I feel like the striking majority of musicians these days are not embracing their creativity – not in the music itself (there are some phenomenal independent artists and bands breaking these days), but the marketing strategies used to promote their music. To be more specific, I’ve noticed quite a bit of resorting to the now-standard social media networks, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Using these tools presents a band that is completely transparent to its fan base and the media, but in doing so, you have to ask yourself:

1)     Is publicizing your every move what you really want to do?
2)     Is it going to help you stand out?

I am not saying that having a connection to the public through social media is not advisable, because it’s clearly a tried-and-true promotional strategy and measure of a musician’s popularity. However, I am calling for a renaissance of creative music marketing, utilizing new technology and innovation in conjunction with social media tools. One of the problems I see with using social media using the popular model is over-transparency without interactivity: you’re keeping your fans in the loop with your every move, while they aren’t given the opportunity to respond except for a MySpace comment that probably won’t actually be read by the artist, for instance. If fans get bored of your tweets, they start to fall off the map, like Kayne West’s respect after this year’s MTV VMAs. Finally, by restricting yourself to social media, you’re inherently restricting yourself to those who use those respective social networks. (How can you share your tweets with British youth if they don’t use Twitter at all, according to this article?)

Developing an innovative concept or strategy for marketing yourself is not only significant in allowing you to stand out amongst your musical peers, but also allows your fans to maintain their interest in the band with new, cool ideas. Here are a few great examples I’ve come across recently, and you may be able to take some ideas and make them your own. I’ve also got some ideas up my sleeve, which I’ll discuss further in the Lounge.

Technology and guerilla marketing at its finest: Nine Inch Nails’ Year Zero alternate reality game
Trent Reznor is one of my absolute heroes, and this idea supported that. For the band’s 2007 release, Year Zero, Reznor worked with 42 Entertainment, an innovative marketing firm, to create an alternate reality campaign to promote the album. The album had an overriding concept of a dystopian society 15 years into an alternate future, and 42’s campaign sought to create an entire environment in the real world, using web technology and viral marketing strategies. This included projects ranging from creating fake websites to hiding USB drives with new songs in the bathrooms of random NIN gigs across the globe. This example was an absolutely massive project, but think of the possibilities of creating some sort of alternate concept to follow your music and keep your fans constantly begging for more.

True interaction with fans: Remix contests, etc.
Nine Inch Nails has done quite a bit of this too, as well as artists like Radiohead, Mariah Carey, Depeche Mode and Boston locals Passion Pit. This is a great way to get fans to actively reinterpret your music – not only will this give them something fun & exciting to take on, but it can give you a good idea of what kinds of musical ideas your fans are looking for in your music.

Free content for your fans is always a good thing, too, as many bands have figured out. Sharing early demos of new songs, live performance videos, or your favorites list with your fans is a no-brainer these days; a step further than that makes you stand out. While the Gorillaz aren’t made up of real people, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, the masterminds behind the project, created a fully-interactive website portraying the “home” of the virtual band. Everything from the hidden crevasse in the garage to the Napoleon Dynamite poster in 2D’s bedroom is interactive, and you can spend hours on the site just exploring the house. It clearly took a lot of creative work and man-hours, but it’s incredibly cool.

Some good, clean (or not) notoriety
In this industry, new bands and artists seem to be coming and going fast. One of the reasons that pop artists like Lady Gaga can survive today’s harsh major-label climate is her wardrobe. Fans and haters alike can agree that Gaga’s wide variety of clothing (if that’s what you want to call it) has given a fresh new approach to visual style in music.

The point I’m getting at is this: her outlandish attire is what allows her to stand out. This isn’t the first time a band has gone from mild success to celebrity due to some notoriety or mystery surrounding him; look at artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Manson, or even Lindsay Lohan. Led Zeppelin fans are constantly intrigued by stories of satanic messages in band’s recordings.

There’s dozens more examples I could mention here. You totally don’t need to become a recurring subject of the tabloids, but creating a sense of mystery surrounding your band may be a good way to spark the interest of new fans looking for a new band to follow.

This marks the end of my rant-of-sorts; I’ll continue this discussion shortly on the Sonicbids Lounge and post some tips, ideas and other thoughts about creative ways to market a band there.

Brandon

On 15^th – 18^th October I was fortunate enough to head over to One Movement Festival Perth. One Movement was impressive and something that the west coast of Australia had never seen before: a four day conference, music festival and fringe festival. Over four days, I got to meet with some industry greats and saw some amazing festival performances and showcases.

The One Movement Conference, featured One Movement MUSEXPO Asia Pacific and One Movement – The Independent Times, presents panels, forums, interviews and “breakout” networking opportunities for the industry leaders of today and the future. One Movement Showcase Music Festival showcased more than 80 export ready acts on one festival site over two days in front of approx 10,000 music fans.

Sonicbids was a major sponsor of One Movement and was the official submissions partner. Sonicbids also hosted an industry showcase featuring three great Australian acts:

[Me] http://www.sonicbids.com/meband
The Chemist http://www.sonicbids.com/TheChemist2
The Paper Scissors http://www.sonicbids.com/ThePaperScissors

The showcase was a highlight for me. We had a moderate size crowd but it was full of high level industry, including the great Seymour Stein who discovered the Ramones and Madonna, and proved to be very successful.

Me has been asked to play a festival and have some respectable managers on the radar while The Chemist report that the Sonicbids showcase brought them immediate and positive responses from booking agents, publishers and media both radio and print. See some live footage below.

As with any big event,sometimes you have to be forgiving to the organisers with first year teething problems. There was honestly none of that here. One Movement set a standard which will certainly continue to attract the best bands and industry professionals from around the globe… and Perth is an amazing host.

Head to http://www.onemovementmusic.com for more information.

Scott Mesiti
Sonicbids Australia

Here are some links to live footage of each performance:

The Paper Scissors Live in Wolf Lane

The Chemist Live in Wolf Lane

[Me] Live in Wolf Lane

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