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Alexis Krauss shows off her BANGIN BOD in GQ Magazine. She truly is 'Sexi Lexi.' (15 comments) |
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I Am Carles Returns with LIMITED EDISH VALENTINE'S DAY shirt. (8 comments) |
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Bon Iver sounds like dying indie rock on SNL, has mysterious HUGE black teenager in backing band (30 comments) |
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Pitchfork cyberbullies & slutshames Best Coast, calls her an 'inauthentic two-timing sell out panderer' (13 comments) |
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Tyler the Creator spotted bronoodling with 'this nigga' Kanye West. Are Big Thangs Poppin? (10 comments) |
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Lana Del Rey sells MAD albums, is officially RICH, FAMOUS, and SUCCESSFUL (12 comments) |
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LANAMANIA hits Los Angeles, frenzied fans begin sobbing in Lana Del Rey's presence (35 comments) |
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GRAPHIC PHOTO: Cults lead singer Brian Oblivion suffers severe 3rd degree burns to face (4 comments) |
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Introducing PRAYER WATCH 2K12 A CandleLight Vigil 4 Carles #pray4carles (24 comments) |
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"BUZZ BANDS" was a category on Jeopardy. Have BUZZ BANDS crossed over 2 the mnstrm? (14 comments) |
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Was M.I.A.'s Super Bowl flip off the first shameless slutwave marketing act in the post-LDR era? (27 comments) |
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Skrillex spotted bronoodling with nostalgic human meme Mr. Belding in relevant VIP section (4 comments) |
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Vampire Weekend was the HUGE indie winner of the Super Bowl commercial war (6 comments) |
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Lana Del Rey wears baseball cap, looks TOTALLY EFFING keut (7 comments) |
'The numbers just aren't adding up,' said my best friend, who recently became my business partner in a joint alt venture. We were really good friends, but at the same time, being in business together changed our relationship. We barely even hang out any more. I could hear the tension in his voice. We thought it was a really good idea, emerging markets, new media, old media, building a tribe, getting the word out on social media, reaching consumers both on the internet, and in real life. It was fool proof. We were basically going to be printing buzz money, opening up our own buzz mint. The trouble was, despite all of the buzz, the blog press, the decent turnouts, the merch, the meetings, the important emails, the time we met that famous & successful person who said they liked what we were doing, we were still ONLY making buzz dollars.
I guess I was wrong. Maybe it was a bad idea to start a buzzband / record label / blog / viral meme blog / aggregator of memes / party promotion firm / PR firm / online video series / site on the internet that changes the way that we interpret journalism / diy venue space / playhouse / mumblecore film collective / documentary film series / alt non-profit scam / party photo website / cassette tape label / online design company / microblogging service / alt-fundraising website / vintage store / online vintage store / t-shirt making company / art gallery space / booking agency / food truck / vegan restaurant / creative agency / zine / magazine / alt comedy troupe / [miscellaneous alt venture].
We met with my dad's friend, who was an accountant, and he told us every thing that we needed to get together in order to formalize our business. The truth was, taking a look at our business led us to realize that we weren't making any REAL money. It was a tough spot to be in. I second guessed all of our decisions. The time we printed flyers on glossy colored paper instead of just using a DIY copy machine. The time we hired my friend who is a designer to design our website but he overcharged us and left us with a broken website. The time I borrowed my mom's credit card to fly us to an important music and interactive conference in order to make connections, but we just ended up partying. Although it has been a wild ride, maybe the ride is pulling up to the final terminal. Not even a golden alt calculator could solve this mess. It was truly shaping up to be an Enron-level alt financial conspiracy.
He asked me, "Do you realize that we have never actually made money?"
It was at that moment that I realized that I didn't actually have an alt business. I was paying to have an identity. Sure, my twitter follower count was admirable, and I did have things to do every night of the week, but what was I really paying for? A mediocre presence in an alternative scene? I struggled to understand what I was trying to become a part of, an undying alt spirit that desperately wanted to contribute something to a community that might not even exist.
"I'm out. This is too much. I'm getting my old job back at my dad's company," said my friend.
I wasn't upset that he was leaving. This whole operation was my idea, anyways, and most of his ideas were super unoriginal and lame. I knew how to keep things authentic. But maybe keeping things authentic wasn't making any more and bringing in new clients, new visitors. In fact, I wasn't actually sure what we DID. But I was confident that I could figure it out on my own and utilize my tribe to get the word out that we were doing something different.
I thought about the first days of the business when we would just sit around on the internet and chat about how awesome things were going to get for us. VIP parties, tons of money, press, notoriety, validation from the scene, validation from our parents--we would have EVERYTHING. But maybe it was time to realize that this was never going to happen. The numbers just weren't adding up.
On days like today, I had to wonder if my entire alternative social experience misled me, leading me to a place where I had nothing to my name. No money, no alt fame, and just a bunch of connections with a bunch of other people who were pretending to be successful, just like me. Don't get me wrong, this was a valuable existence, and even if I have to begin a new venture, I am confident that it will work out because this experience exposed me to the harsh realities of what it takes to get an alt business off the ground and over the hump. But do I have the energy to do this again? Maybe I'm just not an alternative entrepreneur.
Was my alternative business a mistake?
It was just one of those days where you felt like ________ had everything, and you had nothing.
1 year ago, I made a 'snarky' post about RCRD STORE DAY. Feel like it has gained 'more steam' this year or something. I think that means Record Stores are dying, or something.
