Ariel Publicity

http://www.singleoftheday.com
http://www.myspace.com/jodywhitesides

Essentially this is a daily blog that will be a song that fits the mood the writer is in for the day or what’s currently happening in the world. It will always be a band or artist the writer thinks the audience should know about, and support by purchasing the music or seeing them play live. Who knows, you might dig his taste in others enough to even support him in his creative endeavors as well.

Q: How long have you been blogging?

A I’ve been doing the Single of the Day blog since June 27th, 2006. That puts me at a little over the two year mark and counting. That’s a post for every day! It’s not always easy.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A: Being that I’m a songwriter I’m probably more critical of the music I select for the blog. If I come across a song that somehow grabs me and does fit my normal ideals, I’ll point that out on the blog. I’ll explain what it is that grabs me in the song.

First off an intro that has a vibe that either piques my ear or draws me in is a major plus. That could be a hook of any sort, be it a vocal, a guitar, a piano, a bass, a drum, something that clearly denotes that song as soon as I hear it. Once the song comes in it has to have some sort of flow. A vibe, often times a bounce or swing. So much music these days lacks flow. How good the people playing their instruments are comes into consideration as well. Being in tune helps a bunch. With that typed, production rarely makes a bad song better. The real trick is getting me to feel it in some way. Then come the lyrics, can I remember them? Is the melody supporting those words? Does the music support that melody? Does the singer sing in tune? Do they have a voice that is pleasing to my ear? Do I get a nice journey in the lyrics? Tell me something that I can relate a portion of my life to and do it in a way that is unique.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: I used to have favorites when I was learning to play. Once I got to a certain level of playing ability on my main instrument I no longer had favorites. Then my focus shifted to songwriting, a different beast from being a technically good/great musician. Some bands have had great players that are/were great writers. At this point, I really don’t have favorite bands anymore. As for genres, well… I primarily dig the all encompassing field of Rock. However, I’m very much into combining that with other genres. For my listening though, I really will listen to a lot of genres and if a song really grabs me, I’ll buy it. If the whole album is really strong, I’ll buy the album. I much prefer an album over a single. But it has to kick ass front to back. That’s hard to do, even for me (with my own releases). I think the real question is: What music gets one to part with their hard earned money? Anything that can do that is probably able to be listed as a favorite.

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have effected you most?

A: I’m probably about to shoot myself in the foot with this answer. My rep at SESAC, Derek Sivers, Brian A. Whitney, and many of my musical peers, were all really excited to hear about the blog when I started it a couple of years ago. I’m actually amazed I’m still doing it. Every single day. I tend to focus mostly on non-signed or blog/podcast friendly artists. Which makes it easy for them to give me permission to have their song play when someone visits the site. I could allow the player to play the music in the RSS feed, but I’ve opted not to do that incase I get attacked with some arcane law. In a way, I get the feeling, I’m sorta flying under the radar. Who knows what the future will bring. I don’t make anything substantial off the blog, maybe a few pennies here and there based on google ads. It’s not much money, certainly not enough to justify why I do it. I don’t take money or bribes to be on the blog either. It’s strictly stuff I choose that shows I love music, it’s that simple. If I got hit with a lawsuit, I’d first see if there’s some arrangement to avoid the lawsuit. Otherwise, I’d probably have stop the idea of playing the music and continue by only talking about it.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel blogs have that power?

A: At risk of being a dick (I have a sticker that says, “Don’t Be A Dick”) I will say the following about Myspace. Myspace screwed themselves with poor usability. At first it was an ok way to find music and match it with fans. The closed system did not, and still does not allow for easy personalization of a page – not exactly what I would define as ‘my’ space. It took 3rd party developers to come up with ways to make myspace more useful. Smart peeps used the programs to target very specific profiles and gain fans. There was some weird belief that if you had X amount of friends on Myspace you’d get signed. So bands would spend hours a day on myspace looking for anyone to friend them.

Since I’m not a fan of promoting my music to other bands and vis versa, I don’t accept band requests on my myspace page. Of the 19,000 or so peeps I have there, maybe 50 are band pages in my friends list. But they’re all bands I know personally or have written with. My reason on that is: it’s a waste of time if it’s not making a sale. Which is probably why Myspace failed to really generate amazing sales for most bands, attempting to sell to other bands. I’m sure a few people got something out of myspace. I doubt you’ll see any new band come out of it now. Why? Myspace killed off all the ability to mass communicate. They’ve turned their back on the artists that helped create the site and are now bowing to the major labels. I understand it from a business sense. But it’s going to prevent them from returning to the “cool” status they had two years ago.

