Well, it’s hard to believe CMJ has come and gone.  Mike wrote an awesome recap about some of the artist showcases we saw, but I thought I’d give some other highlights about the conference.

I spent my days with Aliki at the tradeshow and, as always, I loved meeting our members face to face. If there’s one thing I can say, is that Sonicbids has some of the craziest, hilarious and most talented artists in the world!  We took some great photos, videos (more on that below), and even found some time at the end to pal around with our friends like Paul Bodlovich, the Executive Director of WAMi – that’s him and me underneath the box he put on my head!

Mike spent a lot of time at the Artist Lounge at the Bowery, meeting and talking with more members.  Over there, he was also giving away free D’Addario strings – a must have when you’re touring and rocking a bit too hard on that guitar.

At both places, we ran a giveaway promotion for a Marshall halfstack (MG100HFX head and MG412A cabinet), a year supply of D’Addario XL Strings (20 sets), a Planet Waves Instrument Cable Kit and the entire First Official Beatles Strap Collection by Planet Waves. Stay tuned, because we’re going to be announcing those winners shortly.

On Tuesday I also got to check out the panel that Panos moderated, “Specific Business Concepts Applied For The Modern Day Music Artist” at NYU’s Kimmel Center. It was a really interesting discussion that gave artists insight into how they can use some traditional business practices to further their career. We also tweeted along as the panel went, so to see some highlights via twitter, check out #cmjbiz.

Finally, if you want to check out more photos from the trade show or the showcases, head to our Flickr page. Also, as I mentioned above, when we were at the Tradeshow we asked members if they wanted to tell us who they were and any experiences or thoughts on Sonicbids that they wanted to share.  You can check out those and also videos live showcases and interviews at www.youtube.com/sonicbids!

Thanks for a great conference, CMJ! See you next year.

Later in the evening, I heard the opening notes of “And the Hazy Sea” upstairs at BLVD, and was in for a set of several songs by Cymbals Eat Guitars. I saw their show in Boston earlier this summer, and now believe Joseph D’Agostino has some of the best vocals in rock and roll these days. Like Malkmus he can be hushed and quiet one second, only to explode into a scream that never runs away from him, never cracks unless he wants it to. The quartet played several shows during CMJ’s duration; this was not going to be their best attended (maybe 25 people there?), but it did not seem not affect the members.

Wednesday @ Knitting Factory
Wednesday’s highlight from the Ernest Jenning showcase at the relocated Knitting Factory in Williamsburg was La Strada, hands down. They had just played a string of dates in Canada, and are prepping a new release after their self-titled 2008 EP. The new material uses their dynamic capabilities, song structures, and three-piece string section more effectively. The band appears generally more comfortable taking chances, and are carving out a sound that is separate from some of their more front-facing influences like Beruit and Arcade Fire. There’s a newfound sense of rhythm in the set, especially notable in the closer “Wash on By”, which left me looking forward to 2010.

Thursday @ Otto’s Shrunken Head
Just south of Stuyvesant Town is a Tiki Bar called Otto’s Shrunken Head, where you can get drinks such as the Shrunken Skirt with an umbrella and hula hoop straw. Midway through MiniBoone’s buoyant set in the tiny back room of the bar, I figured their anarchic, angular, and awkward (but the fun kind) performance would be great just about anywhere. From a backyard afternoon BBQ or late night basement show to a traditional stage of any size, I got the impression this five-piece Brooklyn band could engage any crowd with their Les Savy Fav antics and Dr. Dog harmonies, regardless of setting. Look for a proper debut EP titled Big Changes in the upcoming months, and hopefully a few more luaus around the city before then.

Saturday @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Walking into Music Hall of Williamsburg for the first time at 1pm with a splitting headache is not the best way to be introduced to a venue. Luckily the stage, room and sound of the place are impeccable, and Holiday Shores has been my Saturday morning music ever since Columbus’d the Whim was released earlier this summer. They haven’t received as much attention as the other bands they get compared to, but songs like “Phones Don’t Feud” and “Days Drag” are next-level to any band who has had the word “beach” included in their album’s review by Pitchfork. I hear Modest Mouse-y whammy bars on 70s afropop guitar lines, New Orleans funk that’s been dipped in a vat of reverb; ideas that can be botched so easily but Holiday Shores pull it off like they’ve been working on it for years and years.

