Name: Adam Bernard Home: Fairfield, Connecticut, United States About Me: Entertainment journalist w/ over a decade of experience. Lover of good music, fringe movies, day baseball & chicken shawarma. Nerdy, but awesome. See my complete profile
After literally thousands of artist interviews I've heard more than my fair share of information pertaining to the music industry. Conscious, over at PayUsNoMind.info, knows this, and suggested I find some of the best information that could be viewed as tips and turn it all into a guest blog for his site. It took some time to whittle everything down to a top five, but I made it happen. There's a little something about everything in this for ya.
This is an issue I’m extremely proud of for a number of reasons. Obviously I’m excited to have written the cover story, which takes an in-depth look at The Devil Wears Prada and the recording process for their latest album, Dead Throne. Two other reasons I’m excited about this issue are my features on Kreayshawn and Molly Moore.
I think my Kreayshawn feature reveals a whole other side of her, and I absolutely love the intro I wrote for my Molly Moore feature because it came from my attending one of her shows.
You’d be hard pressed to find three more different artists than the Christian metalcore band The Devil Wears Prada, Bay Area rapper Kreayshawn, and singer/songwriter Molly Moore. That diversity in my features is another reason I’m so proud of this issue.
There’s a lot to like about Chase Davis, starting with the fact that he has a flow that, combined with his enunciation, makes it so you can understand every word he’s saying. There’s a good reason for that, too - Chase Davis is actually saying something. He’s not beating you over the head with anything, but he has a message he’s delivering and he’s doing it through playing with the English language in a way only a great emcee can. A perfect example of this is “The Idea,” which is off of his latest album, The Fast Life. Not only does the song showcase Davis’ skills, as an added bonus there’s some great Bridgeport, CT, visuals, including the sign for The Downtown Cabaret Theatre!
A handful of years ago I made t-shirts promoting Adam’s World that said “I’m a B-Lister” on the front, and “Are you down with Adam B?” and the web address, on the back. The vast majority of the shirts went to the artists who had been Artists Of The Week on the site (Coole High, iLLspoKinN and Conscious pictured above), but you know I have one for myself, as well. Some people might think it’s corny to wear a shirt promoting themselves, but I continually see positive results from wearing mine.
I wore my B-Lister shirt a month or so ago while running some errands. One of the spots I hit up was Trader Joe’s, where one of the cashiers noticed it and asked what it meant. I told her about the site, gave her a sticker, and we went on about our days. Ever since then every time she sees me in the store she makes a B-Lister reference. There are major advertisers that would kill to have that kind of brand recognition, and all it took was me wearing a shirt that advertised who I am, and a quick conversation when she asked what it was about.
For an artist the possible reward for wearing your own promotional t-shirt is even greater. I’m just looking for more readers (at least right now), artists have sellable items, and if they’re smart they always have at least a few albums, flyers, or stickers on them. If someone asks an artist about their shirt and the artist says “that’s actually me, I’m an musician,” the next obvious question that will be asked is “where can I hear your music?” Now, you probably won’t be able to make a sale right then and there, but unlike the vast majority of people you hand a flyer to, you now having someone who is actually asking you for some way to remember you, to look you up, to find out more about you. This is exactly what you want.
Tah Phrum Duh Bush always has a backpack full of merchandise on him and carries his giant Tah Phrum Duh Bush sign around with him, too. The point of it all? In order to have name recognition people need to first know your name, and it’s your job as an artist, especially as a DIY artist, to find as many possible avenues to get your name into people’s faces, and minds, as possible.
One distinct advantage to having your first, and possibly second, third, and fourth, contact with people involving something they see, like a t-shirt, rather than something you hand to them, like a flyer, is that it gets people thinking. A flyer usually gets tossed in the garbage if there’s no connection with the artist. You’re no different than the guy from Odd Job hanging out at the corner trying to get you to come in. If, however, someone keeps seeing your name, their natural inquisitive nature will make them want to know more. Now when you hand them a flyer it’s because they’re asking for it hoping to find out more about you.
So rock your own shirt with pride because, in the end, you are your own best advertisement.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from John Mayer’s throat surgery, to Nile Rodgers piecing something together with Adam Lambert, to Tone Loc’s recent hospital visit, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* John Mayer is recuperating from surgery to correct a granuloma, which is fancy doctor speak for a throat inflammation, just above his vocal cord. For those keeping track, your body is a wonderland, his requires some medical attention.
