L'attirail

I would first like to say that Leeds is an amazing area to work in and I enjoyed every day working there as a music journalist; however it can be very expensive to live in Leeds city centre, with increasing rents and a lack of available properties to occupy, making it difficult for a young professional to live comfortably.

These are my five top factors for entering the music industry and being successful, regardless of the age of the band, gig history or presence in the music scene.

5. Subscribe to a plethora of magazines and online blogs Even though NME and Kerrang are industry leaders in terms of music magazine publishers, there are an array of others to choose from that can yield similar (and sometimes better) stories in which you can retrieve news and get a lot of information from. Online blogs also usually have up-to-the-minute information before any magazine could; however it is vital to check sources and reputability of the blogger. This will give you insider information that you can use to further your band’s progress.

4. Join Last.fm and promote your band as much as possible: Last.fm is much more than a website that collates information about who you have been listening to – you can build a band page for free, upload any songs that you have recorded and stream them, as well as linking to music stores, netting you a small profit. Whilst facebook has begun to make itself a presence in this respect, using Last.fm presents the easiest and most generally recognised way to get your band out there.  Read more...

Music news as we know it today developed out of the early magazines that caught onto the growth of the popular music industry early on in the 20th Century.  Melody Maker was one of the first, introducing itself in 1926 (around the same time that the first electric guitars and amplifiers began to emerge) and targeting musicians. However, as music became more and more popular the music magazines of the day began to target the general public and the introduction of new, rival magazines hit the shelves.

The 1950s is when the real battle started with Melody Maker going head to head with the new kids in town, the NME, an amalgamation of previous titles Musical Express and Accordion Weekly by new owner and music promoter Maurice Kinn. Previously more interested in jazz, Melody Maker was a late convert to the advent of rock and roll, but as the sixties swung in favour of bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the ground was set for big readership figures for both publications.

The 1960s also saw the coming of more politicised voices to the publication of music news with the launch of the Berkley Barb in 1965 and Rolling Stone in 1967. Criticism of the Vietnamese war, the publication of Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the counterculture revolution of the 1960s sat next to The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix and Jim Morrison cover stories.

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The 2010 International Experimental Media Congress, the first Congress of its kind since the 1989 Toronto Experimental Film Congress, will assemble film, video, new media artists, theorists, archivists, and curators from around the world, who will be in Toronto through April 11 for panels and discussions related to experimental media production, exhibition, dissemination, criticism, pedagogy and reception. The International Film Festival Summit (IFFS) is an annual conference and trade show for professionals from the film festival industry who will be in Amsterdam through April 9 to participate in presentations, interactive panel discussions and networking events, and to look forward to the Dinner With Strangers event that allows attendees a unique and fun opportunity to meet and dine with festival colleagues from all over the world. The 2010 French Quarter Festival, opening April 9-11, highlights New Orleans’ signature music, food, and culture in the historic neighborhood, mostly by a musical smorgasbord of jazz, r&b, funk, folk, opera, gospel, blues, and brass bands, but also with over 105 food and beverage booths located in Jackson Square, Woldenberg Riverfront Park, and the Louisiana State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint, forming the “World’s Largest Jazz Brunch” with local cuisines from the area’s finest restaurants including such festival favorites as Jambalaya, Crawfish Bread, Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, Muffaletta, Crawfish, and more.  Read more...

Before I start, Here is a breakdown of the players involved in radio airplay (Pay For Play).

*Record Company:
A company that makes and sells musical recordings

*Radio Promoter:
The main function is to get airplay for the performer’s latest release. This is usually accomplished by contacting primary and secondary radio stations in each market, making sure they have a copy of the release and urging them to give the recording a chance to be heard by the local listening audience. Over time, competent radio promoters build up relationships with station managers, deejays, and others who are involved in the decision of what songs to play or not play.

*Radio Station Program Director:
In radio, a program director is the person who develops or selects some or all of the content that will be broadcast. A program director’s selections are based upon expertise in the media as well as knowledge of the target demographic. Typically, a program director decides what radio program will be broadcast and when.

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I had a dream of hearing my music on FM radio While recording songs for my first album. I took the first single from my album to the radio station and met with the program director. The program director played my song and said that it was a hit. However, the song would not get played on the radio without a payment.

The program director said that record companies pay for radio airplay. Pay for play is the reason that you hear the same songs over and over on the radio.  Read more...

When I decided to record songs for my new album entitled “The Underdog”,  I wanted it to be different from my last album. So I challenged myself to find great music and write wonderful songs that represent everyday people.

When the songs for the album were written, I went on a search to find the best tracks for the album and   went to the recording studio after finding four tracks for the album. It felt good going back into the studio because being in the recording studio always feels like home to me.  The recording studio  is the place where I feel comfortable and happy.

There was no problems when I step in the recording booth and put on the headphones. However, the problems started when my vocals were recording on the beats I selected.  The beat was soft and smooth while my voice tone was hard.  The tone of my voice didn’t match the vibe of the song.  My voice tone was perfect for the songs on my last album.  However, it doesn’t fit the songs for my new album.     I’m getting frustrated while I’m trying to find the correct tone of voice to match the radio friendly songs on the album.

The Struggle:
It’s easy for me match my voice on hard beats. However, I struggle on beats that need a smooth or soft tone of voice. The struggles with my tone of voice on radio records has me questioning myself because   I cannot release an album without radio and club friendly songs.  I’m trying different things to make the songs better. However, I’m just hitting a brick wall.   Read more...