Blogs on the other hand are a whole different beast. They are generally much more personal. A way for a human to expose themselves. If that exposure of the self is something others happen to like, it ends up creating a community. When Single of the Day first got off the ground, I had a lot of people offering me suggestions to check out music. Some were great suggestions, lots of others not so much. The idea of an artist doing a review of other artists seemed to be something people really liked. My blog has morphed a bit. I’ve incorporated way more of my own musings of what I go thru as an artist into it. I remember the blog post where I made that switch. I then attempt to relate me to the song I pick in some way shape or form. I actually have no idea if people truly read it or not. My desire is readers get something from it. That something is the song. It always surprises me when people tell me “oh you know when you wrote…” it shows they are paying attention. I know artists have made sales because of Single of the Day. That makes me feel good. I also get emails from readers saying how much a song meant to them so they buy it, that’s great too.

I would say that if the blogger is worth reading, people will follow. It can make a great way to connect music. We all still need a filter system and a blog is a very nice niche filter.

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http://www.electricallanguage.co.uk

http://www.myspace.com/electricallanguage

Electrical language is a weekly music podcast of 4 or 5 podsafe songs by independent artists from around the world. The music ranges from acoustic to electronica to catchy pop to good old indie rock. It is hosted by me, Gabor Kovacs, from Hampshire, United Kingdom.

Q: With the Electrical Language Podcast in operation since December of 2005, how have you kept your content fresh for so long?

A: The basic format has been the same for about 2 years: I usually play 5 songs, of which 2 are by the same artist. Sometimes it’s hard, and there are times that I have felt that it’s perhaps getting stale.

What really keeps the content fresh, what re-invigorates me, is finding some great new music. Periodically I find something, or have a song sent to me, that is just so good. I get the same feeling I had as an 18 year old in 1977, going to loads of gigs by struggling young bands. It really is all about the music.

And the icing on the cake is when I get e-mails. Not so long ago a listener from New York e-mailed to say he’d been listening almost since I started electrical language, and listed about a dozen albums by artists from all over the world that he’d bought as a result of my play. That list included one band I’d never heard of, so I checked them out and got to play their songs as a result. And earlier this month an artist from British Columbia told me he’d made a sale to an electrical language listener in Hungary. Things like that give me a real buzz, and help keep me excited.

Q: Since that time, what changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have effected you most?

A: I have always taken great care only to play podsafe music. I know of podcasters who have been forced to take an episode off the server and remove a song. I can do without the hassle!

What I have noticed in the course of the last couple of years has been an increasing use by record companies of podcasting as a means of marketing artists, new and established. There are definitely people out there who use podcasters as part of a viral marketing strategy. I’ve even been asked to play a song by Duran Duran! I avoid playing artists who already have an established name. There are so many people out there with so much talent, and music is a cut-throat competitive business, and so I see the mission of my podcast (I’d never thought of it as having a mission before!) as being to help promote bands and artists who are trying to establish themselves.

Q: How has the show evolved since its inception?

A: I’ve noticed that my own musical tastes have evolved, no doubt about that. I think the answer to this question is that I have grown with the show. I still don’t like heavy metal, though!

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts have the same power?

A: Yes, I can understand that if you take the view that word-of-mouth is a major part of using the internet to spread the word. I play music that I like, and every week I send out what amounts to a tape of songs I like, saying “Hey, you should check these guys out”. The funny thing is I have no idea who about 90% of my listeners are, but I suppose those who stick with me do so because their tastes and mine are similar. So my podcast is a kind of audio blog, listened to by people who want to hear the kind of music I play, which could be seen as a start. MySpace does seem to be something of a blunt instrument in comparison. I suspect that to use it well as a sales tool, you need to do more than send out friend requests and post bulletins.

Q: What’s coming up in the future for the Electrical Language Podcast?

A: I am trying to get more listener and artist involvement in electrical language. Every week the show opens with an ident by a listener or an artist. Sometimes I ask a band or to record a couple of minutes of audio to link two of their songs. I’m still working that idea through. I suspect I ought to take the plunge and try Skype interviews!

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http://www.daveslounge.com
http://www.myspace.com/daveslounge

Dave’s Lounge is a weekly podcast that showcases the best in chillout, trip hop and downtempo music found on the Internet.