Saturday @ Root Studio
Eventually, most anyone who’s here for work or vacation or both (hi) is going to lose their mind. This all begins around Thursday, when most strangers you meet are in the same boat: the best part is everyone is much more social and friendly. By Saturday, I was questioning going to the Vice party at Root Studio in Williamsburg altogether. This is what won me over: The Almighty Defenders. Dressed in some pretty slick robes, the Black Lips/King Kahn/BBQ superchoir delivered a midnight mass of high-energy faux-gospel to the ones who had lost their minds. I was converted, no thanks to scripture readings and hands thrown to the sky. Cole Alexander still gets a kick out of spitting a loogie into the sky and catching it in his mouth while playing. No sleep till Brooklyn. See you in 2010.

Here’s one artist’s experience using Sonicbids and thoughts on his musical successes. Adam Payne has been a member of Sonicbids since July 21, 2004 and has booked over 200 gigs using Sonicbids to date.

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To say that Sonicbids has been a huge help to my musical career would certainly be an understatement.  I will dust off Bette Midler’s well-known words and say that Sonicbids has been the wind beneath my wings!  For real.

I’ve booked over 200 gigs with this company, not to mention the countless gigs I obtained using Sonicbids connections.  Also, I’ve built lasting, beneficial relationships with fellow Sonicbids artists, booking agents, and others in the music industry.  The Sonicbids staff do an exceptional job of not only helping you with an issue or concern, but more importantly, they truly make you feel appreciated as a member.

Just like anything else, though, Sonicbids is what you make of it.  If you put in the time and effort to understand how to best navigate the site while ‘putting your best brand forward,’ you’ll see a return.  As an artist, I find comfort in knowing that the opportunites to which I submit have met or exceeded specific standards of quality, which saves me a whole lot of time, effort and energy messing with cold-calls and the like.  Plus, you get a sharp electronic press kit, which is extremely useful in so many ways!

I feel like I have learned a large portion of what I know about this music industry through being a Sonicbids member.  The information and tips for success made available to members are a great resource, and have helped me to avoid some serious pitfalls over the years.  Wow, this probably sounds like an informercial script!  Truth is, I don’t feel as if I am exaggerating at all.  Sonicbids is much more than a place for artists to get gigs; It can be your mentor, manager and booking agent all at the same time.  For independent cats like myself, it can be the momentum that keeps your musical going.

-Adam Payne

Adam Payne’s EPK: www.sonicbids.com/AdamPayne
Adam Payne – Official Website: www.AdamPayne.biz

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For more success stories on Sonicbids, visit www.sonicbids.com/success.

Thought it’d be cool to share that the Sonicbids SXSW Tweetup was a HUGE success and we had a ton of fun!  Thanks to all that came down to our office and spent their evening with us. An extra special thanks to Scott McNearney and Brent Grulke from SXSW for flying in to meet folks and give their insights.

I personally got to meet some awesome members like Adam Payne, Neara Russell, Lauren Flaherty… I even met another Tess from the group Miss Tess! Below are a couple photos for you to check out, but I’d recommend you check out our Facebook event at http://tinyurl.com/SonicbidsTweetup to see a whole bunch of them. (By the way, feel free to tag up those photos if you’re in them or you know who are!)

Finally, it wouldn’t have been a Tweetup without Twitter, so you can check out the hashtag that we used #sonicsxsw. You can click on that to see the tweets and photos that folks who attended posted during and after.

Thanks again for all who attended. We had a blast!

Tess

PS: Panos just posted a blog that you might find interesting also about the Tweetup, “7 Tips To Get You Noticed by SXSW” Check it out!

As you may know, we have an open door policy for our members to drop by anytime, but this night will be extra special, since we’re bringing in a couple of friends from South By Southwest: Brent Grulke (SXSW’s Creative Director who oversees their team that reviews and selects the bands) and Scott McNearney (SXSW’s Sponsorship Manager).

This Tweetup will be a very casual get together, where you’ll get the chance to not only socialize with your fellow local peers and the Sonicbids bunch over food and drinks, but to also meet the folks from SXSW in person and pick their brain on what they look for in their showcasing bands.

So come down and join us next Wednesday; we’d love to see you!

RSVP here: http://tinyurl.com/SonicbidsTweetup

Tess and The Sonicbids Team

PS: If you can’t make it, have a listen to this phone interview we did with Brad First from SXSW’s selection committee.