Here is an entire repost of an old post, followed by my updated reactions:
Have you heard of RECORD STORE DAY? It’s a chance to remember that record stores are places where you can buy CDs and vinyls.How many positive experiences have you had in record stores? Is it a Generation X thing? I feel like most of my experiences when it comes to buying music were in places like Blockbuster Music, Warehouse Music, Sam Goody, or some other chain that sold CDs for $18. I always found the franchises to be a better environment than the indie record stores, because you didn’t have to have some schmuck at the counter make a comment about your CD purchase (and if they didn’t comment, they’d give you a scoffing look that meant “I can’t believe they’re buying THAT album”).
Does it make sense for ‘online music magazines/blogs/websites’ to support RECORD STORE DAY? I feel like atleast 5% of the why I even spend time writing HIPSTER RUNOFF is to shut down independent record stores. After movies like “High Fidelity” and “Empire Records”, I think it’s just time to move forward from glorifying stores that sell mostly crappy CDs, and shut down most record stores. Do you think RECORD STORE DAY was organized by all of the major record labels as a last chance effort to ‘get people to buy CDs?’
Do u guys wanna go shop for some records, read some magazines, and search for authenticity?I don’t really buy into the theory of ‘the people who care the most about music are the ones who shop at independent record stores.’ I’d say the people who care the most about music are the ass holes who spend too much time online, and find a way to get it for free. Independent Record Stores are usually pretty ‘hit or miss’ when it comes to selection. Sure, there are some in major metropolitan areas that are probably pretty well-stocked, but for ever 1 of those, there are at least 10 crappy record stores selling stuff that you might as well pick up off of the “Staff Selections” rack at BORDERS.
RCRD ST0RE supporters say that their clerk is able to give them [Recommendations] based on what they have purchased in the past. I really think that the Amazon Recommendations, or iTunes features like ‘people who purchased this also purchased…” is way more valuable than a scruffy dude telling you to ‘check out Sparta since you’re buying that At The Drive In CD.’
I think the worst part about record stores is that you actually buy complete albums. Usually, complete albums aren’t worth purchasing. There’s nothing like sorting through your CD collection from ages 9-19, and wondering what it all means. Why did you buy all of these mainstream alt-rock albums? You wish you could have all of that money back that you wasted on crappy CDs, pogs, basketball cards, and other stupid hobbies. The internet helps us become better consumers by providing us with important information before we make decisions.
In addition, most music is recommended by your friends, acquaintances, and especially douchebags who care about music too much. The internet has given a great opportunity for douchebags who care about music too much to be heard, and to gain the tastemaking status that they may or may not deserve. Things are better than they were in the pre-music blog era, because DOUCHEBAGS WHO CARE 2 MUCH ABOUT MUSIC basically steered the direction of turn-of-the-century indie rock, since they were all in charge of college radio stations.
It’s just difficult to get behind this idea for RECORD STORE DAY. I would rather support a day where every band has a paypal account, and you can make a direct donation to the band members, or something like that. Times are changing, and industries change, so I’m never really into ’standing up for businesses that are perceived as authentic, so they don’t have to adapt to modern business practices.’ There are other people providing innovative services that help us find more music that we ‘love’ and ‘makes our lives’ more meaningful.’
If people are ‘just about the artists’, then they should tell more people about music services like hypemachine, last.fm, imeem, and even muxtapes (as bloggerly cliched as those have become so quickly). All of these websites also create a way better PERSONAL EXPERIENCE than walking out of a retail store and taking off your new CD’s excess packaging.
It’s not like music is getting worse now that records stores are closing… it’s just that most people still buy their crappy music from other places.
R u a capitalist?
Do u shop @ a local record store?
Do record stores even carry the albums that you want?
Should all of the INDPNDNT RCRD ST0R3S form an alliance and sell on CDNOW.com?
Remember when you could get 10 CDs for $1 by filling out that form in a magazine?
Do you regret buying so many CDs in your formative years?
Is the undervalued value of the iPod the way it made you think less about purchasing entire crappy CDs, and put more value into acquiring only songs that you like?
Will U go to a Record Store on Saturday?
Feel like I've 'grown up a lot' as 'a writer' since then. Damn.
Still h8 the CD buying experience, and would rather poach songs + albums from blogs and rapdishare files. I feel like the same outlets who promote 'innovation' when it comes to monetizing bands are the ones that 'still support RCRD STORE DAY'. Like it is 'a good thing' when a band does a 'non-traditional' thing like 'building an iPhone app' or 'something modern that utilizes technology/the internet', , but for some reason we need to perpetuate the 'album buying experience.' Not really sure if RCRD STORE DAY supports 'artists' or just 'record stores that will go out of business within the next year.'
Is it safe to assume that 'purchasing mp3s/CDs from a modern music retailer [via the internet]' has a better chance of 'putting money in artists' pockets' than going 2 a rcrd store and paying a 39% markup for 'an experience'? Is there any way I could mail the Best Buy giftcertificates I got for Xmas to my favourite band so that they can use them instead of giving all that money to the rcrd company/retail outlet? Maybe they can buy a season series of DVDs or something.
Wonder if there will ever be an 'iTunes Day' or an 'Amazon MP3 Store Day.'
Feel weird when music blogs/websites support record store day, cuz I think that 'we' are competing with them, and should try to get them shut down. Would be like promoting 'Magazine and Newspaper Day' because of what an 'authentic' experience it used 2 be. Not sure 'what we're holding on to', and why we are not comfortable with businesses 'having a lifetime' [via Motor Companies]. Kinda sad fact of lyfe that 'everything dies, even brands/companies.'
