My band-finally coming out

Discussion on new albums, developing listening skills, critical listening to others' work, as well as TOMB members' MP3 links, online recording critiques

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Burnt Ernie
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My band-finally coming out

Post by Burnt Ernie » Tue Feb 11, 2014 4:00 pm

Recorded with Rich Mattson at Sparta Sound Last summer. Just finished mastering,getting cd's in a week or 2. Tracked (and some overdubs)16 live in Rich's church in 2 1/2
days(start of summer),overdubbed and mixed in 2 days (end of summer).
I got to walk in mix room,make mix demands,walk out,play with the dog and cats,walk in,and say "Next!" Felt like Bowie.Except I look like I ate him (and Iggy) for a lumberjack breakfast. Just can't remember french for "Next!"
Eric.
http://www.jimcrego.com/
I am the Walnut

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vvv
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Post by vvv » Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:33 am

Congratulations, altho' I want to note that's a kinda unfortunate thread title ...

I mean, the whole band?

:twisted:
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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:52 am

vvv wrote:Congratulations, altho' I want to note that's a kinda unfortunate thread title ...

I mean, the whole band?

:twisted:
What's so "unfortunate" about it? It's fine by me. Too bad they didn't rock the opening ceremonies in Sochi. I was gonna say something similar, but then I realized, hey, it's the aughts. Being gay doesn't need to be a big deal to the heteros any more.
Carl Keil

Almost forgot: Please steal my drum tracks. and more.

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Post by WillMorgan » Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:00 pm

Yay congratulations on getting a disk all pressed!!

Now the real work begins.

You say "coming out soon" on your website... woahh, I'm sorry, red flag I didn't get past that.

Having just released an EP in what I now realize is a sub-optimal manner that I fear you are headed towards, I will appoint myself as your label manager.

Your release is hereby scheduled for June 1, 2014.

This date allows barely enough time to get our marketing ducks in a row, to make sure people other than your friends, family, and fellow tape-op geeks actually get to hear the thing.

Working backwards from June 1:

Lets set a iTunes pre release date of May 1 so you can hype the release date of June 1 starting May 1 and have somewhere for people to buy it and offer a decent preview. Figure out CD Baby or whatever you need to do to prime the standard digital download channels.

By April have your one sheets and disks ready to send to your top 10 radio DJs. Better get writing and addressing and labeling and making sure you have the time for follow up calls then!

June 1 will be your release party. Start looking for a venue now, oh and if you don't have a band better get started on hiring one.

Your disk and one sheet to your local station, and local weekly newspaper.. etc.. will arrive April 15 saying hey here is the disk that ONLY YOU GUYS have access to, aren't you special!! And, by the way, that show set for June 1 will allow these people to actually say something about it on the air or in their column so that is relevant to their lives because it is of more interest to their audience then yet another indie tune. Hopefully they'll start getting word out by May 1.


Got an idle moment? Register those songs with the copyright office and your PRO. Get a backlog of stories written for your website, facebook, etc.. about the making of, etc.. to send out in timed fashion when you are too busy in the thick of things.

Shoot and edit a couple videos already to schedule for the start of your roll-out in May 1, they are a good way for your audience can discover you.

I believe those precious jewels are burning a hole in your pocket but if you are sloppy and hurried at this point in time they will instead sit in your closet until your heirs toss them in bin decades hence.

Good luck, and my sincere apologies if I projecteth too much! I am fresh off of reading and ignoring standard release planning advice, because I was so excited to share my music with people and so sick of working on the mix, mastering and artwork. After quickly running through the praise of friends and family, I am now finding myself waaaay behind the ball on just about all of the marketing aspects that would have given me a chance of selling enough of them to be able to invest in a second effort.
- EP "Built Some" released 12/13/13
http://willmomusic.com/

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Post by kslight » Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:45 pm

vvv wrote:Congratulations, altho' I want to note that's a kinda unfortunate thread title ...

I mean, the whole band?

:twisted:
Granted, they are in Minneapolis, so its not really that shocking.

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Post by vvv » Wed Feb 12, 2014 5:00 pm

Well, I mean, wouldn't ya at least expect the rhythm guitarist to hold back?

:lol:
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Post by chris harris » Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:32 am

Snarl 12/8 wrote:
vvv wrote:Congratulations, altho' I want to note that's a kinda unfortunate thread title ...

I mean, the whole band?

