Friday and Saturday are going to require going out a bit early in order to take full advantage of all the great shows that Music Fest Northwest has provided. With Modest Mouse at the Crystal Ballroom being the only show on Sunday, here are our picks for the best shows that will be going on, hour by hour, on Friday with Saturday appearing tomorrow:
It is a rare occurrence when a band as big as those lovable, Brit-pop rockers The Arctic Monkeys come to the PDX. However, rocking out to some of their fun garage-y rock seems like the perfect beginning to a full-night of music. We should note that this show is a special one because entry will only be allowed for those with a MFNW wristband or a free, limited pass that can be picked up at Jackpot Records.
Southern Belle isn’t a household name around Portland yet but chances are they will be soon. Already a staple basement show band, their brand of lo-fi cabaret fun is refreshingly different. Southern Belle’s sound exist somewhere between a haunted house and The B-52’s. Spanning from paced, eerie waltzes to explosive emotional outburst, Southern Belle might be the best band playing MFNW that you didn’t see. We suggest you do.
Its back to the Eastside for another Portland act that is beginning to make waves around town. Logan Lynn’s electro-pop is reminiscent of a Postal Service without the awkward teen-angst. However, such comparisons should be left aside because Lynn’s music is all his own. Intricately layered sound-scapes backed by upbeat rhythms are perfectly accompany the emotionalism of Lynn’s honest lyrics which results in music that makes you want to dance and be reflective. The best kind, right?
While the 10 o’clock hour offers a bunch of more NW local bands such as Karl Blau and Portland’s own, electro, post-punkers Reporter, we suggest checking a band that you wont get to see so easily in San Diego’s The Soft Pack. Formerly known as The Muslims, this four-piece plays a fun, raw stripped down garage-rock with a laid-back beach vibe that is all their own. Think The Strokes if they were surfers or Hot Snakes at a campfire.
Much like Friday, there are a bunch of great bands playing the 11 and 12 o’clock hour and when it comes to decision time, it’s almost impossible to decide. Old-school D.C. rasta-punks Bad Brains has reunited and will be bringing their brand of fiercely-fast punk to the Roseland at 11pm. However, if you are someone who prefers something less intense, NYC’s oddity Chairlift will be performing their eclectic brand of electro-infused pop at Holocene at midnight while Japanther and their lo-fi party rock will be at Satyricon. However, our choice is the always-fun garage folk-rock of The Shaky Hands who never fail to put on one hell of a fun show. Call it our Northwest bias.
The Shaky Hands
Check back tomorrow for a special Pet Marmoset *Saturday Edition* for more MFNW suggestions.
One of the most difficult parts about Music Fest Northwest is that there is so much good music that is going on at the same time. Thursday is definitely no exception. This is when the nifty wristband comes in handy because it allows you to flow easily from venue to venue and create your own night of music.
At 9pm, we suggest checking out this eight piece lo-fi folk troupe is making waves through the northwest and beyond. Their precious, well-constructed moody pop tunes are a perfect opener for the evening. With a new album due out on October 13th, this band is sure to gain in popularity. Check them out along with all their new tunes before they get big.
Things start to get tough at 10pm. Austin, Texas post-rock outfit Explosions in the Sky tops one of the best shows I have ever seen. They blended their atmospheric rock songs into a 1-hour composition without stopping. It was like being at a post-modern symphony. If you haven’t seen them before, this comes highly suggested.
However, while Explosions is amazing, they have been around for awhile, so if you’ve caught them before then check out Cymbals Eat Guitars whose recent album Why There are Mountains is one of the top releases of 2009. Their sprawling-epic brand of indie-rock is intense and sure to make for one hell of a life show.
Things don’t get much easier come the 11 o’clock hour. The always fun, tight-knit indie rock of Derby will sure to make for a satisfying show at the intimate Ash Street Saloon.
If you are a Derby fan but looking for something you haven’t seen before, then we suggest going at seeing the swirling Scottish outfit The Twilight Sad who perfectly hone the layered-intensity of noise-rock and make it accessible with their knack for emotionally, eerie pop.