* Soulja Boy spent some time in handcuffs last week as he was arrested on drug and weapons charges. The drug was only marijuana, but there was enough of it to charge Soulja Boy and his bodyguards with possession with the intent to distribute. Both the Mary Jane and the weapons, which were guns, were found during a traffic stop in Georgia. It’s a shame he was only looking to move pot, had it been crystal meth it really would have added something extra to his hit “Crank That.”
* Evanescence found their way back to the top of Billboard’s albums chart this past week. Their latest self-titled album debuted at number one after moving over 125K copies. The band should have another nice run until Amy Lee sleeps with another member, endures a painful breakup, and then has to find replacements again.
* In “I guess we have to give him the benefit of the doubt because of his track record” news, music legend Nile Rodgers is now working with Adam Lambert. Rodgers, of Chic fame, has a resume that includes producing Diana Ross’ Diana, Madonna’s Like A Virgin and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance. Lambert is known for his time on American Idol, wearing excessive amounts of guyliner, and releasing some unbelievably catchy songs. Don’t ask me why, but I think this is going to work.
* The city council of Indio, California, has given the OK for two more years of Coachella festivals. This is great news for the Hollywood and music industry elite, who, without the festival, would have had to find some other way to fake being a hippie for a weekend while returning to a five star hotel each night.
* Richard Marx isn’t just holding on to the nights, he’s looking to hold on to the holidays, as well, as the 90s soft rock balladeer is going to be releasing a Christmas EP. Here’s hoping “I saw Mommy stroking Santa’s epic mullet” makes the cut.
* Tone Loc may have been doing a little too much of the “Wild Thing” while on the road. The rapper collapsed during a concert last week in Atlanta. The official word is that he experienced tour fatigue and that he’s fine now. Now that he’s gettin up there in years, though, maybe he should skip being Loc-ed After Dark, and just be Loc-ed up until the early bird special at his local Olive Garden.
* Garbage, a band that’s normally only happy when it rains, is thrilled to be in the studio finishing up their first album in seven years. Due to be released in the Spring of 2012, the album is as of yet untitled. The youth of America, however, plan on referring to it as “the lady from the Terminator TV show has a band?”
* There’s something really hilarious to me about Selena Gomez’s video for “Love You Like A Love Song” and it’s not just the fact that she allows herself to be blindfolded by a wandering mariachi band that features a keytar player and hands her a lightsaber. Nope, all of that is perfectly normal to me. What I find funny is that the vast majority of the visual references in this video are from the 80s, a decade Selena Gomez wasn’t alive in. It’s almost as if someone at the label said “We can throw anything in there and the kids will watch it, but the parents have to watch this, too. Let’s make it interesting for them.” Mission accomplished. Now please get this friggin song out of my head before I catch myself singing it at the gym at an especially inopportune time.
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
Animal Farm, besides being a landmark book by George Orwell, is the Portland, OR, quartet of Gen.Erik, Fury, Hanif Wondir and Serge Severe (pictured L to R). The foursome have been at the forefront of the Portland hip-hop scene for a number of years, opening for a veritable who’s who of hip-hop, and are now branching out looking to take on the rest of the country. One of Gen.Erik and Serge Severe’s first stops during this nationwide takeover was RapReviews.com, where they discussed expanding past the Portland scene, being inspired by the hip-hop they grew up on, and why their videos have healthy amount of humor in them. Gen.Erik also talked about being at one of the strangest parties in recorded history where Q-Tip, Mario Lopez and Bruce Jenner were all in attendance.
This past Saturday I was in Brooklyn, NY, to moderate a panel at the RE/Mixed Media Festival. The festival took place over the entire weekend, featured dozens of events, and was listed as a critics' pick in Time Out New York. My panel was titled Remixing Culture - A Panel on Sampling & The Global Appropriation of Hip-Hop, and we had a fantastic group of folks sharing their knowledge on the subjects.
The panel of artists and writers included Conscious, Tah Phrum Duh Bush, Rabbi Darkside, Creature, Metermaids, MeccaGodZilla, Knewdles MC, Appl Juic, The Company Man, and Christopher Weingarten aka Whiney G.
We started off by discussing the global impact of hip-hop, how the hip-hop scenes overseas are being built, and why they embrace so many of America’s underground artists, as well as old school artists that laid the foundation of hip-hop. The discussion then turned to the idea that the hip-hop scene in America may be xenophobic as we rarely embrace foreign artists, even when there isn’t a language barrier issue.
