Five years ago, any music industry conference would feature hours of discussion about how to get your compact disc into the hands of DJs on FM radio, or tips on how to press and package a CD that wouldn’t get buried on the desk of an A&R executive at some major label. A lot has happened in five years. On Saturday, June 13 and 14, Hillsborough Community College and The Artist and Writers Group hosted the Second Annual Homemade Music Symposium in Ybor City, and in the combined 18-plus hours of discussion, commercial FM radio was not mentioned one time.
Instead, Saturday’s daytime programming included panels and workshops like “Alternative Media Promotion,” “Marketing, Touring and Band Management” and “How to Get the Most Out of a Studio Session.” Panelists included bloggers (Bryan Childs,Ninebullets.net), social networking specialists (Julia Gorzka, Brand Tampa) and local media (Lee Courtney, WMNF; Curtis Ross, Tampa Tribune; Julie Garisto, St. Pete Times as well as Creative Loafing’s Leilani Polk). Mr. Courtney was the only radio personality in attendance. (Tampa’s 88.5 FM is a community station that still allows their DJs to play CDs – they even sometimes play records.).
The Homemade Music Symposium’s goal is to educate nascent and struggling musicians in the ways and means of the music business and industry trends. It also included out-of-town industry folk and special keynote speakers – this year, it was Tunecore’s Peter Wells and Tony Michaelides, a local author from Manchester, UK, who’s colleagues and contemporaries include Factory Records’ Tony Wilson, David Bowie, U2 and The Stone Roses.
Conference attendees were mostly solo singer-songwriter types, with a sprinkling of MCs, publishers and managers as well as other local bloggers and marketers looking to get involved in the music scene or learn about new media. There was a lot of talk (maybe too much) about Twitter and Facebook, and of course the familiar geographical gripe of how Florida is difficult to tour/break out of, because there are no surrounding states (The closest top 10 market is Atlanta). A good portion of the crowd was visibly older, some dressed in flowery shirts and flip flops, and plenty of eyes glazed over when the topics inevitably circled back to “Tweeting” and social networks.
Sorely missing from the panel of experts, especially on the panel labeled “Area Record Labels and Artist Managers,” were representatives from the handful of local Tampa imprints, namely ADD, New Granada and 24 Hour Service Station (Geri X, Win Win Winter and The Beauvilles). 24 Hour owner Marshall Dickson stated that he would definitely be involved next year, but that this time around he just had “too much on his plate.” The only current label owner in attendance was Ivan Pena, who runs Mohawk Bomb Records (Soulfound, Ascending to Avalon and Rise of Saturn). Pena seemed optimistic about the Tampa Bay music scene, and about the fast-changing online industry, but insisted that artists need to tour incessantly and start treating their band like a business or risk failure.
The “Music Critics” panel, unfortunately the last session of the day, seemed to be the most pessimistic. One girl in the crowd asked for suggestions on how to become a music writer. The entire panel discouraged her. It may be in fashion for music writers to be moody and begrudging, but one would think their passion for music could somehow keep their chins up, not to mention grateful that they still have jobs in the age of Rotten Tomatoes and aggregated, user-generated reviews at Amazon.com.
Ed. Note: What follows is a repost of an item by CL Marketing Director Joran Oppelt from his recent trip to SXSW. At the time, I thought it was just a really cool video. Today I think it’s become something more. You can see Joran’s original post here.
Quincy recalls his first encounters with Michael Jackson and their work on the best-selling records Off the Wall and Thriller, as well as the birth of MTV and how they broke through the “no black artists” mandate.
This exclusive CL TV video was shot in March at Jones’ 2009 South by Southwest keynote address. Video after the jump …
After repeatedly hearing this new disc hyped by The Mars Volta leader Omar Rodriguez-Lopez in recent interviews as their “acoustic record,” TMV fans might be a bit surprised when they finally get to hear Octahedron.
Acoustic guitars highlight only a couple of the tracks on the new album, primarily the single “Since We’ve Been Wrong,” the over-7-minute “With Twilight as My Guide,” and “Copernicus.” The rest of the songs feature as much of the bombastic guitar and keyboard-driven rock as their fans are used to.
A special five-on-the-floor shout-out goes to track 2, “Teflon,” where vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala wails, “Let the wheels burn/ Let the wheels burn/ Stack the tires to the neck/ With the body inside.”
