Can we brand a non-commercial entity?

I can’t believe the week in Austin is already over. Time to get back into school mode—classes, homework, getting up early, not seeing a great band or three every night. Most importantly however, I am sure that I left SXSW with more than I went there with six days ago. I have never been in a place like Austin during last week before. The presence of so many people all in love with and dedicated to the same thing truly carries over into the spirit and debauchery of 6th Street at 2 AM or the great discussions at the daily panels at the convention center.
On Friday I found a panel that offered an interesting view into the world of Web 2.0. Social Networking for the Anti-Social featured five apparently big names in the industry. Among other things, they stressed the importance of developing social networks and ensuring continuity with your brand that fits your organization’s image. Thinking about WRCU, I see a lot of possibility for us to bring our Twentieth century medium into the world of Web 2.0. I think presently, WRCU does a better than average job of attracting fans and listeners and reaching out to them. However, I think our ‘push’ may be stronger than our ‘pull.’ We have a lot to offer students and local residents, but either through greater promotion or content, I think we can reach out even more, and have more reasons to attract unsolicited listeners.
One concrete idea that popped into my head during the panel was the possibility of a social network for WRCU. While there are a plethora of online communication modes available to DJs or listeners, consolidating them into one WRCU social network system seems like a potential way to attract more listeners. In addition, it could also give us a clearer sense of purpose, an important facet of a brand’s digital image that the panelists were quick to point out. The social networking idea could be used as a tool for DJs to connect with one another and pique the interest of outside listeners. Even though this idea is vague and undeveloped at this point, I at least see a potential for branding that could be utilized and reaching out to our fans and starting communication in both directions.
The panel explained that a great way to get started is to look at whom you admire and mimic them. I think WRCU can examine the brand image and Web 2.0 presence of other radio stations, especially college and university stations, and take something from them, while avoiding the pitfall of shameless copying.
Looking at this panel from another point of view, it was designed for bands or companies, both (in most cases) commercial ventures. WRCU on the other hand, needs to maintain its independent spirit while still finding ways to utilize the tools that Web 2.0 has to offer.

Austin, we hardly knew yee.

Got a lot of interesting info today not from panels, but from talking to bands after shows. Headed out to Auditorium Shores by the lake first to see Beach House and The Cannabinoids feat. Erykah Badu. Then I headed back downtown and caught Hot Panda, whom I spoke with a little after the show. Said they'd be interested in playing a small college, but as I suspect is the case with a lot of new/unsigned indie bands, they haven't done it before. Wonder if these kind of bands front the money to register on a site like Sonic Bids or if the old-fashioned email way is best bet for booking a band like this. Around 10 I saw Yelle, a french electro/pop/rap act I've been waiting a while to see. And she did not disappoint! Might be the best thing I've seen all weekend, or at least top five. Checked out another electro act called We Have Band very briefly and then stopped in at Third Eye Blind's last performance of the festival. They had the nerve to be playing stuff from their new album, so I left immediately after the final chord of "Jumper", went down the street and caught the second half of the Spinto Band, a band I saw open for the Arctic Monkeys 3-4 years ago and love to see live. Got a chance to talk to them a little afterwards about their touring/ availability, and they specifically mentioned talking to labels. I guess the thinking is you set up a relationship with one label and bring a few of their bands over a period of time as a package deal kind of thing. Thought that was an interesting angle to take.
Now as I diligently type this blog in the hallway, a band called Superlasciva from Argentina hands me their cd and strikes up a conversation in Spanish. I warned them that I speak Spanish only "un poquito" but they were so enthusiastic. They even wanted to play a little for me out here but I told them some other time. When they found out it was my last night, they both said in unison "Que lastima!"
What a shame indeed.

Had to call it an early night tonight after nearly dying at the Black Lips (in a good way). GZA showed up and messed around with them at the beginning which was very cool.

Anyhoo, went to some interesting panels today, including "Bands, Brands, and Fans." Got me thinking that if Colgate has some kind of deal with Coke or Pepsi for athletics or the cafeteria or anything like that, that those kind of brands might be an interesting resource for music discovery/funding. Don't know if people would find it too sell-out-ish, but it might be cool to try to get a Spring Party Weekend act from a sponsor in the future. Also checked out Nardwuar's Video Vault, which was a presentation given by this wacky Canadian radio dj. He had some great footage of interviews over the last twenty years though, N.E.R.D, Michael Moore, Nirvana, you name it.