:twisted:
What's so "unfortunate" about it? It's fine by me. Too bad they didn't rock the opening ceremonies in Sochi. I was gonna say something similar, but then I realized, hey, it's the aughts. Being gay doesn't need to be a big deal to the heteros any more.
It's not even the aughts anymore. It's the teens! And, you're exactly on point. :^:

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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:19 am

chris harris wrote:It's not even the aughts anymore. It's the teens!
Jesus H. Christ I'm old.
Carl Keil

Almost forgot: Please steal my drum tracks. and more.

Burnt Ernie
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Post by Burnt Ernie » Thu Feb 13, 2014 5:59 pm

Yes-
Don't Stop Me Now
I'm Every Woman
Gimme Gimme Gimme a Man after Midnight.

Never mind.
Have a nice day!
You're all the best
I am the Walnut

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vvv
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Post by vvv » Thu Feb 13, 2014 8:01 pm

Reminds me, Snarl?

Ya wanna do some drums so we can cover, "It's Raining Men"?

:twisted:
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Post by ashcat_lt » Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:06 am

What I heard of this album sounds like Mpls 20 years ago, so I can understand the time warp confusion! Actually, it sounds a fuck of a lot better than the cassettes most bands were carrying around at that time! Back then Mpls sounded like really bad phasey overheads. But the general vibe of the band itself is such a blast from the past.

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sfsonarboy
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Post by sfsonarboy » Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:30 am

Great post - as someone getting close to "done" with a few projects, there is some excellent advice here...thanks!
WillMorgan wrote:Yay congratulations on getting a disk all pressed!!

Now the real work begins....
Playing guitar and crooning with Mad Mama and The Bona Fide Few,
"Americana music, North Beach style"
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Post by WillMorgan » Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:20 pm

Cheers sfsonarboy! I'd read all that release schedule stuff before but having lived it finally believe and understand it to some appreciable depth.

Short of genius hook writing skills, getting out and playing live is probably the surest way to move product and make some ROI, some of us have that option. Personally I don't think I'd last two weeks on the road in a van, and am not willing to quit my day job to do that more than once a year.

Yet I can write a song, and play all the parts for a demo, and I love playing with the tech and with people and I think above all love the learning... I think the learning involves the business side too.

I was pro napster, #@$#@ the RIAA in my youth, and now I've gone and joined ASCAP..

I am getting the idea that, as usual, this is a very interesting time in the recording industry: production technology has got so much cheaper... the pro landscape is being run over by semi-pros and a seeming glut of unproven though often great music..

Many pros are surviving on this invasion because the up and comers are willing to invest...

The people who made money in the gold rush were not the miners, they were the folks selling shovels and flour... Website hosting, ASCAP, CDBaby, getting ISRCs, etc.. lots of nickels and dimes, many on recurring expenses just to be available if someone looks for you... PLUS the costs of full time professional talent to get a polished product.

Good luck finding a pro engineer who will talk about how many disks you are likely to sell as you are all pumped and glowing in their $50 an hour room.. but how many of their customers will return for more?

I know that some people give away their tunes because the main thing is they just love making 'em and posting a link, and, some people have the bucks to make top quality tunes as a hobby...

All that is great, but if am going to pay for and therefore help preserve the market for specialized engineering talent to be there to help me on a sustainable basis, I at least need to be able to show the IRS I am giving my business a go by getting some income for my expenses.

And, I suspect there is a great pleasure in having people outside of friends and family hearing your wares. Good luck to you and others in this DIY boat, all hail the scales and all hail the sales!
- EP "Built Some" released 12/13/13
http://willmomusic.com/

Burnt Ernie
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Post by Burnt Ernie » Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:00 pm

NOT trying to bump this up.
Manufacturing 300 cd's
Already made 200 t shirts.
Lead guy has a small local fanbase,and a bigger one in Kansas.
NOT trying to pretend this is a career option,just wanna maybe mile "The Current" for some help,maybe play somewhere bigger for maybe more than
a drink tab,have some fun,and be able to fit 3 amps,and some drums on a stage,with me not having to do sound as well.
Rhythm section guys have time to dink around on the interweb,
the old guys don't.
Anyways,
I love a Man in a Uniform
I am the Walnut

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Gregg Juke
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Post by Gregg Juke » Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:39 pm

"...Oh boy, and how..."

Oh, waitaminute, Not.

So, besides the "It's Raining Men" balhooney (guaranteed to end the night and drive me from any room, regardless of how early the hour; based solely on the gestalt of the anti-merits of the tune alone)...... This is a good thread. LOTS of good advice from WillMorgan, even if he had to learn it the hard way (we usually do, sometimes more than once). Plan ahead, plan early and thoroughly, follow-through and implement...

GJ
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