Having an objective and effective band biography can be a challenge for many bands. Often, the bands write these bios themselves (they are usually better at playing their instruments than at using basic grammar), and so the bios tend to be full of overly flowery explanations of the band’s origin, their mission, their sound, their myriad influences. Sometimes, these monoliths are multiple pages long and include detailed background information about each band member.

Your bio doesn’t need to be so detailed. Save that for books about your legacy and magazine feature articles. Keep it short and punchy. Like a brand statement or company overview. While I’m not claiming to have the answer to the perfect and entrancing band bio formula, I can impart some tidbits of advice that will make your bio much more powerful and relevant.

Why do you need a bio?
Well, they are good to have if you are trying to get the press to talk about your band or if you are sending out EPKs/press kits to book gigs. A well-written, complete and short bio will get you some attention.

In my opinion, a good band bio must contain the following elements:

• A strong, yet succinct statement about the band’s sound
• Some mention or similarity to other popular bands in your genre or bands that your fans like in addition to you (recommended if you like…, for fans of…, etc.)
• A quick introduction of the band members and what they contribute to the band.
• 2-3 mentions of significant events that will give your band more credibility in the industry. Have you won any awards? Have you been part of a festival/event for a charity? Have you been featured in a indie film or a TV commercial?
• References: Mentions of verifiable touring history, sales figures or sales volume are a plus if you are trying to get gigs. Quotes from previous press reviews or fan reviews will help with press.

6 Writing Tips
1) Don’t over hype your band. They know the bio’s from you, so don’t pretend like someone else wrote it. Stick to the facts and let them form their own opinion based on your music.

2) Don’t over describe your sound or each of the players. Be impartial and write for quick impact.

3) Stick to details about this band. Unless your member’s old band is Metallica, The White Stripes or Rage Against the Machine, no one gives a crap.

4) Spell check and read out loud. You don’t have to be a literary genius or an ad whiz. It just has to sound coherent. *I neglect this one myself often.

5) Keep it fresh and update the bio every few months to include your new accomplishments or any changes in sound/members.

6) Keep it brief, 400-500 words max.

Now, get to work. It may take you 2-3 revisions to get it right. If you feel like you are stuck, walk away from it and come back later. Always re-read the morning after before making the final decisions.

Web 2.0 Band Bio: Rockumentaries and Video Blogs
Many bands are savvy enough and create mini-Rockumentaries or video blogs that cover the band’s sound and personality. Bands can center these around special events, rehearsals or everyday life. A mini-reality TV shows about your band. I recommend doing this. You can say more in a 5 minute video that in any bio. Spend the time and learn how to record and edit videos, sync up audio and use social media to promote it. Here’s a sample of one I did for Soulfound.

Hope this helps someone out there.

Enjoy. Share.
Ivan

Ivan Pena writes “Bombardier Manifesto” for Creative Loafing — blog posts about the music industry, being in a band and marketing. Ivan also runs Mohawk Bomb Records. He is also the bass player for Rise of Saturn and former frontman/bassist for Soulfound.

Good news for every independent musician in the World. MTV (owners of the Rock Band franchise) just announced its own new distribution platform through the immensely popular musician-simulation game Rock Band.

The Rock Band Network is a revolutionary system that will allow bands, studios and record labels to create and sell playable game content from their master recordings using the same professional tools used by Rock Band developers. Rock Band Network, currently in closed beta, should launch to the public in August (with in-game sales later in the year).

MTV has infused Rock Band Network with professional utilities to enable a community of music makers to get their work to the masses and profit by it. Paul DeGooyer, a senior VP with MTV games, tells Billboard that “We’re talking about a set of serious professional tools to allow people on the front line of writing and recording songs to completely control their destiny with respect to interactive products and then giving them direct access to the download store.”

Rolling Stone reports: “The Rock Band Network will launch in August and include instructions for how exactly songwriters can turn their tunes into game songs. Songs must first undergo play-testing at Creators.RockBand.com, a Website available to those who become premium members of Microsoft’s XNA Creators Club Online at a cost of $49.99 for four months or $99.99 for a year. When a track gets the go ahead, it will be sold at the Rock Band Network Store exclusively for Xbox 360 for a period of 30 days starting in the fall. A selection of approved tracks will later be sold for PlayStation 3 and Wii. Harmonix and MTV promise artists whose tunes make the cut will be compensated: rockers will be able to price individual tracks according to multiple pricing tiers, and they’ll get paid royalties accordingly.”

“Our goal with Rock Band has always been to go beyond making music games and create a true music platform,” said Alex Rigopulos, CEO and co-founder of Harmonix.

