08/20/2010

08/16/2010

This friday we have some more great live mosic coming your way - up on tap this week:

Blackbirds (nj)
Those Mockingbirds
Walking with Cavemen

All shows are all ages and FREE.

The Star Ledger and the Aquarian will both be on site taking pictures and reviewing the show so come on out and play!

7PM :: 630 Mattison Ave. Asbury Park, NJ 07712

08/06/2010

Once again Bands On A Budget will be a sponsor of the Fest in Gainesville, Florida on October 29th, 30th, and 31st. Read the press release below.

Welcome to the official launch of the Ye Old FEST 9 website. I would like to start off by giving a big thanks to the fine folks at The Black Axe for building the site and creating our medieval theme this year. I am sure there will be some brew-warrior costumes roaming the streets of Gainesville this year.

This awesome site will grow as we do, with more info on what we have planned as The Fest 9 draws nearer. We are once again holding THE FEST over Halloween Weekend!!! I hope to see more debauchery and costumes this time around. Last year we had some amazing costumes about but this year, especially with our theme, I can only imagine what folks and bands will come up with. So this is a challenge tossed down from the mountain to bring your best this year. We will not have another FEST Halloween for 7 years!!!

Last year I talked about scaling back THE FEST 8 and in the end we grew to having 322 artists in three days. What can I say? If I have room and awesome bands who want to play, we will make the party bigger. So with that I am excited to announce that we are adding a new venue to THE FEST 9! It is called 8 Seconds. Do you remember walking by a big place that was painted like a cow? Well they have lost the spots, got some rad new owners who love punk rock, and want to host everyone this year. The place holds almost 1,000 people and looks like a crazy country tiki bar inside. This will give everyone more breathing room and make the lines at smaller clubs disappear we hope. We are still using The Venue, Common Grounds, Market Street Pub (all three days this year!), The Atlantic, 1982, Rum Runners, CMC, and adding The Top (new outside patio) and Wayward Council. We are sorry to say that the Kickstand is no more. It was a great venue at FEST times and normal times, but they shut their doors recently. Also, we are not using Durty Nelly’s this year due to management change over. But, overall this will be our biggest and best year to date!

There are so many awesome bands playing so far this year. Plenty of new bands like Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Teenage Bottlerocket, Cobra Skulls, High on Fire, Hard Skin, and Suicide Machines to name a few. Also, this year we will be celebrating No Idea Records turning 25 years old!!! So we got Twelve Hour Turn and Planes Mistaken for Stars to reunite, as well as a whole cast of No Idea alumni playing!!!

I am also pretty amped that THE FEST 9, so far, will be hosting more foreign bands! The active count stands at 22 bands full of foreigners and I am sure we will have more to come.

We are happy to also confirm that the HOLIDAY INN will once again be the official party down headquarters and will host THE FEST 9 registration and the FEST FLEA MARKET. Their room rates have stayed the same as last year too! Yeah! No price hike! Once again the Holiday Inn promises they will have real deal security so guests can party without being bummed by non-hotel guests trying to invade your party time. We will have the flea market/trade show/label expo thingy in their conference room again, and weather permitting; we are going to have another rad rooftop pool side reception on Friday afternoon with two awesome surprise guests performing for free!!! Oh, and they have rooms to sleep in (if you need that kinda stuff). So bring your swimmies, good vibes, and cold ones for the FEST 9 HALLOWEEN SPRING BREAK PARTY TIME EXCELLENT!!!

If you are looking for a more relaxed environment to rest your weary head, we have the EXECUTIVE FEST HOTEL. This will be at the Paramount Suites. It is super swanky and chills on a lake. Real nice stuff but no late night party time there. So if you are tired of the apeshit and need to re-charge this is totally the way to go.

Not only do we have the hotel and FEST 9 passes available now for purchase, we already have an assortment of FEST 9 shirts available. We have new designs from Horsebites, Black & Red Eye, Go Media, Barf! Comics, and Shark Guts as well as some old favorites incase you did not get them in years past.

We are still working through all the band applications and there are a ton. Problem is most of them kick ass!!! Deadline to get yours band application in is August 13th. You can mail in your app or apply online for a $5 donation to Harvest of Hope Foundation. Click here for more info on the application process.

So, we will slowly be adding bands in to our list so check back frequently. We will remind ya via MySpace, Facebook and Twitter of any updates we announce or add to THE FEST 9; so join up with us in this social media age.

Schedule is a pain in the ass each year, so be patient and I will try my best to at least get down who is playing on what day before summer is over. If you have applied hold tight and we will let you know by Sept 10th. Please do not email, text, call, MySpace, or telegram us about this. The more time it takes to check these messages the less time we have to plot and plan.

If you want to help us spread the word of FEST 9 we can send you flyers and posters once we get them made. Please email your contact information, address, and how many items you would need to streetteam@thefestfl.com

We are not doing volunteer sign ups yet but if you live in Gainesville and are interested please email Volunteer@thefestfl.com with all your contact info and we will let you know when we have sign up meetings. Usually they are late September/ early October.

For now enjoy counting down the days to debauchery, start training your livers, practicing your stage dives, start your beards, and in October we get to join forces in lovely Gainesville, FL again!

Endless Cheers,
Tony Weinbender/ THE FEST CREW/ NO IDEA RECORDS FOOLS

08/03/2010

Local band merchandise company and collaborative work space opens their doors to local musicians and residential music lovers

For immediate release

August 3, 2010 Asbury Park, NJ-- For years, New Jersey has proudly raised some of the country's best known, most talented artists. These days, Asbury Park is at the very core of this thriving music community. Between the abundance of talented artists, paired with the willingness for local businesses to open their doors to musicians, this is an area bursting with events and opportunities. Like several other local businesses, BandsonABudget.com has been a large supporter of the local music scene for years; starting the company in 2006 specifically to offer these musicians affordable merchandise. Getting involved as sponsors for local music events and festivals over the years, the owners of BandsonABudget brainstormed ways to get even more deeply involved in this artist community. When the opportunity to expand their Mattison Avenue office and open up a collaborative workspace arose, owners Bret Morgan and Danny Croak made the move; but not just in the name of business. The large open space, with custom desks that fold flat to the walls, was designed to be able to host events such as networking meetings, workshops, and most specifically, shows and band meet & greets.  August 7th kicks off the first of a series of local showcases at the BandsOnABudget/Cowerks office in downtown Asbury Park.

So the big question... what's on the schedule?  The first three August shows highlight Asbury Park's finest local talent, as well as a few foreigners (such as Those Mockingbirds who hail all the way from Little Falls, NJ).  While some of the bands playing are known to ignite a wild night, the shows are for everyone, saving the afterparty for townie favorite: the Bond Street Bar.  All ages and free for all, the doors are open to everyone, starting at 7pm each weekend throughout the month of August (starting with a Saturday, then continuing on Friday nights).  Onto the schedule! 

Saturday 8/7 7PM: The Obvious, Tom Dunphy, Blackout Stereo

Friday 8/13 7PM: Gimme Drugs, Taylor Allen, Athletics

Friday 8/20 7PM: Last Perfect Thing, Those Mockingbirds, Walking with Cavemen, & Blackbirds

The BandsonaBudget/Cowerks office is conveniently located at 630 Mattison Ave in downtown Asbury Park, a block from the Asbury Park train station and parallel to the popular Cookman Avenue.   

For More information about Shows at BandsOnABudget/Cowerks please call 866-471-3868.

For press inquiries, please contact Nina Chiminec at nina@bandsonabudget.com.

07/22/2010

With a bigger space comes bigger things. Next month we start doing shows down here on Mattison Ave. We have some great bands coming up and a bunch of good stuff in the works.

August 20 7:00pm
BandsOnABudget/Cowerks Present:
Those Mockingbirds
Last Perfect Thing
Walking with Cavemen
Blackbirds
Free
All ages
7PM
630 Mattison Ave Asbury Park, NJ 07712


August 13th
BandsOnABudget.com/Cowerks
Athletics
Taylor Allen
Gimme Drugs
Cost - Free
All ages
Location - BandsOnABudget.com/Cowerks - 630 Mattison Ave Asbury Park, NJ
Time: 7PM


August 7 7:00pm
BandsOnABudget/Cowerks Present:
Blackout Stereo
Tom Dunphy
+ 1
All ages
All acoustic
FREE
7PM
630 Mattison Ave Asbury Park, NJ 07712

07/22/2010

07/15/2010

Muchos gracias to the Tri-City News for their write-up on Bands on a Budget and Cowerks in this week's issue. Go pick up your copy and turn to page 22 to see the feature...

07/08/2010

Merchandise company Bands on a Budget opens “Cowerks” to fellow entrepreneurs, freelancers, and artists.

July 9, 2010
for immediate release

Asbury Park, NJ-- It's hard to have missed the buzz about Asbury Park's recent uprising. Those who live in or frequent the area have seen a drastic increase in new businesses opening up, musicians blowing up, and traffic creeping up to the “City by the Sea”. It has truly become a breeding ground for everything creative, innovative, and entrepreneurial. Local business owners Danny Croak and Bret Morgan have thrived on Asbury Park's Mattison Ave for over 2 years, specializing in affordable merchandise for bands and retailers with their company Bands on a Budget. While outgrowing their humble storefront shared with the design experts at M Studio, Bret and Danny jumped at the opportunity to move to the newly vacated storefront next door; a beautiful, open and airy office more than twice the size of the previous space. After a month of set-up, they've opened their doors to the rest of Jersey Shore's commuters, vacationers, artists, freelancers, budding entrepreneurs and local professionals.

The idea in itself isn't completely groundbreaking; we've seen collaborative workspaces in cities across the country, but this is the first of its kind in the New Jersey shore area. Typically, these shared workspaces are created for small businesses and freelancers to relieve the stress and overhead of running their own office space. However, few of these workspaces offer exactly what Bands on a Budget.com's newest endeavor Cowerks has made available: location, flexibility, and lifestyle. Involvement in this project is safe for the commitment-weary, suitable for workers who place a high value on a good vibe, and it's a perfect fit for both vacationers and locals who want to spare themselves a commute. Understanding one's reluctance to sign a year lease on a shared space, the owners of Cowerks have come up with the most flexible plan they could think of: drop in for a day, week, or month, with no contracts. It's a great set up for those who want a professional place to meet with clients, and the reasonable prices leave little reason to stay in the corner of a loud coffee shop to do work.

Who says a workspace has to be just for work?

The idea to share the office with other like-minded professionals went beyond opening a shared workspace. This space holds the potential for music events, workshops, networking meetings, galleries, and just about any other social event that would take place in bustling Asbury Park. Instead of filling the space with clunky work stations, custom desks were installed that fold flat against the wall, to allow for optimized space for an array of events. Whether you're looking for a place to work, meet, socialize, or network, the door is always open.

Cowerks is located at 630 Mattison Ave in downtown Asbury Park, NJ. For more information and membership rates, please visit cowerking.com, email info [at] cowerking.com, or call 866-471-3868.

For more information about Bands on a Budget, please visit bandsonabudget.com or call 866-471-3868.

For press inquiries, please contact Nina Chiminec at nina [at] bandsonabudget.com / 732-701-9045.

07/02/2010

Just a quick holiday note - we recently launched a new business venture - a Coworking space in downtown Asbury Park, NJ. Think of it as a cooperative workspace for freelancers, entrenpeneurs, and artists where you can rent desk space by the day, week, or month - never any strings attached. For more info check out Cowerking.com or learn more about coworking at "What exactly is coworking?".

Happy 4th all - hope y'all have a safe and enjoyable weekend and we'll catch up with you on Tuesday!!!

06/17/2010

06/16/2010

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Grace Sica, NJ Sierra Club, 732-841-6103
June 15, 2010
Doug O’Malley, Environment New Jersey, 917-449-6812
Meg Gardner, Clean Ocean Action, 732-872-0111

Asbury Park – New Jersey environmental and civic groups announced the official kick-off of organizing for three premier "Hands Across the Sands" events across the Jersey Shore on Saturday, June 26. The campaign is part of a national coordinated grassroots effort to protect our beaches from off-shore drilling by recruiting the public to show en mass their support for our beaches by locking hands together across beaches across the country at high noon on the 26th. There are three main beaches and towns along the Shore that will host large events, including Asbury Park, Seaside Heights and Atlantic City, as well as 10 additional beaches along the Shore.

"On June 26th we will link hands for the future of America, for the environment and the economy," said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "We can continue failed policies of the past that have risk our coasts and our economy, or we can protect our coasts, tourism, and our economic future."

The organizations also released "Oceans Under the Gun," a joint Environment New Jersey and NJ Sierra Club report on marine resources threatened by the expansion of offshore drilling on the Atlantic Coast.

"As summer rolls into the Shore, we can’t forget that oil companies – even in light of the disaster in the Gulf – are still angling to drill off the Atlantic Coast," said Doug O’Malley, field director for Environment New Jersey. "Across the state, the public is going to tell the President hands off our beaches and urge him to ban new off-shore drilling."

The report includes an overview of the marine and coastal environment in the Mid-Atlantic region where new offshore drilling has been proposed. The report highlights marine ecosystems and the value of coastal recreation and fishing (commercial and recreational) for New Jersey. The report also compares the value of sustainable activities like tourism and fishing to the value of estimated oil and natural gas resources in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The report shows that the value of the sustainable economy based on tourism and fishing in the greater New Jersey region is over 12 times larger than the oil and gas resources that we might be able to find off-shore.

