GarageSpin

BlogRush is a free widget that can be plugged into a blog to 1) display posts that would be relevant to readers, and 2) help bloggers generate relevant traffic to their site.  I.e. a music site like GarageSpin would hopefully attract more readers interested in music, etc.  I can't help but feel there's something skethcy about it..? Here's what it looks like:

It works like this: the widget (see right) displays 4-5 titles of recent posts from related blogs.  For every impression the widget gets on your site, you gain one traffic 'credit' in the BlogRush content universe.  For each credit, a post from your blog is displayed in a widget on someone else's blog.  But wait (here's the ginsu knife offer), there's more.  If someone else clicks on the widget and ends up installing their own on another website, you get credit for page impressions they generate as well.

It's a pretty viral idea, kinda cool, a little pyramid scheme-ish, but not really since it doesn't require an investment of any kind.  I'm intrigued enough that I'll give it a shot -- so far, the posts are indeed music related, so that's good. I think I'll try it out for a week or two...if it sucks, I'll dump it.

If you're interested in trying BlogRush, you can sign up here, so I can get the credit.  :)

Or, wait 1-2 weeks for my update on how it's going -- I'll add the update to this same post.

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Mashable put a nice little list together of music widgets created specifically for FaceBook, the social networking site.  If you've got a profile there, check 'em out.  (Facebook kicks MySpace's butt, btw.)  Jukeboxes, song charts, lyrics games, "what-I'm-listening-to" widgets grace the list. 

(Mashable is all about these "toolbox" link bait posts, these days...and they work!)

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I'm checking out the new custom radio & social networking site, Jango.  (Currently listening to "Red" by Elbow, a band I'd never heard of, but which I'm currently digging.)

It's pretty sweet, sorta like a Pandora meets Last.fm.  I like the radio station creation tool that lets move a "music discovery control" slider between Popular Favorites, Happy Medium, and Wide Variety.  The social stuff is cool, though personally, I'm burnt out by all the social networks out there.  If you're not, you'll love it.

One small complaint -- I have the music discovery slider set to "wide variety," and yet I've heard of almost all of the first 8 songs I've listened to.  Pandora seems to have a deeper collection, for those of you beatnicks who want nothing to do with the masses.  Otherwise, I'm enjoying the experience of listening and poking about on the site.

I wonder if there's a way for artists to submit music to the catalog?

It's in private beta now, but you can sign up for an invite on the home page...it'll be in your inbox in about 10 seconds.  You can also invite 3 friends -- I'll send an invite to the first three folks who ask for one in the comments below.  Woohoo!

UPDATE:  Folks at Jango answered a few questions I had:  1) The full depth of their catalog is not in full effect yet...it will be once they go from private beta to public beta; and 2) Artists and Labels CAN submit music to Jango directly by emailing them directly (see the email address in the first comment below).  I've also been given 100 Jango invites -- click here to get your Jango Invite!  Thanks, Jango team.

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Friday miscellany time.  The Office Overlord, a good friend of mine, has some of the best HR stories I've ever heard.  Check out his "HR Nightmares:  You Make The Call!" post -- too funny.  These scenarios should absolutely be part of any Human Resources Director's boot camp.

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Hey GarageSpinners, you can now talk to everyone else here at GarageSpin whenever you feel like it -- and without having to comment on a specific post.

Just look for the little CBox tagboard (ie chat window) in the right hand column of this page (and not the graphic in this post)...and shout to the world about what's on your mind.  For example, did you:

• Hear a new band?
• Read some gossip?
• Finish a new song?
• Watch an episode of Pick-Up Artist?

Let us know!

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Check out this video clip about the famous Amen Break drum sample when you have 18 minutes to spare.  Despite Nate's monotone delivery, it's awesome:

This fascinating, brilliant 20-minute video narrates the history of the "Amen Break," a six-second drum sample from the b-side of a chart-topping single from 1969. This sample was used extensively in early hiphop and sample-based music, and became the basis for drum-and-bass and jungle music -- a six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures. Nate Harrison's 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable music clip.