I think that 'Record Store' Day should probably just become a subsidiary of SXSW or something, since it is probably just an excuse to have an 'in-store concert', and maybe get an 'alcohol sponsor.' I understand that this might just be a gimmicky event for people to 'meet in-real-life' so that the can get a thrill out of how they 'read about something kewl on the internet' and then 'ventured into public 2 have a meaningful experience with like-minded people.' Wonder if RECORD STORE DAY would even exist 'without the internet.'
Not even sure if we 'like music' any more, or at least not sure if the modern fan 'likes music' for the same reasons that are behind RCRD STORE DAY. Also not sure if they should have scheduled on the same day as Coachelly.
Did u go to the Target/WalMart CD section in honor of RCRD STORE DAY?
Do u have an idea that is 'better than RCRD STORE DAY'?
In the past month, I've scanned a lot of 'TOP SONGS/TOP ALBUMS of 2007', and of course there are the obvious choices. Most TOP SONGZ lists fall between the range of 'what sounded fun but won't be memorable' (this is what HIPSTER RUNOFF's list will be 60% about) and 'Stuff that we will probably remember in 10 years' (this blog made a halfway accurate list that's worth glancing at/making a hilarious comment at).
When it comes to bands that have been successful this year, and ended up having an awkward performance on a late night show indicating their crossover appeal with people who actually BUY music, I've been a bit surprised that Chromeo hasn't left a more memorable dent in these lists.
While I know 'of course it's just Chromeo', I think that their level of PRESS + BlogLuv + demand for mp3s has warranted them more 'end of year list' consideration. I will always download a Chromeo MP3, but they're definitely not on my end of year list!
'We're Chromeo. Every1 can like us.'
BURNING QUESTIONS about Chromeo's band business model:
1. Has VICE overbranded or misbranded them?
2. Would they be more 'critically acclaimed' if they were still 'just 2 dudes' instead of band with a marketing machine behind them?
3. Do they need more extreme differentiation strategies?
3a. Should the gangster looking dude turn into a robot?
4. In terms of 'the mainstream appeal' that they have, has their sound slotted them into being associated with 'OMG! this sounds like a 1 hit wonder from the 80s!'
5. How has Chromeo managed to warrant HYPE but not necessarily the BEST of 2K7-ability. Did Justice's 'D.A.N.C.E.' take the annual 'I know this song is a gimmick, but I have to put one electrodancey song on my list' slot?
In conclusion, 'Whatever! Just keep me dancin' Chromebros! Yall are pretty alright. Don't let any one keep you from following ur dreams. It doesn't matter what bloggers say.'
[MP3]
Chromeo Bonafied Lovin' (The Teenagers Remix)
Chromeo's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/chromeo
The Teenager's Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/theteenagers
Were u totally sad that u weren't able to get a Coachella ticket because they sold out in such a short amount of time? What if I told u they were going to have the EXACT same festival with the EXACT same artists 1 weekend later, and u had a chance to experience the EXACT SAME event, only it was 1 week later? Is that something u might be interested in?
Apparently Coachella is going to be a back-2-back multi-weekend event next year. Not sure wtf they are thinking, but insiders are calling this 'batshit insane', 'a logistical nightmare', and 'a desperate attempt to make more money, losing credibility and buzz by watering down the entire Coachelly experience.'
AEG-owned concert promoter Goldenvoice is taking its wildly successful Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival model and doubling it. Paul Tollett, the architect of Indio's Coachella and head of Goldenvoice, unveiled plans Tuesday to launch a second multi-day music event in 2012 at the Indio site. Coachella will now be held over two consecutive weekends, the first on April 13-15, 2012, and second on April 20-22, 2010.
"We will attempt to produce two identical festival weekends," the company said in a statement. "That means same lineup, same art, same place, different people."
Modeled after major long-running European festivals such as Denmark's Roskilde and England's Glastonbury, Coachella is coming off its second-consecutive sell-out year, hosting approximately 90,000 people per day. Tickets for the 2011 edition went in a record six days, and the event, held at the Empire Polo Grounds, is considered the unofficial kick-off to the summer festival season.
Does this seem like a good idea?
R u gonna go the first weekend or the second weekend?
Which weekend will be more 'VIP'?
Is it reasonable/feasible 4 them 2 replicate this experience over 2 weekends?
Can buzzbands just 'bum around' California during the week until they wait for the next weekend?
In case yall didn't know, they are doing this FOR U, the consumer.
"We know many of you were unable to attend this year's festival because passes sold out much sooner than anticipated," read the release. "We were truly surprised by the overwhelming response and remain honored by your passion and enthusiasm. We also know some of you purchased through nonlegitimate sources and were inconvenienced, gouged or totally scammed. We hope that these changes will give everyone the opportunity to purchase directly from Coachella.com."
Passes will go on sale via Coachella's official site Friday and will be available until June 10. In prior years, tickets were not sold until the lineup had been revealed, and were sold via Ticketmaster. Tickets are once again priced at $269, not including additional fees, and for those who don't wish to pay in full up front Goldenvoice is again offering tickets through a layaway plan, with 10% down and eight equal monthly payments.
R u one of those ppl who buy $300 festival tix without knowing who the lineup is?
Are music festivals getting 'too corporate'/'too sponsored experience-y'?
Did Coachella 'jump the shark'?
Are they just gonna sell out (x2) and laugh all the way 2 the bank?
Are they trying 2 hard 2 go mainstream?
Can a festival make 'too much' money?