"As we watch in rapt horror at the suffering living-dead marine life coated in molasses-like toxic oil, we must be moved to act, now. To start, we can stand together, join hands in solidarity to support our community in the Gulf of Mexico. Then vow to wage a personal "war against oil," oppose off shore drilling, and put conservation and efficiency first," said Cindy Zipf, Executive Director, Clean Ocean Action. The current event info can be found at http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/new-jersey/. On the day of the event, beach-goers will arrive at the beach at 11 a.m., and in select beaches, receive special wrist-bands to allow them access to the beach for the event. At noon, all the participants for the event will gather together and spread across the beach and lock hands for 15 minutes, with a clear message to oil companies – hands off our sands. "As this report clearly states, clean oceans, waves, and beaches are worth far more economically than the oil and gas resources in these waters.  Offshore oil drilling is not the answer and the Surfrider Foundation will continue to fight more offshore drilling around the country," said John Weber, Northeast Regional Manager of the Surfrider Foundaton. 
Participants can RSVP for the premier events at select Facebook pages:

Seaside Heights: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=125558947478411".
Asbury Park: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=132480546769181&ref=ts
Atlantic City: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=130651916961088.

"We applaud President Obama and Secretary Salazar for their recent decision to suspend Shell Oil's plans for drilling in the Arctic Ocean this summer. Just like our shores here at home in New Jersey, the Arctic Ocean deserves special protection," said Julia Millan Shaw, New Jersey Field Staff Representative for Alaska Wilderness League. "The Arctic Ocean is one of the most unique marine ecosystems in the world and has been essential to the survival of some of our nation's most beloved wildlife and Alaska's Inupiat people for thousands of years. We must continue to work hard to ensure that any future development in these pristine waters is only allowed to proceed when it can be done safely." Over the next few months Congress will decide whether to allow expanded drilling off our coasts as part of the energy and global warming legislation now moving through Congress. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is the area most at risk, but other regions like California, New England, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast are also threatened by one proposal or another.

06/09/2010

<p>Hey all, we are currently in the process of moving to a bigger and better store/office.  Our phone lines have been switching over from our old carrier to our new service and everything is a bit in limbo.</p>

<p>We assure you that everything is okay, even if some of you are receiving disconnect messages from our 800 lines.  We are hoping that this issue is resolved shortly but in the meantime you can dial our local number at 732-701-9045.<p>

<p>Cheers!<br>Team Bands On A Budget</p>

05/12/2010

05/04/2010

Step 1: Login to your Bandsonabudget.com account at BandsOnABudget.com/login. On the right hand column of your customer account dashboard you will see a link for your IndieCard campaigns. Click on your IndieCard Campaign you wish to embed. For this example we are going to select the "Austin 2009 Digital Download Sampler"

Step 2: Once you have clicked into the widget you will be on the IndieCard campaign view. Since we are logged in you will be able to see additional features such as the administration panel as well as the widget code. From here we care going to select all the text in the widget and copy it to your clipboard. To copy, highlight the text and either select File-Edit-Copy or hit Command-C (Ctrl-C on a PC).

Step 3: Once you have copied the widget code to your clipboard open up your blog, website, or other site you want to place the widget. Select the area where you want to paste the code here using either File-Edit-Paste or Command-V (Ctrl-V on a PC). Note: the widget uses something called an Iframe and will not work on Myspace or Facebook due to restrictions on their end.

Step 4: Your widget will now have embedded the widget into your third party sites allowing fans to enter the code on their IndieCard! You can use the code "austin2009" to see the working widget below.

04/23/2010

IndieCards just turned 1 year old last week and the service has more than met our (and hopefully) your expectations. We have a major overhaul of the service in the works with a bounty of new and great features but we are still some ways off from launching that. In the meantime, we've had requests time and time again for an IndieCard widget that is embeddable in 3rd party websites. Well, ask and you shall receive...

Starting today, you can log into your IndieCards account and will see a new content window with some HTML code. Simply copy this code and paste it into your website, blog, or other Internet site. Please be aware that due to limitations caused by 3rd party sites such as MySpace and Facebook, it may not work in all scenerios.

In your account you will also notice a new content block with social media icons. Simply click on these icons to share your IndieCards page with Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites.

Anyway - enjoy the new features and we sincerely thank you for the overwhelming support of the IndieCards platform.

04/21/2010

Our good friends Those Mockingbirds have some exciting new - read the official press release below and make sure to catch them on tour.

New Jersey’s THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS came together with the intention of capturing a collective desire for new sonic fusion. With a balance of old and new, soft and spacey, and in-your-face rock grit, the band will be introduced to the world with the release of their debut EP NO SYMMETRY digitally on April 20 and in stores June 8. 

Songwriter Addam Bird and instrumentalist Dom Lettera first envisioned the birth of THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS after combing through hundreds of new songs and fresh ideas. After recruiting drummer Matt Yeager, guitarist Dane Zarra and violinist/keyboardist Tory Daines, the newly assembled outfit began to shape songs with a meld of eclectic elements that match mood with energy. The music is decorated with contrast, though held together with stylistic consistency all their own. 

"We mix the old with new, violins with distorted guitar, meshing male and female vocals," explains Bird. "These tools work next to each other because the songwriting holds them all together." And as THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS realized they were striking this balance, their debut EP NO SYMMETRY came to life. 

The five songs that make up No Symmetry reflect the band’s musical balance while also marking a snapshot of their collective arrival in this specific time and place. Produced by Tom Beaujour (Nada Surf) and Those Mockingbirds, the EP has a dual meaning. “No Symmetry has a dual meaning. “When I’m not focused I tend to get caught up looking for symmetry and balance in life, often in the wrong places,” explains Bird. “This title is a reminder that there doesn’t ALWAYS have to be symmetry in everything. Secondly, its somewhat of a Zen concept that I came upon, in the sense that in the human mind we search for symmetry to relate to experiences easier and be able to categorize things more efficiently, though the title is also the antithesis of Zen, which is all about balance.” 

To coincide with the upcoming digital release of No Symmetry, THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS have announced a spring tour that launched April 1 in Danbury, CT. Upcoming confirmed tour dates include:

Apr 16 2010

Lower Paxton Youth Center

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Apr 17 2010

The Mezzanine

Salisbury, Maryland

Apr 24 2010

The Fire

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apr 26 2010

The Darjeeling Cafe

Staunton, Virginia

Apr 28 2010

Greene Street Club

Greensboro, North Carolina

Apr 29 2010

Longbranch Saloon

Knoxville, Tennessee

Apr 30 2010

Common Ground (Acoustic Set)

Lexington, Kentucky

May 1 2010

YMCA Annex

Lima, Ohio

May 8 2010

Maxwell’s

Hoboken, New Jersey

May 26 2010

Bloc 11 Cafe

Somerville, Massachusetts

May 28 2010

Rock Saga

Negril, Jamaica

May 29 2010

Rock Saga

Negril, Jamaica

May 30 2010

Rock Saga

Negril, Jamaica

The bigger picture for THOSE MOCKINGBIRDS is telling of what it is that makes up the band’s ability to effortlessly strike their musical balance with intimate themes and a purpose that has depth. “We want to get across that rock n roll should be personal and meaningful,” Bird explicates. "It should be real. It needs to be dangerous. Most importantly, not everything needs to be perfect. Rock n roll is about what is coming out of your heart at any given moment."

NO SYMMETRY will be released digitally on April 20, 2010 and in stores June 8, 2010 from LE Records/SideCho Media.

###

For more information, contact:

Alex Mohler

SideCho Media/Bridgeport West

alex@sidecho.com

818.255.8620

04/20/2010

The name Billy O'Brien is a brand in itself. He's the common denominator in most circles of friends and a standard for all up and coming bands worth checking out. Throughout the past 10+ years, Billy has had his hands in many different areas of the music industry, particularly surrounding the NJ shore area. From concert promotion, to artist development, to radio shows, and more, Billy is a great resource for music industry experiences and insight.

Nina: What first lured you into the music scene so many years ago?

Billy: I was always in a band. When I was a little kid, my older brothers use to watch skateboard/Surf/Snowbaord videos, and I was immediately drawn into the music. At 12 I decided to quit playing sports, and try to learn to play bass. I was always in a bad punk or Hardcore band...no one ever booked us. So I decided to start doing shows myself, with a few friends. I did my first show when I was 14 yrs old. At that point, I just started finding any VFW, Skatepark, venue, or whatever to let me do these shows. By the time I was 17 years old, I was working for the top independent promoter in NJ, and started to learn how to really do a show. The music industry is a place for failed musicians...

Nina: Throughout the years, what have been some pivotal points in your career?

Billy: The first, I would say when I met Danny Croak when I was coming up, and he asked me to come hustle for him at Concerts East. Thats where I went from a D.I.Y. hardcore kid, to someone who had the potential to actually work in the music industry. Thats when I stopped taking MY music seriously. The 2nd moment would be when John D, asked me to come work for him and run his record label, and do day to day management for his artists on Linc Star Records. The weird part is, we came into it expecting to run this record label, yet, instead started running BamboozleTV. After a year or so of building that brand, we started to sign artists to Linc Star Record, and experience became the greatest teacher. I learned through every mistake, and had more responsibility and pressure than ever in my life. I worked with a band Lydia, and had the pleasure of learning about viral marketing, and pretty much every facet of artist development. Thats when I realized ,sometimes you need to jump into it and just do it...don't think about it, but be about it. Thats where I realized that this industry is a lifestyle, not just a job. It haunts you, and you need to be 24/7... especially when dealing with artists. The 3rd time, when I met Joe Michelini from  River City Extension...he was the most peculiar character I had ever met, and wrote some of the best music I've heard in a while. Thats when I realized I would be ready to shape this artist and make him reach every goal and expectation. More recently, I left Linc Star to go to Millennium Radio Group. Radio is something I knew NOTHING about..I just wanted to jump into it, and see that side of the industry...experience is the best teacher, right? We created a promotion platform and radio station, ShoreAlternative.com , I started to do events and develop the incredible artists I discovered over the past 5 years...and history has yet to be written...

Nina: Has there ever been a moment where you wanted to throw in the towel in this industry?

Billy: A few times, I left to go to manual labor, and realized that I couldn't do it. It wasn't for me. The only thing I was good at was artist development and promotion. I didn't know how to do anything else. I had a natural grasp on the business... I chose not to go to college, and I submerged myself in this lifestyle. Every time I tried to leave, it just kept calling me back...when I started working with Concerts East, I met this character, Jim Macdonald, he was the lighting & production guru for just about everywhere in NJ...We were outside smoking cigarettes and he said to me.. " Billy, Get out of the business as soon as you can...Once you get a taste, you won't be able to leave, no matter how hard you try...it'll just keep calling you back. "...Jim was right... RIP.

Nina: What have been the greatest memories and accomplishments that make it all worth it?

Billy: I'd have to say working with Lydia was the most gratifying thus far...The band was broken up, and John D got them back together. He gave me the reigns, and let me run with it.  I worked 12 hour days on just about everything, from that point, I realized I had a strength in creative marketing. That lead to a Major label deal, which in hindsight, was the worst thing they could of done. Greatest memories? It's the music business...it's been a blur, if you want stories...I definitely have them...whether it was hanging out and partying with my musical heros, or touring...I am just thankful, and feel really privileged to be working in this industry...it's still vegas, but I've been lucky to stay on the table for this long...

Nina: You're a guy that wears many hats. Which role is your favorite?

Billy: I'd have to say the artist development aspect, which I'm sure is pretty vague, and most people do it improperly...it requires you to consult and guide an artist, but you don't have the pressure of being a manager. Yet, you have the opportunity to mold, motivate, and inspire them. You get to watch them grow. It's like having kids I guess...( not like I would know). Music discovery has been a core factor in why I am doing what I'm doing...I love to find music, and reveal it to people...It's generally why I am here. I get to play it on the radio, tell people about it, and promote it. The greatest gift you can give is music. Music is a therapist. I like to tell people.. " My love for music drives women away, and draws friends closer"...

Nina: What is the basic idea behind your latest creation, Shore Alternative, and what inspired it?

Billy: Well, it wasn't MY creation, but a collective effort between my partners in this endeavor, Gregg Pirillo and Mike Merrell. When the best alternative radio station in NJ, flipped to Top 40, the program director for 105.7 the hawk(gregg) decided to create an online radio station that would be a better alternative radio format. When I came into this full time, we decided to make it more than just an online radio station...It's a place to discover new music. We develop unsigned bands on the site, give away free music, events, just about anything. We even started a label and management company behind the veil of ShoreAtlernative.com. Shore Alternative is starting to turn into a lifestyle, and we program the soundtrack. I've been sick of the different music scene's that have come and gone through Asbury Park. We decided to take that small market, and actually create a scene based around great music, local and national. We promote shows, help curate different events, and are building a vast network of independently minded people that want to see a change in our local community, but also inspire music communities nationally.

Nina: I've recently learned that there's a term called "the Oprah-touch", which you tend to have on bands. What bands are you behind right now that you're trying to create a buzz for?

Billy: River City Extension, Brick and Mortar, Scott Liss & The 66, Future Future, Only Living Boy...All bands are from the central NJ area. I could promise that the scene we've been building and the artists that we are developing will eventually rival any music scene in the united state. We have a great community that helps cultivate and nurture each other. Each of these band have their own unique sound. It's not like a bunch of bands that are trying to do the same thing. It's really brilliant.

Nina: Has the success of the weekly Shore Alt nights at the Wonder Bar surpassed your expectations?

Billy: Yes, without a question. We thought it would be something that everyone would appreciate at first, then get over in a few months. Instead, its been strong and steady. Each week we have a package of great bands, and a wonderful audience that appreciates the music. I recently saw the movie 24 hr party people...It was inspiring to know that there were people doing this before me, and they made a historical impact on music. Thats what we want...when this whole thing outgrows itself, or falls apart, we want everyone that was a part of it to think back about the great bands, and the great times that we were all able to share @ The Wonderbar.

Nina: What are some ultimate goals you've set for the projects you're involved with?