What strikes me as particularly “acoustic” about Octahedron is the lack of dense, arpeggiated guitar overdubs that typically define the Volta’s sound. In fact, the only guitar “solo” is placed at the end of “Luciforms,” the last song on the record.
Hot off a packed showcase at South by Southwest, Austin, TX-based Ivison are set to perform at The Garage in St. Petersburg on Friday, May 15 at 9 p.m.
An emotional blend of Muse and Radiohead, Ivison will release their second CD, Relativity Maestro, at the show – their only Florida stop. The Garage is located at 662 Central Ave. St. Pete. The show is 18 and up and tickets are $5 (or $10 gets you in plus the new disc).
Support TBA.
Their press kit has this to say about the new release:
The record is full of musical contrast, with Jayme Ivison’s clear vocal reach set against cutting guitar tones and Bryan Austin’s bombastic Bonham-inspired drum style, which has led to his work on world-wide tours and most recently with some of the most noted players and producers in Austin, Texas and beyond.
Jayme ivison connects the dots of his diverse experience in various forms of art and design through his songwriting. “The relationship we share with music inspires everything we record, and everything we’re about. You gotta be a giver to be a receiver.”
This recording is an excerpt from a half-hour session the band recorded using drums, bass, guitar, saxophone, percussion and various analog sound effects (including assorted balloons and toys). No word yet on whether the entire session will be released, but it’s likely. No word yet if this means more performances from the group, but keep checking their site and this blog for updates.
On Sunday, April 19, Skipper’s Smokehouse will host the 4th annual Alchemy Fest – an all-ages, family-friendly, outdoor event that’s like Easter, Earth Day and 4:20 all rolled into one.
There will also be face painting, tarot card reading by Natty Moss Bond, henna tattoos by Aleka Phoenix, arts and crafts activities for the kids and “many more surprises.”
The event starts at 2 p.m. and goes until 6 p.m. Admission is $10. Children 10 and under get in free. Skipper’s Smokehouse is also a restaurant that serves some of the best Florida/Cajun staples around such as hush puppies, crawfish and gator tail bites.
What: Alchemy Fest 4 When: Sunday, April 19 Where:Skipper’s Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Rd. Tampa More: 2 – 6 p.m. | $10 | All Ages | 10 and under free
WIN TICKETS: Send MIXTAPE to 50618 for your chance to win a pair of tickets to Alchemy Fest 4. Congratulations to our winners!
On Thursday, March 19, legendary music/film producer and arranger Quincy Jones spoke for 2-and-a-half hours to a packed house at the Austin Convention Center about the state of the music industry, the future of the music business, his first encounters with Michael Jackson, brain science, nanotechnology and the success he has enjoyed around the globe by being a ”Ghetto Gump,” happening to be in the right place at the right time. He also shared some personal anecdotes from his years in the industry.
Jones recounted how he discovered Oprah Winfrey, having cast her in The Color Purple, a film adapted from Alice Walker’s novel and directed by Steven Spielberg. Walker was apparently hesitant to have such a young (not to mention Jewish) director at the helm, who until then was best known for the sci-fi/action blockbusters Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but Quincy was able to convince her that this was the man for the job. Executives even doubted that they could get Spielberg to commit to Color Purple “before Schindler’s List was made.” Spielberg himself asked Jones, “Don’t you want a black director to make this film?” Jones’ reply: “Did you have to go to Mars to film E.T.?”
During one especially tender moment, during a screening of Ray Charles performing “My Buddy (Quincy)” at Montreaux, the producer teared up and turned away from the crowd.
On the future of the music business, Jones was at a loss. He cited Napster, iPods and other technology for the decline in sales and said there would never be another multi-million-selling record, stating “I got mine,” and that it’s now up to future generations to figure their way out of the box. Yet, he sympathized with up-and-coming artists that find themselves surrounded by ”an entire generation that does not know people ever paid for music.” At one point, he even said he was “open to any ideas” for solutions to new revenue streams and suggested music could monetize itself through advertising similar to television.
Jones has put forth a new idea, however. This year, he started a petition and at last count has aquired over 240,000 signatures in an effort to lobby President Obama to create a cabinet-level position entitled Secretary of Culture (or Minister of the Arts) - which most other countries already have – a postion that would be tasked with music education and artists’ rights.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS from Jones’ address in five parts after the jump.