Does the festival experience 'suck' when there are so many ppl there?
R u gonna buy tix [via layaway]?
Is this a 'great idea' or 'the worst idea ever'?
Which performances will be more authentic/VIP, weekend #1 or weekend #2?
Can we house buzzbands in internment camps, forcing them to collab and generate content during the week that they are just chillin?
Coachella is a music festival held in Southern California that turns into a gathering of the world's most relevant buzzbands, artists, designers, celebrities, and internet personalities.
From what I have read on the internet, vinyl sales 'surged' in 2k10, since people no longer buy CDs, but they want a more authentic experience than just 'purchasing an mp3 from the internet.' Some people are really in denial abt the future of the music industry, so they are just trying their best to 'be authentic' by purchasing bulky packaging + outdated technology 2 play on their outdated record player just so they can be all like "U can really tell the difference, this sounds amazing!"
Anyways, bc of those types of cool dads with too much money, vinyl record sales are 'at an all time high' or something like that.
Though overall album sales dropped 13 percent in 2010, sales of vinyl increased by 14 percent over the previous year, with around 2.8 million units sold. This is a new record for vinyl sales since 1991, when the format had all but disappeared in the wake of the CD boom, according to a report released yesterday by Nielsen SoundScan.
This really isn't a big deal if u 'look at the numbers' because it is just cool dad music, mainstream indie, and boring old bands like The Beatles and Michael Jackson. People probably thought they were 'purchasing a collector's item' or something.
Top Ten Vinyl Albums, 1/4/2010 - 1/2/2011
1. The Beatles Abbey Road (35,000)
2. Arcade Fire The Suburbs (18,800)
3. Black Keys Brothers (18,400)
4. Vampire Weekend Contra (15,000)
5. Michael Jackson Thriller (14,200)
6. The National High Violet (13,600)
7. Beach House Teen Dream (13,000)
8. Jimi Hendrix Experience Valleys of Neptune (11,400)
9. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (10,600)
10. the xx xx (10,200)
Top Ten Vinyl Artists, 1/4/2010 - 1/2/2011
1. The Beatles (36,700)
2. Black Keys (36,000)
3. Radiohead (30,500)
4. Arcade Fire (28,600)
5. Jimi Hendrix (26,400)
6. The National (24,600)
7. Pavement (24,200)
8. Vampire Weekend (21,900)
9. Metallica (20,000)
10. Bob Dylan (17,000)
Are the Black Keys the ultimate cool dad band?
Are the Beatles 'overrated'?
Did people just buy Beatles + MJ albums to use as 'posters' in their roomes?
Should indie record labels pointlessly sink tons of funds into pressing vinyl records instead of releasing CDs + MP3s 2 the general public?
Can some1 do some research on 'cassette sales' 'booming' in '2k12'?
Do these stats mean anything?
Will there be enough mainstream indie bands who release vinyl records in 2k11 to keep this trend moving upwards?
How many vinyl records were sold in 1977/some other random year b4 8-tracks/cassettes/mini-disc players existed??
From what I understand, iTunes totally rips off musicians and small scale indie musicians don't really have an easy way to stream + sell + promote their music. Even websites like Myspace Music are 'dead' and 'irrelevant' because they are all bulky and and slow and every1 has a clunky layout and the player doesn't work.
Anyways, some newspaper wrote an article abt this 'kewl new service' called 'bandcamp' and how it rlly helps indie bands that can't build their own websites + eCommerce portals. Bands are starting to use bandcamp because they 'control their own image' and 'control their prices + profits' etc. Also buzzbands are usually 'dumb' and don't really know much abt HTML/content management systems, so they need a place 2 store their mp3s.
In contrast with a number of rules-clad retailers, Bandcamp offers ease and options: free sign-up; a Bandcamp storefront page to add to an existing site or let stand alone; an array of digital download formats (from hi-fi MP3s to FLAC and Ogg Vorbis files) for customers; physical sales and physical-digital bundling; and, perhaps most important, the ability to set prices, from free to a flat rate to a pay-what-you-want donation.
Might start a buzzband and start a bandcamp.
Encourage bloggers 2 'embed my widgets'
Encourage every1 to 'listen to my entire album.'
Track stats. Get buzz.
Make listeners think they are 'really helping me out' by letting them 'pay what u want' for my album.
Get signed to a major label. Put my album on iTunes.
Make mad tween bank.
Leave bandcamp behind.
Do yall think bandcamp is 'legit' or is it just gonna 'die' like every other 'band music webpage hosting service' that has been created since 2000?
Bandcamp drew its inspiration from intuitive blogging platforms such as WordPress. “[T]here, if you’re a writer, you can set up your own site that’s rock-solid for free. It struck us as crazy that if your artistic output happens to be music instead of text, that your options were bad.”
The site’s relative success -- Diamond said the company is “on our way to profitability” -- comes at a time when many prognosticators have called music retail dead, pointing to touring, licensing and 360 deals as the industry’s next revenue streams.
Should all indie bands post their mp3s on bandcamp and require their listeners to purchase albums from non-iTunes solutions?
Should 'bandcamp' 'rebrand' so that they have a better company name that doesn't sound so 'entry-level'?
Would u be ashamed 2 put ur band on bandcamp, or is it a 'great service that could really help ur band'?
Do 'social networks' for bands 'work'?
Is bandcamp 'innovative'?
When will they open up their API so that I can develop my own buzzband site on my own server_space?