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UPDATE on 10/28/09:
The Tweetup is today! The hashtag to follow and tweet to is #sonicsxsw

Also, be sure to say “hi” to our Sonicbids Twitterers:

Me (Tess) for support: http://www.twitter.com/sonicbidstess
Lou (product): http://www.twitter.com/sonicbidslou
Benjy (fresh gigs & application deadlines): http://www.twitter.com/sonicbidsbenjy

Radio has had a profound impact on my life, both as a listener and as an employee of the industry, and I have very fond memories of what radio used to be. So it was quite disheartening to hear about John “Mr. Magic” Rivas’ untimely passing 2 weeks ago (due to technical difficulties, I had to hold off on posting this until now). For those who are unaware, Mr. Magic was one of the first to bring raw, independent hip hop to the commercial airwaves back in 1983 with his groundbreaking Rap Attack show on WBLS in New York City. With a young Marley Marl on the 1’s and 2’s, Magic exposed his audience to music that may not have been heard otherwise on a weekly basis, never kowtowing to the execs that would rather have him play the commercial hits of the time.

Mr. Magic inspired many. His name has been dropped in countless hip hop classics (Whodini even dedicated an entire song to him with “Magic’s Wand,” peep the video for a nice throwback treat), and is a bonafide pioneer of the hip hop radio game. Outside of radio, among many other accomplishments, Magic was instrumental in the formation and exposure of the Juice Crew, and also, unintentionally, launched the career of KRS-One by not playing his records (and subsequently spawned the Bridge Wars).

I can’t lie, I didn’t grow on up on Mr. Magic, he was a little before my time. I’ve listened to plenty of his shows, but only as archived mp3 files and streams. That being said, Mr. Magic might not have had as immediate an impact on me as he did on others. However, as an avid hip hop junkie, and former hip hop radio host, his influence is definitely felt and appreciated. And while urban radio has certainly changed since Magic’s reign (many would argue for the worse), I think it’s safe to say that we’d be even worse off today than we are if it weren’t for him.

Whether or not you think radio is dead, it’s unfortunate times like these that can make us all reflect back on the glory days of radio, and what it used to mean to us, if it still doesn’t mean the same thing to you now. RIP Mr. Magic, you were a true pioneer.

– Brad Holmes

Hello to all our dear Sonicbids friends!

Every year, October kicks-off our busy travel season during which we get the chance to hit up tons of great events and meet lots of good friends from all corners of the earth. We’re very happy to be officially kicking off our “events season” this year with an event as awesome as the CMJ Music & Film Marathon 2009 in New York City! See that picture to the left of yours truly? That’s from the Beauty Bar two CMJ’s ago. Getting pretty.

If you’re planning to attend CMJ 2009 as well, be sure to stop by the Sonicbids booth at the Tradeshow (we’re booth #7) and say “Hi”! I’ll be there along with Tess and Aliki and we’d love to chat with you in person. In addition to our sunny disposition and helpful tips and advice, we’ll also have some cool treats for people who visit, including a Marshall halfstack (MG100HFX head and MG412A cabinet), a year supply of D’Addario XL Strings (20 sets), a Planet Waves Instrument Cable Kit and the entire First Official Beatles Strap Collection by Planet Waves.

You should also check out the “Specific Business Concepts Applied For The Modern Day Music Artist” panel that our founder, Panos Panay, will be moderating on Tuesday, October 20^th at 12:30pm, in Room 905/907 at NYU’s Kimmel Center (located at 60 Washington Square S.). The panel will cover topics that will help the modern-day empowered musician like you manage the business aspects of your career.

If you’re also showcasing at CMJ, we’d love to catch your set; post your showcase info here (date/time/location)! We’ll see you at the CMJ Artist Lounge too, where we’ll be giving away even more gifts by D’Addario and our good friends at Jakprints.

Last but not least, don’t forget to follow Tess on Twitter (@SonicbidsTess), as she will be keeping you posted with the latest event news and fun stuff!

See you in New York!
Mike

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UPDATE FROM TESS:

Hello from NYC!  Thanks for all the responses and comments, everyone. We’ve been having a great time meeting you and checking out the showcases. We still have some t-shirts and Sonicbids undies to giveaway so come by to our booth (we’re #7).  We’ll post another full blog post when we get back, but I just wanted to make a quick update to say thanks!  — Tess