This one is just too hard to decide. Local favorite popsters The Dimes will be following Derby at the Ash Street Saloon. Those familiar with their recent EP know that this band has just gotten better and better with each release. Yet, over at Dante’s, another Scottish-outfit, Frightened Rabbit, will be performing their own brand of lovable and earnest folk-pop. Then there is the Dirty Three at Berbati’s Pan who has consistently releasing moody instrumental compositions for over 15 years. Finally, you could go check out The Pains of Being Pure At Heart at the Doug Fir who have taken the best moments of Jesus and the Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine into a washed-out pop utopia on their debut self-titled full-length. Alas, Friday is too hard to make a decision. You’re on your own at midnight!
(The Pains of Being Pure At Heart)
Be sure to check back later this week for further MFNW suggestions!
I’m not sure what it is lately, but it seems like here at Team Marmoset we’ve been into the animation videos lately. Perhaps, it’s because we’re tired of the same ol’ rigamaro or maybe animation is the hot, new medium for music videos. Whatever the case, it brings us to our Video of the Week, “On the Water” from the New York based band, The Walkmen.
How are these guys tied to the Northwest you may wonder… you know cuz we try and profile what’s going on here in the NW. Let’s play the 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon game to find out. The Walkmen’s US label happens to be Gigantic Records who just released one of own local favorites, The Builders and the Butchers new album Salvation is a Deep Dark Well. Okay, so there’s only two degrees to the Northwest but for fellow Portlanders, you know there really is only two degrees of separation in P-town anyways.
Is it me, or does this feel a little like Watership Down?
In August we mentioned that Built to Spill has a new album coming out titled There is No Enemy on October 6th. Recently, the boys dropped their first single off the album “Hindsight” which can be heard coupled with a small Doug Martsch interview over at Pitchfork Media right HERE. The track is classic Built to Spill and should satisfy fans of the Idahoans.
Stream the new Norfolk & Western LP
Lo-fi, Portland indie-rockers Norfolk & Western have just finished up their latest LP, Dinero Severo. While the album doesn’t have a release date, you can stream the album in its entirety at the Norkfolk & Western website. The only catch is that you have to sign up for their email list. Click HERE to sign up and to learn more about the new album.
Those of you who made it out to Chicago this past July for the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival are well aware of the incredible lineup. And as good as the lineup was, it would have been easy to overlook one particular band hailing from Raleigh, NC, that are known by the name: Bowerbirds.
I was already impressed back in 2007 when I first encountered the dynamic duo of Beth Tacular and Phil Moore. The band was simple: two people and only a guitar, an accordion and some auxiliary percussions to fill-in some spaces….a sound which they refer to as as “Nu-Folk.” They brought a raw, yet soothing sound that was hard to not instantly fall in love with. Truth be told, I loved it then and I still love it now.
I’ve never forgotten about this band and I still have their first album in heavy rotation in my iPod Therefore, Bowerbirds are our featured Live Performance of the Week, live from the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival, performing a song titled, “Northern Light.”
As we like to say here at Pet Marmoset, if you like what you hear, please go and support the artist by buying their album or catch a show and show them some love. To see if they’ll be hitting your town soon, you can check out their show listing here!
As you may have noticed, it’s been awhile since I’ve written a strategy post of any kind on the blog – mainly because I’ve been eating, breathing, and living “strategy” for the past couple of months, and honestly, I simply haven’t forced myself to sit down and share my what I’ve been learning. The Dandy Warhols and their Manager, Lee Cohen, hired me to manage their little indie label, Beat The World Records, and currently I’ve been focusing the majority of my time on a record release strategy/campaign for Beat The World artist, Logan Lynn. For a small glimpse of how that is shaping-up, you can check out his new site at www.loganlynnmusic.com. Not to mention, The Dimes are ramping-up for their November record release as well… all of which combine to keep me very busy….yet also quite immersed in “strategy.”
Direct-to-Fan Strategy
One thing I’ve enjoyed the most while working with Beat The World is what I’m learning about the significance of a “direct-to-fan” or “direct-to-consumer” strategy. Dandy Warhols Manager, Lee Cohen, has convinced me that a direct strategy is the only feasible way that a smaller, low-to-moderately funded indie label has a chance of sustaining itself. What is a “direct-to-fan” strategy? Simply put, it’s developing and engaging a fan base to the extent that a majority of your fans will be compelled to buy your music and merchandise DIRECTLY from you – the artist. In fact, you can pretty much interchange the world “band” and “artist” for “label” if you wish, as the lines are blurring for everyone today. In my opinion, a well-planned, well executed direct-to-fan strategy is the core element that 95% of all indie labels and indie artists are completely missing today. Most of them just don’t get it and this is a HUGE reason why they are failing. And if you are an independent, DIY artist or band, look in the mirror – I’m talking to you too!