It took me a minute to readjust to driving on once-familiar roads and to which drawer the silverware was in, but I’m home. It’s my first day back at work, and I’ve re-told the stories countless times and am looking forward to doing it again next year. Plus, who knows, there’s always CMJ in October.
If you haven’t been following along, I suggest you read these posts in reverse order (1 – 9) and I’ll also be spending this week editing a ton of video from the bands and from Quincy Jones’ emotional keynote address. One especially tender moment I did not capture was a video tribute to Jones’ good friend Ray Charles that forced the legendary producer to turn away from the podium in tears.
If there’s anything I learned from covering the entire week of South by, it’s a sentiment that was expressed by Mr. Jones (”Q” to his friends) and that is, “You’ve gotta go to know.”
I used to scoff at industry panels and workshops, but I’ve learned (and forgive me if I’m a little late to this party) that if you open yourself and participate, it’s not the panel that presents any new idea, it’s that you can have new ideas by participating in focused and elevated dialogue. Innovation is not handed to you at an industry conference, but it is born there.
The 2009 Interactive Keynote with Virginia Heffernan and James Powderly.
And to the detractors at the NY Times that implied that marketing competed for attention with the music, I say, “that’s the point.” The parties would not exist without them. The bands themselves will soon be indebted to individual sponsors and be forced to sell ads around their liner notes.
And, finally, a shout out to all my new friends that I made in Austin: Travis McGuire (T. McG), Dave Schacherl, Monica Armmendariz, Sheppa, Iggy, Starsailor, Hannah (Montana), Logan Youree and Michael Bartnett at the Austin Chronicle, Amy Wanke at SXSW and to my old friends Chris Ledwith and Brian Austin (of Ivison). Thanks for everything guys. See you next time!
Around 3 p.m. yesterday, I caught Rec Center and King of Spain at the New Granada showcase at Ginger Man Pub. I grabbed a bite with Flee, Laura, John McNicholas as well as Scott Harrell and Mike Delach from the REAX crew. So awesome that the conference was bookended by Tampa-centric showcases. Maybe we can add a Mohawk Bomb showcase to the roster next year?
Unfortunately, I had to jet before Hankshaw took the stage in order to catch Flatstock by 6 p.m. Flatstock is a quarterly exhibit that features artists, concert posters and prints for sale. I got to meet Jared from Mexican Chocolate. I’m a big fan of this guy’s work for the Mars Volta and I picked up a couple more prints for my collection.
Now here’s where my heart starts beating. I left an hour early to ensure I got a good spot for PJ Harvey and John Parrish’s set at Stubbs. I got there in plenty of time - the Indigo Girls and Third Eye Blind fans had no interest whatsoever, so I was able to wriggle my way down front. The only downside – enduring an entire set by Razorlight. Wow.
PJ Harvey on stage at Stubb’s. Photo courtesy of Carol Copfer.
In a rare US appearance, Polly Jean Harvey took the stage looking like a straight-jacketed geisha, and delivered a set of mostly new material - at turns crying, laughing and screaming - one minute delivering lines like “there’s no more laughter in the garden,” with a tiny, childlike voice and the next, snarling “stick it up your fucking ass,” with an empowered roar. The crowd responded with riotous screams and applause, and she humbly, quietly thanked them each time. When she announced that the next song would be their last, the audience loudly protested, and she tried to explain that everyone was being kept to strict time slots. To the chants of “come back soon,” she had no reply.
Afterward, I ran into John Barker and Jennie from MerchGirl. They were headed down an alleyway to catch the DJ duo L.A. Riots. They asked if I’d like to tag along, but I was still a bit shellshocked from the whole PJ Harvey thing and needed to walk it off in the night air for a bit.
Last night around 9 p.m. Ivan and I hailed a cab into downtown and ended up riding in with the tour manager and guitar tech for 90’s rockers Smile Empty Soul (”I do it for the drugs”). When our driver dropped us off in front of Lambert’s to catch a set by UK artists Little Thief, I realized I’d left my badge back at the house. It’s been a very long week.
When I finally got back into town, we hoofed it over to La Zona Rosa where we narrowly missed Camera Obscura (still pissed about that), but got to see a couple acoustic songs by Scottish phenoms The Proclaimers.
Dinosaur Jr. with Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) at Cedar Street Courtyard.
