Music on the Brain

Forgive me for my constant music talk. I know this is a Marketing blog, it just seems to be one of those times where I'm surrounded by music and I can't help but talk about it. When I wrote the post the other day about the music I'm listening to, it was just a stream of conscious momentary thing. I was actually procrastinating. It was easier to write about music than write a proposal.

But as long as I've brought it up, please allow me to continue and get it out of my system.

I'm sitting here typing this as the Bonus Features run from the movie I've just finished watching, Anvil: The Story of Anvil.

I first read about this movie in the LA Times about a year and a half ago. They were profiling the Sundance Film Festival and specifically this little independent film made about a metal band from Canada called Anvil. I saw the article and my heart jumped. I knew Anvil. I started singing their song, "Metal on Metal" in my head. Instantly I was 15 again. I had a red bandana wrapped around my wrist, sporting an Iron Maiden t-shirt, leaning against my buddy's Audi in the parking lot of the Long Beach Arena. Yes, that is what I did when I was that age. I listened to a ton of heavy metal music. And Anvil was one of my favorites.

And, like most of the people who grew up in that era, I assumed Anvil had broken up 20 years ago. Wrong. They never stopped. They formed in 1977 as kids in Canada and now as 50 year old men they're still playing music.

The movie spoke to me. It's not a must see for everyone. But it was for me. I'd been waiting for it to come out on DVD for months and it didn't disappoint. The best analogy I can give is that it is like Spinal Tap but for real. There was even a scene where the band visits Stonehenge.

But aside from that, I really enjoyed the film. It was the story of two guys who've stuck with their dream. They tasted fame early on and they've spent their entire lives trying to recapture that fame.

A song can send you back to a place in time and just the mention of the band Anvil transported me. Seeing the behind-the-scenes of their lives gave me added insight and made me think of my own life and where I've been and what I've experienced.

Which provides me with a bit of a segue here.

Last Thursday I was on this panel at the Digital Music West conference:

The Evolution of Music Blogs
Music blogs and blog aggregators and networks are a key component of music promotion and discovery, serving as trusted filters and digital tastemakers like independent radio of the past. What are the current trends with music blogs? What is the relationship between blogs, artists, labels and fans? What new innovations are likely in the blogsphere? How will blogs evolve to remain relevant in the years to come?

Panelists
Anthony Batt, Founder, & Chief Creative Officer, BuzzMedia
Justin Gage, Founder, Aquarium Drunkard / Autumn Tone Records
Lina Lecaro, Columnist, LA Weekly
Francis Ten, Founding Band Member, West Indian Girl
Larry Weintraub, CEO, Fanscape
Moderator: Heidi Richman, Founder, HRMP Lifestyle Marketing & Promotion

My favorite thing about the panel was sitting next to Francis Ten. The reason being is that Francis gets it. I type blogs, I speak to whoever will listen, but I often wonder if anyone is listening. The future of the music business is in the hands of the musicians. If you're a musician you have to connect with your fans, much more than just from the stage or the recorded music. You have to talk to them. You have to respond to them. And Francis said that's what he's been doing on behalf of his band for 5 years.

Prior to being on this panel I was somewhat familiar with West Indian Girl. I'd heard a bit of their music and I've seen their name mentioned at many a music festival. But after the panel I came back to the office, fired up the Rhapsody and listened to the band's Top Tracks. And I got lost in their music. It's beautiful and spacey. I listened as I navigated to their website and clicked on Fran's blog. And, just like he said, he blogs regularly about everything. Not just the band but things he sees, music he listens to, events he attends. He lets the fans in.

Francis said from the stage that every band has to do this. They have to blog. One member of the band has to be in charge of connecting to the fans in this way. He admitted that there is a struggle between the historical notion that bands should be somewhat separated from the fans with the current understanding that direct connection is key. And that statement summed up what I've been preaching for most of my career. Check out West Indian Girls' website - www.westindiangirl.com when you can and listen to their music too - here's a link to their latest album We Believe via MySpace Music - http://bit.ly/WEGTc