Such advantages have made it enticing to bands (and content-hungry music bloggers) looking for alternatives to iTunes and MySpace -- though they do come at a cost. Bandcamp takes 10% to 15% of proceeds, depending on a given artist’s overall numbers. (It also charges minor fees for extras.) ITunes takes 30%, though that number comes with the benefit of a preexisting audience. Diamond said that in December, Bandcamp had more than $530,000 in sales, “and that’s growing quickly.”
Wish I had started bandcamp so I could have taken advantage of long tail indie bands who tell their immediate family + friends to 'buy their album.'
Is bandcamp a 'legit service'?
Does it really help the 'common indie band' or does it ultimately exploit local bands + bands that have between 20-100 fans who exploit their immediate social network 2 generate sales?
Do u miss the days of Purevolume?
Should Soundcloud try to 'squash' bandcamp?
What crappy service did u put ur buzzband on?
Is Myspace Music 'dead'?
Do u feel sad for buzzbands that don't know how to build their own websites?
What webservices should all bands have?
a) twitter
b) tumblr
c) Myspace
d) bandcamp
e) purevolume
f) kazaa
g) napster
i) iTunes
j) TuneCore
k) Amazon MP3
l) HIPSTER RUNOFF user account [link]
m) buzzband.biz
n) other ____________
o) Choose ur own Response
From what I understand, bands can no longer make money from 'selling albums and mp3s.' Instead, they must hit the road on massive tours in order to make some bank. I saw this chart of the top grossing touring artists of 2k10, and it made me feel sad for indie bands. It seems like mainstreamers will only see mainstream acts and pay 'way 2 much money' 2 see bands that they think are 'amazing.'
Feels like maybe indie bands are 'less relevant' than the blogosphere thinks. Wish indie bands made more money, but I guess the successful ones are just trying so hard 2 'be authentic' and 'give money to Haiti' and stuff like that.
Touring was a disaster in 2010, but let the little performers eat cake! After all, the top-grossing artists pulled some insane winnings, and being lonely at the top never felt so pampered. According to an annual ranking just published by Pollstar, Bon Jovi led the North American roost with an outlandish $108.2 million, and the worldwide purse stretched to $201.1 million.
Phew! Lady Gaga was naturally high-ranked with a $50.1 million North American take-home, but plenty of artists ranked higher. That includes stage-horses like Dave Matthews Band ($72.9 million) and the Eagles ($64.9 million), as well as surefire attractions like Paul McCartney ($61.8 million), Roger Waters ($89.5 million), and Michael Buble ($65.7 million). Most achieved far greater returns on the global stage.
Who were the top grossing touring bands + artists in 2010?
If u want to 'make money' as a musician, it seems like there are some standard gimmicks/roles u can implement. Don't think it is really worth it 2 be an indie band.
Would u rather have a 10.0 from Pitchfork or 'mad cash' from touring?
Do u think the Arcade Fire will be the Bon Jovi of 2k29 when indie altbros 'get old'?
Should I apply for an internship in the Black Eyed Peas?
R u sad that indie bands don't make money, or do they not deserve it?
Is "Riverdance" still relevant?
Who is the most successful indie band?
Is 'Muse'/'The Kings of Leon' an 'indie band'?
Should I take my lamestreamer family to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra?
If u were in a mainstream band, would u spend the entire year on tour so u could make mad $$$$?
Have u ever seen the Dave Matthews Band at a meaningful outdoor amphitheatre?
Just read a tweet by some buzzband abt how they 'turned down shitloads of money' in order to 'remain authentic' [via outdated indie standards]. The buzzband let us know that 'they were not being self-righteous', however, they are 'sacrificing' for the good of their band, the good of their fans, and the good of all indie music. They sacrificed not just for themselves, but for YOU, a member of the indie scene.
Do u think this buzzband is 'full of shit'?
How much money do u think they gave up?
Do u think they are 'effing idiots' if they gave up more than 1-5x what they could make on a US tour?
What is the point of making music if u can't make $$$ from it?
Listened to a few songs by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart ovr the years. Honestly feel like their songs were 'perfectly crafted' for commercials. Like I could see a Honda driving by as their music plays. Possibly a cutesy credit card commercial. Even McDonalds could rebrand using these poppy, generic indie tunes.
Do ppl still respect indie bands who 'don't want commercial success'?
Is that standard still relevant in the 2k10s?
Do the most successful indie/mainstream brands offer their music to represent brands?
Do fans 'care' whether or not their fave bands 'sell out'?
Will the Pains of Being Pure at Heart ever achieve 'authentic alt indie status' if they aren't willing to play by the modern rules of indie?
Do 'true fans' just want their favourite buzzbands to be able to 'pay their bills'?
Do u feel like people even care abt 'what songs are in commercials' or is everything jut
Should the AZN QT in this band 'go solo'?
Should she take over vocals for the 'dude who sounds like a girl anyway'?
"Real buzzbands don't make $$$$, they do it for the love of the buzz."
TRUE BUZZBANDS ONLY CARE ABOUT BUZZ BUCKS.
BUZZ BUCKS ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN MONEY.
From what I understand the traditional record industry is 'going down the shitter' because people don't buy records any more. Instead, they use the internet to steal albums, mp3s, and youtubes viddies. Some New York Times article just 'profiled' the state of the modern music industry, and how so many lifestylebrands are trying to appeal to young adults by 'curating mp3s' / funding buzzbands / helping artists 2 'create art.' Really tried to make it seem like they are 'saving the music industry', and helping artists to 'do what they love--create mp3s.'