Billy: We want to become a national brand, whether it's ShoreAlternative.com, or if it's the bands we are developing. We want people to look at NJ (Asbury Park) and see that we are cultivating some of the best up and coming bands to come out of here in 30 years. We want to create an independent community that runs itself on it's own terms. The Record Label industry is on it's head, they don't have the time to develop a band properly...We have the resources in our backyard, and we are lucky to have such a great location that is an hour away from 2 major markets, and allows the artists we work with to build themselves regionally. Act Locally, think Globally...we've taken on that mentality. We will do everything in our power to turn NJ back into a destination for bands to develop. It's starting to happen now.

Nina: What motivates you to do everything you do, and where do you get all of the energy to do it?

Billy: Hunger. You need to stay hungry...comfort is a killer. I am motivated because of the years i've spent trying to prove myself...I'm done doing that, I'm just setting an example/standard for myself each day, with each move, and every show. I'm fueled by coffee. The adversity and competition I face daily, is a driving force for me to wake up each day, and work harder and longer than my contemporaries. The times are changing. I don't want to fight with people, I want to work with everyone...I want to create a fabric with this community, and work with whomever is willing to make a change, and impact our environment. Egos have killed the business, fuck that. Stay humble, and stay focused, we aren't in this alone.

04/12/2010

All it takes to get the most merchandise for your money is a bit of knowledge. Did you know that your 5 color design could look just as good in half-tones, paying for a 1 color shirt instead? Ordering in packages, printing one design on different products to reach price breaks, and asking about our specials are just a few ways to save big. We know that you're on a budget but still need to stock up on merch, so here are some tips to get the most bang for your buck!

1. Order your merchandise in bulk.
Have you ever wondered how prices are calculated for ordering shirts? Once you've determined what product you want to print on, the part of the price that fluxuates is the printing. The cost per shirt depends not on how many shirts you order, but how many pieces you're printing of each design. If your band needs 100 shirts and sends us 4 designs, you're paying the max price (for 25 shirts each) instead of getting a price break for ordering 100 shirts. To get the most merch for your money, we recommend ordering one design at a time; you'll have a lower price per shirt, allowing you to order a higher quantity. The price breaks are at 24, 48, 84, 144, 288.... Don't worry about having too many of the same shirt; you can print the same design on different products and still get the price break. Mix and match sweatshirts, t-shirts, tank tops, in all different colors and sizes.

The order in bulk rule doesn't apply only to apparel. You'll notice that getting twice as many stickers, postcards, postcards, etc. never equals twice the price. In many cases with printing, the expense is in setting up all the equipment to print your order, so ordering a higher quantity won't cost you too much more. This is especially true with CDs, where you'll find that it costs pennies more to press 1,000 CDs instead of 500. Why is this, you may be wondering? Any quantity of CDs under 1,000 are considered short run, instead of standard. Short run are always more expensive per unit because they are assembled more or less by hand, as opposed to a standard run, which goes to our printing facility that specializes in bulk orders. We know sometimes it's harder to get more money upfront, but you'll certainly get more merch for your money if you're able to place one large order instead of several small ones.

2. Print your t-shirt designs on white shirts
As a general rule, white shirts are always cheaper than any other color. If you're set on a design with lots of ink colors, or several locations, you can keep the cost per shirt down by ordering white shirts. Why is this? For one reason, the shirts themselves are just cheaper. The second reason has to do with printing. When a light color ink is printed on a colorful shirt, it needs a flash, which is a base layer of ink to be able to see the ligher color ink. This process takes longer and involves more labor and equipment, justifying a higher price.

3. Use fewer ink colors
Sometimes less is more, but other times we want super colorful designs! This can lead to expensive merch, but it doesn't have to. The first tip is to make sure you utilize the color of the shirt itself, or the white vinyl background of the sticker. When screen printing a design, consider the color of the shirt or vinyl as an ink color in itself and save on one color. Secondly, if you have shading in your design, you can often convert it to half tones, which are little dots that vary in size to create an image. The best part of this is that you can print a pretty intricate design with shading in only one color! Consider these shortcuts before printing a full color design!

4. Print in less locations by utilizing your screens
One other factor that heavily influences the cost per shirt is the number of print locations. We understand that sometimes you can't avoid needing a 2 or 3 location shirt, but sometimes you can! The size of a screen is 14x18. What does this mean? Depending on your design, you may be able to print in 2 locations with the same screen, resulting in much lower prices. For example, you want to put your band logo and website on a shirt, but not next to each other. Try putting the logo on the top of the shirt, with the website at the bottom corner. Or try doing a design that wraps around the side of the shirt. You have 13.75” x 17.75” of space to print for each location, so use it!

5. Order your merch in packages (our pre-designed packages or create your own)
A general rule of thumb for placing merch orders is: the more you buy upfront, the less you pay for each item. We know there's an array of merchandise that you need so we've created pre-made packages covering everything from t-shirts to stickers, IndieCards and more. The packages are created specifically for bands starting up, bands who have been around for a while, and bands who need lots of merch (great for touring). Alternatively, you can create your own packages and expect that we'll give you a nice discount for ordering your items in bulk!

6. Have your artwork print-ready
One aspect of ordering merch that often holds up the order and adds additional expenses, is artwork. Bands are asked to send us their artwork print-ready, which means 300dpi in photoshop (.psd) or illustrator (.asi) format. When artwork is sent to us that's not print-ready, our designer has to recreate the art, leading to extra charges and more time before the order is complete. Make sure if you have a multi-color design that it's color separated and the layers are not flattened. Here is some additional information for preparing your artwork: http://bandsonabudget.com/blog/7/The%205-Minute%20Guide%20On%20How%20To%20Prepare%20Your%20Artwork%20For%20Screen%20Printing.

7. Ask about sales/specials
Every month we create a new special to give bands a chance to try new products at an affordable price. These specials are announced in our monthly newsletter. Not on our mailing list? You can find all of them in the news section of our site: http://bandsonabudget.com/blog/news. Whether you get an extra 10% off all stickers, or can try a new soft shirt product, you'll always save big with our monthly specials! How do we determine what becomes a special? One factor is that our suppliers occasionally have sales, which allows us to lower our prices even more on specific products for a limited time. Other times we think of products that bands would like for a certain time of year; such as doing a beanie special in the winter, and soft t-shirt special in the spring. Take advantage of the specials we set up to allow you to try different products at a bargain price, all year round.

8. Order what's on the site for our lowest priced products
We take pride in being able to custom order any item you can think of. However, when we're talking about getting the most merch for your money, the best way to go about it is to shop on our site. Out of countless items we could list, we choose standard products which have the best prices. So remember, what you see on the site is the best deal you'll find; custom orders will cost you a bit more!

9. Re-order the same design
With certain products such as t-shirts, it'll cost you less money the second time around. Remember the first time you ordered t-shirts and you had to pay screen charges for every color and location? Well, never again (for that design at least). We keep your old screens, so anytime you want to re-order a specific design, you'll only be charged for the shirts and printing, no set up/screen charges.

10. Don't wait til the last minute to order
Believe it or not, waiting til the last minute to order merch can be a costly gamble!  If you know you need your merch by a certain day, get in touch with us at least 2 weeks prior.  This way, we can make sure your artwork looks the best it possibly can and that everything is done right.  When doing a rush order, you may need to pay rush fees or ship the order overnight, which can cost significantly more than ground shipping.  Plan ahead to avoid unneccesarily spending extra money! 

04/12/2010

04/03/2010

In a time where everyone seems out for themselves in the entertainment industry, Ohmare Washington has created a site to bring everyone together. Flycat Music Group was founded as a social networking site to unite artists with individuals in the industry. Owner Ohmare Washington can be reached at flycatmusicgroup@gmail.com. He welcomes musicians, industry personel, and other music fans to create an account on his site.

Nina: Where did the idea for Flycat Music Group emerge from?

Ohmare: I came up with the idea of FMG (Flycat Music Group), when I decided to involve other artist within my company. It was originally Flycat Entertainment, and it was just me as a solo artist. Now it's a group of solo artist. I truly appreciate the fact that they have trust in me to help them achieve their goals. After attending mixxers, I also decided to create a networking site, for artist to directly connect with companies that have valuable resources.

Nina: In one sentence, explain what the main purpose of Flycat Music Group is.

Ohmare: FMG's main purpose is to create a brand within the entertainment industry.

Nina: What have been some of the biggest challenges in starting the company?

Ohmare: The biggest challenge is connecting to the fans. When you are an up-and-coming Company, and /or artist, it's a little more difficult to get individuals to connect to your brand. And the main challenge is Finance. The finances are minimal, but I have still been able to create something with heavy online-promotion, and word of mouth.

Nina: What have been some of the rewarding moments that makes it worth it?

Ohmare: My company has been in existence for less than 6 Months. In that short period of time, we have been booked to perform in London, UK for August 2010, and in Paris, France for July 2010. And also we have a promotional deal in process with a London-Based company. There has also been off-and-on talks with Ed Hardy for an endorsement deal for an artist I manage by the name,"Wes Coas" to promote his new single, "Cash Rules'

Nina: How long has Flycat Music Group been online?

Ohmare: The website, www.imaflycat.com has been in existence for a year. But for the last 2 months, I have been doing a lot of changes to the site. I wanted to direct people to the site more, as opposed to our myspace page. I also decided to make the site a place for people to network and help companies promote their businesse. Somewhat of "Cross-Promotion" As far as the FMG brand, The company was created in October 2009, and every month we consistently put out a mixtape for people to download for free to remain relevant. We set up an online store for fans who want to buy the albums from our artist. As we speak we are promoting my artist Youngin's debut album "Now, Next, Forever"

Nina: How many people do you have working on the site?

Ohmare: I'm the only administrator of the site. I make all the updates and changes almost on a daily basis. I also run the company single-handledly. Getting feedback and input from my artist has been helpful, and sometimes from the members of the site. Without them,Imaflycat.com would barely exist.

Nina: What keeps you inspired to keep the website going?

Ohmare: My main inspiration for continuing to work on this site is consistency. Our goals for FMG is built off Consistency, and Longevity. It takes hard work, but when you are passionate about something, you do what it takes to keep the brand afloat. I get e-mails from artist all across the world asking to be part of Flycat Music Group.

Nina: What is your ultimate goal for Flycat Music Group?

Ohmare: My ultimate goal for FMG is to be a household name. A company known for having the most consistent artist. It's more than music also, we have Photographers, Graphic Designers, Producers, and also a Marketing Branch. This summer, I will be directing our videos, and Documentaries. There's also the Marketing, Promotion, and Management. So the goal is to be known all across the board when you think of Entertainment.

Nina: How do artists and music industry folks get noticed by you?

Ohmare: So far we have been getting noticed by going to Network events, The Internet, and also doing what i call "Groundwork". For Instance we were at this year's South By Southwest, and handed out over 600 cds, and hundreds of Business Cards, and Flyers. While I was down there, I attended an event for Music Supervisors. One of the supervisors was responsible for some of the score for "Meet The Fockers", and "Moulin Rouge". In the future, there will be music from my artist in films, and even Television Shows.

Nina: Where do you see your company in 5 years?

Ohmare: In 5 yrs I truly see my company growing into an International powerhouse. I would love to have FMG as a very resourceful company. When you build healthy relationships with other Companies, those blessings are returned to you. I see the company as a big name in every facet of the entertainment industry.

04/01/2010

Planet Verge is an all-female run music network that has established a reputation since 2002 for bringing its audience What's Hot & What's Important through various forms of media (zines, blogs, Internet-TV episodes).  The girls are playful and conscientious media professionals (publicists, editors, video producers, etc), some straight-edge, some vegetarian/vegan, and all living it up with regular doses of rock 'n’ roll. Planet Verge has teamed up with digital network ambush.tv to produce the Internet-TV show,  On The Verge.  The PV girls create up-close and-personal content with acclaimed national touring acts and on-the-rise indie bands and trendsetters, in addition to raising awareness to causes (Save the tigers! Adopt a shelter dog! Go vegan!) and encouraging viewers to take action.

WATCH us on On The Verge, our digital shorts.
READ our constantly-updated blog.

www.planetverge.com

E-mail: PlanetVerge@Gmail.com

Facebook.com/PlanetVerge

MySpace.com/PlanetVerge

MySpace.com/PVGirls

Twitter @PlanetVerge

Interview w/ Joelle Caputa, President

Nina: What first sparked the idea for Planet Verge, and what were your initial plans for it?

Joelle: This all stems back from my high school journalism teacher. She ate peanut butter straight from the jar and never let us write about anything fun. I was naturally jealous (about the peanut butter) and determined to start my own publishing revolution. As soon as I entered college, I worked my way up to music editor and later launched an environmental section in the campus paper. In between semesters, I missed writing about music. So I devoted my life to working part-time jobs (a movie theater and later, Starbucks) to save up enough cash to print my own quarterly ‘zine, Planet Verge. I conned friends not only into writing, but trekking up and down the streets and soliciting local businesses for ads. We got a lot of doors slammed in our faces at first, but what didn’t kill us made us stronger. And here we are now, an Internet-TV show, On The Verge!

My initial plans were to build up newsstand distribution, which we did at a few local book and music stores, but our readership was mostly on-location (handed out at shows) and subscription-based.

Nina: Are all of the contributors for Planet Verge founding members?

Joelle: Nope, just me! However, Jessica (Editor-in-Chief of PlanetVerge.com) joined the staff within our first year as a ‘zine and Jordana (Creative Director/Sponsorship Coordinator for On The Verge) came along around issue 6, so we’re the original crew. The three of us launched On The Verge, which started filming in late 2008 and debuted in 2009. Without them, Planet Verge wouldn’t be what it is today.

We’ve had a lot of writers world-wide, too which is awesome. Right now, we have dedicated staffers in Chicago and Pittsburgh.

Nina: How do you decide “What's Hot? and “What's Important?”