I think the most valuable info we've stumbled upon for CAB has been this website sonicbids.com It's a site that hooks bands up with venues, colleges included. You have to register to be a member and then bands start sending press kits to you, instead of just hoping to get something out of a one-off email, which is the way we book shows currently. Talking with some UT booking kids, it sounds like they're able to pull off a couple shows a week on campus. Granted, they are a lot bigger and have a lot more money, but we have a lot of money to spend, too, and with Donovan's Pub all shiny and new, I don't see a reason that CAB shouldn't be able to book one show a month if we had access to a resource like this. It eliminates the mystery part of the booking process, like who to email, when to call, how much they'll cost, etc. With sonicbids, all that information is available.

Alright, show list. Today was my favorite day so far:
The Takeover UK, Sleepy Sun, Bear Hands, The Postelles, The Ettes, and the Black Lips. Everyday I get downtown with a little schedule planned out and I have yet to follow it. I completely wung it today and saw some amazing stuff. Then again, if you walk down 6th St. and you're eyes are open, it's hard not to.

That Guy

Whilst standing on the sidewalk orienting myself outside the Austin Conference center, fresh from the womb of the hotel shuttle van I saw him, the guy from Rolling Stone.  I would of known his name but Rolling Stone just straight doesn't have the pull it once had, not with Web 2.0 and all. 

The first panel of my day was the Keynote Given by Quincy Jones. I would have twittered/blogged about it as approximately 70% of the audience did but my cellphone has a 15 minute battery life, so I just had to listen-old fashioned like. Quincy Jones's speech was the ultimate name drop, apparently knowing Frank, Bono, Dizzy, Michael and Miles gets you a keynote address. I was game but I was expecting more from the industry giant but all I felt was an industry giant.  Yes MTV was a hit, but I'm not sure Q still understands it's current state...

The next panel I was planning on seeing was the Make a 360 Deal With Yourself which was interesting and a new media appropriate event, I bet at least 80% of the audience would be on their blackberries/iPhones, but alas Q went over and I had to pick between the educational moment of the 360 Deal panel and the address by Devo.  Note: the scary woman from the Dresden Dolls sang to the line...

I chose Devo and I'd do it again. 

Devo invented new media, invented video form based on their miscalculation on the availability of laser disks. But I digress. As I looked into Devo's eyes and they to mine I was lost cold and tired in the dim light of the conference room. 

The concerts Thursday night, Meat Puppets, The Thermals, Annihilation Time, Gordan Gano and the Ryan Brothers. 

I will write more. There are as many things to say as there are panels I need to be at, now. 

Teaser: I shook Gordon Gano's hand. 

Artist-side research

I guess it's reasonable now to talk about why exactly I'm doing my best to find out a little bit about artist-focused resources on the web, considering I'm not exactly a musician myself. It all has to with understanding a musician's mindset, background, and environment to further my music-listening and music-finding endeavors. I've generally considered myself a digger rather than a mouthbreather when it comes to finding out about music new and old, and I've found the thing that helps me understand historical (as in, like, the 1970s) and modern trends is little bit of knowledge about the conditions the music developed in.

For instance, take the DIY hardcore culture that developed in the late 70s and early 80s in, among other places, California and DC. It's well-accepted that listening to that music without any knowledge of its context can only take you so far, considering those scenes were so focused on show-going and community-building. There are a plethora of other good examples, from British post-punk to Nigerian afrobeat, and the same logic even applies to more well-known periods like the rise of the Beatles in Britain in America. By this logic, having a deeper understanding of how musicians are coping with a post-music purchasing and post-mega label world will grant me (and anyone else interested) the knowledge we need to keep on digging for great new music, to support upcoming musicians, and to stay on the cutting edge of hearing (and hearing about) music.

Blogs, Blogs, Blogs!

To save you from another extended self indulgent post about how awesome SXSW Day 3 was I'll just say it was awesome and get on with it. So yesterday I had the fortune of being able to get into the Bloggers are Now In Control panel which featured the likes of Brooklyn Vegan, Aquarium Drunkard, and Done Waiting to name a few. Side note: yes, I am blogging about blogging. It was an interesting snapshot of the music "blogshere" and I really got a sense of how powerful the medium is. I never knew that one could fill or empty a venue with one blog post or that bloggers had enough sway to get artists signed. Blogs as a promotion tool are huge. Often It its like having a formal review of your music by someone who really likes you. Most bloggers blog only about things they like. This is due to time constraints or disinterest I'm not sure which one is more of a factor. And a note for all you artists out there: Want to get noticed in an email to a blogger? Make sure the subject line of your email says what you are all about and actually read the blog first will get you far.
One thing I did note is that these folks think very highly of themselves and even fancy themselves journalists. With several traditional journalists in the room there were some pointed questions about the legitimacy of blogs in the news media. What the journalists asserted was that blogs have no formal editing process, no oversight, and fact checking is often put on the shoulders of the reader. I think this is is a critical point of contention which the blogsphere never has adequately addressed and its dangerous if people run about calling music blogs news. Nonetheless, it seems as though there is a continued simultaneous specialization and expansion of blogs. There was a general agreement at the panel that gone are the days where people only blogged about "indie rock." They pointed out that there are even country music blogs now and one should expect to see the "Nickleback blogs" of the most mainstream music soon.