About Topspin and Why You Need Them
In my recent work, I’ve had the opportunity to work with the fine people of Topspin Media, who are most definitely on the leading edge of direct strategy in the music industry. In a nutshell, Topspin provides a depth of knowledge in direct-to-fan strategy that surpasses that of most major labels and “industry experts.” They also have developed unique, web-based applications and solutions that empower labels and artists to take their music and other merchandise directly to the fans….removing the multiple layers of middle men from the equation who typically take more than half of the profits out of artists pockets. If for no other reason than that – Topspin and similar direct solutions are a no brainer.
While Topspin works with some of the biggest names in the music biz today, including Trent Reznor (NIN), The Beastie Boys, Eminem, David Byrne and Brian Eno, Paul McCartney, and Lenny Kravitz to name a few, they also work with many successful independent artists, such as Black Lips, White Denim, Ingrid Michaelson, Blue Scholars, Josh Ritter, The Pixies, STS9, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Dandy Warhols…not to mention Logan Lynn and The Dimes. In fact, many of the folks at Topspin will tell you that their best case study to date was the band, Metric’s, latest record release campaign. Apparently, Metric really knocked it out of the park. You can check out their complete artist roster here: http://www.topspinmedia.com/for-fans/for-fans-2/
While the tides in the music business today are changing faster than most anyone can hope to keep up with, it’s becoming glaringly obvious that an effective direct-to-fan strategy may truly be “the future” of how to succeed as an independent label or artist. Although Topspin still has some growth and improvements to make as they continue developing their platform – they seem to be the most promising solution on the horizon for independent artists. For a small glimpse of what I’m talking about, watch this video of Topspin Founder and CEO, Ian Rogers, explaining a little of the method behind his madness:
To the point of Topspin and other direct-to-fan solutions, I would like to take this brief tangent… Topspin doesn’t do it all for you. They merely provide the tools, expertise and some guidance to support you. YOU – the independent artist still must do the real work. “Real work” meaning, building your tribe, creating compelling music, developing your fan base through social media channels, touring, promotion, etc. If you don’t have compelling music and an active, engaged, and thriving fan base – Topspin won’t be able to help you.
Please don’t be naive. First go get a few thousand fans to sign up on your email list. Get a few thousand engaged followers on Twitter. Do the same on Facebook, Myspace, iLike, LastFM, YouTube and a few others. Tour regionally with bands that are a couple rungs up from you. Create interesting, compelling content and assets on a regular basis. Don’t just release a record every year or two. Be interesting. Engage your fans. Participate with them in frequent dialog via social media channels. Give away free songs. Release an EP every six months. Make videos (not super expensive ones). Think outside the box. Find ways to create a buzz and make yourself compelling and relevant. GET OFF YOUR ASS and stop thinking that you can simply write and record good songs and dress cool…and then, someday, someone will notice you or give you a ton of money and you’ll suddenly be successful. THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN ANYMORE.
Okay… I’ll get off of my soapbox tangent and back to the topic of direct-to-fan strategy.
Trent Reznor – A Modern Day Paul Revere
Along these lines of direct-to-fan strategy, I would like to once again champion Trent Reznor and the genius that he employs. As far as I’m concerned, Trent Reznor really is our modern day Robin Hood…or maybe Paul Revere is a better comparison. Simply put, he gets it. While he may be a millionaire and might lack some of the more practical situations of today’s independent artist, Trent Reznor is leading and sharing knowledge that truly benefits everyone. If only everyone would talk and share experiences and knowledge like Reznor regularly does, this music industry apocalypse-meets-revolution would finally come to fruition and us little people could finally succeed…and maybe take a few of the music industry monarchs and bourgeoisie to the gallows while we’re at it!
Here is a Sterogum.com article from July 10th that I believe every independent, DIY artist today needs to read. Alternatively, you can read the article here: Stereogum.com
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