I Ate Your Microphone

Everyone’s heard of Amazon. It’s as synonymous with the Internet as Ebay and Google, and is one of the most visited websites in the world. So, it seemed a sensible place to look for books that cover the music industry and, in particular, the music business. Much to my joy, they even have an appropriate section – woo hoo, I’m in business. Short of giving you a complete run down of the top ten, I’ll give you a brief annotated version of what features at the present moment. The second bestseller is a book called All You Need To Know About The Music Business. Unfortunately, the 464 page mammoth book consists of how to pick managers and the such, so not ideal. Number 4 is where the Indie money lies. A book entitled Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook claims to bestow virtually everything you could possibly need to know in order to market your own music. At number 6 is a book on how to start your own record label. This 304 page book is the expanded version but does offer some genuinely useful insight for those looking this far ahead. Finally, at number 8 is perhaps the most viable option in the list. The Indie music,/tag> handbook really is packed full of invaluable information including niche areas to promote your service. It won’t be the be all and end all of your success, especially as that kind of information becomes outdated relatively quickly, but it is a good starting point. Another book of note is the frighteningly titled “Losing My Virginity” by Richard Branson. You can view the list at the Amazon site.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 31st, 2006 at 11:42 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

REM have, over time, proven to be one of the most popular rock bands on the music scene. However, many modern fans have yet to realize the real impact that the band had on the music scene during their early years. Before they became a globally popular rock band and succumbed to the pressures of signing a record deal they released all of there music on the independent IRS label. The compilation is titled “And I Feel Fine” and will not only be available in single and double disc format but will also feature a bonus DVD disc with footage of live tours and clips of live appearances. The band has put the footage and clips together themselves, so it is set to be a real treat for the millions of REM fans, new and old. REM relentlessly toured and played live gigs during their independent days, determined to hit the spotlight but it wasn’t until the release of “The One I Love” that the band broke onto the scene. They subsequently released several more records on IRS, including “What’s The Frequency Kenneth”, before signing with Warner Brothers Music. The album isn’t due for release until September 12th, when the band will also be inducted into Georgia’s Music Hall of Fame in Atlanta. These early albums greatly influenced a lot of punk and rock bands and are a superb sign of what can be done by independent musicians. Whether you like REM or not, they are an excellent addition to the independent music collector’s collection.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 29th, 2006 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Independent Labels, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Eric Bachmann is perhaps best known as being the brain and the creativity behind the Crooked Fingers. Having well and truly served his apprenticeship being the front man of Crooked Fingers and Archers of Loaf, Bachmann has decided it is time to take a stand releasing a solo album. Has he done it for fame, fortune, and individual glory? Well, quite possibly, but then having spent the last few summers living in his tour bus, who can really blame him? To The Races is Bachmann’s first solo album and is due in stores on August 22nd. While the style of Indie rock band Crooked Fingers is clearly evident in many of the tracks, Bachmann also argues that the music offer enough variety when compared to his previous bands to help him make it as a solo artist. To The Races is predominantly a guitar and vocal album with only the interjection of a violinist and singer on two tracks to help flesh out the tracks a little. As such, Bachmann’s incredible singer songwriter talent is evident in bucket loads. It should certainly provide him with ample recognition as being a solo artist in his own rights. Bachmann wrote the album when he returned from the European Crooked Fingers tour. Not wanting to lose money renting an apartment he would barely use, he continued to live in the tour bus. As a consequence of missing out on some of the finer things in life, To The Races was created in a matter of months. The album itself was recorded with a couple of microphones, pre-amps and a Mac computer. The result, though, is truly astonishing and definitely one to wait for.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 29th, 2006 at 10:56 am and is filed under Indie Music Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.