Portland bands have to pay a third party, Sonicbids, to apply for a slot at this year’s MusicFestNW [this may have been the case last year too.] You’d think after the debacle with the CMJ conference where folks paid Sonicbids to enter the lottery and apparently no one from CMJ bothered to listen to the bands’ submitted songs, that MusicFestNW would not make Portland’s bands jump through such a ridiculous hoop… here’s but one lament from the CMJ application process - “Apart from the fact that we are now open to a bunch of spam, it has also brought to my attention that Sonicbids has collected the $45 fee from at least 670 bands ($30,450) knowing full well that you could never accommodate all of the bands.” Here’s the full story from GhostMedia.
And here’s what I wrote about this year’s SXSW conference and those companies who try and sell bands and musicians the snake oil.
“One five minute trek through the trade show proved to me everything that I already know - the cornerstone of this conference and the business upon the back of which the music conference was originally founded, the recorded music industry, is being swept aside by a tsunami of technological advancement - that’s not hyperbole by the way, no the hyperbole lies with the companies who are promising to be the saviors of the music business by helping you, the musician, make a living making music - if you are willing to take the snake oil that’s being sold.. Let’s call them the www.we-can-save-your-career.coms.
Here’s a list of just a few of the companies promising untold riches or something to bands and musicians (add .com to the end of each name here..) SongNumbers, Myxer, ArtistXite, BandFarm, mTraks, SonicBids (the one I dislike the most), Muzu, Gydget, ArtistForce (SonicBids part 2), aaahhh the list goes on and on.” Full post here. And Benjy who works for Sonicbids left his comments about SXSW here.
So the question is - will MusicFestNW be transparent about the number of available slots for local bands and musicians or not? If not you will never know how many bands have applied for however many limited slots are available. Sonicbids will continue taking applications regardless of the number of slots available - It’s a lottery - good luck, someone’s going to get rich… Here’s the “opportunity” link. You have to become a member. MusicfestNW 2008/Sonicbids Combo Package: Cost $12.95 (US)
Transparency is a major force on the internet so it’s time for Sonicbids to open up the doors to the “opportunities” that they offer bands and musicians so they can make an educated decision before applying and paying good money. It’s the right thing to do.
Allen (l) and Burnham (r) in happier times, May 5th 2005 backstage at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom (pic: Jamie Francis)
GANG OF FOUR MINUS TWO
The original and best-loved line-up of famed post-punk icons Gang of Four reunited in 2005 to great acclaim and success - unfortunately all good things must come to an end. Bassist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham are moving on, although singer Jon King and guitar-player Andy Gill will continue, focusing on writing and recording new music as Gang of Four. Burnham last performed with the band at All Tomorrow’s Parties in the UK in December 2006, while Allen played a few shows alongside drummer Mark Heaney in 2007, and recently worked on new material with King and Gill.
Allen says, “At the beginning of April, I decided that I could no longer continue to be a member of Gang of Four. My ability to give 100% to the band is limited and I feel that if I can’t do so, then I shouldn’t continue. As I expand my research and thinking about contemporary music distribution on Pampelmoose.com, and as I focus on online technology and social networking at Nemo Design here in Portland, I find myself conflicted about how the band’s new music should be released. To retain any credibility for Pampelmoose.com about what the future of music distribution will look like, I have to move on and not hold back Jon and Andy’s music plans. I have had a side project for a while now with John Askew of Tracker and Menomena’s drummer Danny Seim called Faux Hoax (pronounced Folks), and I look forward to fun times finding ways to get our music into peoples’ hands in unique ways.”
Burnham writes, “It was a great couple of years of intermittently reminding people old and new, far and wide just how powerful the original four of us were together. Age only increased our power and focus onstage, and it was a rare pleasure to work with the original band once again. Being in a band requires handling the business side of it too, and that became boring and the constant travel became debilitating. I am soon to start my Doctorate, as well as broadening my teaching at more than one college here in Massachusetts, so my free time has become increasingly limited, making it difficult to be involved with them going forward. Musically, I am recording and writing with members of Boston noise-merchants, The Bags and I have also been doing some recording lately with Mike Watt. I wish Jon and Andy luck with their new musical endeavours; I am sure they will be interesting.”
I spent Sunday afternoon out in Washington state, near Battle Ground actually. Portia from Kill Rock Stars and her husband Slim held a BBQ at their house and invited many people who had at least a tenuous connection to the indie music scene. Mecca Normal performed and for me that was a first as I had never seen them and I know they have had a heavy influence on many musicians in the Northwest indie rock/riot grrrl movements. Amongst the crowd were Hutch and Kathy of The Thermals, Carrie from Sleater-Kinney and Rachel Blumberg who was telling me about touring with Bright Eyes and working with M Ward and how she really enjoyed his She and Him project with the actress Zooey Deschanel. And as you can tell by the video, Horsefeathers performed a set too. I also edited some footage from the day to a Horsefeathers song Hardwood Pews - watch it here.
I just can’t resist stating the obvious: not only does recent addition to the band Ehren Ebbage play spanky lap steel + crisp acoustic guitar while adding another shot of bourbon-sweet vocals to an already bourbon-sweet mix. He also bears a striking resemblance to Lou Diamond Phillips. At least I think so. So are The Dimes Portland’s Young Guns of pop? Yes. You’re damn right, they are. And they’re starting a dusty West Coast tour this week. How perfect is that?
And he’s back! Back from tour and back into the party-starting swing of things. Yes, Wednesday marked the debut of the Gossip’s Brace Paine’s new club night Situations at Dunes. Whether it’s throwing impromptu MSTRKRFT and Spank Rock after-parties or his esteemed line of long-running dance nights in Portland, including Suicide Club at Dunes and No No Disco at Tube, Paine aka Nathan Howdeshell appears to always have some must-attend shindig up his sleeve.
Starting well after their Hot Chip support set, somewhere around 12:45, Free Blood climbed on top of Dunes’ white speakers for a high energy set; both on their part plus everyone in the club out dancing on the floor. The Brooklyn duo (featuring ex-!!! member John Pugh) sang and screeched their way through a set while taking the time to bust some dance moves, explain their disdain for the day Thursday and walk on tables before proclaiming it to be their best show of the tour - all the while receiving some tongue-in-cheek heckling. Nathan’s DJ setlist included some Rhianna and Kelis as well as some old-skool underground disco that brought out and kept up all the party kids including a Dat’r member and Nathan’s Gossip bandmate Beth Ditto (who was rocking a fierce one-sleeved dress might I add).
Free Blood’s live set marked the kick-off of Situations, set to journey on to a Kills DJ set on May 16th, Long Blondes DJ set on May 31st and then return to live set land when No Bra checks in on June 3rd. Plus Nathan takes his turn on the decks each time as DJ Nightschool. Mark your calendars!
