The theme of this post is related to the one I wrote last week about some of my friends who post music on their myspace – but don’t play shows, have bands, or release records. At least not yet. I called them closet autuers, which I realize now is a pretty horrible name.
The point of writing about this is to spark a conversation about the different ways musicians can do the DIY thing and make it work, both financially and artistically. It is painful to watch a band work their ass off, produce good music, and then just slide into debt. It is also painful to watch all those bands that have so much talent fall into the trap of writing in a style because they feel they have to hit a home run with every album because their financial machine now employs all their friends as sound people, press people, or tour managers. That's a lot of responsibility for a band in the fickle music making business.
One of the most effective DIY concepts I’ve see, which a few of my friends employ these days, is “going solo”. This basic approach to music harkens (is harken really a word? mys spellcheck says no, I say yes) back to the singer-songwriter movement of the 70’s that spawned acts like Kris Kristofferson and Townes Van Zandt, some people are just cutting the band loose and focusing on writing great songs and covering lots of ground on tours. We'll call them indie rock troubadours, and I’m loosely defining the DIY indie rock troubadour as someone who has no home, or travels more often than they are home, often doing the gig solo and the traveling solo as well.
One of the reasons I think this method would be super effective financially is because you’re not having to compensate for a ton of band members who would normally be cutting out of work to come on the road with you. You can rent a small car or use your own and not spend a fortune on gas or van rental. You can play a variety of venues, some of which might not be an option for a full band : you can squeeze into a coffee shop, a living room, or even play out on the street. The recipe is simple and time tested : just get a guitar (or ukelele) and go.
A second criteria would be that the kids that fall into this category as DIY folk are not on a label and book their own shows. For example, I know that Dave Dondero did stuff like this for years – but now he has support from his record label, in terms of getting his records out there, and from a talented booking agency (Ground Control – who are the same folks who do Bright Eyes and Sonic Youth, among others…). I think it is really important to know HOW to book your own shows even if you’re lucky enough to not have to do it very often. And starting in this vein, as a solo guy/girl, affords you the opportunity to play a lot of strange places.
For example, last April Dondero played in an alley in Fresno. I’m proud to say I booked that show.
But this isn’t about Dave. I actually wanted to share some tour dates and some MP3s from two of my favorite songwriters – Paleo and Peter and the Wolf, who currently exemplify this ideal for me.
I met Paleo here in Fresno (or on the internet, depending how you look at it) and his real name is David Andrew Strackany. He was working on a songwriting project where he went on a national tour and wrote a song a day for 365 days. Which is a feat that he not only accomplished, but that he religiously documented on his website. This effort resulted in a ton of press and Paleo's creation of the longest album EVER. The record, called simply the "Song Diary", features 17 hours of music available as MP3s that are burned onto a DVD. Crazy.
Since completing that ambitious project, Paleo has begun touring a little less and doing a good job of booking his tours in a more paced manner. He actually has a pretty novel way of doing it : he spends several weeks on the road and then parks his car at an airport and catches a cheap flight home to rest up for a week, then flies back out and continues traveling. This gives him some downtime, and allows him to take a break from the road even if he is on the other side of the country.
PALEO SPRING TOUR DATES :
Mar 4 2008 Baltimore, Maryland - The Frisby House
Mar 11 2008 Brooklyn, New York - Glasslands
Mar 20 2008 New York, New York - Knitting Factory (Old Office)
Apr 3 2008 Brooklyn, New York - Galapagos
Apr 16 2008 New York, New York - Piano’s (Upstairs)
May 10 2008 Seattle, Washington - Dearborn on Woodland
May 15 2008 Fort Collins, Colorado - Bean Cycle
May 18 2008 Williston, North Dakota - TBD
May 20 2008 Madison, Wisconsin - The Project Lodge
DOWNLOAD : Paleo - Heatseeking Heart (written in Fresno,CA)
DOWNLOAD : Paleo - Thinking Outside of the Box Office (written in LA, CA)
Peter and the Wolf is a singer-songwriter named Red Hunter. I am not sure that that is his real name. I met him for the first time in Fresno and I thought he was a horrible douche -- I had arranged a show for him here because he had a day off between SF and LA. Somewhere along the line I had ran across some of his songs, probably Aquarium Drunkard, because almost all the good music I hear these days is coming from that site. Anyways, the guy's songs are absolutely gorgeous, but when he showed up for the gig he came off really arrogant, conceited and lame. Until he played...
