Episode 007

What is it that permits some artists to crank out 5 or 6 successful albums, while other artists are relegated to the role of the one hit wonder? My theory is that artists who want to establish a career of longevity MUST create the music that stirs them, rather than trying to cash in on a trend or create music they might “execute” better.

You can’t chase trends because you’ll be one step behind. What do you do when the trend dies, and you have nothing left to copy?

There’s an intangible aspect to “legacy-type” artists that transcends their genre and music. THAT is what their fans lock onto. Not in a “star power” kind of way, but in a musical sense. There’s a unique thread to the way they compose, and no matter how genres shift through time, that thread will always be there, because it’s ingrained into who they are.

Make music that you love, THEN work hard and hope that you can find a fanbase for it.

I suppose the same theory could be applied outside of the music realm as well, into other art forms and even into the corporate world.

I threw a Wax Pick this episode too, The Big Pink – A Brief History of Love.
You can check it out here.

Leave your thoughts in the comments section, or shoot me an email: tim@waxandwires.com

Thanks!

wax&wires tv – Episode 007: Should You Make Music You Love, Or Music You’re Good At? is a post from: wax&wires

Sticking with the new shorter format, I give a quick rundown of what iTunes LP brings to the table, what works and what doesn’t. Can it resurrect album sales in a digital market?

I like iTunes LP for the most part. They need to make it more easily accessible from a permanent link on the home page of the iTunes store. I want to be able to see every ITLP album on a single page quickly and easily, which right now there’s not a lot. Second, they need to transfer the experience to the iPhone so that you can have the full album, including bonus content, on the go.

You can check out iTunes LP, and all 12 albums available with it, here.

What do you think?

wax&wires tv – Episode 006: iTunes LP Review is a post from: wax&wires

WAXandWIRES TV – EPISODE 5

In this episode:
The state of The Album V Singles
Apple Cocktail album format
Muse gets creative with releasing their new single

I’m trying out a new format. Rather than full, crazy long episodes covering the gamut, I’ll put out shorter videos of just one topic at a time. Not as much fancy lighting, production quality, motion graphics, credit rolls, etc. Hopefully it will let me get the content out more timely though, and give you a chance to watch without getting bored or having to reschedule your day! The content ought to be driving the show more than the production anyway, so let me know what you think!

In this episode, the big topic is how to create an experience behind your music. Like it or not, your songs are free (somewhere) on the net. You can fight that all you want, but what you ought to do is accept that the songs are given away. Count money you make off of song sales as bonus. From there you need to figure out how to create added incentive to get listeners to buy into an EXPERIENCE around those songs; whether it be exclusive behind the scenes content, concert tickets, t-shirts, whatever. Muse did a great job with that on their latest release, creating an entire interactive experience and geo-tagging hunt for their fans. Apple is doing this in an official way with “Cocktail,” but bands have been independently up to it for a while.

Remember back when CDs first came out and they would have “secret tracks?” That’s totally played out now, and went through a period of almost being expected on every album. We need a resurgence of that mindset in a fresh way though, artists who will put a little something special in the album in order to create excitement around picking it up. All the little hidden treasures that add a personal and original touch to the album, thus helping it find a home in your memory.

What are you doing to bring an experience along with your songs?

Email me with any questions or comments. I welcome them all. Thanks!

tim@waxandwires.com

wax&wires tv – Episode 005: Music is more than songs is a post from: wax&wires

In this episode:
- Performance Rights Organizations (BMI vs. ASCAP vs…)
- Aqualung
- Parallel and Two-Stage Compression

Read up on PROs: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
You can check out the third-party companies like Taxi and CD Baby too, which can help you distribute your music, or land it in TV, film and radio.

I couldn’t find a place to download Aqualung’s album, Memory Man, legally online. Here’s a link to buy it on Amazon for just a couple bucks; you can also check out sound clips on there to scope it out:

Aqualung – Memory Man

I would love your feedback (good or bad!), just shoot me an email: tim@waxandwires.com.

wax&wires tv – Episode 004 is a post from: wax&wires

In this episode:
- Skunks
- Royalties, Pandora and the New Deal
- Spotify U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!
- EMI in the troubles
- The Bird And The Bee
- Promoting your band (get off the internet!)

If you missed the article on the new net royalties deal, you can find it here, as well as read the Pandora blog post I mentioned down in the followup section to that article, or go directly to it here.

You can find more info about Spotify’s US deal in this Forbes.com article, which I referenced on the show.

Since the taping, EMI has taken some steps to dig themselves out. They’re currently being advised to issue some high-yield bonds to repay the Citigroup loan. That worked for Warner a month or two back, so maybe that could help knock down the $4.2 Billion they need to pay off by 2015. Citi, as suspected, is quite reluctant to forgo the debt.

Here’s Bob Baker’s article on getting your music heard, as well as Trent Reznor’s blog post, both of which I touched on during the Wires section of this episode.

Here’s a link up to The Bird And The Bee’s album, Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future.

I would love your feedback (good or bad!), just shoot me an email: tim@waxandwires.com and be sure to check out the main site, waxandwires.com!

wax&wires tv – Episode 003 is a post from: wax&wires

In this episode:
- Paper Route
- You’re my American Friend
- You already have Thriller already
- Justice – “Cross”
- Beefing up Drums with creative gating

You can read some previous posts on Paper Route here, where you can also pick up their album.

Here’s a link up and samples to our Wax Pick this week, Justice – Cross, a great album that will make you want to drive fast down city streets at night. You can grab it here.

Follow me on Twitter, where I will post little to nothing about music…

Email me questions, comments, suggestions, thoughts, anything you got!

wax&wires tv – Episode 2 is a post from: wax&wires

I aim to crank out one episode every two weeks for you, and hope you enjoy. If you do, please be sure to comment it up and share with your friends!

Thanks!

EPISODE 1!

In this episode:
- Airquote Abuse
- Seattle-based rock group Barcelona
- Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
- thesixtyone.com

As promised, here’s a link up to Kind of Blue. You can also pick up the Legacy Edition for an additional $7, which is well worth it for the added tracks. If you can track down a mono recording on vinyl, be sure to check it out, as it brings a completely different experience to the album.

You can read a previous post about Barcelona, as well as pick up their album here.

Check out what I’m listening to at thesixtyone.com/timothydean!

Follow me on Twitter, where I will likely post nothing about music…

Email me questions, comments, suggestions, thoughts, anything you got!

wax&wires tv – Episode 1 Now Available! is a post from: wax&wires