Online Resources for Musicians

This post will be a work-in-progress. My main focus during the SXSW panels series has been to focus on how the internet and Web 2.0 technology has affected how artists make their livings. The bulk of the good panels on this subject were on Wednesday. I'm going to do a summary of good artist-centered web resources for now, and when I have time throughout the rest of the week, update each link with more information.

Resources focused on distribution:

1. Kunaki
2. Cafe Press

Resources for promotion to fans about music and/or shows:

1. Eventful
2. Eventful Demand
3. Pandora
4. thesixtyone
5. Last.fm
6. Changents
7. Google Blogsearch
8. Rawwrip
9. Reverb Nation
10. Vista Print
11. Twitter Search
12. Twitter Feed

Business networking tools:

1. Sonicbids
2. Linked In
3. The Orchard
4. Imeem

Administrative tools:

1. Artistdata
2. Better Than the Van
3. Couch Surfing
   

Good sources for information:

1. Musican Atlas
2. Hype Machine
3. The Indie Guide
4. Cyber PR
5. New Music Strategies
6. Digital Music News
7. Artist House Music

Unclassified so far:

1. Noise Trade
   

Hipster Disneyland

So the time has come for my little post. Guess I'll just give a recap of what I've been up to down here--more cohesive info on specifics for CAB/booking to come. P.S. You can visually supplement this blog with pictures from pretty much everything I've been at @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/colgateuniversity/collections/.
Ok, so casting my memory back to yesterday morning, I woke up from a meat coma induced by Tuesday night's trip to Salt Lick BBQ and headed to the convention center for a panel called "Annoying Things Bands Do." Ended up being more geared towards artists, telling them, from venue managers' perspectives, how to do a gig successfully, efficiently, and politely. Heard some horror stories, but I think bands we bring to school tend to be pretty good about load out, green room riders, being on time, etc.
Next panel I went to was Crash Course #2: Management. Scott Booker, the manager for the Flaming Lips, and another dude were answering questions about band management/agency. This was interesting to listen to because managers tend to be the people we deal with in the planning stages of a gig so it's good to know how their end of the deal works.
Now the good part: the music! Shout Out Out Out Out at the Canadian Blast Barbecue was great. Then Annie Rossi and M Ward out at Central Pres. Church, which was an amazing venue with great acoustics and very cool vibe. Spiritual even? Then I split up from the group to see some electronic stuff other peeps weren't really into (there's no way not to end that sentence in a preposition. Is this the kind of thing bloggers are paying attention to? Oh god, another preposition!). Black Cherry and Natalie Portman's Shaved Head were both fantastic, the latter drawing a pretty sizable crowd that liked to dance.
Now today: Heard Quincy Jones' key note speech was interesting, but I skipped it to check out a friend's band, the Ivorys (with a y), at 1:30ish. Ended up getting a little tour of Austin with his friend who's a local. After some great tex-mex, she took us to a great place called Spider cafe a little farther out than 6th St., the main drag. Saw a band there whose name I don't think I should post here. For that matter, the next two bands I saw today also have names I won't post. But they're creative. Lot of shows going on in every part of town, even in residential areas. Then I went out to the Auditorium by the lake for Cold War Kids and M Ward--great outdoor venue on the water, definitely going back Saturday for Beach House. Then it was back downtown for Andrew Bird, who was fantastic. Midnight went to see Passion Pit. Also very very good. Wasn't surprised to see bigger crowd and recognition of their single "Sleepyhead"--Pitchfork has been raving about them for months. My favorite show of the night was actually my last, The Harlem Shakes. These guys were great: high energy, interesting drum beats, cool synth. They seemed to have a little bit of a following, too. Oh, and I caught Peter Bjorn and John on their encore. They played "Young Folks"--good timing!
And just when I thought the night couldn't get any better, we found a cupcake vendor on the street. I love Austin!!

