. I listen to a much more diverse array of new music than ever before…at work, at home, and when I’m out for a run. Blogs and social network sites make it easy to
discover new music and then immediately download or purchase it.

What’s the best thing to happen to the music industry in the last year or so?
The popularity of online innovations like twitter, which allow music fans to stay connected to local artists.

What’s the worst?
The economy has been hard on music venues and artists. Many music fans don’t have the same kind of disposable income to see live shows every week.

What is the single biggest strategy/technology/innovation/societal shift you think will impact music in 2010?
I see revitalized interest in local music. While technological innovations have given us the opportunity to find new music from all over the world, I’ve noticed a shift towards using online platforms to reconnect with one’s local music scene.

And speaking of…
At hearitlocal.com/tc we are looking to compile diverse insights from various music bloggers covering the MN music scene. Please reach out to me at matt@hearitlocal.com if you’re interested in participating as a guest blogger.

Other reading:
Read other State of Music Blogs in 2010 interviews.
RSVP for the State of Music Blogs in 2010 SXSW panel.

Kanser on MPLS.TV’s City of Music Series

Greg Swan — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:55:47 +0000

Big Zach, Unicus, Alicia Steele and DJ Gabe Garcia of Kanser invite you into their practice space for an intimate performance on MPLS.TV’s “City of Music” series.

City of Music: Kanser from MPLS.TV on Vimeo.

Mike Monday Animal Collective Remix

Greg Swan — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:31:17 +0000

UK producer Mike Monday sent over this fab unofficial remix of “Girls” by Animal Collective.

Animal Collective – “Girls” (Mike Monday’s Unofficial Remix) (mp3)

If you dig, check out his new February EP, Yoppul.

(btw, yoppul is a word from the Isle of Wight dialect meaning “useless talk, incessant gabble”)