The sampling portion of the discussion started with the panel talking about the legal perils of sampling, and if underground artists really need to worry about getting sued. A brief history of why sampling is so important to hip-hop, and what makes it a special part of the music of the culture, ensued. Everyone agreed that sampling has resurrected some older artists’ careers, and extended the careers of others, but that the proliferation of the mp3, and people not having liner notes to read through, has negatively affected people’s ability to learn about the music of the past through the samples of the present.
Overall it was a fantastic panel that lasted 90 minutes, featured a lot of information, and left everyone with plenty of things to think about.
I hope to have the opportunity to work with the RE/Mixed Media Festival again next year.
Illus’ videos show up as Vid Picks a lot and there’s a reason for that - they’re always so freakin creative. It should really come as no surprise that a man who’s both an emcee and a visual artist always brings something really dope to the table, and “Free” continues that trend. Illustrated by Illus, and animated by Jackie Suskind, “Free” features a very 2D Illus and Homeboy Sandman walking through a 2D city, rapping to a soundtrack provided by J.J. Brown. It’s a very cool visual to go with a very cool song.
For more on Illus check out the following features:
You know how I'm always saying writers talk? Here's some concrete evidence of that. A couple months ago William E. Ketchum III and I were emailing back and forth about horrible experiences with artists and artists' publicists and managers. Some of his experiences have gone into a series of features on his blog, SpeechIsMyHammer.com, about how not to get coverage on blogs and websites. It's good advice for artists based on how other artists have managed to royally screw things up for themselves. After hearing a story of mine about a horrible back and forth with an artist on Facebook he asked me to write it up for his site. It involves lies, deceit, and some truly amazing moments in stupidity. Enjoy!
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Billboard going young for their woman of the year, to Rick Ross going down, to Sonic Youth going their separate ways. There’s also a music video that’s going to make you cry, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* Billboard has a new woman of the year - Taylor Swift. She is the youngest artist to receive the honor as Billboard begins to stretch the definition of “woman.” Don’t get me wrong, we love Taylor Swift over here at Pop Shots, she’s America’s perfect little sister, but the emphasis should be on “little.” With this year’s woman of the year being only 21 years old I can only imagine who will be up for the award ten years from now. Pop Shots’ prediction - just picture the Miss Bayside pageant on Saved by the Bell that also included Slater and Screech.
* Rick Ross, who most people wouldn’t want to be stuck sitting next to on a flight because he’s the size of a small zeppelin, gave passengers another reason to want to switch their seat - he took down not one, but TWO flights on Friday when he suffered seizures that required immediate medical attention. Of course, if this story is anything like the those from his rap career we’ll eventually find out the seizures happened to another passenger, but he thought the story was so good he wanted to take it for his own.
* The X-Factor lived up to the X in its name this past week when L.A. Reid had Rihanna mentoring contestants on the singing competition show. The auto-tuned princess who is more known for dressing provocatively and rubbing her crotch during every performance than singing doesn’t exactly seem like a great prospective mentor, but you know what Pink said “L.A. told me, you’ll be a pop star / all you have to change, is everything you are.”
* Apparently the old song is wrong, breaking up looks pretty easy to do. Just look at Sonic Youth. The band’s co-founders, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon are separating after 27 years of marriage and 31 years of making music together. This comes on the heels of the breakup of R.E.M., which happened just a few weeks ago. In a related story, that sound you just heard was of every college radio station music director from the 1980s jumping off of a bridge.
* Artists are known for making some strange requests when they go out on tour. Some want to eat specific foods, drink specific drinks, or smell specific scents. Janet Jackson doesn’t want to hear specific things - jokes about her or her family. For some God unknown reason Jackson is touring with comedians, and part of her contract states those comedians can’t make mention of the Jackson family. Bear in mind Jackson is making somewhere in their neighborhood of half a million dollars per show while America is having nationwide protests regarding wealth distribution (perhaps the joke’s on the paying public), and she once let the kid from N*Sync pop her boob out in front of a national TV audience at the Super Bowl. Here’s an idea, if you don’t want comedians to make jokes about you, don’t do things that make you a punchline. And with that I just sacrificed my chance to open for Janet. I’m sure she won’t miss me much.