Do u buy into brands as the new record labels? I thought blogs were the new record labels [via the opinion of a pseudo-progressive journalist in 2k7]. Might have to start a brand to re-establish my position as a 'tastemaker'/'sharer' of music.
Here is the 'opening' hook, where they tell u that Converse is buying a studio space, and they are going to let bands record in there 2 seem 'kewl' with consumers.
RIGHT now it is just a shell, the peeling remnant of an old dry cleaner on a graffiti-covered block in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. But soon the 5,200-square-foot space will be transformed into a sleek new recording studio in the heart of the underground-rock capital. And in the latest twist in pop’s relationship with Madison Avenue, the struggling bands making music there will already be encountering corporate America: the studio is being built by Converse, which will let them record free.
A shoe company giving away studio time might seem peculiar. But with its new project, Converse — whose sneakers have been worn by generations of bands, from the Ramones to the Strokes — wants to become a patron of the rock arts. The company is not alone: lifestyle brands are becoming the new record labels.
Good think I am in a chillwave, lofi, bedroom-recordings based artist, and Converse can't really help my band.
Wonder if it is 'worth it' to record at Converse studios. Wonder if a 'recording studio' is a good investment by Converse, or if they should just 'open up a new sweatshop' in the same space in Brooklyn.
Seems like brands are just starting to buy the rights to albums instead of wasting money on tv/internet ads. Every time a relevant MP3 is released, a blog is forced to mention the name of the brand. Seems like they are 'winning' even if no1 really cares, the brand doesn't resonate with consumers, and every1 is just picking up some free MP3s.
Looking to infiltrate the lives of their customers on an ever deeper cultural level, they are starting imprints, scouting for talent and writing checks for nearly every line item on a band’s budget. And as the traditional record industry crumbles, plenty of musicians are welcoming these new rock ’n’ roll Medici.
Apparently, real record labels suck/take all of a band's money anyways, so buzzbands would rather just do a 'one and done' deal with a brand that has more money to pay them, and does't view them as some sort of 'golden calf' that they have to keep milking for 5-10 years, stealing money from it on the reg.
Artists and talent managers say that the music deals offered by brands can be fairer and more favorable than traditional label contracts. These days major labels want bands to sign so-called 360 or extended-rights agreements, which give the label a piece of nearly every dollar a band makes, from concerts to merchandise. On the other hand, most brands offer short-term deals with few strings.
Here is Best Coast being all defensive, and saying she hasn't sold out/isn't stupid 4 taking huge dollars from brands.
Ms. Cosentino’s band has existed for barely a year, but she is already a branding vet. Well before she signed a proper record deal, with the small label Mexican Summer, she released a single through a boutique headphone company. And when Converse asked her to collaborate with the rapper Kid Cudi and Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend on a song that would be given away on its Web site, she didn’t hesitate. “It was an amazing opportunity,” she said by phone recently from a gig in Iowa. “If I said no it would have been stupid.”
Makes sense that she took a $500 gift card from Taco Bell [link].
Do bands just not make that much money so it is impossible to 'say no' when some1 just wants to give them money without claiming too much ownership over them? Are companies just 'cooking the books', investing in abstract goods + services to offer buzzbands, and not really doing much to help their brand?
Here is some 'expert' dude saying why brands are doing this record label bullshit.
“Indie-inflected music serves as a kind of Trojan horse,” Mr. Rabinowitz said. “Consumers feel they are discovering something that they believe to be cool and gaining admittance to a more refined social clique.”
Here's something I didn't know, Motel 6 offers free rooms to buzzbands:
Motel 6’s Rock Yourself to Sleep program, for example, gives free rooms to touring groups.
Might 'go on tour' and just show up at random Motel 6 locations, and say to the dude at the front desk, "Hi, I'd like the buzzband room. It is the 1 with the jacuzzi/whirlpool tub."
Seems like life as a buzzband is rlly lucrative.
They interviewed the CEO / CFO / CTO of Pitchfork, and he was all like, "Consumers need to effing question these brands instead of just taking their mp3s for free. So many companies doing shady ass shit, eff em all. U can't blind us with free MP3s."
Chris Kaskie, the president of the music Web site Pitchfork, noted a lack of debate about the implications of bands’ working with brands. When Nike makes a cool mix-tape, he said, there is little comment in the indie-rock world about the company’s labor practices, which have drawn criticism in the past.
“Young bands are growing up in a culture where there’s less off that discussion happening, less of those underlying issues being addressed,” Mr. Kaskie said. “But the experiment that these bands are doing is important to see where it goes.”
From what I understand, Mountain Dew, Converse, Nike, and Taco Bell are all created in sweatshops and hire 3rd world labor to create their products.
Are lifestyle brands saving the music industry?
Do consumers really 'respond' to this type of marketing?
Have u bought Converse / Mountain Dew / Taco Bell since they teamed up with ur favourite buzzbands?
Is this the type of thing that just 'gets the name of ur product written on a blog' and makes brands feel 'young' even though they are sorta just running in place?
Are buzzbands 'abusing' brands that have large budgets?
Is 'music' even supposed 2 make money?
Are brands 'saving' the music industry, or is this just some marketing fad that they will realize has lost them too much money/didn't return any finite results?
Should all these brands just buy a commercial during the Super Bowl instead of this buzzband bloggy crap?
Do yall h8 the blogosphere?
Should all blogs boycott mp3s that are commissioned by brands?
What brand will be the next to launch a 'record label' 2 appeal 2 alts?
Should HIPSTER RUNOFF hire a buzzband to write an mp3 just to get 'mad coverage' from other blogs?
