OK, I’ll listen… maybe…
We’ve all been stuck in a rut at some point in our lives. Whether it’s a job, our diet, exercise, our hair, our clothes, or music we listen to. We’ve all had that moment where we feel something’s wrong and we get a nice tap on the shoulder from a friend telling us that it’s time for change. Now, I’m no health nut… and if I start talking about your hair-do you have my full permission to mock me in front of everyone. But what I do love is music and my hope is to get you out of that rut you’re in.
Promoting music through Galleywinter for the last 10 years has opened my eyes to the fact that there is a ton of music out there. The horrible part is that most of it should have never gotten as far as it has, because it is simply horrid. So how do you get out of that music rut you are in (and prob don’t want to get out of) with so much watered down music to choose from? Opening bands at concerts aren’t what they used to be and services like Pandora and other interwebs radio just seem to be hit and miss.
And despite my huge ego, I’ll tell you that listening to what I post here is not always the way to go either. My posts are mainly just random thoughts of what I’m listening to at the moment. This post is NOT about me giving you a list of 5 bands that you NEED to hear or I’m calling off our friendship. However, what it is about.. is looking into our friendships and figuring out who those people are that you TRUST to recommend new music. I’m sick of seeing the twitters and blogs and PR announcements about must hear bands. We have to realize that we can talk about our favorite bands, but not everyone is going to get it the same way. But at the same time I see blogs, twitters and posts about people talking about the same old band they’ve only been listening to for 10 years. Where is the balance?
There isn’t much I can do about the PR machine out there for bands and artists. But, what I can do… is say that as fans of music, we need to find our music mentors. People, that when a recommendation comes from them… we take it like a tap on the shoulder and give something new a chance. My “music mentors” range from a close buddy here in Sugar Land, a girl and guy in the middle of Oklahoma, the owner of a production company, a long time friend in the ATX, all the way to a lawyer in Steamboat Springs, CO. It’s a varied assortment of people that when they tap my shoulder via an email or twitter or a blog post… I give it a listen. And 7 times out of 10… I really like what they suggest.
So who are your people? Are you supporting the growth of music by trying something new?
I think word of mouth from friends who have good taste in music is a good start but usually i am the one who is doing the recommendations for new music. I just recently turned a friend of mine on to red dirt music and Texas country when i took him along to Oklahoma to help me cover the Country fever red dirt music festival, now he is buying the music himself and he could not stand Nashville country and see’s the difference that i have been telling him about for a couple years now in the Texas and Oklahoma music scene. I usually hear about new music from certain publications like Lonestar Music Magazine, Texas Music magazine (i like the fact they write about the whole variety of genre’s in Texas) and the Texas Music Chart. I also listen to radio and internet radio like KNBT 92.1 in New Braunfels and Radio Free Texas. When i was in Oklahoma i discovered alot of great music on the side stages played by local Oklahoma musicians like Monica Taylor and Clint Osmus & the Bushmills who also had other local musicians playing with them. Getting out and meeting people and talking with them at shows like that and at Joe’s bar in Chicago where i work has also helped. Good music will find you if your open too it but you have to be pro active about it and search it out. One good find will usually lead to a few more. I too have friends i can trust for telling me about good music in various locations around the country which is great for hearing about a good regional act that might not ever make it to where i live. Blogs, and web sites like Galleywinter, The 9513 and musicfog are all there to help and Gallywinter especially is great for meeting other like minded people in your forums and i appreciate being able to post my link to my blogsite there and see the positive feedback i receive. Its like one big community supporting each other and the music.
Great read Tanker – a few years ago, I pretty much only listened to Metallica and few other mainstream bands. I was turned on to the TX/Red Dirt scene by a friend and my appreciation for new/good music has continued to grow from that. I still depend on that friend for ideas about new music but have come to find other sources – websites, chat boards, etc. I agree whole-heartedly with your post. Stick to a few close friends/sources for new music – and don’t be afraid to try something new. And yes, I’m still a HUGE Metallica fan.
While I don’t mind, in the context of discussing music mentors, a dig at PR people, since I am one I just need to mention how HARD we work to make sure bands doing good stuff get into the minds and hands of people with good taste! My livelihood is staked on helping good music get onto the radio and into people’s ears. I hope it helps. You can’t pay me to pretend to like something. All I try to do is be that music mentor — to national tv shows or radio stations or magazines or cab drivers or people standing next to me at the airport or whoEVER is ready for the good stuff. I was once stuck with what my hometown radio gave me, and I’m eternally grateful for those who opened my ears.
One artist I freaking LOVE now and buy everything by I discovered on a broken in-flight channel on a long plane flight.
We are soooooo lucky we’re not stuck on “Bob FM” or something. Keep evangelizing!
@Jeff great comment bro! It’s almost a post within itself and it’s good to see all those channels working exactly how they are supposed to!
@Chuck I hear ya man. It’s funny how many people that love this genre of music come from a heav metal background. I cut my teeth on …And Justice For All growing up.
@pigeon I hear ya girl. And I would say that you are one of the few I know that do a great job of it. I want to be clear that it wasn’t a dig directly at PR folks, but more a style of doing the promotion. Bands need promotion and we’d all be fools to believe otherwise. But to believe that fans of music can’t see past the thin veil of “spin” is something that many need to understand. Again.. not talking about you here, but the majority of stuff I see come down the wire.
No, I totally hear you… and there’s a whole nother separate post on PR tactics (Rascal Flatts, I’m lookin’ at you!).
You know what would be supercool? If we could see one another’s iTunes playlists. Recent plays or top plays or if you could get a glimpse at your “music mentor” ‘s new likes. That would be amazing. I bet if I could see a feed of what Ryan was listening to, I’d be buying mp3s like crazy. Ok, hang on, maybe my bank account can’t withstand a feature like that! But I bet a glimpse of what each mentor is playing over and over would be amazing.
I came from a metal background too, i tried to start my own industrial metal music magazine back around 92 or so. Bands like Ministry and NIN, but i was also always going back to country music (Nashville) cause i grew up with it. Then a girl i met from Missouri started telling me about Jason Boland and Stoney LaRue, i had bought “Soul Gravy” from Cross Canadian Ragweed after hearing “Sick and Tired” with Leeann Womack on CMT but i just didnt get it, until i met her and she got me to give it another try and it just went crazy after that and i am here to stay. Thanks Jessica, where ever you are.
hey just found your blog. awesome. I just heard ryan bingham on my pandora and started looking him up. We have the same tastes in music. Keep up the good work. enjoyed reading your blog. Also I am from alabama same town adam hood is from. hes awesome used to see him in little bars around here playing so awesome.
Ive met Adam a couple times, love his music he’s from Opelika i think, great music, cant wait for some new stuff from him. I just saw Bingham a few weeks ago, got tons of photos on my sites, click my name for the link (my first comment here)
I trust Ryan.