* If you took everything that was cliched about boy bands in the 90s and mixed it with a Jersey Shore amount of bronzer and hair gel, and a current internet craze, you’d get Heart 2 Heart’s “Facebook Official.” At first I thought this was a parody, but it turns out it’s real, and they’re being mentored by N*Sync alum Lance Bass (two N*Sync mentions in this week’s Pop Shots? What year is this?). I’m not sure what’s worse, the “rap” that imitates the flow of the The Lonely Island’s “Jizz In My Pants,” which was a parody, or the fact that somewhere there’s a 14 year old thinking posting this on his girlfriend’s Facebook wall is a good way to show he likes her.
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
Folks, you’re gonna love this one. I have a VERY special show for this month as the recording of my podcast just so happened to coincide with my birthday, so this is an extended birthday edition of The Adam B Experience! It also doubles as the official online birthday party for yours truly. It’s the playlist we all would have rocked out to had we all been together over the weekend. So get your headphones on if you’re at work, or crank your speakers up if you’re at home, and get crazy!
The summer is officially over, which means it’s time to put those summer songs away and get something new in rotation. I’ve had A LOT of albums come across my desk and appear in my inbox over the past few months and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many of them have been good, and even great. I’m notoriously picky about my music, but 2011 is turning into one of the best years on record (pun intended) in quite a while. Some examples of why are are efforts by Dessa, IamOMNI, Lights, Astronatualis and Toussaint Morrison.
Dessa Castor, The Twin
Whenever someone questions the musical validity of hip-hop one of the first artists I point them to is Dessa. Castor, The Twin is a perfect example as to why. Castor, The Twin is filled with music fans of Dessa are already familiar with... well, sort of. It has the songs you know, but done in entirely new ways. Castor, The Twin isn’t a traditional remix album, and that’s a good thing. Dessa didn’t just put the vocals of one song over the instrumental of another, and she didn’t just get a band and have them try to make music that sounds as close to the original as possible. With Castor, The Twin Dessa composed all new music for her songs with the band she had been touring with. Even though I loved A Badly Broken Code, I actually wasn’t worried about what was going to happen to the songs because I trust Dessa’s musical abilities and vision. This wasn’t about creating an imitation, it was about musical expansion, and the result is something really incredible to hear. Dessa is an amazing emcee, fantastic singer, and her poetry is gorgeous and moving, and with this album in hand she can not only rock the hip-hop spots, but the jazz clubs, as well.
IamOMNI IamOMNI
IamOMNI is what west coast emcee Omni is going by now and for his latest project he linked up with the legendary trip-hip innovator Tricky. Add in the dope vocals of Tiki Lewis and the result is one of the coolest, most groundbreaking, albums of the year. The lyrical content of IamOMNI ranges from the personal to the political and with Tricky behind the boards the album really compels you to listen. The production draws you in and when IamOMNI’s vocals kick in, because Tricky is a genius, the beats works to accentuate the lyrics. Many times a producer will look to shine in a “look at me” kind of way, but Tricky shines by creating great music while knowing the words of the emcee also need to be very “look at me.” He makes sure IamOMNI sounds his best and IamOMNI’s best is really something to hear. I’ve listened to a lot of his work, and really enjoyed his 2007 release, Batterie, but this release is head and shoulders above everything he’s done. IamOMNI is thought provoking, empowering, and straight up dope. It’s that rare album that says something important that you want to spin over and over again.
Lights Siberia
High hopes. They can be a dangerous thing. Lights’ first effort, The Listening, was my favorite album the year it came out, and is still in rotation in my car, so, needless to say, my hopes were high as soon as I got my hands on her sophomore release, Siberia. Lights has added a little dubstep to her synth-pop sound, which, to put it simply, means she now sounds like an 80s artist with an attitude. It’s pretty awesome. The beats thump a little more, but the essence of synth pop is still very apparent. Lights’ songwriting hasn’t changed a bit, but the subject matter has. From the lyrics of Siberia it’s clear Lights is in love. This is not to say the album is filled with lovey-dovey tunes, rather she addresses the ups and downs of being in a relationship. The album truly shines when she either dives head first into dubstep, with songs like “Everybody Breaks a Glass,” “Fourth Dimension” and “Flux and Flow,” or goes straight synth-pop with songs like “Toes” (which I can’t get out of my head). The only misstep is the nearly nine minute long instrumental track “Day One.” Overall, though, my high hopes were met, as Siberia is a winner.