Should BP release the next Vampire Weekend/AnCo album to 'get on the good side' of the blogosphere and re-brand after the oil spill?
Should I buy a Scion, wear my Converse, and wash down my Taco Bell with some Mountain Dew 2 prove I <3 buzzbands?
GLS is the record label of Mountain Dew. They pay a buzzband to write an MP3, then release it to blogs in order to get buzz.
Read more>>>>
From what I understand, Weezer is all about being a band in the modern world, so they are down 2 make money 'however the fuck they can.' It seems like they entered into a partnership with the popular alt lifestyle clothing brand HURLEY. They named their new album "Hurley" but promised to release a limited edition clothing line with the brand. The clothes will only be sold at ur local PACSUN. Not sure who shops at PACSUN, but probably tweens, and cool dads who are 'trying 2 be young forever.'
As mentioned, PacSun and Hurley (the clothing company) are teaming up to sell Hurley (the Weezer album) ahead of its September 13 release. According to PacSun, you and your best friends can buy the album inside PacSun starting this Friday. Also on sale? Limited edition Weezer clothing, as part of their partnership with Hurley (the clothing company).
Wonder if Am Appy shoulda 'thrown big bucks' at Weezer to save their company. Should I name my next album "American Apparel", "American Eagle", or "Forever and Ever, 21"?
Kute WEEZEResque vest. 'What Would Rivers Wear?'
Here is a sweet plaid shirt. Might wear it to my next high school dance/on a date after my marriage falls apart.
Kewl lil beanie.
3/4 baseball tee or something
Something for 'the bitches'. A lil slit down the middle to show off ur titties.
Is this a unique branding experience provided by Weezer?
Should more bands sell the naming rights to their albums?
Should the next _______ album be called "Mountain Dew"?
Should I name my album "$5 Footlong [via Subway]"?
Should the next AnCo album be called "Costco: A place 2 buy food + products for your family"?
Should the next Vampy Weeks album be called "All proceeds go to Kirsten Kennis"?
Do u h8 the modern world where everything is about 'making money'?
Is Weezer 'still relevant'?
Is Weezer 'mad innovative'?
Do u wear HURLEY clothes, or is it for skater brois?
Who shops 4 Hurley clothes / goes 2 Pac Sun?
Weezer is some band of cool dads that still releases albums.
From what I have heard/read, bands 'don't make money any more' because every1 just lives on the internet and steals music. I have heard 'rumors' that the best way to support a band is to 'go see them live', and possibly to 'buy some of their merch.' N e ways, not really important to me, since I think most bros in bands should 'get real jobs'/go 2 technical college.
Anyways, just saw this facebook note where some bro in a band 'bitterly' tells the state of his band's financial situation. Worried abt him. Feel like 'being in a band' and 'touring with ur bros' might not be a good career move/good for ur mental health.
Hey Everyone,
For the past 5 years my brothers in Oh, Sleeper and myself have sacrificed our lives, our time, relationships, birthdays, holidays, health(haha) to travel around and play shows for our fans. Not to say that isn't been a fun ride!
I would just like to bring a few things to our fans attention:
I would like to show you guys an average day in finances for a "mid-level" band like us. Im going to breakdown the average monetary in and outs of a day on tour.
On tour bands have two ways to make money. Guaranties, and Merchandise.
On tour bands have big bills. The biggest are: Managers, Booking agent, Merch Rates, Merch bills, Food, and of course.. the Gas bill.
Our last headliner tour was an east coast run with 3 other bands. The average guaranty per band was 300$ per band, and around 300$ in merch. This was the average for all 4 bands, for the entire tour.
So we have a 600$ gross income per night. Now lets break this down.
Merchandise is bough, printed, and shipped on the bands dollar. We print most our shirts on American Apparel. They obviously offer the best fitting shirts, and kids are smart about looking good now days. They wont sell unless you have slim fitting, soft shirts. The demand for better quality shirts from bands is higher in last few years.
American Apparel shirts are very pricey to print. usually $7.50 a shirt. More for v-necks, 3/4 sleeve shirts, etc.
We sell our shirts for 15$ at our shows, UNLESS we are on tour with a headliner that demands we price match them.
SO $15 - $7.50 = $7.50. So half is profit. So out of the 300$ the band made in merch, they owe 150$ to the printer.
BUT HOLD ON! Merch rates!
Most nice venues have merch rates, we have seen them be as high 32% gross. Usually they are 25%.
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So out of the initial $300 in merch the band made. 25% goes to venue. Thats $75.
$300(gross) - $150(merch cost) - $75(merch venue rate) = $75 (Net profit for the band.)
BUT the breakdown doesnt stop there. If the band has a manager, he takes 15% of Net profit of merch.
SO MERCH TOTAL PER NIGHT:
$75 X .15 = $11.25
$75 - $11.15 = $63.75( TOTAL Net profit in merch for the band.)
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Guaranties:
The breakdown in deductions from this money is: 15% to Manager, 10% to booking agent.
$300(gross guaranty) - $45(managers cut 15%) - $30(booking agents cut 10%) = $225
Average Gas bill is around $150. some days way better some days way worse. We have done 17 hour drives..leaveing show and showing up to next one right before we play...many times. Those are a bit more expensive. Most west coast tours we do the average gas bill is around 200-250...but ill use 150 for this example.