Joelle: It’s all what we love. We’re not going to blog about Lady Gaga or some American Idol guy because the rest of the world considers them “hot.” But, we’re totally going to cover the indie band you may have never heard before, whose playing a secret underground venue, because we think they deserve to be recognized. The “What’s Important” part comes with our own personal passions and causes we support. Jordana is a vegan and I’m a rice milk-drinking, vegetarian, so you’ll see a lot of our content is animal-rights based. I’m also a mega-huge dog lover and save the tigers activist, hence our episodes on abused puppies and tiger preserves. Those are our “Start Something” segments. Things to which we want to raise awareness.

Nina: What's the greatest accomplishment you've achieved with this company?

Joelle: The other day, I was going through a bunch of old stuff and found a box filled with letters of fan mail. Having someone write you and say they love what you’re doing or that you inspired them to start a ‘zine or something, really means the world. So I’d say knowing that we’re changing people’s lives, and our own.

Nina: Is Planet Verge more than just a Web site?

Joelle: It’s our life! Haha. Yes. We teamed up with digital network, ambush.tv to produce our Internet-TV show. Episodes are posted on our site and also custom-created for sponsors (including Peta2 and NJUnderground), who repost on their sites. We have also teamed up with No One You Know Productions to produce live events in the New York area. That’s a lot of the Angels and Kings footage you see on our site.

Jessica and I also run Audio Crush PR and work with awesome bands like Cash Cash, The Matches and Those Mockingbirds.

Nina: What have been some of the most challenging and most rewarding moments since you began?

Joelle: When we were a print zine, the biggest struggle was financially.

Here’s a recent great example of stress city. Jordana road tripped to SXSW as a challenge to see if she could rough it on the road. (I definitely got phone calls of her sleepless and searching for a shower, which makes for a great story, but not so much while you’re in that situation!) Meanwhile, back over here, we were filming a six-hour event in New York City, running around like crazy coordinating interviews and performance taping for seven bands. The next day, we had to be up early for a morning shoot and then rush to film the Jerseylicious premiere party. This was Saturday and Sunday. It’s Wednesday and Rosina and I have not left our computers since then. With all that filming comes days-even weeks- worth of editing footage into episodes. Our goal is to release footage as soon as possible. Who wants to be watching SXSW recaps in June? So I’d say a huge challenge for us right now is keeping up with our filming to editing ratio. I’m not gonna lie, there are some episodes filmed last year that have yet to see the light of day. It’s hard for many of the girls to juggle it all in-between working full-time 9-5’s, too.

The most rewarding thing is seeing the end product and interviewing artists that we love.

Nina: Do you have any funny stories you can share that have occurred with the staff at Planet Verge?

Joelle: We have PV Girls nights out a lot. Whenever I drive, we tend to get very lost, so that is always an adventure. But I got my GPS working now! Oh, here’s one: Jordana, Alisha and I were at the W hotel in Hoboken and got hit on by 18 year-old boys who were vacationing with their dad. Jordana all whipped out this lie that she was from California and I went to Rutgers, etc and so Alisha and I just went along with it. It was really funny and I felt bad lying to them cause they were soo nervous. As we were leaving, one of the boys asked Jordana for her number and she said she’d give him her Twitter, because- I quote her- “What do you need to say to me that you can’t say in 140 words or less?” Then, I wrote down our site for them, so I’m sure they realized we played them. Boys, if you are reading this, sorry!

Nina: Where do you see this company going? Do you have any ultimate goals?

Joelle: I see us staying focused on the show and reaching as many viewers as possible.

My ultimate goal is for everyone on staff – myself included- to be able to work at Planet Verge full-time and get paid for it. Right now, we work overtime, fueled on passion.

Nina: Sum up in one sentence what Planet Verge is/means/does/represents.

Joelle: This is on our Facebook page. I think Jessica sums it up pretty well: Planet Verge brings Buddha-like enlightenment on good music, good causes, and even good food--except our staff are better looking than most Siddhartha statues.

Nina: What does it take for a band to get recognized by the girls at Planet Verge?

Joelle: We have to believe in the music. And the bands have to be original. No Boys Like Girls rip-offs, because we don’t even like Boys Like Girls. It helps to let us know way in advance that you’re coming to the NYC area, so we can coordinate with our film crew. Also, when pitching your band, sell yourself- give us a reason why you would make a good story and tell us why you stand out. Don’t just send us to a MySpace page.

03/25/2010

Northern Virginia natives Lesson Zero can be checked out at:

www.myspace.com/lessonzero

1.    What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you? Meet The Beatles made me want to play music

2.    If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be? Paul McCartney

3.    What would the name of your band's biography be? Lesson Learned

4.    Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? John Lennon – she’s dead too

5.    Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive. OK GO, Paul McCartney, Blues Traveller,  Til Tueday, Jimi Hendrix

6.    How would it feel to play with your favorite band? Very good and more than a little scary

7.    What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced?

8.    ...the craziest/most bizarre?

9.    Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Genesis

10.                       Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. Steve Thomas who is larger than life and is sometimes known to time travel

11.                       If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? Record and promote

12.                       How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? In tune

13.                       Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band? One, Einstein On The Beach, Come Home, Found Out About You, Run-around

14.                       If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? Lounge music

15.                       Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. Amarillo

16.                       What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life? Hearing my first record on the radio

17.                       If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? I wouldn’t

18.                       Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. Jackie Brooks, bass of The British Walkers used to come to our rehearsals and show us licks and sold us some of his old equipment – our bass player had the best gear.

19.                       What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it?

20.                       If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? Steve travels through time, guitar George has a photogenic memory, Tom can play in 9/8 time, and Kerry can think really deep thoughts - Marvelhead

03/17/2010

In recent years, musicians and art-lovers have had the opportunity to see the work of Matt Goold come to life. His latest project, designing the artwork for River City Extension's new record The Unmistakable Man, has really brought this up and coming artist to light. Through keeping a blog, Matt is able to give fans insight to his life as a designer, as well as share his latest creations. He's always open to taking on new projects, and encourages you to contact him via his blog: http://bcdq.wordpress.com/. The following interview was conducted with Matt to find out a bit more about what goes on behind the scenes and inside the head of a talented, budding artist.

Nina: When did you first realize your passion for art?
Matt: I can't remember a time in life where art wasn't a part of it. My parents are both creative people, and creativity was encouraged and instilled in me from the very beginning. I never made a decision to become interested in art, it was just always something I loved, which I accredit to the fact that it was always present.

Nina: Can you tell me about about your art background (did you go to school for art)?
Matt: I did, I went to Rowan University to study graphic design.

Nina: What was the first project you did for a client?
Matt: I been doing work for "clients" for a while now, because I used to do favors for friends I had in bands, even back in high school. They would need a flyer design, or a t shirt, or a pin, and knew I was doing stuff like that so they'd ask me to help them out, which at the time was helping me just as much as them. Since then, I've evolved and so have the clients. Thankfully, things seem progress quickly and I continue to keep climbing.

Nina: Do you get more or less enjoyment out of doing art for other people, as opposed to creating whatever you want for yourself?
Matt: I honestly get a different kind of enjoyment from both. Working for your own benefit is great, because everything is just free range, you can work how and when you want, and it can be as conceptual or off the wall as you're willing to take it. Working for someone else is different because it becomes a team. You have two or more minds (for better or worse) working towards a common goal, which for sure will allow you to see things differently then you normally would, which is the most fantastic part of it in my experiences. I'd also say that working for someone is a great motivator, no longer can you "do it tomorrow."

Nina: Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
Matt: A lot of ideas literally enter my mind with seemingly no trace. And I feel like I have some sort of responsibility to contextualize them into something visual. But in a much more real sense, I'd say other artists. I feel like I'm always sifting through art that I see and taking from the things I like, to hopefully make something that's clearly my own. It's important to me that I not live in my own excrement so to speak. I need to be refreshed from other people who are doing things more awesome than I am.

Nina: What are some pivotal moments in your career?
Matt: I had the opportunity to intern at an ad agency which put me on the fast track in that field, and in that company. I was literally thrust into a situation where I was dealing with clients on a daily basis, and getting to be a part of branding and creating identities from pretty much day one. I probably learned more there than I did in some classes in school.

Nina: Can you briefly explain the process of creating album artwork from start to finish?
Matt: I like to start by getting the business aspect out of the way. It's the first thing I deal with, so that nothing gets messy down the road, and so that the designing can get started as soon as possible. From there I'll mock up a few ideas based off of what the client had in mind, what I had in mind, and hopefully a nice happy medium. This part is the most fun because it allows for me to test the waters and perhaps show the band something they weren't thinking of. This is also where I put my spin on things, make sure they are recognizably mine. These options get narrowed down as we focus on what the feel of the album should be, until we reach the final version. I'm adamant on making sure the final product is making the client happy, and at the same time, I would never present something I didn't fully stand behind myself. 

Nina: How do you balance out what a band wants vs. what you have in mind?
Matt: This can be difficult depending on how strong their vision is. However I believe that if a band has contacted me about doing work for them, it's because they want me, as a professional designer... with opinions and all! The most important part is that you want to end up with the best possible result... how you get there, should be secondary.

Nina: What did it feel like the first time you saw something you designed come to life?
Matt: To this day, anytime something goes from the computer screen to something as simple as home printer I feel great! While that's an exaggeration (sort of), it seriously is a great feeling to see something come to life. Most recently, seeing the album art I did for River City Extension's The Unmistakable Man was an awesome moment. It was something I worked on for months and to finally hold it in my hands, was unbelievable. Nothing quite like it.

Nina: Where do you see yourself, artistically, in a few years?
Matt: I plan to keep increasing my list of contacts and clients, and corner the area. I've been working to make sure people know a Matt Goold design when they see one. The next step is to make it irresistible. 

Nina: Are there any "ultimate goals" you've set for yourself?
Matt: When things get beyond the control of handling this myself, I plan to start up a design firm. I have a few good friends / great designers who share this goal, and we're all kind of coming from different places, and moving in the same direction. I imagine we'll meet up when the time is right.

03/12/2010

New York City pop/rock artist David Homyk can be checked out at http://www.myspace.com/davidhomyk as well as various shows around the NYC area.

03/11/2010

NJ-based Keith Monacchio is a previous member of the bands Commons and Semibeings. You can check out his music at:  www.myspace.com/keithmonacchio

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you?  It was an 8-track of the Beatles Abbey Road.  It changed me the same way the Beatles changed everyone. 
2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?  I'd like to sit down and talk to Lucinda wiliams sometime.  She seems like she has a lot of war stories to tell about the music industry.
3. What would the name of your band's biography be?  Well, being that I'm recently solo, after spending the better part of two decades in a band, I'd call my biography "I was in a band that lasted 10 years together..and I made it out the other side somewhat intact."
4. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom?  This is a tough one because I was reaised by a single mother and no one would be good enough for her.  But,  It would have to be someone that I respected musically.  But, probably a side player, like a sax player or a piano player.
5. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive.  Nick Drake, Otis Redding, Beck (acoustic), The Sundays, and Dylan (circa 1965 acoustic))
6. How would it feel to play with your favorite band?   I'd be to worried that they would be pompous jerf-off's, so I probably would not speak to them unless they engaged me in conversation.
7. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced?  Once, my guitar player threw the drummer over his drums during the set.  IOt was a tussleon stage about a tipped over hi-hat stand.  Joe just launched him over his drums.  We kept playing and finnished the song, sans drums.
8. ...the craziest/most bizarre?  We once played in the basement of this NYC club.  That was flooded around the stage with water.  I kept getting shocked off the mic and was generally fearing for my life.  The theme of the night at the upstairs club, was "Trip and go naked".  So, as I was getting shocked, naked people on acid and X were strolling by.  Very strange.
9. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music?  Nirvana
10. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title.  From the Commons, it would have to be the drummer.  Tom is just a strange guy.  It always looked as if at any point, he wanted to kill one of us.
11. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money?  Hire a really good radio and publicity firm to to get the word out. 
12. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time?  It's a rush that i don't get tired of feeling.  But, it makes it that much worse when you don't have a night where you are connecting with the audience. 
13. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band?  I think about this sometimes, because I don't know any covers. Elvis Costello - "Shipbuilding",  Peter Gabriel - "Mercy Street", Prince - "Computer Blue", U2 - "Where the Streets Have No Name", The Beatles - "Getting Better"
14. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find?   Nothing would surprise me.  The center of a a good band is to come from different places musically.  all the elements they bring will make the kind of music your making that much more interesting.
15. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. I'd like to play at "Town Hall" in NYC.  An intimate night of music from Keith Monacchio.
16. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life?  1997 - CMJ Festival The Semibeings at the Westbeth Theater.  Place was packed...  We were off our asses good that night!!  Although, I blew it after when CMJ magazine wanted to take a photo of the band.  I was so drunk I kept dropping my pants.  The picture or story never ran.
17. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be?  I would never get a tattoo and if I did it wouldn't be a of some silly band name.
18. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out.  I'll tell you an oppisite story of a band not helping out.  We were opening for the band "Live".  Big show for us.  Our drummer cracks his snare head in soundcheck.  We begged the drummer of "Live" to lend us one of his back-up's..he refused.  It worked out as one of our friends hauled it back to our rehearsal space to get another snare head. He made it in 20 minutes flat and we pl;ayed our full set.  I hate "Live" to this day.
19. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? The best part for me is when I finish a record and can put it on my CD rack with all the others.  It represents a body of work that I'm proud f.  To me the CD is not done until I slide it into it proper slot in the rack.  It represents some small victory in this disgusting business. 
20. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? Rodney Dangerfield.  I never thought we got the full respect we deserved. 

03/04/2010

These interview questions were answered by various members of Philadelphia-based band The Interventions.