Astronautalis This Is Our Science
When I listened to Astronautalis’ previous efforts my thought was he was a really talented songwriter who made some good, laid back, music. When I finally saw him live last year I thought “man, this guy is a force of nature!” The dichotomy between his albums and his live show is jarring, but they have one major thing in common - they’re both great. With This Is Our Science Astronautalis has, for the first time, captured a little bit of the feel of his frantic live performances on an album. His gravelly, bluesy, voice, and the incredible intensity he puts into the delivery of his lyrics, makes for a wild listening experience. Astronautalis is an emcee, but he’s also a singer, and the music of This Is Our Science may lead people to believe this is an indie rock album, making it a hip-hop album in disguise. For many it may be the perfect entry point into hip-hop, they just have to be ready for some emotional investment. There’s a reason Astronautalis is usually dripping with sweat at the end of his shows, and the ride he takes you on with This Is Our Science might have you breaking a sweat, as well.
Toussaint Morrison Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Homeboy
Everyone once in a blue moon an album comes along that puts me on my ass in a good way and makes me wonder “why the heck didn’t I know about this artist sooner!?!” Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Homeboy, and Toussaint Morrison, is that album and that artist. I gotta give credit where credit is due, the reason I learned about him is through my good friend Jus Rhyme, who’s doing a tour with Morrison in December and put me on to his music. From the first line of “Chrysler 300” all the way through the end of album I was blown away by Morrison’s skills and energy. After I had spun Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Homeboy I spun it again. It’s one of those types of albums, you have to hear it over and over. His pop culture references are fantastic and extremely varied - from classic video games, to comic books, to Calamity Jane - and he makes music that’s straight up inspiring. It’s like a 5 Hour Energy in hip-hop form where the ingredients are expert lyricism, a ton of charisma, and killer production. There are some slower songs on the album, as well, which act as a nice breather before Morrison amps you up again. Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Homeboy should be on everyone’s playlist.
I love Duece Bug for this one. “Kick Rrawks” is a hip-hop song to mosh to, pure and simple, and has all the earmarkings of a potential anthem - chorus that gets stuck in your head, killer beat, impassioned delivery. I’ve seen this performed live and if you aren’t ready to get caught in the crowd, play the side, cuz there will be rowdiness.
Comebacks are never easy, especially when your last big hit was a decade ago, but Eve 6, who were last on the singles chart back in 2001 with “Think Twice” and “Here’s to the Night,” have managed to give themselves a second life. Lead vocalist and bassist Max Collins, guitarist Jason Siebels, and drummer Tony Fagenson, after a brief break up, have reformed, taken the time to reach out to their fans, and managed to recapture the magic they originally had in the late 90s and early 2000s. While their content has matured, fans of their previous work, which includes songs like “Inside Out,” “Leech” and “Promise,” have grown with them, and the band hopes those fans will appreciate what they have to offer in 2011. I caught up with Eve 6 drummer Tony Fagenson to find out more about the band’s break up, eventual reformation, and everything they had to do to re-establish themselves in the music world. Fagenson also revealed why the timing of their breakup was, in retrospect, truly awful, and the truth behind their tweets with The Office’s Rainn Wilson.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber teaming up, to Lady Gaga hangin with the president, to The Simpsons getting two more years, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* Mariah Carey has Bieber fever... or Justin Bieber has Mariah malaria. Whichever it is, what I’m trying to say is the two are working together on a Christmas song that will be hailed as a classic by screaming tween girls everywhere. The duet will be a cover of Carey’s Christmas hit “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and it will be one of many collaborations Bieber has on his upcoming holiday album, Under the Mistletoe. Usher, Boyz II Men, The Perry Band and Busta Rhymes (yes, I’m confused by that last one, too) have also been announced as guests. The first single, “Mistletoe,” will be released on October 18th, which is proof positive that even label execs think this is a scary idea that’s more fitting for Halloween than the holiday season.
* Lady Gaga met with President Barack Obama last week at one of his California fundraisers to discuss the issue of youth bullying. She wore 16 inch heels (not a typo) and towered over the president. According to The Hollywood Reporter Obama said “it was a little intimidating.” Apparently Gaga is either a really big fan of irony, or doesn’t understand the definition of bullying.
* Just one year after entering rehab for a host of issues, Demi Lovato is hitting the road for a short ten date tour starting November 16th. The tour starts in Detroit because now that the auto industry is doing alright again, and the Tigers and Lions are winning, it was felt the city needed to be knocked down a few pegs.