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OMG, we are like totally entering the heyday of music television.  (That was what "MTV" once stood for, kids.)  MTV is launching a new reality show featuring Tila Tequila (remember, the ultra MySpace-friendly phenom?) called A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila on October 9th.  16 men and 16 women living in a mansion together will compete for her bisexual "love"; it's the Flavor of Love / I Love New York / Rock of Love formula.  ...Oi vey.  On a positive note, the show won't be focusing on her painful music (her single, "I Luv You", sold a few thousand copies...not bad, but not great when you have an audience of 2-3 million...it was seriously awful).

What's the reality show's big hook?  According to Tila (Nguyen) Tequila: 

GUYS AGAINST GIRLS....WHO WILL I END UP HOOKING UP WITH????? WILL I BE STRAIGHT OR LESBIAN IN THE END?????  So this is what my new ground breaking reality show will be about.

WOW.  You simply can't beat a ground-breaking concept like that.  In case you can't wait for the October 9th season premiere, check out the Vietnamese vixen and wanna-be musician here:

• Tila Tequila Merchandise - CDs, posters, magazines 'n' stuff 
• Wikipedia page - A wiki all about Tila's (text only) history
• MySpace page - her blog, some (semi-nude) pics, and other myspace stuff
• Tila's Hot Spot - Tila's website full of (mostly nude) pics, blogs, quotes, photos...etc.  (I'd prefer not to link to it, for fear of search engine penalties relating to p#rn...)
• Show site - Website for "A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila" (URL to be determined...)
• Single Flop - FutureMusic talks about her disappointing single sales

Despite her painful music, it looks like she's succeeding in leveraging her other assets.  (YESS!)  Ok, enough.  I've gotten into a nasty habit of writing about reality shows, lately...

GET SOME TILA TEQUILA MERCHANDISE:

  BUY POSTER: Tila Tequila (by Maxim Magazine)
                        (Framed Art Poster Print - 24" X 36")

  BUY MP3 DOWNLOAD: Download "Stripper Friends" by Tila Tequila





  BUY SHOW EPISODE: A Shot At Love with Tila Tequila

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Check out this great article on Rick Rubin in the NY Times.  Rick is simply an amazing producer with an incredibly gifted pair of ears on his head.  Think artists such as L.L Cool J, Red Hot Chile Peppers, Johnny Cash's later stuff, Neil Diamond...the list goes on and on.

Man, what I wouldn't give to spend 10 minutes with Rick to just listen to some music with him and hear what he hears.  Better yet, how cool would it be to play a song I (or you) wrote......and have him tell you exactly what sucks and what doesn't, and how to turn it into a timeless masterpiece.  Pretty awesome.

A few words:

"Everything I do," Rubin told me earlier, "whether it's producing, or signing an artist, always starts with the songs. When I'm listening, I'm looking for a balance that you could see in anything. Whether it's a great painting or a building or a sunset. There's just a natural human element to a great song that feels immediately satisfying. I like the song to create a mood."

The article also goes into the generally ailing music industry, discussing how music sales have surpassed music art at most labels, and what Rick is doing at Columbia to change all that.  Good stuff.  (Thanks Taylor)

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Hey, remember when I interviewed Scott Andrew, the DIY programmer and musician extraordinaire ("lo-fi acoustic pop superhero") earlier this year?

He's on the verge of releasing his first full length CD called Save You From Yourself, and is starting a fundraiser to pay for its mastering and pressing.  Check it out here when you get a chance...

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[Update:  "Making the Band 4 (Season 2): Battle of the Sexes" started on January 28th...check it out!  And check out the guy group, Day26!]

I have to admit:  P. Diddy knows how to make $money$.  I watched a rerun of MTV's Making of the Band 4 season finale today, and came to that exact conclusion as I watched the Bad Boy Records band machine open for business.

Unsigned bands, take note -- all you need is your own elimination reality show, and you'll be GOLDEN.

For those unfamiliar: 58 male soul singers auditioning to be the next product of Diddy's 'making the band' band factory were eventually narrowed to 10 via elimination (Donnie, Robert, Willie, Qwanell, Brian A, Michael, DeAngelo, Jeremy, Brian H, Dyshon).  The audience was then asked to vote for their favorite contestants on the show's MTV site, after which the 4 band members would be announced at a live show.