$225(guaranty after manage and agent deductions) - $150(gas bill) = $75
We have 6 people on tour, our 5 Guys, and our merch guy "The maze". We give everyone $10 bucks a day to eat on. (This isnt enough when your 6 4 and 200lbs like micah and i by the way)
6 people x $10 = $60
$75 - $60 = $15
$15 Total net profit in Guaranties.
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$63.75(Net merch) + $15(Net guaranty) =
$78.75 for the band for the night. out of $600 gross.
if you divide that 6 ways its $13.12 a day per band member.
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This doesnt include hotel costs. which are usually 50-60 bucks. Most bands dont get hotels or shower to save money to pay for phone bills.
This does not include Tires/Van payment/Oil changes/Van upkeep registration bla bla/Trailer tires/Gear/etc.
This doesnt include taxes. This doesnt include ROAD TOLLS. Which in the northeast can add up to 20-40bucks a day.
Thanks for reading.
MERCH RATES HAVE TO GO.
STOP STEALING OUR CDs PLEASE.
WE DONT MAKE MONEY WHEN YOU BUY IT FROM STORES, COME TO SHOWS.
WE DONT MAKE MONEY FROM LABELS.
BUY MERCH FROM US AT SHOWS IF YOU LIKE WHAT WERE DOING.thanks for reading.
Worried abt these bros. Feel like they might have to start 'flipping burgers' or something like that. Maybe working at a local call center for $10 an hour.
Worried about merch costs. Worried about booking + managerial costs. Worried about toll roads. Worried about rising cost of gas. Worried about Am Appy t shirt prices.
Seems like everything costs soo much money these days. H8 having to pay 4 things. Wish we could all just live on the internet, stealing mp3s, and being happy 4evr.
Do bands deserve to make money?
Are 'indie bands' misguided abt how they deserve to make money?
Whenever u hear about a band from ur local scene 'going on tour', do u 'laugh a lil bit'?
Do true indie fans 'steal music'?
Should we just 'pay tidings' to buzzbands to keep them afloat [via paypal]?
When do indie bands deserve 2 make money?
How much money should indie bands expect to make per year? $1 million?
Should Obama provide tax breaks 4 buzzbands?
Have always wanted to start a buzzband, but didn't really know if it was 'worth it' cuz of the state of the modern music industry. Feel like there is some sort of 'effed up' system where bands don't even get paid, and even if u go mainstream, tons of entities are 'stealing ur money' cuz they market + distribute ur music. Mad bummed. Thought being a rock star would get u mad rich, but feel like this chart illustrates that bands 'don't make that much money.'
Feel like if I had a band, I wouldn't have a manager, bass player, or lead guitarist. I would avoid signing to a record label, and would try really hard not to use a distributor. Might outsource an 'album sales website' to a web design firm in India. Just gotta maintain all my profits, avoiding 'legal counsel' and even a 'producer.' So weird that bands have to spend money on all of this stuff.
'Solo project' without any sort of band / marketing infrastructure seems ideal. Wonder if chillwave/lofi/being Radiohead is the best possible band business model, since you can minimize 'bullshit costs' and really focus on exploiting your tribe.
Really just want to keep all of the profits, knowing that my art belongs to me, and no1 can use it without my consent.
H8 how the music industry is so effed up, and it doesn't even allow us to make art any more. Even Larry Gaga is a 'slave' to the horizontally integrated corporate structure.
Do artist 'make money' from album sales?
What type of band would yall be in?
What staff would u have if you had a band?
What are some good ways to 'cut corners' and save ur band budget?
Will I make more money in my life if I have a mediocre 9-5 job for 35 yea, or if I have a buzzband that has 2 albums that sell moderately well?
Does this mean I'm never going to be a rock star / blog star?
Is the music industry 'swirling down the shitter'?
Do musicians deserve Health Insurance?
Do record labels 'steal' tons of money from artists, or are bands 'worthless' without relevant record labels?
Do musicians/bands waste tons of money on goods and services that they don't need?
Some blog that probably tries to sound 'all innovative' about music and the internet came up with this infographic. It seems like it is trying to compartmentalize types of fans, and how bands can exploit them to make money.
There are four tiers of fans:
True Fans: bros who are way into a band and will buy something stupid
General Public: Random ass people who have no identity, and just want to buy what other people are buying
Local Concert Goers: People who don't realize that the internet is the ultimate buzzband incubator, so they accidentally get way too into 'local music'/the live concert experience, and blow money when they pass by merch tables
Friends and Family: The sad people who are guilted into going to shows / supporting a band, even when a band sucks/doesn't deserve to make more money. Your friends and family who are afraid to tell you that your band sucks + probably won't ever attract a larger crowd.
What band do u like?
What type of fan are u for that band?
Does Animal Collective have the highest density of 'true fans' in the history of music?
Based on the graph, I have come up with the following broad assumptions about music fans / buyers of music
Which band do u feel the most spiritally / emotionally / financially connected to?
Have you ever been guilted into going to your friend's band's show every weekend for a 1 year span?
Do you h8 the mainstream general public who just aimlessly fill up their iPod with iTunes recommendations?
Are blogs for super fans, the general public, or macro-micro-local audiences?
What is a good way for a band 2 make a shit load of money?
Do u feel sad for bros who are 'way into local music' and don't realize that the buzzcentric internet is the optimal format for consuming new artists?
Do you think it is more valuable to have a core group of super fans, or just to create a poppy, accessible album that you can trick the general public /Middle America into buying?
Is Nickelback / the Beatles / Radiohead / U2 the best band of all time because the general public = super fans?
Is life just about accumulating a tribe of followers who will pay you to release kewl / interesting / functional products?
Should music be free?
