CMJ » Carly Lewis

Army Navy, Gary Clark Jr., Active Child @ Puma Store

Carly Lewis — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 20:00:03 +0000

Army Navy - Photo by Carly Lewis

Army Navy brought its good haircuts and summery jams to what was perhaps the unlikeliest of rock show venues—the Puma store at Union Square. The show came at the near end of a seven-show marathon that by all accounts should have left the band members fatigued or asleep, but they were neither and succeeded at making a shoe store feel like a rock club, albeit one with really bright lights and racks of footwear. The lofty “Ode To Janice Melt” from their recently released The Last Place album was a highlight, as was “My Thin Sides,” which came close to being a tad too whiny but redeemed itself just in time with a pinch of Strokes-iness and possibly the most jubilant drummer ever.

Gary Clark Jr. - Photo by Carly Lewis

Gary Clark Jr. is one of the few people around who can play music like it’s the ’70s without coming off as contrived. His Friday afternoon set borrowed heavily from The Bright Lights EP, which seemed to suit the audience just fine. “Don’t Owe You A Thang” and “Bright Lights” were stormy and brooding while the deeper, bluesier “Please Come Home” would have been hypnotic if it weren’t so crazy good.

Active Child - Photo by Carly Lewis

Active Child makes Sunday music for sinners. Plucking away at his harp strings, Pat Grossi’s hymnals verged on an Antony Hegarty comparison, which would have been a fine compliment for a former church choirboy. Some well-placed clap tracks and reinvigorating synths helped dispel any “they sound like this other band” anecdotes though, instead conjuring descriptors like “celestial.” And playing a harp with synths and a drum kit? Brave.

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The Explosion Of Video Content Panel @ NYU: October 21, 2011

Carly Lewis — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:32:59 +0000

Photo by Carly Lewis

By the end of this panel, it was clear that the word “explosion” was an accurate way to describe the current state of video sharing. More and more bands are producing videos for their fans these days and even releasing music this way, much like how the Rapture streamed its recently released In The Grace Of Your Love album through an online Vimeo broadcast. But with so much content on the Web and a growing number of platforms to showcase it, what’s the most effective way for a band to get its music out?

Ron Schneier, COO North America of Base79, said that two-way communication between a band and its fans is crucial. “All elements of engagement become crucial” when fans visit a band’s website, he said, before more importantly noting that “Social media is all about community.” Having a video camera and filming yourself does not necessarily mean you’re reaching your fan base. The ticket to community, according to Schneier, is personal connection.

Brandon Martinez, co-founder and CEO of INDMUSIC, agreed. “You need to have that personal interaction with your fan base.” He went on to say that bands should take note of where people seem to be interested in them and reach out to those communities accordingly.

“The most important thing for artists to learn is how to read their analytics,” said Jessica Kantor, head of marketing and content at Livestream. She also noted that having more handlers involved in the video process typically means the sense of authenticity dwindles, and suggested that bands be as involved as possible in their own video-making and sharing systems. She did, however, note that it can be tough to do it all. “Your job is to be a musician,” she said, “not a marketer.” And if you do happen to be a musician but don’t so much know how to turn on a video camera? “Make friends with geeks.”

Alex Kisch, head of business development at VEVO, said that his company acts as a conduit between a band and its fan base, and noted that, “Making money is not necessarily selling out these days.” With more bands licensing their music to commercial pursuits, he says indie bands should not shy away from working with companies just because they fear the “sell out” label.

Still, as cool as it can be to watch a Coachella set from your computer in upstate New York, all of the panelists agreed on one thing: There’s nothing like seeing a live show. David Moffey, the CEO of Baeble who moderated the panel, closed out the discussion by echoing those same sentiments: “Nothing can replace the excitement of live music.”

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Ticket Masters: They Might Be Giants @ NYU: October 20

Carly Lewis — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:45:37 +0000

Photo by Carly Lewis

If yesterday’s Ticket Masters: They Might Be Giants panel was clear on one thing, it was that there’s got to be a better way. Summed up by speaker Dean Budnick as “a truly fascinating house of cards,” the new frontier of concert ticketing was debated by the very people who just might be able to change it.

Ticketfly’s Chip Thomas pointed out that a decade ago, music fans went to about five times as many shows as they do now, a statistic he called “ridiculous” and blamed on high service fees. He said affordability is a big part of why people aren’t attending concerts like they used to. Josh Baron, Budnick’s co-author on the book Ticket Masters: The Rise Of The Concert Industry And How The Public Got Scalped, pointed out that 40 percent of tickets go unsold every year, and lack of affordability might be one of the reasons why.