Here's the money-making kicker:  Diddy created a 5-member band (Robert, Willie, Qwanell, Brian A, Michael, AND he signed the contestant with the most votes, Donnie, to be a solo artist.  So now, all the sucker fans rushing out to buy music from the reality show will be buying 2 CDs, one by the new group, and one by Donnie himself.  He also announced a Making the Band Tour that'll include Donnie, his girl group Danity Kane, and the new guy group.  Oy vey....toooo much P. Diddy "reality" in one sitting...

For anyone who still hasn't had their fill of Puff the Magic DJ, here're some links:

• Making the Band 4 Episode Guide - A Wikipedia play-by-play guide.  Someone has too much time on their hands...  (I suppose that includes me)
• MTB4 MySpace site - Make the show your friend, hooray...  Too bad there isn't a LinkedIn profile for the show.
• Making the Band 4 Audition site - Um, sorry, it's a little late to be sending in MTB4 audition tapes...
• Donnie's MySpace page - There's already music here...quoi?
• Making the Band 4 (Season 2): Battle of the Sexes - Season 2, baby...
• Day26 - Day 26's un-Official Site
  

Ok, enough...can I stoop any lower?  Maybe I'll write about "Rock of Love" next...

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I made some progress with song #2 this weekend, "Avalanche" (previously named "Take A Stand") after re-writing the chorus lyrics, and re-formating the verse melodies to give them a little more swing...something new for me.  (The cello parts are still giving me trouble...)

I was going to try recording them all tonight, but immediately realized that would not be possible...  We recently moved to a new apartment, and my "recording space" (i.e. part of a large living room/dining room space) now has a set of huge, glass sliding doors that open into a deck overlooking a backyard.  The deck is great, but the crickets are craaazy loud.  Normally, I love the sound, but it looks I'll have to wait until Fall or Winter to record anything after 8:00 PM.

Maybe I can use them to my advantage...like adding cricket chirps to the beginning of a track..?

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I had sorta heard of Disney's High School Musical 2 in passing, but had no idea what kind of powerhouse it was until I read today about High School Musical 2 soundtrack reaching #1 in billboard this week (and the movie itself breaking the all-time audience record on basic cable with 17.4 million viewers).  Crazy.

Am I the only one that missed the HSM2 phenomenon?  I did a little digging...HighSchool Musical was about a basketball captain, Troy Bolton, and a smart, new girl, Gabriella Montez, that perform in a school musical against all odds, etc etc.  Simple enough.  Now there is a High School Musical 2 concert tourt, DVD, soundtrack CD, remix, poster, wallpaper, and endless catalogs of other merch.

The High School Musical 2 soundtrack is second only to the latest Linkin Park CD this year in terms of album debuts.  Crazy, I'm tellin' ya.  I need to rethink my music and lyrics to better hit that tween market..."Spinning Daydream" ain't no "Breaking Free"...

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YIKES!  I was shocked to learn today that a ton of legitimate and brilliant comments were automatically dumped into my blog's "junk" folder these last few months.

Fortunately, I was able to have them all published -- it saddens me, however, to think that I may have lost several readers who were unable to see their contributions published. 

If this has happened to you, I sincerely apologize.  I'm still unsure of what caused the problem, but am looking into it.  (Maybe an overly-stringent spam-blocking rule or something?)  If you ever have a problem commenting on GarageSpin, please let me know at mike @ garage spin [dot] com...thanks!

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The Spanish programmer recently responsible for MySpaceMp3.org (a site enabling music fans to download "streaming-only" mp3s from MySpace) published the code he used to create the MySpace hack.  He explains that the site was shut down without warning, and is now "...donating my site source code to the world." (via)  How sweet...though technically he probably is violating several user agreements, etc etc.

Hey, it's much easier to go to my music page to get a free music download -- no programming is necessary, just click on the link.  I'll try to get song #2 up there soon...

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Create Bands is amusing for about 10 seconds, until you want to put your fist through your keyboard to make it all stop.