Day Two: I think I've found out what heaven is like

Day two of the trip and the first full day at SXSW was in a word, amazing. Never have I been in a place where it was so easy to network and talk to people. See someone you want to meet? Walk right up to 'em. Bands/promoters/everything. I started my day with the panel Texas Barbecue. While I would have gone to Quickies 1 if I could have (couldn't get in), the barbecue panel solidified a new found love for Texas. I checked out electropop up and comer Golden Filters on the day stage. Browsed the trade show and made a lot of important contacts for the radio station with foreign language promoters, Sonic Bids, and AFTRA. After that it was a quick stop at the British Music Embassy then on to the Canadian Blast to see Shout Out Out Out Out. S.O.O.O.O. has two of everything: drumers, synths, you name it they got two. After that up was up to the Central Presbyterian Church to wait and wait to see Anni Rossi and M Ward. Think of Anni Rossi as a female Andrew Bird. M Ward? His intimate performace was something very special, best show of the night. Headed to the Mohawk next to check out Dosh and The Chaps. Dosh on his own is okay, but I have to say I like him better when he plays backup for Andrew Bird. The Chaps were a band I'd never heard of but they were halarious, really good performers. From there I headed on over to see cananadian pop rockers Mother, Mother an old favorite of mine. While there were copious sound issues, the show was still fanatstic.
So I went to alot of shows and they were all great but the best part of South By (as everyone calls it down here) was meeting people in the lee time between events. I talked to several bands including Coryesan, Adolf Hipster, Postal, and Triple Cobra. Met up with college radio people from Atlanta, Kansas City, and Toronto. And talked to more bloggers than I could possibly mention. You can pretty much go up to anyone and talk music in some context which for me is a change. Elsewhere no one has heard of my favorite bands/artists. Here, I have a slightly behind the curve knowledge of new music and playing catch up is a blast. The most interesting converstions for me though where those with radio people. As it turns out for many people in college radio the expirence is way different. All people I talked to who were on the board of directors at their station get paid to do it. However, the open format found at WRCU is the golden standard for most of the people I talked to. The major exeption being this bloke's station from Atlanta (sorry I did not catch call letters/school name) where the entire programming was student news and commentary. Interesting deal but I wonder what all they report on 24/7.
That pretty much sums up my day two. Now its time to head on out and hit up the Bloggers are In Control panel.

Day One Snapshot

So I spent a good part of the day traveling here from Syracuse which was your typical airplane/airport experience and then we arrived here in Austin. SXSW was in my face the moment we got into the van to head to the hotel. Members of the Japanese band natccu (a J-Pop band)were in the van with us and the van driver was giving us the inside scoop on what to expect at the hotel during SXSW. From what he said and from what I've seen so far there are a lot of bands/promoters/other music related folk right here in our hotel and all over the city. After checking in, I went downtown with the rest of the Colgate group to register and pick up our badges. The convention center is a sort of labyrinthine complex and getting to the registration desk required doubling back more than once to find the damn thing. However walking about the convention center was kind of illuminating. With all the SXSW interactive stuff still going on there were impromptu interviews going on all around us and many more people were working on something. Basically an ever buzzing hive of activity. Once we did finally manage to get our badges we were then presented with a bag full of free stuff ranging from stickers to magazines to CDs to gum to welll.............. I actually haven't actually finished going through it all yet but there is alot of stuff. Right now though, I'm going to go chill poolside and try to talk to some bands.

My South By Southwest Prologue
My excitement for SXSW can barely be contained. I've spent the entire weekend cruising the blogsphere, checking out some podcasts, and listening to Sirius XMU's SXSW preview. That process managed to get me hyped up, annoy everyone around me, and also to get a tad bit existential. SXSW has been the big break for so many bands/artists/promoters/labels/organizations/people in the past you can't help but wonder if that guy over there is the next big thing. Or even more so will I my meet that person at some radio station/label/promoter/organization who gives me that big break to kickstart my own career? Its crazy to think about but it actually happens rather frequently from what I can tell. A year ago no one had ever heard of the band Ra Ra Riot, and then they went to SXSW got picked up and were in a recording studio a few weeks later. The same thing goes for who knows how many other people. I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to do anything like this again and if I will take full advantage of it? Or will I miss out on something great? Who knows? Its both outrageously awesome and a wee bit scary at the same time. But thats enough of that. Mostly I am really really really excited and the most urgent and pressing thing on my mind is who out of those 1000+ bands am I going to see? I know what panels and non-performance events I'm going to: Devo, Quincy Jones, Radio and Marketing related panels, but still 1000 bands. its hard for me to wrap my head around the number. I suppose I'll know better once I get there. Till next time....