Rian Rochford of Topspin Media said that her company aims to let the artist sell tickets directly to its fans, thereby cutting out some of the service fees. “Fans don’t care about the technology of the transaction,” she said. “They just want to buy direct from the artist.” Trying out alternative ticketing systems can be risky though, and as Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro pointed out, “A fail-safe idea is crucial.” A big show with a ticketing problem is a nightmare, not only for the promoter, but for the band. In our culture of social media, fans can communicate with one another and the band themselves about how unhappy they are with a ticketing situation.

“It’s such a bloodbath when you have a fan at the venue going, ‘I bought my ticket, what is happening?’” said Rochford. Still, Baron noted that while it’s easy to shake a fist at Ticketmaster (“Historically, they didn’t care,” noted Budnick), the company is just a business doing what it’s told. Since scalping is another reason fans often find themselves spending exorbitant amounts on tickets, many promoters are now trying out the idea of paperless tickets. This way the tickets end up in the hands of the fans, but if a fan ends up unable to attend the show, this poses a problem. (Stub Hub, an online ticket resale outlet, also argues that it is a fan’s right to be able to resell their ticket.) Thomas said he thinks “mobile and paperless ticketing are here to stay,” while Billy Geoghegan of Brown Paper Tickets said he thinks physical tickets aren’t going anywhere. According to Shapiro, the real way to fight scalpers and ticket system robots is to go ultimately lo-fi by selling tickets in person.

There was also much ado about the idea of dynamic pricing, which allows ticket prices to fluctuate based on a variety of conditions, such as the weather or how close to sold out the show is, much like the way airline seat costs go up and down depending on the day. (Earlier this year, Ticketmaster announced that it would try out dynamic pricing.) Thomas said he thinks this system is the next evolution in ticketing, while Shapiro said this would never work for a club show, and that it would look bad if a band’s front row seats sold cheaply because of dynamic pricing. As with many of the ticket-related issues debated in this panel, it seems only time will tell.

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Game Changers: Gaming And The Music Industry Panel @ NYU

Carly Lewis — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:15:30 +0000

Photo by Carly Lewis

If your struggling indie band is looking to make a paycheck, you might want to consider licensing your music to a video game or two. According to yesterday’s Game Changers: Gaming And The Music Industry panel, which was moderated by Eric German of Mitchell, Silberberg And Knupp LLP, this will be the wave of the money-making future. Panelist Dave Pettigrew, SVP of strategic marketing and head of advertising and video games at Warner/Chappell Music Publishing, said that 2012 will be a pivotal year in video games and that many bands have already seen growth in both their bank accounts and their fan bases after having a song of theirs play through a game. “We’re trying to put music in places it’s never been before,” said Pettigrew.

Fellow panelist Mark Jowett, co-founder and VP of international A&R publishing at Nettwerk Music Group, agreed that “video games are good on an exposure level.” He also noted that as the game world moves toward app-based games, the music industry needs to find a way to move with it.

Josh Kessler of Downtown Music Services (dms.FM) emphasized that he focuses on relevance when he starts compiling possible game soundtracks, and then he refines his choices based on what works creatively and sonically. All of the panelists nodded when asked if new music has become an important element to video games, but Kessler noted that given the long lead time, having songs be new by the time the game hits shelves is a challenge. Music needs to be cleared 10 months ahead of time, which can result in a game sounding dated before it’s even ready for consumers.

Another challenge, says Mark Collins, VP of business development at MXP4/Bopler Games, is making people want to pay for their gaming; free download culture doesn’t just lurk around the music industry anymore. “The majority of users are never going to buy anything,” he admitted. “The trick is to build a product that’s very sticky.” He said that having a free-to-play model is crucial since most people won’t pay to use a game they’ve never experienced, and that having intriguing up-sale options is key.

One final piece of advice Pettigrew had for musicians who may find themselves getting involved contractually with a gaming company, was to aim for a royalty-bearing deal. A royalty-bearing deal will earn musicians money every time a game is sold, while a buyout deal, which is more common, has an expiry date. “There’s more money in royalty-bearing,” he said. And if you’re thinking of becoming a music supervisor? Be really good. Or, according to Pettigrew who noted that the music industry is shrinking while the gaming industry continues to grow, do yourself a favor and become a plumber.

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