Choose your players, their audio loops, the backdrop, and lighting, and let the pain begin...

(Personally, I'm a much bigger fan of the pain-inducing pastimes Peanut Butter Time and Banana Phone.)  (via)

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Last weekend, Girl Crusade (Tara), Gino, Xelle and I got together to shoot a music video for her track, "The Nose Job Song".  Armed with a digital camera (video cameras are for wimps), Vegas 4 (video editing software from 2003), and barbie doll knock-offs, we cranked out a video in 4 days.  Good times were had:

What do you think? Please give Girl Crusade a shout out on her YouTube page here -- you can comment, rate the video, make it "favorite", or subscribe to her stuff...

Though I'm listed as "featured" in the credits, I never actually appear in the video, for those of you that are wondering. Gino was too good at portraying craziness. Tara did all the editing herself, and it was her first time ever doing it...pretty impressive. Camera used: SONY 5.1 mega pixel Cyber-shot.

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I love video games, and I love anime.  Lucky me, there's a hip hop artist MAJA that busts rhymes about both, along the lines of MC Frontalot, MC Chris, and the other Nerdcore artists out there. 

Apparently, MAJA has a following in Japan, which resulted from Japanese blogs noticing his track about watching anime with Japanese subtitles only.  (That's considered hardcore anime fanship...and way beyond my own level of devotion.)

Check him out, see what you think:

• MAJA's Transformer music video
• Free song download: Transformer bundle
• MAJA rapping in Japanese and English:  Anime Miru Toki video
• Interview with MAJA: video 

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Oodle's Band Tracker launched today.  It's kinda cool, you create your own personalized list of bands whose tours you want to keep track of, and it lets you buy tickets as well.  Emails are sent to you with timely updates of what's going on, etc.  ...Some kind of widget would be way cooler, though...  A great tool for Scalpers planning ahead.

I'd love to say, 'hey, why don't you track my band?'  But that's impossible since I neither have a completed repertoire of music, nor do I have a solid band name yet (except for the filler, 'DreamSpin').  Maybe in 2008.

I'm going to immediately plug in my favs, Danity Kane, Pussy Cat Dolls, and Go! Team, and I suggest you do the same.  (via)

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I had the opportunity to provide a little commentary to another recording-studios-facing-threat-of-home-recording themed article published today by the Courier News, kind of similar to the recording studio article last week.

My new hero is John Forrestal, a 19-year (old also quoted in the article) whose home recording studio became a small business while he was still in high school.  He records jazz artists, singer-songwriters, etc.  (I think I was still collecting comic books in 9th or 10th grade.  Fortunately, I also started playing guitar around that time.)  John's way ahead of his time, but then so is the entire Apple GarageBand generation, I guess.

It's great to be a songwriter in the 21st century.

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YouTube is kicking off its week-long OnTheRise rap competition in two days.  $10,000 is at stake, as well as potential YouTube glory.  As well as a chance to meet 50 Cent, Common, and Polow Da Don (or at least be judged by them, anyway, since I'm sure they really are reviewing each of the 500+ videos that will be submitted.)

All you need is a few rhymes and a video-recording cell phone and blam, you're golden.  The competition is similar to the YouTube Underground contest for rock bands, which actually produced some cool stuff.

My money would definitely be on Girl Crusade to sweep this one, if only she would get out there and create a music video.

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The Pickup Artist, a reality show following Mystery (apparently, a famous pickup artist) as he teaches 8 socially awkward dudes to pick up women, kicks off today on VH1.  Desperate men rejoice; I know I could've used something like this when I was in high school.  But then again, do you really want to take advice from a guy who wears fuzzy hats and eye liner?

My advice to those 8 guys -- join a band.  Then you can say, "I'm in a band."  It doesn't even have to be a good band.  That's why I joined an a capella group in college -- girls love a capella.  My wife won't admit it, but I'd bet it was my a capella skillz that won her over.

In any case, for those of you that are interested, some info about The Pick Up Artist:

PICK UP ARTIST CONTESTANTS:

Joe D.: The big guy that girls like "as a friend."

Pradeep: The mathematician who doesn't know when to shut up.