Attention Unsigned Bands: July 5 is Deadline for Mohawk Bomb Records‘ No Lip Vol. 3 Compilation. Please submit your best song through Sonicbids. Time Left to Submit: 4d , 3h, 25m

Based in Clearwater, Mohawk Bomb Records is a new kind of records music label, focused on sharing all music with the World using online marketing, social media networks and mobile technologies. To see the entire Mohawk Bomb Records’ discography…

RT on Twitter: @mohawkbomb Deadline 2 Submit 4 No Lip 3 Comp Jul 5. Time Left: 4d , 3h, 25m http://tinyurl.com/maj92g #tampamusic #727music

Mohawk Bomb Records announced today the release of the debut EP from Ascending to Avalon, whose Soundgarden-meets-Minus-the-Bear throwback riff rock and psychedelic sensibility make them a prime choice to fans of Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes, Foo Fighters and Open Hand.

“Wake the Sleeping Sun” is a 7-song eclectic blend of styles that shows the band’s talent and diversity. Ascending to Avalon was started in March 2008, when Ryen Gerson (vocals, guitar) started jamming with Lance Miller (drums) and Eric Bourne (guitar) on some material that sat around in the depths of his mind. The trio quickly formed a bond which led them to record over 20 original songs and put forth a rough demo recorded in Ryen’s basement. In October 2008, producer Ivan Pena started working with the band and the result was “Wake the Sleeping Sun”, an eclectic display of the band’s range of influences, full of radio rock appeal.

Listen below the jump:

One of the ways people find out about new music is by listening to what their favorite trusted music critics have to say. Whether it’s a local newspaper or Rolling Stone, getting reviewed is very important to bands, especially the songwriters. Reviews provide professional validation and encouragement when they are positive, and derail genius if they are negative or overly critical.

But even knowing the perils, thousands of bands stills send in their CDs to music critics everywhere, hoping that that one person will explain their music in such an accurate and flattering way that fame would be the only logical result from these words being printed. Here’s some advice that may help put things in a more realistic perspective, and why the review doesn’t really matter.

One Person’s Opinion
Keep in mind that no matter what, a review is only one person’s opinion of your music. One out of the 6 billion or so on this planet. Having reviewed lots of music over the last eight years, I can tell you three things for certain: 1) Opinions change with mood, 2) Opinions change with food and 3) Opinions change with time. Don’t live your life based on someone else’s opinion.

Got a good review? So what?
Did your EP get a great review from Interpunk, Creative Loafing or Pitchfork? Sweet. Did your sales increase afterward? Are your shows getting more crowded? If not, then who cares about that one review? Hype and buzz can burnout an act very quickly, so don’t bank on a career happening just because of a few good reviews. Keep promoting, keep playing and keep winning over more fans. For example, Kings of Leon has been getting favorable press in the U.S. since 2002 without much traction in U.S. until this last album.

Got a bad review? So what?
Did your singer’s voice get panned? Did your style get mis-categorized? Did you get compared to an artist you hate? Who cares? Seriously, if someone hates your music, don’t let it get to you. Sure, it sucks to hear, but as we covered above, it’s only one person’s opinion out of 6 billion in the world. Still, sometimes they offer nuggets of bitter truth and can offer constructive criticism, so consider the source and then take in what you think is helpful. Case in point: Nickelback. Nickelback gets panned in every hipster Website, blog and magazine. Do you think that matters? They are one of the top grossing music acts of the last 10 years. So if your new masterpiece gets ripped on, don’t stress about it.

Read. Share good ones. Move on.
It’s up to you which reviews you promote, so only promote the good ones. That’s what every decent PR person would do in the corporate world. My advice is to read them, take whatever you want from them and move on.

Band comparisons
If you get compared to another band, use the comparison to grow your fanbase. Even though the critic may be way off in their comparison, it doesn’t really change the fact that you reminded them of the band and chances are someone else will also be reminded of the band. Embrace it and use it.

Fans: The Only Review That Matters
Your fans give the only reviews that matter. Ask them what they think and take their input to heart. Ultimately, they are the ones who have greatest impact on your career.

Hope this helps someone out there.

Enjoy. Share.
Ivan

Ivan writes “Bombardier Manifesto” for Creative Loafing, blog posts about the music industry, being in a band and marketing. Ivan also runs Mohawk Bomb Records.

It’s free. It’s for & about musicians and the business of making of music. It’s all happening next weekend. Here’s the full schedule for Homemade Music Symposium.