Q: How long have you been broadcasting?

A: I did some college radio back in the early 90s, but I didn’t really do my own show again until I opened Dave’s Lounge in 2005.

Q: In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?

A: Wow, that’s a really open question. There are lots of things that make a great song, but for the most part, it just needs something to hook the listeners. Cliche as it sounds, the hook does bring you back. That hook, however, could be anything — a catchy chorus, a solid guitar riff or keyboard pattern, a quality sample loop, or even just a certain vibe that makes the listener want to listen multiple times.

It’s a different sort of hook for every genre. The thing that makes people want to listen to Thievery Corporation is different from what makes people want to listen to, say, B.B. King or early 80s Michael Jackson. But there’s always something there to catch people’s ear, and sadly, I don’t think I can describe it any better.

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?

A: I got into trip hop in the mid 90s after being a total hip hop junkie for much of high school and college. It takes that feeling you get when you find the perfect 2 or 4 bars of a record and make something entirely new with it, and it combines that with a melodic element in a way that just works. I first heard it in 1989 when Fresh 4′s cover of “Wishing on a Star” was in heavy rotation on my local R&B station, and I figured all R&B was going in that direction — except I didn’t hear that sound again until 1995, when Portishead unleashed “Dummy” on the world.

Trip hop and downtempo electronica can be very versatile as a genre, so much so that people try to split it into a hundred subgenres. But it all works for me, and even though it’s mostly designed for a chilled out mood, a good song can get me pretty excited. (Not that you could tell from my podcast voice, of course…)

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have effected you most?

A: I try not to concern myself with specific laws, really, though I keep an eye on them. I just abide by some very basic rules for my show. I don’t play music from RIAA labels, and I avoid cover songs (although I’ve inadvertently broken that rule once or twice). I stick to legal outlets, like the Podsafe Music Network and IODA Promonet — which are excellent resources for podcasters seeking music — and anyone who emails me and asks me to consider their music will get a listen, provided they fit into the genre of my show. (Punk rockers and bluegrass fiddlers who try to be my friend on Myspace get on my tits. A little research never hurt anyone.)

Most of all, though, I only work with people who want to work with me. If I don’t have permission to play your song, I’ll email you and ask permission. 49 times out of 50, the artists will grant it, because they want the exposure. If they don’t reply, though, I respect it and move on.

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts have the same power?

A: In theory, yes. In practice, it’s a little trickier. People do buy music they hear on my show, and I’ve made it as easy as possible for my listeners to do so, but it does seem like many people just listen to the podcasts themselves and leave it at that. Why buy the cow, y’know? It’s a bit of a double-edged sword for me, too, because I want to put out a great show each week, but I also want people to go out and support these musicians, because they help make my show what it is. (This is one reason why I don’t ask for donations on my show. It never felt right to me to take cash on the backs of other people’s creations.)

Still, what makes a good music blog or music podcast is the unified voice behind it. Here’s one person saying, “This is a great song, and you should listen to it.” It’s the reason certain DJs are so popular in electronic music: they have a good ear for good tunes. It’s easier than ever to get music out there, but because there’s so much of it now, we still need the gatekeepers and tastemakers to guide us to the good stuff. That’s one part of the music business that won’t go away any time soon. We’re just seeing a slow transition of those gatekeepers from radio and TV to the Internet.

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http://www.mevio.com
 

As the premier social media community, Mevio is the only network providing single-click access to the best in new media in audio, video, podcasts, and music to be delivered to your computer, iPod, mobile device, or television.
 

Q: What is the background story of how Mevio came along?
 

A: Mevio was originally Podshow. The company was founded by former MTV VJ Adam Curry and his business partner Ron Bloom.
 

In 2004 Adam had been messing around with audio blogging, before the term podcasting existed. He and Dave Winer were experimenting with adding enclosures to rss feeds and podcasting was born. Soon, podcasters were starting shows and shortly after, Podshow was started. They signed some of the early producers including my show (The Rock and Roll Geek Show), Dawn and Drew, Yeast Radio and some others.
 

Back then, people were playing whatever music they wanted on their shows. Then people started getting worried that the RIAA may not like that so Adam and some other creative minds started a place for bands who actually wanted to be heard on podcasts to post their music and The Podsafe Music Network was born. Shortly after, Adam and Ron asked me to quit my job as a house painter and work with artists on the network. 4 years later, it is THE place for bands, record labels and content creators to connect.
 

Q: What do you see the future of Mevio being?
 