Red has a great voice, a great talent for arrangement and he can hold a crowd's attention with very little bravado. He just has a very natural and comfortable vibe that immediately engaged me and totally turned around all the preconceived notions I had about his character.
Peter and the Wolf also has an interesting method putting together a tour. Rather than, uhm, for lack of a better word, "plan" a tour, it seems to me that he hits the road and asks questions later. As you can see, he has a number of TBAs on the books, but I don't think that is a bad thing when it comes to this type of gig. The TBAs could end up being concert halls or bedrooms. Who knows. But since the overhead, assuming your tastes don't run to expensive, is minimal, chances are you'll still come out on top if you run into a few generous and excited listeners.
Feb 26 2008 Cincinnati, Ohio - TBA
Feb 27 2008 St. Louis, Missouri - TBA
Feb 28 2008 Columbia, Missouri - True/False fest
Mar 1 2008 Columbia, Missouri - True/False fest
Mar 2 2008 Columbia, Missouri - True/False fest
Mar 3 2008 Lawrence, Kansas - Rock House
Mar 4 2008 Springdale, Arkansas - Pontiac
Mar 5 2008 Dallas, Texas - DFW
Mar 12 2008 Austin, Texas - NPR/Soundcheck Live from Austin
Mar 12 2008 Austin, Texas - SXSW Showcase at Central Presbyterian
Mar 23 2008 Nashville, Tennessee - The 5 Spot
Mar 30 2008 London, London and South East - Black Cab session, UK
Mar 31 2008 London, London and South East - Channel 4 London
Apr 1 2008 London, London and South East - TBA
Apr 2 2008 Brighton, London and South East - TBA
Apr 3 2008 Leeds, Northeast - TBA
Apr 4 2008 Manchester, Northwest - TBA
Apr 5 2008 Sheffield, Midlands - TBA
Apr 6 2008 Edinburgh, Scotland - TBA
Apr 7 2008 Dublin, Northern Ireland - TBA
Apr 11 2008 Paris/tba - TBA
Apr 12 2008 Berlin/Hamburg/etc. - TBA
Apr 13 2008 Berlin/Hamburg/etc.
Apr 14 2008 Berlin/Hamburg/etc.
DOWNLOAD : Peter and the Wolf - Strange Machines
» Read more on The indie rock troubadour (or, “Dudes who spend a lot of time alone”)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The indie rock troubadour (or, “Dudes who spend a lot of time alone”)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday Interview : David Dondero (Or "Sham-sham-a-ling-a-whoa-dipty-dip")
I first met Dave Dondero in Champaign, Illinois when he was on tour with Tilly and the Wall. I remember watching him soundcheck and knowing right then that the guy was a total pro. Articulate and accurate, he has a good ear -- and since that night he has become one of my favorite songwriters in the world. There are few folks that can write songs with the depth, the humor and the level of fun that he musters.
After that show in Illinois, we traded CDs. I got a copy of South of the South (Team Love) and his Live at the Hemlock (Future Farmer) record. It took South of the South a little while to grow on me, but his Live CD -- wow -- I will listen to the record over and over again. And I did. I think we drove 15 hours the next day, and during that time I think I memorized every song he sang and every joke he told.
I find it really rare these days that music can impress me in a, for lack of a better term, life-changing way, but Dondero really did shake me up. And I think I've become a better musician by listening to his songs.
I was really excited that he agreed to do this interview, and I am also excited because Dondero will be on tour this Spring. Dates and interview are after the jump.
Hot Mess Magic : What do you want to hear on the weather report in the morning before you step out the door? David Dondero : severe thunderstorms giving way to whispy clouds and sunshine. i love the after the rain smell in late spring.