I wanted Ivan to check out Red Eye Fly (Tampa residents, try to imagine a smaller, more evil version of Skipper’s Smokehouse) and try a pint of my new favorite beer, Magic Hat #9. As we got in line, we heard the final strains and “Good night Austin!” of Metallica’s closing number over at Stubbs. It seems the DJ Shadow billing was a ruse and they played that secret set after all. Waiting for a drink at the bar, we met Little Stevie of Springsteen and Sopranos fame, who was hosting the show. One of his bands, The Cocktail Sippers was plying their all-girl garage craft on stage, and as they would stop to catch their breath between songs, he would look toward the stage and shout, “Go! What are you waiting for?” Apparently the years of Springsteen tutelage has rubbed off on him.
On Wednesday, March 18, 2009, The Dicks were inducted into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame. David Yow presented the award and then joined them onstage for “Wheelchair Epidemic.” Here’s the video:
“What a diff’rence a day makes” – María Méndez Grever
The music portion of SXSW has begun and Austin is infested with indie rockers, scenesters, hipsters and musicians from all over the world. The snarky t-shirts and iPhones of the interactive and film portion have been replaced with leather, tight pants and guitar cases. And they’re everywhere.
Try to imagine if every bar, club and art gallery in Tampa and St. Pete tented their parking lots and had full concert lineups on indoor and outdoor stages for 6 straight days. It’s a lot to take in. Not to mention, the stimulation of the local economy here – from stage and equipment rental to groceries and clothing – is staggering.
These Arms Are Snakes at Red Eye Fly. More photos after the jump.
There are many methods of navigating the music portion of “South by.” You can meticulously plot your path, you can wander from bar to bar (if you have a wristband or a badge) or you can do a combination of both. Modes of transport can include car (shout out to Monica Armendazzle), cab, bus, shuttle, bike (they ought to rent these), rickshaw, horse-and-buggy, and finally your own two feet.
Ivan is in town now, as well as some folks from Creative Loafing Atlanta, so we’ve been coordinating via text. This has worked to avoid overlap and to catch wind of “secret” parties such as last night’s Playboy Party held in a warehouse on E. 12th in which Jane’s Addiction played a surprise hour-long set. Word on the street is that Metallica will be doing a similar stunt tonight to promote their new Guitar Hero game. We’ll see.
Right now, according to the Tweet I just got from @SXSW, Seth Rogen and Anna Faris are in Room 16AB of the Austin Convention Center – I’m sure, hyping their new film, Observe and Report.
I am across town, sitting on an overstuffed couch after a long (first) night of drinking.
Yesterday morning’s walk into town was beautiful as it’s starting to warm up in Austin (around 60 degrees and sunny), and when I got to the center, I attended two rounds of SXSW Accelerator, sponsored by Microsoft Bizspark. The competition put four contestants in four categories (Web, Social Networking, Video and Music) through a 2 minute pitch and then a round of questioning from an industry panel and keynote Guy Kawasaki.
Sunday. Laid low today. Resting up for the long week ahead. Took another nice long walk this morning to HEB (Texas’ answer to bad grocery stores).
Definitely no iPhones at HEB. Actually, there was a Cricket and Boost Mobile kiosk in the entryway next to the Coke and holographic sticker machines.
Spent most of the day cutting together footage from day one.
Here it is:
UPDATE: Davey (one of the guys I’m staying with) just returned from DJ’ing what he described as a “Rat Pack-themed interactive after-party.” He said the party was totally lame, but that he played for an hour and got paid $300. Travis (his roommate) lamented on how last night, his band played a three-hour gig, two hours away, got paid $100 and had to split it four ways – less the gas money. Seems like half of us are always in the wrong business.
There’s something magical about waking up to strange birds singing unfamiliar songs. In the quiet of Austin’s East Side, this is how day two began.
And the morning of day two was difficult. My lower back was definitely still in pain and my right ear wasn’t fully functioning yet. (Later, a passing ambulance would prove it was back to normal). But, a hot shower, some good stretching and the fact that there was no coffee in the house was enough to get me motivated.
If for purely economical reasons, I decided to walk from the house to the convention center downtown - a distance described to me as “around ten blocks.” Very long blocks. It was still a brisk 40 degrees, and I could see my breath as I passed the businesses on Comal St. Several places in the predominantly Latin community offered party rental services (pinatas, moonwalks, table and chair rental) and were staging their colorful wares (yes, even the moonwalks) sometimes dangerously close to traffic on the dingy, gray curbside.