This second annual FREE symposium for Tampa Bay musicians & the music-loving general public offers seminars and workshops on the business of music-making to explore how to nurture and develop careers in the modern commercial environment. Wade through to see what floats your boat. And please, come check it out. Event info @ www.artistsandwritersgroup.com

Homemade Music Symposium: Preview Event June 10 FREE (details below)

Homemade Music Symposium Weekend: June 13 & 14 FREE starting at noon until 7pm (details below)

Mohawk Bomb Showcase @ Crowbar starting at 8pm, $5 or Included with VIP Wristband featuring Mohawk Bomb Recording Artists Rise of Saturn and Ascending to Avalon

Mohawk Bomb Records Showcase June 13 at Crowbar during Homemade Music Symposium

Mohawk Bomb Records Showcase is happening at Crowbar: 1812 N 17th St, Ybor City, Tampa FL (directions)

The MBR showcase is part of the Homemade Music Symposium, a free music conference for bands and music professionals to share, discuss and improve the music scene in Florida. The event is happening all-day at Hillsborough Community College, Ybor City Campus on June 13-14, 2009. To view the full conference agenda, click here.

Bands/Times
9:00-9:30 – Hat Trick Heroes (Acoustic set)
9:40-10:20 – The Orchid Thief (Winner of Sonicbids Contest)
10:45-11:30 – Ascending to Avalon
11:45-12:45 – Rise of Saturn (featuring members of WeakSauce and Soulfound)

Cover is $5 or free if you purchase an All Access VIP wristband during the day at the Symposium for $10, which gives you access to 4 music venues. Sponsored by Mohawk Bomb Records and Honeycut Drums.

Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams has told Rock Sound that naming the songs on the band’s upcoming third album might be an easy process:

”We only have a few song titles confirmed at the moment,” she admitted recently. ”I was looking through my journal the other day and wondering if we are going to keep a lot of the working titles we have been using while writing. I know a lot of people have grown used to novel length song titles that are pages long but that has never really been our thing, I think we might keep the song names as they are at the moment and not change a thing!”

Following that comment Williams stated that ‘Ignorance’, ‘The Only Exception’, ‘Brick By Boring Brick’, ‘Misguided Ghosts’ and ‘Feeling Sorry’ are the only confirmed track titles thus far.

Paramore have been playing new song ‘Ignorance’ live recently (video below).

Currently on the road opening for No Doubt, Paramore is one of the better/lasting acts to come out of the Warped Tour in the last 5 years. This third as-yet-untitled release may solidify their status or doom them to overhyped limbo. The Tennessee-based band pop-punk band found breakthrough success on their 2007 album “Riot!”.

Writing the songs on the new album was a therapeutic and terrifying experience – not just for Williams, who grappled with self-doubt throughout the process, but the band itself. The wounds were still raw from Paramore’s near-split in early 2008, and now they were faced with the prospect of reopening the sutures to make the kind of songs they knew they had to deliver.

Homemade Music Symposium - This a mini-SXSW in Ybor City. That’s what we are going for. We say we have the talent. Now, let’s see the support.

The second annual symposium is offered free of charge to all Tampa Bay area musicians and the general public. The numerous seminars and workshops are focused on the business of music making and will provide area musicians assistance on how to nurture and develop careers in the modern commercial environment. Woven through the two-day schedule are a number of special live performances and showcases.

What: Homemade Music Symposium

When: June 13-14, 2009

Where: HCC-Performing Arts Building-Ybor City Campus, located at the corner of Palm Avenue and 14th Street.

Cost: Conference is free to the public. We will soon have information on a multi-venue wristband for the Night Showcases.

Audience: Panels geared towards musicians and music business issues, Night Showcases for all! (18+).

Showcase Info: Mohawk Bomb Records is hosting a showcase on June 13 at Crowbar (1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City, FL 33605) featuring Mohawk Bomb Records bands and choice local talent.

Bands: Win a chance to play. Click here for details.

More info: www.mohawkbomb.com or www.artistsandwritersgroup.com

MayDay Festival was conceived a few years ago by Ted Morgan and Ben Wavel in Houston, TX, with the hopes of creating an exposure outlet for their favorite local bands.  On May 23, they will bring the rock to Orlando. Through the festival, they have helped many bands get bigger followings and gotten the local community to take more notice of their local crop of bands.

This year’s festival features many of Orlando’s top Rock talent like Stereoside, Hydrosonic (who some of which I went to High School with), Senate, Black in the Mind and Crisis in Hollywood among others.

Even if you don’t like any of the bands playing, if you are a musician, critic, fan or promoter, you should help spread the word about this. Why? Because we don’t have a talent incubator like this in Tampa Bay that has such support from local radio. Sure 97X does more than anyone else with Local Motion and having local bands open for touring bands, but this is different. This celebrates local talent and brings the fans to see what their town has to offer. This is the only way music scenes are bred and local talent is discovered.

Learn more at http://www.myspace.com/maydayorlando

To buy tickets, go to http://www.maydayorlando.com