A: I can’t speak for the entire company, since I only work on the music network but my goal is to have every record label, band and aritst on the network. I want independent content creators to have as much power in the music business as radio stations had in the good old days. It is my dream to have back catalog available to podcasters. I can’t speak for everyone but as a content creator, I want to play not only up and coming independent artists but also bands that were a part of the soundtrack of my life.
 

Q: What is your favorite band or favorite genre of music and why?
 

A: I am partial to 70′s rock and punk because that is what I grew up listening to. My favorite bands are still Cheap Trick, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Ramones and Joan Jett.
 

Q: What changes in content laws, broadcasting rights, etc. have affected you most?

A: When I reach out to some of the major labels to try to get their artists on the Podsafe Music Network, some of them still think that posting an mp3 on a website is piracy. The indies have been posting mp3s on their own websites for a few years not but the majors are a little harder to convince. That being said, the majors are now starting new media departments so there may still be hope for the dinosaurs.
 

The Podsafe Music Network now deals with some of the largest digital music distributors and independent labels in the world and I am really proud of that.
 

Q: A recent study found blogs to be more effective than MySpace in generating album sales, do you feel podcasts has the same power?
 

A: I think the labels are slowly realizing that by releasing a song from their artists to blogs and podcasts does more good than harm and can actually help break a band. For example, last year, there was a band from Australia called Airbourne. No one in the US or Europe had ever heard of them. I started playing them on The Rock and Roll Geek Show and listeners seemed to really like them. They emailed the band and let them know they discovered them from my show. Soon after that, got a CD from the band’s management and offered an interview with the band. I interviewed the band and continued to sing their praises. Now that band has taken the country by storm and has released one of the best selling independent hard rock records this year.

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http://www.accidenthash.com
http://www.myspace.com/accidenthash
 

Boston based Accident Hash is the premiere independent music podcast to find the best mix in podsafe music. If you’ve never listened to a podcast it’s simple an MP3 file that you can listen to anytime you want. Accident Hash is usually a half hour of talk and music.
 

Q: Boston music listeners have been known to be a little finicky when it comes to their music – backtrack to the Run DMC remix of “Walk This Way” scandal which was originally by Aerosmith. What do you think Boston listeners want to hear and why?
 

A: I don’t see this as just a Boston thing. Music fans are passionate about what they listen to and love and are not afraid to tell anyone about it. Most music fans want to hear the latest track by the favorite band and to discover new tunes that fit into that which they love. A fan in one area of the country is not that different then another in my mind. It is all about the love of music.
 

Q: Why do you podcast? And do you think it’s a good idea for artists to invest energy in promoting their music via podcasting networks?
 

A: I always liked being the guy who found a new song and had to tell everyone about it. Podcasting gave me an outlet where I could do that on a global scale and that excited me. From the first one up to today, every time an artist or fan drops me an e-mail excited over a track I played I get a renewed energy to keep doing what I’ve been doing for almost 4 years.
 

Artists should certainly invest energy into promoting their music on any channel that allows them more exposure and podcasting is a great tool for this. By making a track(s) available on sites such as the PodSafe Music Network, IODA or others it opens up the possibility of being heard by people that might not find them in any other way. This doesn’t mean that they can just upload a track and then do nothing. They still have to actively promote themselves either on their own or through a company or individual working on their behalf. Sure, luck plays a little bit into it, but hard work is not replaceable.
 

Q: What, personally, is your favorite genre to play?
 

A: I LOVE it when a hard rocking band strips it down and plays a loud track acousticly. I always loved MTV Unplugged when it was on beause you could instantly tell the real artists from the people who only sounded good in a studio. I’m a sucker for a solid acoustic track. If not that, then anything that I can put the top down and crank as I fly down the high way gets me going.
 

Q: What other social media ventures do you have besides podcasting?
 

A: I co-founded a digital marketing agency called The Advance Guard in 2007 that focuses on building marketing programs using emerging technologies so it is crucial that I at least have a foot in whatever the cool new pool at the moment is so that I can understand it for my clients. I’ve also been blogger for just over 6 years now and I’m an avid photographer and lover of Flickr.
 

Q: Your pretty big on twittering. How do you feel Twitter has helped your podcast?
 

A: Twitter allows me to stay connected to fans, bands and to meet new people that I can introduce my podcasts to. Besides Accident Hash I also do a new media focused one called Managing the Gray and a lot of my target audience for that show uses Twitter as well.

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