I arrived back at the ACC just in time to catch the first workshop of the day, ”Profit by Mobilizing your Online Community.” Definitely a disappointment. When I think “mobilize,” I think “inspire to action” or “cause to move in an excited and motivated manner.” The panel from Unwired Nation apparently understood the word “mobilize” to mean “sell them a mobile API with a voice and messaging plan.” I should’ve known. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s 40 degrees outside, drizzling non-stop and Austin has just become ground zero for every hipster with an iPhone.
It’s 10 a.m. and registration at the Austin Convention Center has just begun. Already the lines are starting to form down the surrounding hallways and escalators and the entire building is buzzing with people camped on the floor in clusters around the power outlets, charging their laptops and digging through their goodie bags.
The South by Southwest Conference kicks off today with the Interactive portion of the workshops. With sessions titled “User-Generated Content: A State of the Union,” and “Championing Social Media to the Man,” these first few days have drawn the new media elite, journalists, programmers, game developers and authors. In short, I am surrounded by every living geek in the world, all chomping at the bit to learn something new about content management, the new killer app (other than Twitter) and how to finally put the term “Web 2.0″ to rest.
I’m seated next to Jemima Kiss of the Guardian UK, as the UGC workshop begins. Before moderator Chris Tolles can even introduce the panel, someone interrupts him, saying, “Can you please let us know the hash tag you’d like us to use for Twittering this workshop?” Read the rest of this entry »
In Episode 30 of SMAsh Radio, Joran, Stephen and special guest Infinite Skillz discuss Black History Month, our new black president and Infinite’s love of white girls.
1. Dynasty – Truth
2. Laws & DJ Knucklez (feat. KG) – Top Spot
3. Peaches feat. Shunda K (Yo Majesty) – Buck You Like a Billionaire
4. BASE, Inc. – 49ers
5. Infinite Skillz – N.O.I.S.E
6. Nice Krispy – Never
I realized this morning that I only have three more nights in my own bed before I fly to Austin for the annual South by Southwest music conference.
I will be covering the event (the showcases, awards, conferences and parties) for CL and starting Friday night (if everything goes according to plan) you’ll be able to read my daily blog right here at Tampa Calling.
In true New Media Douchebag fashion, in addition to the blog, I’ll be Tweeting (@jorantampa, #sxsw) and shooting as much video as I can. So tweet up, bitches, cuz I’m going to be giving the play-by-play on everything from Quincy Jones‘ keynote speech to the PJ Harvey/John Parrish set at Stubb’s, not to mention David Yow’s set with The Dicks at the Austin Music Awards. You can be jealous now. Peep the whole schedule here.
I’ll also be attending daytime conferences with names like “Bloggers are Now in Control” and “Social Networks for the Anti-Social.” Riveting stuff, I know. What’s more, I also scored a badge for the Interactive portion of the conference where I’ll get to attend workshops with the CEOs of companies like Opera and FriendFeed.
But I’m sure all you care about is me getting wasted with the dude from The Proclaimers or seeing pictures of Juliette Lewis. All in good time, my friends.
But seriously, if there’s something you’d like me to catch – leave a comment. And keep checking the blog for the daily updates starting Friday.
Root/Cause: A Birthday Party for the Garden!
Saturday February 28th, 7:30 pm, 1013 MLK Street S.
Join the Bartlett Park Community Garden for a night of music, food and art under the stars. Twigs and Leaves Native Florida Plant Nursery hosts this landmark celebration.Sat, Feb 28th 7:30pm
Twigs & Leaves
1013 MLK Street South, St. Pete
MUSIC: Nessie (10:45-11:30) The Sheaks (9:45-10:30)
The Turncoat (8:45-9:30)
Pink Orange Red (7:45-8:30)
ART: (silent auction)
Chad Cardoza, Alana Tomasso, Hugh T. Williams, Hunter Oswald, Zen Glass and more
Creative Loafing’s annual arts, music, film, etc. event goes digital this year. It will be held on Saturday, March 28 at the Honey Pot in Ybor City and will feature interactive installations by Santiago Echeverry, Giancarlo Giusti and Deon Blackwell. Music (*subject to change) will be some heavies in electronic/IDM (*intelligent dance music): Eliot Lipp, Michna, Daedalus and more.
Ticket info coming soon – KEEP CHECKING BACK!