Spoon: The asian guy who gets seriously scared around women.

Alvaro: The breakdancing, boxing guy that turns mute near women.

Fred: A 45-year old virgin.

Scott: Also having troubles with women, and also a virgin.

Joe: A blonde, musical-loving pretty boy that's supposedly not gay.

Brady: A photographer who fears rejection.

PICK UP ARTIST JUDGES:

Mystery:  Erik Von Markovik.  The big time player on the show, and creator of the Mystery Method (collection of seduction learnings).

Matador:  Mystery's smooth wingman.

J-Dog:  Mystery's other smooth wingman, who's supposedly not gay.

Other PICK UP ARTIST Notes:

Pick Up Artist Blog:  The show's blog, starting with season 1.  Check out Pick Up Artist TV show listings, episode guide, cast and crew, recaps, video clips, spoilers, DVDs, etc.

The Game:  Penetrating the Secret Society of Pick Up Artists:  A 2005 non-fiction book by Neil Strauss detailing his induction into the pick up artist community and his rise from an average loser to a "master pick-up artist" under his pseudonym, Style.  He learned his technique from Mystery.

Ross Jeffries: A pick up artist focusing on hypnotic and neuro linguistic techniques in his 'Speed Seduction' teachings.  Neil learned from him.

David DeAngelo:  A pick up artist who founded the company 'Double Your Dating', who also influenced Neil.

Wikipedia entry:  A wikipedia entry for the show, the Pick-up Artist.

UPDATE:  I just watched the Pick Up Artist Finale, and Joe Alvaro beat brady for the title of "Master Pickup Artist.  Oh SNAP!!

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Watching The Office yesterday, I unconsciously began singing the lyrics from the Malcolm In The Middle theme song to the The Office theme song.  They fit quite well, after the intro. Try it:

The Office theme:  mp3
"The Office Theme" by The Scrantones

Malcolm In the Middle theme:  wma
"Boss of Me" by They Might Be Giants

In case you want to sing along:

"Boss of Me" by They Might Be Giants

Yes, no.  Maybe.  I don't know.  Can you repeat the question?

You're not the boss of me now, you're not the boss of me now
You're not the boss of me now, and you're not do big.
You're not the boss of me now, you're not the boss of me now
You're not the boss of me now and you're not so big.

Life is unfair . . .

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Scott Galupo of the Washington Times wrote an article titled Music from a Closet about the recent passing of many large recording studios (the Hit Factory, Cello Studios, Music Shoals Sound Studios, and most recently, Sony Music Studios), and the explosion of home/garage/closet-based studios.  A good read, check it out.

Scott was kind enough to invite my thoughts on the subject, but I (unknowingly) missed his deadline while boogie boarding in North Carolina.  Rather than let mediocre writing go to waste, I thought I'd include my thoughts here so they would have a life outside of Gmail:

"Digital audio recording has advanced to the point where it's difficult to differentiate between home-brewed audio and pro analog sound.  While audiophiles may disagree, the vast majority of iPod owners are perfectly happy grooving to mp3 files, a "low fi" sound format.  The recent 50/50 split between digital and analog single sales in the UK strongly supports that trend.

"The production process is evolving towards a point where the bulk of song writing, recording, tracking, and mixing will take place in home studios.  Some studios will always exist to provide superior acoustic spaces, superior mixing and mastering software and hardware, and most importantly, expert mixing and mastering expertise, all of which are difficult for any DIY artist to duplicate.  And of course, there will always be great bands who have no knowledge of or desire to record their own albums.  The studios that can offer bundled services (CD duplication, studio musician rosters, music submission channels, song advice, industry contacts, mixing/mastering expertise, etc.) and other difficult-to-duplicate benefits will survive and succeed."

Quoting one's self is so lame.

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I've been taking a stab at recording a 4-cello part over the last few weeks for "Take a Stand"'s outro, and proved without a doubt that I am not a cello player.  Some recent learnings to share since then:

• Loop recording is SUCH a necessary tool for DIY recording artists (as is a metronome when actually recording). Sonar does a great job of allowing you to record multiple back-to-back "takes" in a single track, that you can later review, slice, 'n' dice.
• The said slicing and dicing process is pretty cool.  It's proved to me that 100 monkeys banging away on a piano (or cello) really could recreate Beethoven's 9th if you let them bang around long enough.
• Many more musicians on TV wear cowboy hats when you're watching TV in North Carolina.