H.M.M. : I had a really talented music friend who woke up one day and decided he wanted to become a banker -- and I'm sure that happens to musicians everyday, they decide to go back to school or start a family or whatever and they stop being musicians in a certain sense. They become dads or bankers who play music. What makes you wake up in the morning and still want to be a musician? D. D. : well sometimes i wake up in the morning and wonder why the hell i'm a musician. i curse it then i find myself in a spat with myself. due to self esteem or feeling down about it... thinking i suck.. i beat myself up and wanta quit, because maybe someone said something negative about what i do or maybe because i just lose the passion for it if i do it too much. then i get it back if i put it down too long. something makes me wanta come back and i don't know why.
then i take a step back and look at the whole situation and realize nothing can ever be so good all the time. a good night and people liking it along with myself will get me going again. i can't tell you how many hair brained career ideas i've had other than music because it's hard to look at music as a career. it's never seemed like a job. when i start getting into the money part of it i start to feel sick but then realize i need it to pay my stacks of bills. then again.... all my friends who are bankers or lawyers or computer people have the same varying levels of bills and everyone feels inundated...
i feel lucky to be a musician. lucky to have people who believe in me enough to help me.. to still travel and see new places.. .sometimes though i am envious of those friends of mine who have straight jobs and nice places to live. i don't have those things. i don't own those things. so it's a quality of life issue and my lack of success in music equates to the lifestyle i lead. my spotty resume at this point is like a trap steering me back to music. saying.. ok buddy, this is all you can do now or completely start over. the reality of that is pretty bleak but then again can be pretty sweet and exciting.
H.M.M. : The first time I met you I asked you where you were from you said "everywhere". Which is a fair answer. But if you were required to settle down in one place, where would you want that place to be? D. D. : no where. ....i don't know.. how bout my top ten and i can just ramble between the ten for all eternity... here they are... alaska, in summer during salmon season, duluth, minnesota,,, wilmington, nc. ,,, new orleans,,,,porto, portugal., stockholm, sweden,, san francisco,,, hobart, australia (tasmania) hanna, maui, montreal... i could live any of those places for awhile.
H.M.M. : When Herbie Hancock won the Grammy this year he mentioned the "shoulders of the giants" he had stood upon -- guys like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. I know Hancock was in a band with Miles for awhile -- which is probably the best school you could ever learn in -- was there anyone who showed you the ropes? Or a group of folks? How did you figure out how to do what you do? D. D. : tony tidwell in south carolina, kenny roby of north carolina. both good friends and great songwriters. my friends in the band sunbrain. kind advice from jonathan richman. watching townes van zandt perform shortly before he died in atlanta.
H.M.M. : You're coming to SF for Noisepop at the end of the month. Is there a restaurant in that city somewhere you always look forward to eating in? A favorite stop? D. D. : tommy's joint.... pancho villas and puerto allegre in the mission, and arinell's pizza. muddy waters coffee. can't wait.
H.M.M. : You are on Team Love Records now. What is the cool thing about being on a well-known label versus a smaller less-known one, or just doing it on your own? Are there any disadvantages that come to mind? D. D. : it's always nice to have a little more pull from a label. not required. i never had it through the first several records and did ok. diy years were really fun. although at times frustrating and expensive. i accrued a huge credit card debt in the diy years. still digging out of. i'd do it again that way if necessary but as long as people are willing to help me i will gladly except and be thankful their support and the exposure. team love has been really good for me. but i still sell about the same amount of records as i did when i was on future farmer. no matter what label you are on it all comes down to if people wanta hear it or not.