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you? Carmen - Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt. Eric - Chumbawumba. "It didnt change me, Metallica did." Joe - Californiacation by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "It changed me because it's when i first LOVED music". Jeffers - 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours by Green Day. "it got me into punk and punk changed my life"
2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?Eric - James Hetfield. Joe - Chad Sexton. Mij - John Fogerty
3. What would the name of your band's biography be? University Of Diversity. The true story of the Interventions.
4. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? Jim - TomDelounge. Joe - Jon Bon jovi
5. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive. 311, Queen, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley
6. How would it feel to play with your favorite band? Orgasmic
7. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced? When Carmen couldnt move the boulder on a crazy trip
8. ...the craziest/most bizarre? Diner Nights
9. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Jazz, CCR, Hip Hop
10. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. We are all unique in our own way. We alot to the table
11. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? Weed, Beer, New Equiptment, Bangin Bus, Banging tour, Merch, and a dog
12. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? Jim - In Heaven. Joe - Lost.
13. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band? Beautiful Disaster by 311. Shortest Straw by Metallica. Maps by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. No Woman, No Cry by Bob Marley. And Same In The End by Sublime 
14. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? Classical on Carmen's ipod. Mambo Number 5 by lou Bega. 
15. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. Festival Pier
16. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life?Writing Ode, the first song we ever wrote as a band
17. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? Jim - I'already have a chili peppers one, but i'd go with a 311 one. Joe - Slightly stoopid because they had cool ass art
18. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. Nomad Fool got a show at Doc Watsons
19. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? Steppin on main stage of the Troc, and then proceeding to rock the shit out that place
20. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? Joe - Walk Through walls. Eric - To be able to fix anything...cause he's a tool. Carmen - Flyer. Jeffers - To be able to run as fast as light

03/04/2010

03/03/2010

5 Tips from Behind the Merch Table

As you may already know, there's more that goes into selling merch than just lugging a bin of t-shirts into your show. You went through all of the effort to get merchandise printed, so why not make the most of it? Here are some tips to help you sell merchandise, keep it organized, and give your fans an experience while you do it.

1. Create a cool and unique way to display your merch
Think of your merch table as a storefront window. While it's not the absolute most important aspect of merchandise (if someone just wants to buy a t-shirt from you, they may do it regardless), it does set you apart from other bands. So get creative! Some of my favorite merch table displays have included t-shirts hung up inside of guitar cases, display screens with live footage or other creative material, even stringing Christmas lights and other decorations around the table. That table is yours to use, so take a bit of time to plan how to best utilize your space. Everyone at the show will stop by just to see what the hell is going on over there!

2. Stay organized
This part is important for saving both time and sanity. With different t-shirt designs, styles, colors, and sizes, if you don't have a system set up you could spend 20 minutes fulfilling each order. Different systems work for different bands, but there are a few efficient ideas I've seen over the years. One is to roll up each individual shirt and put a piece of masking tape around it. On the piece of tape, write the shirt design and the size. You could even separate each design by bin, so you only need to write the size. This makes it easy to grab the size you need, plus you can also store tons of shirts this way (time and space efficient!). Another idea is to get plastic stackable drawers, each one designated for a different size. When a size-medium fan asks what shirts you have available, you just open the drawer and the options are right in front of you! As long as everything has a place, it'll be easy to find what you're looking for, especially when you're pressed for time.

3.Keep inventory
It's a great thing when a fan wants to give you money to wear a piece of merchandise with your band name on it. So what's worse than running out of merchandise at a show when fans are eager and willing to make a purchase? In order to prevent this from happening, you have to be sure to keep track of inventory. We've put together an inventory sheet for you to print and use behind the table! When you see that a certain design, size, or color is getting low, do a re-order with us. (Did you know that when you re-order shirts, since we already have the screens, you don't have to pay a set-up fee or worry about resending us artwork?) On this sheet, you'll see what you came to the show with, what you left with, and how much money you should have in the cash box. Click here to download the inventory/sales sheet

4.Build your mailing list
You want to allow the fans you make at shows to keep in touch with you; this is how you build up a following. However, you can't grow your fan base if you have no way to contact your new fans about upcoming shows, releases, or news. Take advantage of your merch table and the people that visit it by building up your mailing list. Even a simple clipboard with a form for collecting contact info will do the trick! I've seen bands that have traded the clipboard for a laptop, leaving it on their table with a page open for fans to input their info. Regardless of your means for collecting the information, the most important aspect is to make sure you're pro-active with your list. Go around the room asking people to sign up for your mailing list. Before you know it, you'll have an entire audience waiting for your updates!

5.Keep it personal
Use your merch table as a home base for your fans to interact with you. The more band members you have present, the better! When you take the time to be personal, building a relationship with the audience at a show, you're more likely to make a lasting impression on potential fans. Who wouldn't rather buy a t-shirt from a band they support, not only musically, but because you're great people? Stay connected with your fans and use your merch table as a resource to do it.

03/02/2010

Answers from Kiirstin (vocals), Greg (bass) and Corinne (flute/clarinet/sax/back-up vocals) of Verity in Stereo. You can check these guys and gals out at www.verityinstereo.com.

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you? KIIRSTIN: The first two I owned were presents from my mom when I was about 8.  They were Mariah Carey and Paula Abdul.  They made me realize that I could own music and didn't have to just listen to it on the radio.  GREG: One of the first cd's I remember buying was Puff Daddy's "I'll Be Missing You." It didn't really change me, just annoyed my Mom because I listened to it over and over again. CORINNE: The Beatles and Queen were introduced to me at a very, very young age (all of them..the parents already had them all).  They were my first introduction to the world of rock and roll and I took one listen and fell in love.  Those tapes were played on repeat hundreds of times a day for the first 6 years of my life.

2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?  KIIRSTIN: Brandon Boyd of Incubus GREG: James Jamerson was the bassist on all the hit Motown records CORINNE: Brian May from Queen or George Harrison.  They're tied.

3. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom?  KIIRSTIN: Paul McCartney, I think that would make her life. GREG: Sting, He's quite the lover  CORINNE: Brian May! 
 
4. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced? KIIRSTIN: There are way too many to pick just one but Craig and Mikal ragging on each other is always hilarious. GREG:  My favorite moment is when Mikal used the voice modulator to sound like Sloth from the Goonies. "Baby Ruth?" CORINNE: Well, I've only been playing with them 6 months, but we've definitely shared tons of laughs together.  The 'junk joggin' moment was pretty hilarious

5. ...the craziest/most bizarre? GREG: When Craig spit beats for a random poor guy on the streets of Brooklyn. CORINNE: hmmmm...the only thing that comes to mind is when we were playing the Italian festival and the power went out during one of our sets. 

6. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? KIIRSTIN: Glassjaw - we sound NOTHING like them, but I definitely look to Daryl for vocal inspiration GREG:  I listen to a lot of Jazz, which might not come through on our recordings.  I really don't know. CORINNE:  Freddie Mercury, he puts a classical twist on rock music that not many musicians have accomplished or even attempted. 

7. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. KIIRSTIN: Definitely Mikal.  If you met him at a bar you would never think he'd be the type of kid to play keyboard in a band. GREG: I think we're all unique but the most is Mikal in my opinion.  You never really know what he's thinking and he'll prove you wrong every time you think you do. CORINNE: The eggs...end of story.

8. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? KIIRSTIN: Tour bus!!! AND recording, AND posters of us plastered everywhere, AND t-shirts, stickers, etc,  GREG: PAYOLA..haha j/k.  I would want to buy a van, with seats, and tour everywhere in the US, buy everyone new instruments, and build a nice recording studio. CORINNE: recording, and European tour!

9. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time?  KIIRSTIN: I've been performing since I was 2 years old, but I just started performing my own music about 5 years ago.  You always feed off the crowd's energy when performing, but when your own stuff is appreciated its even that much more amazing. GREG: I love it when you get good vibes from the crowd.  It's one of the best feelings ever. CORINNE: It's always an amazing feeling to have the crowd really into the music when you're on stage.  For those 40 minutes, you feel like a complete rock star. 
 
10. What's the most memorable musical moment of your life? KIIRSTIN: Touring. I love being on the road. GREG: Playing the CD release show at the Pony CORINNE: Definitely name in lights at the Stone Pony.

11. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. KIIRSTIN: Anytime you forget equipment for a show you go into a state of panic.  So many great bands have let us borrow floor toms, cymbals, and amps just so we could have a good show. GREG:  I got to go to Canada with Hsu-Nami just because I was friends with all of them.  That was pretty cool.

12. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? KIIRSTIN: I don't think I've hit that moment yet.  It will be the moment I can quit my day job and go on tour full-time.  GREG:  There aren't specific moments.  I just look back at my life and I'm happy that I've chosen to pursue music.  It has brought me most of my happiness throughout my life. CORINNE: Honestly, when you can walk in to a group of musicians and everything just seems to fall into place, that's the moment for me. 

13. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? CORINNE: Kiirstin- she'd be like Storm from x-men, ability to control the weather Greg- mind control...DEFINITELY hah, Craig- he'd be stretch armstrong Mikal- oh boy...I guess his would be the ability to fly  Me-invisibility

03/02/2010

327 Bowery, NY NY. between 2nd (Joey Ramone Place) and 3rd Streets on the Bowery (3rd Avenue)

The show is a showcase for River City Extension in NYC for industry and Press. Its a very important show for them. if you check out the FB invite..i wrote a whole thing...

March 5th @ The Bowery Electric
w/Bones Royal
hosted by Nicole Atkins
9pm doors
$8 cover

River City Extension will be performing before some of the most important people in the music industry. We would like to invite you to come out and support this band, so they can grow out of New Jersey, and into the national market. This is going to be a very important show. For us, as fans, to show our support, will only help define the importance of this band, and their budding career.

If you could please consider making it out, or at least, consider letting anyone you know that may live in the NYC area to go, would be greatly appreciated.

The show will not only be a great night of music and people, but this show will be helping the success of this band. So please, sound the alarm.

02/15/2010

We were on-hand for both the Philly and New York Murder City Devils shows this weekend, partying it up, and seeing lots of old (and new) faces. Here's a video of "Rum To Whiskey" from the TLA in Philly - probably one of my favorite sounding venues.

Video courtesy of @theonlyflygirlz

02/12/2010

02/11/2010

02/05/2010

Rock photography legend Mark Weiss and Primal Stare Studios Launch ‘Vision of Your Sound’ Contest

One Band Will Win Six-Hour Shoot with Legendary Rock Photographer

Tinton Falls, NJ (02.01.10) -- Primal Stare Studios has teamed up with legendary rock photographer Mark Weiss to bring his unique style to a new generation of emerging musical acts.

Mark’s fresh off of the Guns N Roses Canadian tour and is ready to give your band the rockstar treatment! Primal Stare Studios, a cutting-edge interactive design firm, boasts one of the greatest photo/video studios on the East Coast.

The winning band will receive one six-hour photo session with Weiss at the exclusive Primal Stare Studios. Shoot will last 6 hours and you’ll have a professional stylist on hand to help you look your best. We’ll also have a videographer attached to your shoot, and we will provide a 3-5 minute edited behind the scenes clip of your shoot with Mark Weiss for your self promotion (you tube, facebook, myspace, etc).

Here’s how to enter Vision of Your Sound

Go to http://www.primalstarestudios.com/weisscontest and submit your current publicity shots.

Once your entry has been approved, we’ll provide you a link to send to all your fans (via email blast, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.) and encourage them to vote for their favorite band.

Visit the site to keep track of how your band is doing.

The band with the most votes wins (we’ll also pick a second band to do a quick one look photo shoot w Mark as a runner’s up prize!)

Entries close at midnight, Monday, March 1.

The winner will be announced Friday March 5th and that information will be posted at the Primal Stare Studios Website.

About Mark Weiss: From his humble beginnings in the 70's as a teenager shooting Led Zeppelin, KISS , and Queen; Mark continues to photograph the biggest names in the music business, including Ozzy, Bon Jovi, The Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback and Gwen Stefani.

His photographs have been seen on album covers (including Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" and Twisted Sister's "Stay Hungry') in books, and in music magazines around the world. 

To view his photography visit http://www.weissguygallery.com.

Who better to shoot your up and coming band than this iconic star maker?

About Primal Stare: Primal Stare Studios ( http://www.primalstarestudios.com , http://www.primalstare.com ) embraces the rock and roll lifestyle, and has produced high-profile interactive work for clients that include the US Air Force, AARP, Kohler, Covidien, Texas A&M, and many other corporate leaders looking for creative tech approaches to marketing and branding.

With the opening of their massive photo/video studios Primal Stare has expanded its capabilities to incorporate cutting edge photography and video work.

The studio is proud to feature established artists that include Weiss, Rolando Gomez, Mike McLaughlin, David Langley and David Guy Maynard as part of its expanding curriculum of workshops, classes, and themed shooting events.

Primal Stare Studios also offers band packages, wedding and event coverage, boudoir, portraits, headshots and family photography. 

For more information about Primal Stare Studios, or to arrange a consultation, please contact:

Tom Gilmour
Studio Manager
Tom [at] primalstare.com
O: 732.212.2880

02/04/2010

If you're going to be around St. Augustine Florida the weekend of March 12-14th come say hello - we'll be partying it up at No Idea Records Harvest of Hope Festival.

A little about the festival:

Welcome to the second annual Harvest of Hope Fest, a charity fundraiser & music festival for the Gainesville, Florida based Harvest of Hope Foundation.

Our three day multiple stage alternative music festival, March 12-14th, 2010, was created to help benefit and raise awareness for the Harvest of Hope Foundaiton (www.harvestofhope.net), a nonprofit charity organization that provides educational grants, scholarships, emergency financial assistance, and service oriented aid to migrant farmworkers and seasonal farmworkers all accross the United States. The primary mission of our event is to help generate a higher level of social conscious regarding the multifaceted life and hardships of underpaid and overworked seasonal farmworkers, migrant farmworker and undocumented farmworkers. Furthermore, our event emphasizes not only on migrant farmworkers but we also put focus on being family friendly (All Ages Event!) as well as being "Green" environmentally conscious. In addition, we are proud to boast that our musical line up will showcase not only a large group of musicians who are donating their time and performances to the cause, but will also showcase a variety of performance artist, indie arts & crafts, indie filmmakers, progressive musicians from around the globe, non-profits businesses, local area businesses, and progressive organizations.