* Two legendary labels, Jive and Arista, and relative newbie J Records, are no more. RCA has announced it’s shuttering the labels and moving the artists over to RCA. It’s not easy to put all of this in perspective. Jive gave us the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Arista gave us Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Usher and Pink. J Records gave us Alicia Keys. I understand why the move was made, but feel that a smarter move would have been reorganizing Jive, Arista and J as boutique labels. Back in the day there were certain imprints you could trust to always put out good music of a certain genre. That trust will never be there with so many artists lumped together on one giant roster. What do I know, though, I’m just the consumer they’re trying to reach.
* Our long national nightmare is over, The Simpsons has been renewed for two more seasons, which means it will reach the quarter century mark in age. Like most things that reach 25, it will probably then go back to live with its parents while looking for work.
* Destiny’s Child may have sung about being survivors, but it’s someone from their predecessors, TLC, that’s truly embodying the ideal. T-Boz, who, after being diagnosed with sickle cell anemia when she was young, was told she’d never live past 30 (she’s now 39 and probably isn’t thinking about lying about her age anytime soon), just revealed she recently had a brain tumor removed. The sultry voiced singer seems to be able to defeat just about anything. I still don’t think she’s considering chasing any waterfalls, though.
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
Artists like to claim they’ve seen and done it all. It lends them an air of worldliness. For many of the them, however, most of what they’ve seen and done doesn’t go much further than the end of their respective block. Then you have Murs. Murs doesn’t claim to have seen and done it all, but with the way he keeps expanding his resume it would be hard to argue against him if he did. From Def Jux, to Warner Brothers, to now working with Dame Dash, yes THAT Dame Dash, Murs’ continuing travels in hip-hop are unique and far reaching. Right now Murs is far reaching in another way - he’s currently on a 50 city tour, which started in late September. I caught up with Murs right as the tour was getting into full swing and found out more about it, as well as the affect being in his 30s, and getting married, has had on him, and why he says working with Dame Dash is a lot like working with El-P. He also told us who he’s been picking up in his fantasy football league.
Music journalists/bloggers and publicists have a unique relationship. Journalists want the best stories, publicists they want their artists in the most possible faces and ears. They usually work pretty well together. Heck, I’ve met some publicists who I now consider very good friends. Over the past six months or so, though, I’ve noticed a new trend in music PR that’s been bothering me, as well as of some of my colleagues (although we’re in competition for stories and jobs, lots of us are friends, and we talk). The problem has been emails that tell us to check out an artist’s new video, or song, not on YouTube, or Vimeo, but “on music site/blog XYZ.” Emails like these are slowly eroding relationships that publicists took years to build. Here’s why.
All writers/bloggers know their place in the writer/blogger hierarchy. I’m not about to tell you Adam’s World is as big as AllHipHop because that’s freakin ridiculous. I’d rather be occasionally turned down for a press pass to an event by giving people website statistics that are somewhat close to reality than be looked at as a liar and a fool for trying to quote some unrealistic number. That being said, nobody likes to be reminded that they aren’t the biggest player in the blogosphere. When an email comes in telling us to check out a video on another blog or website it’s a direct indicator to us, the writers, that the publicist has their preferred websites to work with and, much like with certain VIP rooms, we’re not on the list.
By telling writers/bloggers to check out a song or video that has been debuted on another site a publicist is essentially telling us they feel their relationship with that website is more valuable than their relationship with everyone else. While it’s perfectly fine to have favored sites, and people, to work with, it’s not OK to tell everyone else about it. Imagine you’re a writer who thinks you’re on someone’s short list of people to send new content to only to open an email that slaps you in the face by saying “we’ve partnered with THIS website for this.” That writer will now, more than likely, be less inspired to post up future content from said publicist as the feeling will be “you’re only coming to me because so and so didn’t post it up.”
Journalists love exclusives. They love breaking news. Sometimes this means being the first to post a video. I know that’s not exactly calling a presidential election, but in the blogosphere victories are usually pretty small. When a publicist sends out a video and advertises it as debuting on another site, that thrill of possibly being the first is gone. For a lot of writers there’s no need to even mention it at that point, since it’s now old news.
Unless money is changing hands and websites are paying for exclusive rights to run content first I see no reason as to why publicists are aligning themselves with certain websites over others.