It's true.  I'm on vacation (excuse me, I meant "VayCay") in NC, and they're all over the place.  Beware y'all...if I record vocals too soon after returning to NY, there may be a slight twang in my voice.  (No offence to Office Overlord, of course.)

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The world of widgets (little pieces of code that add functionality to any website or social network page, such as MySpace or FaceBook, etc.) is exploding.  Ya gotta love all the Web 2.0 goodness.

ReverbNation is just one example of a widget-maker worth mentioning (more soon, promise), because it's focusing on indie bands.  Widgets including music players, show schedules, banners are all available, including a music store (powered by SnoCap).  They're also doing a good job of including a viral aspect to the widgets, by enabling fans to in turn copy and paste the widgets to their own sites, helping to further promote artsts.  Very cool. 

Nimbit and SnoCap are in the space as well....I've wrtten up a comparison, but have yet to post it...if you simply can't wait, check out HomeTracked's music store widget comparison here.

I love anything that makes me record music more and freak out about website coding less...

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My search for a cool band name continues.  Some ideas that have been tossed about:

• DreamSpin:  What I'm currently using as of last November, but I never grew truly fond of it.
• AnvilBoy:  Randomly found, I like: the juxtaposition of something cold, large, invincible ("anvil") and something young, small, and vulnerable ("boy"); the fact that an anvil is used to take rough, raw material and hammer it into a shape and form (like music); the fact that it's an individual, which is appropriate since I'm currently a one-man-band.  However, my polling efforts returned a 5 to 1 count against it thus far.  Sigh.
  
• Misha:  Misha is "Michael" in Russian, which all of my family calls me.  I would absolutely use it, if it weren't for the 5-10 bands and musicians already using it themselves.  Matt, Kevin, and Tara also liked this one best.  Ah well.
• Liqui-fi:  Just a play on 'liquid' and 'hi-fi'.  And 'liquify'.
  
• Reverbatory:  A reverb laboratory...or something.
• Keystroke:  A double reference to heavy computer usage and a 'swift maneuver' of some kind.
  

Misha B and Anvil Project were suggested variations, but one seemed too hip hop, and the other kind of lost its luster for me.  It's also tough to find names for which the ".com" domain is still available.  (Even for DreamSpin, I only own ".net" and ".org", though I've done nothing with eiter.)

The search continues... Do you have any thoughts about the names above, or others not listed here?  If you think of a name I go with, you win free albums and show tickets for LIFE.  I'm serious.

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I just about pee'd in my pants when I learned I might be able to see both the Transformers AND the GoBots wreak havoc on humankind.  Which trailer is better?  You tell me...

The Transformers Movie Trailer: 

The GoBots Movie Trailer (courtesy Black20):

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A bunch of Net Radio stations shut down their internet radio services today in protest of the huge royalty rate hike happening on July 15th, which will basically obliterate much of radio.  Stations included:

• Pandora
• Real Network's Rhapsody
• Yahoo! Music
• Live365A
• WAMU (Washington)
• KCRW (Santa Monica)

They're appealing to listeners to go to SaveNetRadio.org to help the fight.  Meanwhile, the Internet Radio Equality Act was introduced in both houses to try to fix the situation.

We'll see how it all plays out.  I'll really miss Pandora if it disapears...*sniff*...

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Mashable put together a nice little run down of what they think the 12 best music social networks are:

Flotones, Mercora Radio, MOG, Last.fm, GarageBand.com's iLike, JamNow, MusoCity, Haystack, Sonific, Midomi, iJigg, Sellaband.

There are simply too many of these to keep track.  Once I've finished song #2 and song #3 (I recorded some cello stuff today, by the way), I'll go through the arduous process of uploading my music to all of them.  Ok, maybe just to some of the music sites...