Most importantly, the festival will be focused on raising funds for the Harvest of Hope Foundation and to create a greater social awareness about our countries' community of migrant farmworkers who are more commonly referred to as the people who pick the food we eat daily.

While on-site you'll find incredible music on 3 daytime stages, eclectic culture, quality art, and crafts, delicious food and drinks, great microbrews, ice, an ATM machine, a General Store, and more. St. Augustine, Florida is a small town with a great natural food co-op, and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and swimming.

Please remember that you are a guest of the town and represent the festival to the community at large. We ask that you are good neighbors both inside the festival grounds and in St. Augustine and St. Johns County.

Thank you for your cooperation and support, and for being an integral part of our wonderful community. Please visit the links at the top of the page to help make your arrival and stay at the festival as easy and comfortable as possible.

And now, a list of bands:

Billy Bragg, Dr. Dog, The Mountain Goats, Rogue Wave, Delta Spirit, Senses Fail, Anti-Flag, Man Man, Dead Prez, 7 Seconds, Kimya Dawson, Torche, Anvil, Japanther, Strike Anywhere, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Sea Wolf, Dr. Octagon AKA Kool Keith, Dead Confederate, A Wilhelm Scream, Portugal. the Man, Leatherface, Crime in Stereo, Matt Pond PA, Dead to Me, Smoke or Fire, Fruit Bats, Bear in Heaven, Freelance Whales, Broadway Calls, Cobra Skulls, Small Brown Bike, Glint, Stars of Track and Field, Danielson, Twin Tigers, Black Sheep, Rev. Peyton's Big Damn Band, James Husband (of Montreal), Signals (ex-The Mae Shi), Ortolan, Mercury Program, Off With Their Heads, The Loved Ones, Past Lives, forgetters, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Assholeparade, Defiance Ohio, Chris Wollard & the Ship Thieves, Bomb the Music Industry!, Dear Landlord, David Rovics, The Riot Before, This Bike is a Pipebomb, Des Ark, Ben Davis & The Jett$, Shellshag, Weatherbox, Holopaw, Hawks & Doves, Angelo Spencer, The Blacklist Royals, Lemuria, The Measure [sa], Paul Baribeau, Algernon Cadwallader, Your Heart Breaks, Fin Fang Foom, Yula Beeri, The Future Virgins, Good Luck, The Menzingers, Capsule, Ben & Vesper, Jon Snodgrass, Cheap Girls, Austin Lucas, Mike Hale, Street Eaters, O Pioneers!, Army of Ponch, Virgins, Gatorface, Protagonist, American Cheeseburger, Savage Brewtality, Brainworms, New Bruises, Tubers, Cory Branan, Look Mexico, Yesterday's Ring, Whiskey & Co., Worn in Red, Ninja Gun, Grabass Charlestons, FIYA, Spanish Gamble, Anchor Arms, How Dare You, Slow Claw, Heads Held High, The Casting Out, Low Red Land, The Itchy Hearts, Yardwork, Panthro UK United 13, Mumpsy, The Beauvilles, The Tim Version, 3rd Stone, Tiltwheel, Dan Padilla, The Future Now, D.P., City of Ships, Sloane Peterson, Too Many Daves, Pretty Boy Thorson, Nut Nut, Ornate Escape, and The Mike Bernos Band.

Needless to say we're pretty stoked to be working with No Idea Records again and a part of this great benefit

02/03/2010

Submitted by Jim Santora, vocalist for Redliner. This NJ Metal/Rock band is "looking to redefine melodic hard rock" and can be seen playing all over NJ and PA.  To listen to some tunes check out myspace.com/redlinerrock or www.redlinerrock.com.

1.      What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it
change you?  - Rubber Ducky by Ernie and I Love Trash by Oscar The Grouch
on 45.  God I don’t think anything gets better than Sesame Street.  That
started my love of music….
2.      If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?
Kevn Kinney from Drivin N Cryin….
3.      What would the name of your band's biography be?   We Are Not Van
Halen! The Official Story of Redliner
4.      Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom?  Probably
a dead one.
5.      Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive.   King’s X, Drivin
N Cryin, Dokken, Coheed & Cambria and Type O Negative
6.      How would it feel to play with your favorite band? It would be the
greatest dream that I would never want to wake from…
7.      What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced?
8.      ...the craziest/most bizarre?
9.      Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by
listening to your music?  R.E.M.
10.     Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has
earned this title.
11.     If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you
use the money?   Hit the studio with a producer and put together a top of
the line disc, hire someone to push it to radio and start touring…
12.     How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing
time?  You just feel such a rush and it just continues to feed you.  As a
band, we just keep pushing even harder because we don’t want the crowd to
stop!!!
13.     Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band?  Time For Me To
Fly by Reo Speedwagon,  If You Leave Me Now By Chicago (hard rockin
version),  Bored by Deftones, Superman’s Dead by Our Lady Peace and
Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy
14.     If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most
surprising music you'd find?  That our drummer Don Valentino will have Pop
Top 40 stuff on his…LOL
15.     Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world.
 Budokan in Japan would be very cool….
16.     What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life?  Playing in my
former band 77LeSabre where Redliner guitarist Kurt Dillon was also a
member of and opening for Tesla.  What an awesome experience and to play
we a band that we loved….
17.     If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be?   King’s X
18.     Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out.   Our
friends in Bound By Nothing have hooked us up with some really cool shows…
 We are always trading off gigs but their gigs are always fun!!!
19.     What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it?
Just being told by people after the show that we rocked or telling us that
certain songs really stood out…  It just makes you feel like all the
practice and work on the songs really pays off when everyone enjoys it at
much as you do performing it.
20.     If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be?

02/02/2010

Endall is a metal/rock band hailing from New Jersey.  They will be playing this year's Break Contest on Jan 17.  To check out some tunes, please visit: myspace.com/EndallNJ

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you? Mob Rules - Sabbath. the rest I stole from older siblings.
2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be? I would pick the beer over a brain. Why would I want someone elses brain?Oh,pick a musicians brain whilst drinkin a beer. Ok. Gareth - Dimebag. Charlie - Phil Lynott. Me - Keith Moon.
3. What would the name of your band's biography be? "F##K the odds !"
4. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? No one in my band! How about Tiny Tim. 7 foot tall uke player. Gotta be entertaining at the least.
5. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive. Pantera , Kiss , Thin Lizzy , Drowning Pool and of course Endall 
6. How would it feel to play with your favorite band? Humbling. Once in a lifetime acheivement
7. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced? Lots of funny shit. especially on the road. If you don't laugh you'll kill each other.
8. ...the craziest/most bizarre? Playin a club in Jersey and a girl in the front was headbangin full on then looked up and projectile puked. Kept on headbangin though. Hardcore. Kinda makes you wonder if your music makes people vomit.
9. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Winger !
10. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. Charlie (bass) One second he looks like he'll rip your head off then bust into a spot on Peter Griffin impression. Btw...awesome bassist
11. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? Buy the "sham-wow!" guy to be the Endall hypeman! Yes we'd purchase a person. Seriously. Hire the best producer we could to do our full length. Buy some awesome merch. And of course a "ghetto fabulous" tour bus.
12. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? Incredibly stoked , gracious and so in the moment. Very hard to explain though.
13. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band?Bodies by D.Pool , Slither by V.Revolver , anything by Down , Jet by P.Mccartney and the muppet theme song.
14. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? Christian Rock on Charlies
15. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. MSG 
16. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life? Endall at the legendary Stone Pony
17. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? Endall of course!
18. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. Scarlett Carsen (another awesome Jersey band). We've got a tight friendship with them. Try to support each other as much as possible. Black Water Rising and My Mortality were also very cool.
19. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? The little things I think. A car drivin by and you hear your song blastin out of it. A kid askin you to sign something. A crowd movin to your music, Don't matter if it's 10 or 500 people. Things you can't dip in platinum and hang on the wall. 
20. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? Charlie would have powers drawn from the energy in his hair, "By the power of Hairyskull , I have the power!" Gareth would be the "Shredder". Sh80 would beat up villians with his huge penis. Bet you can't guess who answered these questions! Ha Ha  .                   
    

02/01/2010

Answers submitted by drummer of Kakiat Park, Adam Magnan.  Check out music from this blues jam band from NY at: myspace.com/kakiatpark.

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you? Linkin Park, they fused rap and rock, NO ONE'S EVER DONE THAT BEFORE! (jk)
2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be? Trey Anastasio,
3. What would the name of your band's biography be? "Kakiat Park: who are these guys?!"
4. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? Robert Plant, He's classy but he knows how to rock ;-)
5. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive. Pavement, Frank Zappa,
6. How would it feel to play with your favorite band? Ever have sex with a supermodel? No? Yeah, us either...
7. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced? The kids in the internet chatrooms watching our live studio streams said some funny stuff.
8. ...the craziest/most bizarre? When the same internet kids found out the phone number of the local chinese place when Dave was trying to make an order and they logged up the line so we couldn't get any food!
9. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Debussy: it's difficult to imitate piano on drums!
10. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. Joey Calfa: He shreds so hard that I need a diaper sometimes.
11. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? Um... seriously? Three letters.
12. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? Have you ever seen the movie the incredibles?
13. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band? Go Go Power Rangers, Go Go Power Rangers, Go Go Power Rangers, Go Go Power Rangers and the Saved By the Bell theme.
14. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? Billy Joel, probably.
15. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. Red Rocks
16. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life? The first time I got stoned and played music... But I wish I could remember it!
17. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? Joey has a Jimmy Eat World tattoo, and it's pretty rad.
18. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. When one of our opening bands broke into their drummer's mom's house to get a PA at the last minute for a bar show. Thanks, Evan!
19. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? When you look into the crowd and see someone dancing their ass off.
20. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? Joey: Super Speed, Dave: Keen Insight, Nate: Super Hearing, Sam: FUCKING OFF, Adam: Asian Eyes

01/29/2010

Submitted by 3SO's Justice. You can check out 3SO's EPK at: http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=170075
and follow the 3SO Blog: http://3soband.blogspot.com

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you?

1. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?

1. What would the name of your band's biography be?

1. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom?

1. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive.

1. How would it feel to play with your favorite band?

1. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced?

1. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music?

1. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title.

1. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money?

1. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time?

1. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band?

1. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find?

1. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world.

1. What's the most memorable musical moment of your life?

1. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be?

1. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out.

1. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it?

1. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be?

01/28/2010

Submitted by Jesse from Blackout Stereo.  This North Jersey based punk rock n roll band "Black out stereo" is set to record their full length under Faction Zero records in late Feb.

1. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be? Bruce
2. What would the name of your band's biography be? drunken third
3. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? Elton John
4. How would it feel to play with your favorite band? ummm awesome.
5. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? The Ron-nets
6. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? better equipment and rent
7. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? cathartic
8. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band?
9. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? shit indie rock
10. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world.Cuba

01/27/2010

Submitted by Ben, bass player for Blameshift. These Long Island natives are no strangers to the road.  With 8 national tours under their belt, you know they have something big brewing!  To keep their fans involved, they've created a contest for bands to design their new album artwork! To learn more about their contest, tours, or to check out some tunes, go to: Myspace.com/blameshift

1.  What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you?   I'll go with CD on this one cause it's a better story.. It was either Boyz2Men or All4One lol I sang a track off one of those albums to a girl I liked in grade school and she stopped talking to me.. Made me realize at an early age that I wasn't a singer!

  If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?  Well I don't drink so I suppose I would rather pick any musicians brain over a beer but I feel like Henry Rollins would have some interesting things to talk about.

Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom?  I hear Dee Snider is a gentleman..



How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? There's nothing like being on a stage in front of people who are there to hear you play the music you've created! It's always a rush of adrenaline and emotion, an unexplainable feeling to anyone who hasn't actually experienced it..

If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find?  I don't think I would be surprised at all lol.. I think my library is probably more obscure than the rest of my bands put together..

If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? I did that in 2007 with the band I was in at the time while on tour in Toledo Ohio. We all got it done and we stopped playing about a year later but they were and still are some of the best friends I feel I will ever meet.. Support what you love..

What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it?. Every moment of being a musician is worth it.. It's what I love to do..

 If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be?  Jenny would be able to grab food out of anyones plate without a trace, Tim could turn into a hulk like being after eating a can of peanuts but red and with a terrible respiratory problem, James could just get so mad at things they explode and I would have earth trembling super seizures cause I can only have regular ones right now..

01/25/2010

01/22/2010

This talented Asbury Park native can be seen weekly in Asbury Park, as well as NYC and other NJ locations. Rick Barry's hook-filled folk/rock songs and consistant live performances have made him a pillar in the vibrant music scene of Asbury Park. Check out his tunes at Myspace.com/RickBarryMusic

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you? I bought New Kids on The Block on Cassette in an attempt to impress a girl when I was in 2nd grade.

2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be? Motzart

3. What would the name of your band's biography be? The Human Cannonball

4. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? Tom Waits

5. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive. Pedro The Lion, The Beatles, Nirvana

6. How would it feel to play with your favorite band?ummm...good

7. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced? Justin punched Ron in the dick, 50 times, slowly.

8. ...the craziest/most bizarre? Danbury, CT

9. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Mudhoney

10. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. They are all unique

11. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? Cocaine and hookers, or a Roth IRA

12. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? Like a failure.

13. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band? probably the same tunes we cover now, The Smiths, Rilo Kiley, The Pixies, Billy Bragg, Weezer

14. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? Andy probably has a bunch of Jesus music in his Ipod

15. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. Ireland

16. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life? My first time playing infront of people. The 8th grade talent show. It's pretty much the only thing I remember at this point.

17. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? Dylan

18. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. nothing comes to mind, I'm sure there is something though.

19. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? When the song comes together

20. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? I would have ninja powers, Justin would have super hearing and Andy would die for our sins

01/21/2010

Submitted by singer/songwriter Natalie Gelman. You can catch this talented acoustic musician on her US tour between now and April! For more information and to listen to her music, please visit: myspace.com/nataliegelman.

   1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you?
My first CD was Like A Prayer by Madonna. I don't think it it effected my music, but it was a ton of fun to dance around to when I was 8 years old.
   2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?
Patty Griffin! I would love to talk to her about songwriting and inspiration. If I was going to talk business then I would talk to Trent Reznor. I know it's out of my musical realm, but he's creative and thinks outside of the box.
   3. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive.
Patty Griffin, Sheryl Crow, U2, The Beatles and Carol King.
   4. How would it feel to play with your favorite band?
I would probably be pretty excited and nervous before the show, but to sing with Patty Griffin would be amazing. She puts a lot of passion in her songs. When I see her live it seems to get the whole band excited and connected.
   5. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced?
I used to play in Miami where I was going to school. We were practicing outside of this pizza place and this giant Miami water bug crawled across my foot. I was pretty freaked out, but we were so exhilarated for our first show as a band. I blew it off, but a few minutes later it crawled across my foot again(did I mention I was in flip-flops). I jumped onto my bass player with my guitar still on clinging for dear life and the rest of the band start laughing at me.
   6. ...the craziest/most bizarre?
 I did do a rollerblading tour up the East Coast from Miami, Fl to NYC, NY. You see and learn a lot on your feet for 1500 miles!
   7. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music?
Leonard Bernstein. I think he was a great composer. I love his work for both choirs, solo performers and musicals. He used a lot of contemporary elements while still keeping his music approachable and listenable.
   8. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money?
I am really overdue for a new record so that is the first thing! After that I would love to try some unique promo methods and do something outside of what people have come to expect.
   9. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time?
That's the whole point! Live performing is my favorite thing to do and there is no place I would rather be then performing on stage.
   10. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world.
I really can't wait to tour Europe, but it would also be incredible to play on the Rock Boat.
   11. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life?
When I first started performing I took my guitar with me on a spring break cruise. Every night, my friend and I would sing in the karoke bar. Half way through the cruise the host asked me if I would perform in a talent show the next day. I said yes, but only if I could sing one of my own songs. I performed one of my original songs and everyone who was there, all 1200 people gave me a standing ovation. It was definitely a pivotal moment that affirmed that making music is what I should be doing. It also helps that people were asking for an autograph the last two days of the cruise! ;)
   12. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out.
When I first started writing I performed in a talent show at my college called UM Idol. I had a pretty good sound check, but was really thrown off when it came to the show and was trying to hit notes that I shouldn't have been. Needless to say, I didn't make the finals, but afterward, one of the other performers(Allan Douglas) encouraged me to keep writing. Now they are one of my favorite co-writers and if it wasn't for him, I am not sure if I would be still writing.
   13. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it?
Every time I am on stage and I see people really enjoying the show or someone comes up after a show and tells me how much they loved a song or it moved them. It takes a lot of courage to keep putting yourself out there as an independent artist and without fans that connect with what I'm doing, there would be no reason to push as hard as I do.
   14. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be?
The power to instantly change strings and tune a guitar with my eyes...including the guitars of bands that I am watching!

01/21/2010

Friends Of eatsleepbreathemusic.com Take %10 off all roll stickers for the whole month of February. To order go to http://bandsonabudget.com/contact and mention "ESB"

Please submit all logos in adobe illustrator format.

01/17/2010

Submitted by Bill Lee and the rest of Walking with Cavemen.  Known around the Bandsonabudget.com office as an exceptionally great band, this New Brunswick-based band can be discovered here: www.walkingwithcavemen.com

1.  What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you?  (Bill) Phil Collins' 'But Seriously.."   I had this cassette when I was 5 years old, well my mother had it.  It changed my life.  I was able to somehow figure out the melodic line of the chorus in "Another Day in Paradise"  I remember vividly my mother freaking out and calling my grandmother. Shortly after I was taking piano lessons.
2.  If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be?(Bill) John Frusciante. I met him once. He is vastly knowledgeable about things like engineering, (audio)  space & time & ghosts, song writing, and general music wizardry.  I want to be his grasshopper.
3.  What would the name of your band's biography be? "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"  Actually there already is a film.... its called BBC's  "Walking with cavemen"  and its about primates.
4.  Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? George Michael
5.  Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive.  The Beatles, Bethoven (solo) Blur, T-Rex, Son House.   We wouldn't play we would just haul gear and hang out.
6.  How would it feel to play with your favorite band? It would feel like sitting on Santa's lap, only with music.
7 & 8  What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced?  … the craziest/most bizarre? It was impossible to pin down either of these questions.  All responses relate to testicles.
9.  Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Aside from our drummer, we've all at one time or another or currently have been influenced by different types of american punk rock and hardcore/post hardcore music.  Our music is not very "punk" at all, but it really is at the heart of what we do.
10.  Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. Mark( guitar) is the most unique because he is provocative.  We also call him Mike sometimes. Mike is fierce and likes to dance. Mark is solemn and nurturing.
11.  If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? We would upgrade our recording studio and quit our jobs to make the record we dream about making.
12.  How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time?  I can speak for the band, and for most bands, that when that occurs, its a real blur and a real zonking effect. Youre just on muscle memory at that point.  When I used to play guitar in bands I'd be doing so much I couldn't really pay attention to the audience. Now that I'm on bass,  I like to make eye contact.  I like to allow actual words and thought processes to happen while playing a show.
13.  Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band? That would never happen.  But: #1  Billy Brag- Levi Stubb's Tears. #2 Rolling Stones-Citadel  #3 Tom Petty-You're So Bad #4 Blur-Tender   #5 Misfits-Where Eagles Dare
14.  If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find?  You'd find a whole lot of recordings of farts and pooping uploaded via certain members' cell phones.  That's no joke.
15.  Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world.  The Grand Canyon,  only its filled with people partying hard.
16.  What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life? So far, Santos Party House was a big night for us as a unit.  Biggest show we've played, best sound etc.  We each have our own personal highs though.  This is a band comprised of people that have played in many projects prior to this.  We're old blues men now.
17.  If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be?  It would be a pepsi can that says "Blur" on it instead of pepsi.  Im actually getting this and it will be my only band tattoo for  life.
18.  Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. We don't like to be negative, but we can't really think of one. Aside from getting lots of show invites from other bands, we've had more problems than help outs so far. Maybe that will change in 2010.
19.   What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it?  It's not one moment, it can't be.  We're a young band, but it's the progression that makes it worth it.  Listening to rehearsal tapes, early ep's etc, and seeing how you've grown as musicians and friends is where it's at.
20.   If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? Trevor:  Tear power:  The power to get upset and fill a room with tears, drowning everyone in under a minute.
       Dan:  Bear Power:  The power to change one's beard into any conceivable object. i.e. Beard Sword
       Mark:  Cat Eye:  The Power to influence a person for good...or evil
       Todd:  Charles Manson's Brain:  The Power to know 100's of random Charles Manson interview quotes, which doubles as the power to make Billy laugh at all times.
       Bill:  Iron Fist:  Self explanatory.

01/14/2010

01/12/2010

Submitted by: Adam Bird, singer/guitarist of Those Mockingbirds.  This indie band is based out of Montclair, NJ and can be seen at venues in NJ, NYC, and Connecticut. Those Mockingbirds just finished recording a CD with Tom Beaujour, the creator and former Editor and Chief of Revolver Magazine.  To check out some tunes, please visit: Myspace.com/ThoseMockingbirds

1. What was the first record/cassette/CD that you owned and how did it change you?  "Dangerous" by Michael Jackson... it is what first steered me towards wanting to be on a stage...though at the time I hadnt REALLY discovered Rock n Roll yet...
2. If you could pick any musician's brain over a beer, who would it be? Jack White
3. What would the name of your band's biography be? "Mockingbird is the word"
4. Which musician would you be most comfortable dating your mom? Rivers Cuomo
5. Name your dream tour: up to 5 bands, dead or alive. Nirvana, White Stripes, The Beatles, Zeppelin, Sonic Youth.
6. How would it feel to play with your favorite band? it would probably feel pretty flattering above all else.
7. What's the funniest moment your band has ever experienced? when Tory's mother met up with us on our first tour, and gave her an old violin case she had in high school. to save Tory the embarrassment of what was on that case, i will leave it at that until we start releasing videos from that tour.
8. ...the craziest/most bizarre? riding a mechanical bull during a contract signing.
9. Who are you musically influenced by that no one would ever guess by listening to your music? Eminem
10. Tell us about the most unique member of your band and why he/she has earned this title. probably Dane. He is a special little guy, and his blood is 4% marinara sauce. to my knowledge, hes the only human being with this trait... in fact, he was scouted to be an X-Man, but he turned ole Chucky Xavier down.
11. If someone invested a million dollars into your band, how would you use the money? to get into the studio, and to get a new touring vehicle.
12. How do you feel being on stage when the audience is having an amazing time? the closest i can come to actually describing it is saying, pretty untouchable. but that really does it no justice.
13. Which 5 songs would you cover if you had a cover band? we already cover "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac... and if i list any more i would be giving away future cover songs we are planning. sorry!
14. If you swapped ipods with other members of your band, what's the most surprising music you'd find? Lady GaGa on Matt's, because youd think hes too hardcore for that.
15. Name the place you'd most like to play a show, anywhere in the world. Tokyo, Japan.
16. What's the most memorable musicial moment of your life? touring in general... all rolled into one.
17. If you got a band tattoo, which band would it be? i wouldnt get a band tattoo, but maybe a band related one... like a musicial staff with notes from a favorite song or something corny like that.
18. Tell us a situation where another band really helped you out. Ultra Violent Lights really helped us out by letting two of us travel in their van on our first tour because we didnt have enough room in ours.
19. What moment has made all of the hard work being a musician worth it? there is no single moment. for me, its every show, no matter how many people are there, and every time i write a new song that i get excited about.
20. If your band was a comic, what would each member's super power be? well Dane, as mentioned above can shoot marinara sauce from his hands... Tory's power would be the ability to use her hair as a whip like wonder woman. Dom would be the brute strength... Matt would catch fire like Human Torch... and i would probably just carry a wand around in homage to Harry Potter.

01/07/2010

01/05/2010

1. Get organized
Before being able to clear your heads and start planning for the year, you have to clear your space. Organize the area where you practice; throw out or donate anything you don't need, fix any instruments that need repairs, stock up on guitar strings, picks, and drum sticks. When you're finished you'll feel like you can take over the world!

2. Acknowledge 2009's accomplishments
Making goals will be an important part of starting the year off right, but let's first take a moment to honor the last year and all the things your band has to be proud of. You can either verbally acknowledge these accomplishments or write them down to display in your rehearsal space. Point out the best shows, funnest memories, and any ways that your band has made steps forward since the previous year. Pat yourselves on the back, then be ready to set up 2010 to kick 2009's ass.

3. Make a list of goals for 2010
This step is the meat and potatoes of this “How To”. You want to make an impression, take over, move 10 steps ahead this year. So what exactly do you want to accomplish? Does your band want to put out a new CD? Go on tour? Get a record deal? Think of all of your dreams that you've had as a band and turn them into goals for your 2010 list. Once all of your goals have been realized and recorded, break them down. How are you going to accomplish each goal? Take each idea one step at a time. For example, if you want to go on tour, first figure out who will be booking it: will you try to find an agent or book a DIY tour? How long do you want to go for? When will everyone be available? Then start mapping it out. Next, start making calls. One step at a time, you're moving closer to accomplishing your goal. If you want to get signed, you may want to start with getting press kits made. Perhaps networking and handing out IndieCards for your band at events would be your ticket to getting signed. Think of each step your band needs to take, and write it down. The goal as a whole may seem overwhelming to accomplish, but each step is within reach. Want to put out a new CD? First decide how many songs you want to record. Then start writing the material. Find a producer and decide where you're going to record: do you know someone with a home studio or do you want to put in money to go to a state-of-the-art studio? Will you release it yourselves or on a record label? Anything you can think of doing, you are able to do. So dream big, work hard, and take it one step at a time until you've scratched every one of those goals off of your 2010 list!

4. Create a calendar
It can be easy to procrastinate or let time slip by without working at your goals, so here's an idea that'll keep you on track! Get a band calendar and hang it in your practice space. Use this calendar as a timeline for when you want to get things done, as well as for your practice and show schedule. If you wanted to have new t-shirts done by the end of the month, you won't have to worry about forgetting to order them if the deadline is staring right at you! This will also help each member because everyone will be able to clearly see what the schedule looks like, allowing you to...

5. Plan ahead
Using your calendar and list, you'll find it easy to plan ahead. This is the key to accomplishing goals, making progress, and not incorporating stress into any of your plans for 2010. Don't wait til the last minute to order CDs for your record release party, tshirts for your tour, or IndieCards for a music conference. Plan in the fall for next year's South by Southwest and start promoting your new record in the winter for a summer release. Big plans involve planning ahead, so don't let this factor take away from all the things you could be accomplishing this year. 2010... this is your band's year!

01/05/2010

01/02/2010

Key changes in music business

By GRAELYN BRASHEAR
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU
Originally Printed 12/30/2009 in the Asbury Park Press
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009912300357

Even though the alternative folk-rockers of Toms River band River City Extension got a big break this year when New Brunswick-based XOXO Records agreed to sign them, lead singer Joe Michelini said life hasn't changed much.

The contract the band is signing is really just a formal recognition of an already well-established relationship with the small independent label, Michelini said.

"We've been working with these people for years now," Michelini said. "They're all our best friends. We all hang out together, we drink together, we eat together."