Everyone who isn’t that big in the blogging world knows they aren’t that big. They don’t need the reminder. If you have a song or a video you’re debuting sending it out to everyone, rather than partnering with a large blog or website, gives one of the smaller blogs a chance to jump on it first and become a bigger blog. If there are more big blogs there are more places for a publicist’s artist to be featured that are big. This is basic math, but it’s an equation some folks need to be reminded of.
If you’re not feelin M-Tri, I don’t know what can be done to help you. This man is pure hip-hop, through and through, and his work has an “influenced by the early 90s, but not trying to copy it” vibe that can’t be denied. That fact that there are somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen B-Listers, perhaps even more, in this video for his latest single, “The Grease,” makes what you're about to watch even more awesome.
Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from a new toy from T-Pain, to a new sensation in Afghanistan, to new music from Lights, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.
* Because embracing mediocrity isn’t just for adults, T-Pain has released a special “I Am T-Pain Mic” that’s for kids. The microphone uses a voice modification technique similar to the way Auto-Tune “fixes” T-Pains singing, and features a selection of beats for kids to sing, or rap, over. Because we live in an age where everyone wants to broadcast every single thing they do in hopes of heaps of praise and a future filled with fame, the microphone comes with a USB plug so kids can share their songs, and because Swizz Beatz still exists we can expect him to be passing the microphone’s pre-programmed beats off as his own any day now.
* It’s been a weird week for Michael Jackson, and that’s saying a lot considering who we’re talking about. First the horrific image of his corpse showed up all over TV and the internet, then his doctor’s defense attorney appeared on the Today show, which was a big no-no, as it resulted in the judge in the doctor’s manslaughter trial to issue a gag order for all attorneys working on the case. The news wasn’t all bad, though, as Cirque du Soleil are paying tribute to MJ with their new show, The Immortal, which debuted in Montreal on October 2nd and travels to 47 cities in North America through July 14th. Michael Jackson had nothing to say about any of this because, well, he’s still dead.
* TBS is using the same Tinie Tempah song, “Written In The Stars,” for the MLB playoffs that the WWE used for Wrestlemania and is still in light rotation on the radio after what had to have been half a year of heavy rotation. Please make note of that in any article involving “Pop Shots Writer Goes Insane.” Thank you.
* In the coolest story of the week, Afghanistan hosted its first rock concert in thirty years this past Saturday. Bands from Australia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan performed a variety of styles of music, including blues, indie rock, electronica and death metal, for a crowd of nearly 500, which was an exceptionally large audience considering the date and the venue of the show was kept a secret until the last moment for fear of an insurgent attack. And to think, our biggest concerns at rock concerts are overactive mosh pits and whether or not the guy next to us is going to puke on our Converse. We have it easy!
* Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is debuting an opera on October 12th. If this sounds like a bad idea to you, you are not alone. I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but an opera? Described as a “psycho opera” (OK, this is getting a little better), Stop The Virgens (not a typo) will debut in Brooklyn, NY, as part of the Creators Project. If you need to figure out how to get there, consult your “Maps.”
* One of the mother’s of hip-hop passed away last week. Sylvia Robinson, who, with her late husband, ran Sugar Hill Records, the label that released the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” died of congestive heart failure last Thursday at the age of 76. Because of “Rapper’s Delight” many of us still rap when putting hot butter on our breakfast toast.
* Lights, who you all know is one of my favorite artists, just released her latest album, Siberia, yesterday. The latest single and video off of it is “Toes” and it’s filled with a heaping dose of 80s inspired synth pop goodness. The video also features a pair of shorts that can capture just about anyone’s attention.
And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.
When Dessa released A Badly Broken Code last year it broke at least one thing in a very good way - the mold. From the emceeing, to the singing, to the poetic aspects of the album, A Badly Broken Code pushed boundaries and showed everything hip-hop can be when it’s done right (which is why this writer made it his number one album of the year). This week Doomtree’s leading lady is back with Castor, The Twin. Castor, The Twin is a new album that isn’t new. Confused? That’s OK. What Dessa has done with Castor, The Twin is re-imagine her work with a trio of talented musicians - bassist Sean McPherson (of Heiruspecs), drummer/vibraphonist Joui Van Phillips, and guitarist/pianist Dustin Kiel. The result is an entirely new sound and feel to Dessa’s work.
I caught up with Dessa to find out what inspired her to put Castor, The Twin together, how her original producers felt about it when she brought up the idea, and why she may not be as thrilled as one might expect if a review says the album is better than sliced bread.
Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia. They’re not just three major metropolises in the US, they’re three of the ten most segregated cities in the country. When Jus Rhyme and Toussaint Morrison saw the full list they came up with a plan - embark on a tour of all ten cities and create a discussion about the forces that are creating this segregation. Jus points to some startling statistics on the subject, noting “one in six people in the US are impoverished right now. That’s more people than in the 1950s. US schools are more segregated by race than in 1950. Do you know how we deal with that? This is how we decided to deal with it, not more schools, not more houses, more prisons. One out of every 100 people in the US are in prison or jail. We incarcerate more people than any country in the whole world. If you include people on parole three out of every 100 people in the US are under the criminal justice system. Toussaint and I think we can do better and we want to see people come together and let’s change this.”
The Segregated City Tour is their opening salvo in this battle to make things better and this week I caught up with both Jus Rhyme, who some may remember from his time on VH1’s The White Rapper Show, and Toussaint Morrison, to find out more about the tour, the kind of social action they’re hoping to spark, and why they’re only asking for half of what they need with their Kickstarter campaign.
Commercial radio has become the bane of many music fans’ existence, and there’s no denying many people’s claims that there isn’t enough variety on the airwaves and corporate money has come to completely overrule actual musical talent when it comes to what gets played. That being said, in the midst of all the payola palm greasing and endless replays of the same five songs fifteen times a day for three months (Funk Dat!), there are still a few good things happening on your radio dial. With that in mind, today I’m giving you five reasons to not destroy your radio.
Oldies aren’t as old as they used to be
OK, so maybe oldies are just as old as they used to be, we’re just getting older, but the fact of the matter is the oldies station my parents listened to when I was growing up (WCBS-FM NY) now has 80s music in their rotation. It’s not just Fankie Valli and Three Dog Night anymore, it’s also Blondie, Bon Jovi and Pat Benatar (and even 80s artists that weren’t listed under B at your local record store when you were a kid), which makes for a pretty cool mix that bridges multiple generation gaps.
Old school and late night DJs have deeper crates than you
Modern hip-hop radio is nothing short of terrible, but most hip-hop stations have an old school hour, and many also hand the reigns over to actual DJs once it gets late enough at night, and at those times you can hear some really amazing stuff. The great old school DJs will pull out the classics you love, but either haven’t thought of playing in years, or had on cassette tape and never re-bought when you made the changeover to CDs and/or mp3s. The late night DJs do what all DJs used to do back in the day and that’s break new music. They’re also far less hesitant to experiment and throw on an artist people may have never heard before. No matter how much you download, you’re never gonna have the extensive libraries of music these men and women have.
There are entire radio shows dedicated to the 90s
Yes, the 90s are back! Kid Kelly’s BackTrax USA has two hour blocks of music, the original 80s themed version he’s been doing since 1993, and a 90s themed version of the show he debuted in 2003, and it’s on all over the country. It’s not necessarily on at my favorite hours of the day; for instance, in New York City we get it at 4am on Saturdays, but I can’t lie, I’ve heard it on some late night drives home, and on my clock radio as I’m going to bed. Long live 90s music!
Pop radio stations that turn into raves after a certain hour
Maybe this phenomenon only occurs in New York City, but on the weekends, once the night reaches an appropriate hour, some of the local pop music stations change their format into an ecstasy pill popping, glow stick waving, party in a box. It’s at these times that you don’t even need to go to the Jersey Shore to experience it because it’s right there on your radio. The only thing missing is a fist pump from Pauly D and a verbal bout between Ron and Sam, and let’s face it, we’re getting pretty sick of the latter.
Without the radio you’d have no idea of what to put on your iPod
I hate to break it to ya, but your iPod’s playlist isn’t some sort of countercultural goldmine of musical obscurity. The vast majority of digital songs sold are by the most popular artists in the country, and the most popular artists in the country are the ones getting all the commercial radio airplay. The artists who’ve had the most #1s on the Hot Digital Songs chart are Rihanna, Eminem, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce and Justin Timberlake. This means the majority of people with those little white earbuds in their ears are listening to the exact same songs that are on the radio right now.
B-Listers are a select group of artists that were featured in my Artist Of The Week series that ran every Monday from April of '06 to April of '11. All of these artists have two things in common; extreme talent, and a flight path far too under the radar for my liking. They took on the title of B-Listers as they embraced being featured by me, Adam B. Check out the AOTW Archives for all the interviews.