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We hosted three, yes three BBQs this last weekend.  "Quick Lighting" charcoal is truly the best invention.  Ever.  One match and woosh!  Instant ball-o-flame.

I also got to work on music, which was great:

• Helped Tara (of Girl Crusade) begin recording her second song, "The Rumor Song".  She sure knows how to bust out girly rhymes.  Everything is finished, we just need to add a little instrumentation to the verses.
  
• Completed arrangements for all guitar parts for "Take a Stand" (which I plan to double track for that oh-so-full sound), as well as a 4-part cello section that will make up the end of the song; I thought it might be cool to END with a bridge, instead of slipping it into the midle of the song...I'm crazy like that.  (Pssst.  Here's a little secret...I plan on asking YOU to contribute your fine vocal talents for the bridge part for an amazing, crowd-sourced, 100-voice group sing!)  Cellos are hard to play, but loop recording rocks.
• Still considering various band name alternatives...sigh.  I must figure one out asap.
  

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BurnLounge is basically the Amway of digital music.  Its customers run digital music stores and make money in one of two ways:  1) selling music downloads, and 2) recruiting other people to become store owners. 

This kind of business model resembles a pyramid scheme, since it's virtually impossible to make back the annual $29.95 to $429.95 fee you pay for a store by selling music downloads alone.  (You only earn something like $0.05 per download, requiring 1000s of sales)  The FTC seems to agree, and recently asked the Central District of California court to shut it down.

I can't tell you how relieved I am that I turned down a BurnLounge job offer last year.  The pay was good, the job involved digital music, the company was a profitable startup...but something wasn't quite "right".  As with Amway, a vast majority of their revenue came from recruitment; digital music was just the hook.

The company founders actually seemed like cool guys.  I believe they had no melicious intent.  But still, when you make promises of wealth to consumers ("Own your own store!") which consistently fail to deliver, there's a little sketchiness going on.  Hopefully they'll find a new model to follow.

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Andrew at New Music Strategies recently completed an eBook compilation of blog posts titled "20 Things You Must Know About Music Online" that's now available for free.  (I was a little surprised -- I was thinking of doing a "Top Ten" series myself...but he beat me to it, and did an awesome job.  Definitely read or download it.)

Des at HomeTracked interviewed Andrew about it, which was an interesting read.  I enjoyed this exchange:

HomeTracked: A band tells you they have $500 to spend on promotion. How would you recommend they spend that money?

New Music Strategies: $500 is branding money. Who are they? What do they represent? What is their look, their values, their logo, their font (seriously), their story? These things make it easy for everything else to line up.

If you don’t have a story, then you have no reason for local newspapers to talk about you. If they don’t have a logo or chosen font, local promoters will always list their band name in ‘Generica Bold’. You need to stand out.

Perhaps the best thing you could do, if you live anywhere near a university or college with a media programme is to give $100 to the brightest PR students for a local PR campaign — community newspapers and the like; $100 to the best graphic design students for logos, sticker, t-shirt and sleeve design for promo CDs — as well as imaging for website use; $100 to the best television students for a half decent studio performance clip you can upload to YouTube, give away on DVDs, etc; $100 for web hosting, domain name and an enthusiastic web and new media student that knows their stuff about CSS to make the most out of a Wordpress-based site.

The last $100 is for new strings, drum heads, a piano tuner or whatever you need to get your work tools sounding as good as they can.  more of the interview >

Interesting.  My budget happens to be about $500, and I don't have a logo, font, CD, T-shirt, or local media contacts, and I'm on the verge of ditching my current bandname, DreamSpin.  ...hm...  At least I have this blog.  :)

Seriously, though, it's all true.  Bands must be able to answer the question:  "What's your STORY?" (In my case, I'm not 100% there yet, and could use the help of a web/graphic designer.)

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Wow.  If you've never heard of Rosetta Tharpe, you've got to check out this clip of her wailing on the geetar, especially around 1:30.  She seems like such a sweet lady...I can't help but imagine her handing you a plate of cookies with milk, flipping on an amp, and blasting gospel and blues in the family room...  She's probably rocking it up in heaven now.  More cool info about Rosetta at NPR and in this book.