For a taste, check out this mix courtesy of Jack over at AES>>>
“something from earlier today, inspired by & including artists soon to be confirmed for the Sensory Overload 4.0 jam. stay tuned for more info on that.”
tracklisting:
Secret Frequency Crew – Deep Blue
Eliot Lipp – Rap Tight
Eliot Lipp – Street
Michna – Swiss Glide
Daedelus – Touchtone (Jimmy Edgar Remix)
Daedelus – Touchtone (Original)
Dert ft. Jose Gonzalez & The Game – Dreams / Crosses
Goodie Mob – Fly Away
Dam Funk – Indigo
Afta-1 – The Time In Between
In response to Leilani’s “Top 10 Stupid Band Names,” I’d like to point out that, yes, not only are some band names stupid, or bad - sometimes they’re downright stolen.
We’ve all sat around stoned, drunk (even sober) and thought up – or accidentally stumbled upon - the next greatest band name EVER. There’s got to be a list of those names somewhere, right? I seem to remember someone saying, “We’ve got to write that one down!”
There are plenty of band names inspired by literate source material or that just make sense (Steely Dan, named after a dildo in William S. Burroughs’ Naked Lunch or The L.A. Guns and Hollywood Roses combining to form Guns and Roses). But to lift the name of your group straight out of another artist’s catalog instead of establishing a new identity for your sound, your band, your business? It’s like starting up a fast food chain and calling it “Big Mac’s.”
As my wife pointed out, the only time a tribute should be paid to a band’s song is when you’re actually paying tribute to that band – as is the case with “Paradise City: The Guns N Roses Tribute” or ”Strutter: The Ultimate Tribute to Kiss.”
Here’s my list of offenders (in order of offense taken):
SMAsh Radio, your favorite local-music-Web-radio-show, turns 3 YEARS OLD! with Episode 29. Joran and Stephen talk about the scene, play some music and even take your phone calls! This month features tracks from Geri X, Roppongi’s Ace, Sons of Hippies, Palantine, Daylight District and Ryan Wendell Bauer. Stay Up, Tampa Bay!
Next month: Shunda K (Yo Majesty), Acho Brother, Will Quinlan and more.
We interrupt your normally scheduled programming for a brief message from Creative Loafing’s Promotions Department.
Don’t forget to visit CL’s Fun and Free Stuff page. This (and next) week, we’re giving away tickets to see Of Montreal, Les Savy Fav, Wanted DVDs and more!
You can also join our music text message group “The Mixtape” for concert updates and other exclusive chances to win tickets, CDs, downloads and more – all you have to do is send the word MIXTAPE to 50618.
You may now resume reading, commenting, blogging, flickring or twittering.
This past Saturday night, I played my last show (for hopefully a very long time) to a handful of family and friends at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg.
I’ve been in bands for well over ten years now - The Gita (1998 – 2003), Auditorium (2003 – 2008) - plying heartfelt acoustic ballads and experimental noise in my spare time. A lot of energy (physical, psychological, spiritual, etc.) goes into keeping a band together and Saturday night served as a clear reminder of why I’m putting this piece of my life down for a while.
For a decade I’ve performed at least twice a month (sometimes a few times a week); released 9 (or so) CDs; scheduled weekly rehearsals; produced and designed the band’s recordings, merchandise and promotions; scheduled tours of the Southeast (including a 2003 showcase at South by Southwest); worried about playing too much; worried about playing too little; dealt with club owners; dealt with other bands’ egos (which are always suprisingly bigger than your own) and searched high and low for the right manager or agent so that I would no longer have to deal with club owners or bands with egos larger than my own. Eventually, it takes a toll.
The new episode of SMAsh Radio (our local music podcast) is now live. Click here to listen. It features tracks from The Beauvilles, Automatic Loveletter, Rebekah Pulley, The Sheaks, Infinite Skillz, Tides of Man, a track from the vaults and more. It also showcases the sheer power of our new recording studio (pictured). Yeah, that’s right.
And don’t forget the BIG SHOW at the State Theatre tomorrow!
Five years ago, any music industry conference would feature hours of discussion about how to get your compact disc into the hands of DJs on FM radio, or tips on how to press and package a CD that wouldn’t get buried on the desk of an A&R executive at some major label. A lot has happened in five years. On Saturday, June 13 and 14, Hillsborough Community College and The Artist and Writers Group hosted the Second Annual Homemade Music Symposium in Ybor City, and in the combined 18-plus hours of discussion, commercial FM radio was not mentioned one time.