DAVE DONDERO SPRING TOUR ITINERARY :
MARCH
Sat 03.01.08 San Francisco, CA The Independent(Noise Pop)
Sat 03.22.08 Houston, TX Walter’s on Washington
Mon 03.24.08 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
Tue 03.25.08 Hattiesburg, MS The Thirsty Hippo
Wed 03.26.08 Pensacola, FL Sluggo’s
Thu 03.27.08 Tallahassee, FL Florida State University - Club Downunder
Fri 03.28.08 Gainesville, FL Common Grounds Coffee House w/ Travis Morrison
Sat 03.29.08 Orlando, FL Backbooth
Sun 03.30.08 Tampa, FL New World Brewery
Mon 03.31.08 Jacksonville, FL Jackrabbits
APRIL
Tue 04.01.08 Atlanta, GA The Earl
Thu 04.03.08 Athens, GA Caledonia Lounge
Fri 04.04.08 Wilmington, NC Soapbox Laundro-Lounge
Sat 04.05.08 Clemson, SC Clemson University
Sun 04.06.08 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
Mon 04.07.08 Charlottesville, VA Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
Tue 04.08.08 Arlington, VA IOTA Club and Cafe
Wed 04.09.08 Philadelphia, PA North Star Bar
Thu 04.10.08 New York, NY Knitting Factory
Fri 04.11.08 Brooklyn, NY Union Hall
Sat 04.12.08 Portland, ME SPACE Gallery
Sun 04.13.08 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
Mon 04.14.08 Ypsilanti, MI The Elbow Room
Wed 04.16.08 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen
Fri 04.18.08 Omaha, NE Waiting Room
Sat 04.19.08 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
Sun 04.20.08 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
Wed 04.23.08 Seattle, WA The Comet Tavern
Thu 04.24.08 Portland, OR Holocene
Fri 04.25.08 Corvallis, OR Iovino’s
Sat 04.26.08 San Francisco, CA Hemlock Tavern #
Sun 04.27.08 Santa Cruz, CA The Crepe Place #
Mon 04.28.08 Merced, CA The Partisan #
Tue 04.29.08 Visalia, CA The Cellar Door #
Thu 05.01.08 Fresno, CA Tokyo Gardens #
# - w/ Nik Freitas
DOWNLOAD : David Dondero - When the Heart Breaks Deep
DOWNLOAD : David Dondero - Rothko Chapel
BUY : David Dondero - Simple Love
LINK : Team Love Records
» Read more on Friday Interview : David Dondero (Or "Sham-sham-a-ling-a-whoa-dipty-dip")
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Why I Am Poor (Or, "Nobody needs a record label to make music.")
I don’t know how many of you guys ran across this article in Wired by David Byrne. I ran across it via The Daily Swarm, which is one of my fave music industry sites. In it, Byrne basically lays out six financial / management model for bands working in today’s market conditions. In it, he covers everything from the big Madonna-like equity deals to the DIY methods of distro and promotion. He has also includes some awesome charts.
Basically he lays out the things that a label is supposed to do for an artist, or what they have traditionally done, which are (if I read this thing right) :
1. Front the money for the artist's recording and manufacturing costs
2. Promote the release
3. Do the accounting.
And then he discusses the different ways these arrangements have changed in today’s industry.
As kind of an addendum to Byrne's article, I wanted to expand on the different DIY models I have run across – and this will post probs just be the first of many on the topic.
I have been thinking a lot about my friends who are musicians and write songs, but that don't have bands. I guess they are in a non-commercial (not about money or fame) class of DIY musician that doesn't really fit the commercial models Byrne expounds on, but I think they're as good a group of subjects as any to launch a discussion about contemporary DIY methods with. I guess you can call them “closet auteurs”, and I will classify them as the folks who don’t tour, don’t release CDs in the “traditional” manner, and just make little recordings – either just for themselves and/or their friends on myspace.
For musicians in this category there is no need for distro, promotion, or any “record label” beyond their myspace account. They are self contained and cost effective – since they don’t tour or print CDs, they are not spending money on gas, CDRs, packaging, press – and I am convinced that because of these advantages, they will slowly take over the world.
Below the cut are MP3s from some of my fave closet autuers. Passive Disaster, Pasture and Reid May. Take a listen and let me know if you think they are going take over the world.
Passive DisasterBased out of Seattle, WA, Passive Disaster is a one woman synth-drum-machine project. Aggressive, angular and caustic; the songs have a rough edge to them and the lyrics showcase snide remarks, clever put-downs and a sparkling wit. Much like early Bob Dylan in lyrical tone, the overall effect is less sentimental and nostalgic than Dylan – Passive Disaster tends to be much more gritty and beat up and irreverent.
DOWNLOAD : Passive Diaster - I Hate Parades
PasturePasture is Matt Orme – he has played drums in Rademacher (most notably on our record Stunts) and has recorded, or helped record, most everything I have ever worked. He has also amassed an amazing collection of songs that he has assembled in his studio. Everything from Wilco styled alt-country songs to dark synth metal. A very talented guy. I just wish he’d update his myspace page more often.
DOWNLOAD : Pasture - Not Country
Reid MayProbably the weirdest out of all these guys, Reid May is a super productive and creative musician based out Oakland, CA. Working off a home studio full of crappy mics, a beat up PC and a ghetto ass keytar, Reid manages to heap together epic piles of noise that somehow remain completely detached and compellingly interesting. His pieces can be really hard to listen to, but rarely are they unrewarding.
DOWNLOAD : Reid May - Naked