The band's six members still are cheerfully playing at small venues along the Shore, and they're still pulling out the stops when it comes to self-promotion, whether it's posting videos of recording session on their blog or offering to cook fans dinner in return for a donation to their tour fund.

The cooperative, do-it-yourself approach they've used to make a name for themselves has become the hallmark of the local and national music scene in the first decade of the 21st century. In the past 10 years, musicians in all genres have taken advantage of the popularization of digital music, internet blogs and social networking sites to launch themselves without the assistance of big-name music labels. On the Jersey Shore, and especially among those playing the famed venues of Asbury Park, such independent artists have come together to create a community that's gaining recognition nationwide.

Bret Morgan, co-founder of Asbury Park-based music merchandising company Bands on a Budget, has watched the changes unfold in his backyard.

"Making merchandise has gotten a lot more affordable," Morgan said. "Everybody can set up a home studio and have quality recording, which wasn't possible 10, 15 years ago."

As a result, he said, more artists are putting out their own CDs, printing T-shirts, networking and booking shows. "They can basically do everything themselves," Morgan said, "and make money and be able to do it as a lifestyle."

The most noticeable effect on the Shore music scene has been sheer numbers. There are more bands than ever, Morgan said, and there's a new sense of camaraderie among musicians that's propeling the scene forward. Artists like Nicole Atkins, currently on a national tour, and the members of The Gaslight Anthem are helping other groups get a leg up.

"We have some bands that have broken out recently," he said, "and once one or two break through to a national level, it just opens the floodgates."

Whatever it takes

River City Extension's Michelini is just 21, but he's a lifelong musician, and he's watched the Shore scene go from fractured and cutthroat to downright harmonious as bands realize the benefits of community that works together. Between the big live music markets of New York and Philadelphia, a new generation of artists have made a home here, he said, and they're making great music.

"We're helping each other out for shows, playing songs with each other . . . lending our guitars, whatever we need," Michelini said. "It's like the bar is being raised, and we're all helping each other up."

That kind of support is attractive to other artists, said Billy O'Brien, 26, who started managing shows in Asbury Park "when it looked like post-World-War-II Hiroshima," and is now in artist and community development as part of ShoreAlternative.com, an online radio station that serves Monmouth and Ocean counties.

The Shore's vibrant music community has given national acts more incentive to play its venues, and to stay a few days and make local connections, said O'Brien.

"I think that's what's giving the bands credibility," he said. "When these bands come through, they see something that's thriving, and that's special."

It's all combined to make the Shore scene the latest poster child for a new paradigm in music.

"I'll put our local scene in Asbury Park and in New Jersey up against pretty much everyone," O'Brien said.

12/22/2009

Now, formally a member of the XOXO Records family, Tom's River, NJ Folk/Punk outlet, River City Extension will be hosting a fundraiser for tour this Wednesday night at Cool Beans Cafe in Toms River. All the details are below:

River City Ext fundraiser this Wednesday
12/23 @ Cool Beans in Toms River
6pm+
All Ages
w/
River City Extension
Brick And Mortar
Grand Alto
Foxes and Lions

This will be a fundraiser to help get River City Extension on tour, the show itself is free, here is how the fundraiser will work:

-Order a coffee, it will help out the restaurant.
-$2+ Gets you a sticker
-$5+ Gets you a t-shirt
-$15+ Reserves your copy of the new album, along with a sticker
-$25+ Reserves new album + t-shirt
-$50+ Personalized copy of new album with a t-shirt
-$100 Band member of your choice takes you out to dinner
-$150+ Band will come to your house and cook you dinner
-$250+ New album (cd+vinyl), 2 t-shirts, a sticker, and dinner from the band

River City Extension's new album the Unmistakable Man will be released in May on XOXO/Hope & Anchor Records

12/18/2009

Note - We will have limited holiday hours starting on Wednesday 12/23 until Monday 1/4.

Turnaround times are subject to be slightly longer than usual but we will be responding to all email and order requests.

Have a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for your business in 2009 and we look forward to serving your merchandise needs in 2010 and beyond.

12/08/2009

12/03/2009

We get a lot of questions regarding our ordering process and how one goes about making merchandise with us so, in an effort to alleviate your concerns, we bring you an article on exactly how our ordering works. enjoy!

1. Shop the site, decide what kind of merchandise you'd like to buy
Ordering merchandise shouldn't be considered a chore for bands. With all of our products clearly displayed on our site, we suggest that you browse our different merchandise options and make a decision about what you'd like to order. Want a few different promotional products, or are unsure what to order? Consider one of our merchandise packages!

2. Fill out a contact request form
Once your band has decided what kind of merchandise you'd like to make, the ordering process begins! Simply fill out a contact request form with the information about your order. Let us know what products, colors, sizes, etc. you're interested in. Don't worry, this isn't final- you'll have time to fine tune your order later on if you'd like.

3. Speak to a representative
Within 24 hours of submitting your contact form, a representative at Bandsonabudget.com will get in touch with you about your order. Remember that we're here to assist you every step of the way, so feel free to ask any questions!

4. Get a Bandsonabudget.com Account
Upon filling out the contact request form, a Bandsonabudget.com account will be automatically created for you. This account will allow you to login to see your invoice, upload art, access IndieCards campaigns, see your order history, etc. Simply go to Bandsonabudget.com/login, and use your email address as your username and the password that was emailed to you.

5. Review Invoice
After your order has been finalized between you and your representative, a formal invoice will be uploaded to your account page, which includes all shipping, taxes, and order information. Once you have reviewed the information and are ready to place the order, you can pay right on that page with a credit card!

6. Upload artwork
If your artwork is ready, simply upload it using the upload form under “FILES/ARTWORK”. We'll check the resolution to make sure your merchandise will be the highest quality possible. When ordering t-shirts, we'll send you a proof that shows exactly what your artwork will look like on a shirt. Once you've approved it, we'll put your order into production. If you need help setting up your art, we have an in-house designer who is available at a reasonable hourly rate.

7. Get awesome merchandise
Turnaround time for merchandise depends on which products you ordered, but generally within 7-10 business days you will have your merchandise shipped to your provided address. Local bands also have the option of picking up t-shirts right from our Asbury Park address. Now it's time to share your merch with the world!

12/03/2009

At Bandsonabudget.com, we love having the opportunity to support other companies run by musicians for musicians. Our friends over at Pledge Music have been making their mark through record releases, band management, marketing and development of big bands with big hits, and little bands who are right behind. With a state of the art recording studio at their fingertips and a wealth of music knowledge in their background, these guys are the real deal.

So what is this company, with their hands in so many areas of the music industry? Pledge Music is a music site that "collaborates modern online marketing and old school biz know-how". The motive for this multi-faceted company extends beyond the joy of bringing music from bands to fans; they provide an opportunity for music lovers and music creators to work together to raise money for charity. Visit their site to experience great new music and become an active participant in the release process.

11/17/2009

Black Friday Specials ALL WEEK!!!

Making it through the holidays is no easy feat, so we think you deserve a little incentive! Starting on Black Friday (Nov 27th) and going through Dec 4th, we're excited to bring you some big savings on merchandise from Bandsonabudget.com! Our specials include:

Wool Hat Special
The cold air sweeping in gives many bands' fans a reason to skip a show, but not yours! Help your fans cruise warmly through winter, while also getting promotion from a prime location: their heads. That's right, this month we're pleased to offer you a “beanie” special!

24 beanies for $99
50 beanies for $199

Includes one color ink and has a 10 day turnaround time.
order now

IndieCard/Viral Marketing Package
Viral marketing is key to getting your music out to new fans at a very low price. To help you do that, we've put together a package which includes the following elements for the low price of $125:

1,000 static data IndieCards
125 plays on Grooveshark.com (they'll match your song to music with similar fans)
Featured spot on our website (we'll write an article about your band and feature it on bandsonabudget.com)

order now

Vinyl Banner Blowout
Want to jazz up your merch table, stage backdrop, or any other location where you want some additional attention on your band? Bandsonabudget.com regularly offers affordable vinyl banners, but for one week only, we're pleased to offer you an additional discount of only $4.65/square foot on 4 sizes!

3'x3' for $41.85
3'x5' for $69.75
3'x6' for $83.70
3'x8' for $111.60

order now

Our banners are full color, full bleed, single sided, and made of outdoor vinyl. All banners include grommets and hems at no extra charge.

Cut Vinyl Sticker Special
Not to be confused with our stickers on a roll, we're pleased to offer you cut vinyl stickers especially for the Black Friday Special week! As always, we only offer high-quality stickers printed on weatherproof vinyl.

2” stickers
500 2-inch stickers for $160 (10% off) $144
1,000 2-inch stickers $180 (10% off) $162

4” stickers
500 4-inch stickers for $180 (10% off) $162
1,000 4-inch stickers for $210 (10% off) $189

Available as circle or square stickers. Price includes 1 ink color.
order now

To order any Black Friday Special just contact us.

11/11/2009

NJ's Own “Sounds from Atlantis” to Perform at Doc Watson's and Crocodile Rock this Month

November 11, 2009- Hailing from Westville, NJ, the up and coming indie band Sounds from Atlantis are moving like a freight train that we highly recommend not getting out of the way of. If you haven't been able to catch this band rocking out yet, you're in luck. To promote their new EP, “No Mercy has the Sea”, the 4-piece will be making stops in both Philadelphia and Allentown, PA this month. On November 19, the band will be playing Doc Watson's Pub in Philadelphia with Windlestrae, while November 28th will be with The Overexposed and Kae at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA. Not 21+? Don't worry, the Allentown show is all ages!

Labeled as “modern electric Americana”, Sounds from Atlantis creates new sounds and delivers them to you with a touch of good old fashion rock 'n roll. If you can't make it out to Doc Watson's or Crocodile Rock, at least download some tracks on itunes and visit their websites; you'll be glad you did!

11/19 Doc Watson's Pub in Philadelphia, PA with Windlestrae 8pm, 21+, $8
11/28 Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA with The Overexposed and Kae, 5pm, all ages $10

SoundsfromAtlantis.com

11/03/2009

The Aquarian's, John Pfeiffer did a great piece on our friends over at ShoreAlternative.com.  Read the full article below and be sure to come out every Tuesday night and check out what they have going on.

There are many methods that upstart organizers use for attracting patrons.They use flyers and coupons and passes galore but it’s never easy, evenwith all the networkingwebsites at their disposal today, it still takes somemagic to get cash-strapped people into the club.The Shore Alternative guys have found magic in the form of an earnest and musically starved scene down at the end of the Ocean Ave. strip. Their place of business isTheWonder Bar and let me tell ya, business is booming. Led by BillyO’Brien akaMillion Dolla Bill and program director for 105.7 The Hawk Greg Perillo, S*ALT has seen a huge upswing in popularity.Built on the same theory of success as the ‘80s label Factory Records, S*ALT is doing grassroots well. As many typical success stories go, their first six months were a crap shoot and no one wanted anything to do with them, now sponsorship requests are coming in fast and furious and things show no sign of slowing down.

One thing I noticed about the S*ALT night was that the hipster clans and drama queens often associated with localmusic were absent and in their place was a group of laid back people and a solid grouping of bands hailing from all over the continent. Charged with a true passion, you could see the S*ALT guys running around, shaking hands, keeping an eye out and truly enjoying what they do.They didn’t hide backstage and wait to count money; they were out in the crowd.That vibe is infectious and I could sense that the style of their show is well ahead of the curve. Boasting one of the most diverse booking policies in the city- matter of fact, the only thing the acts have in common is their quality—the bands are picked less on draw and more on appeal as developmental acts that have something to offer.Localmixedwith International (tonight’s outstanding band Rubik was from Finland) works well and even the Wonder Bar sound (infamous for being hit or miss) was awesome.

I spoke with Shore Alternative’s Billy O'Brien about the origins and formulas of this great Tuesday night series.

So how did you come up with this cool idea?
We started Shore Alternative when all the radio stations went top 40 and from there we evolved into doing live shows. As things progressed I had the opportunity to meet with the developer, Madison Marquette, who asked us in to see if we wanted to do something at the Wonderbar. So we sat down and I said I’ll do a low-dough door show and I’ll give it to the bands and they said ok. We started putting theses packages together in June and it just started going so well that we’ve just continued.

What kind of feedback have you been getting on S*ALT?
Feedback comes in the form of 100-150 people everyweek and that’s a growing number. Record labels are starting to hear about the show and it’s interesting how word of mouth can perpetuate things and how it’s so much more effective than other promo. And now I have people coming tome with all these bands that are unbelievable and are starting to build followings so we have been able to diversify ourselves as a developing companymore than just radio because were actually developing bands in NJ besides just the local scene. Is the focus of S*ALT going national? The local scene is the number one focus but being able to bring bands from other markets enables us to build a network throughout the country. We want every local band to reach out to us. One of the coolest things we do is use a correct formula for the band by tying theminto the radio shows (they have two shows at 105.7 TheHawk and 94.3 The Point courtesy of Perillos building the S*ALT through Millennium radio). If things go well and everyone loves them we put them into rotation and turn them into a power artist.

What makes you different than the typical NJ promoter?
People don’t believe in grassroots development anymore, they think you can just get tickets sold, slap shit together and it’s going to happen through numbers. That business model is dead. If you build things right with good intentions and truly believe in what you’re doing, people will come around to that feeling. And the proof is in the fact that the crowds are strong. They’re hungry for music. Its also not like they just come for one band and then leave (a major NJ problem) they are here looking for new music and a place to belong. We’re keeping things true and organic. We’re all musicians and musicians run S*ALT. Those other guys play calculators, we play fucking guitars. For more info on upcoming S*ALT seasoned shows head over to shorealternative.com.

11/02/2009

The music industry is certainly in the middle of a paradigm shift, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. As labels are becoming more obsolete, many bands are taking this opportunity to learn how to get things done themselves. Putting out a CD is something that can be done by anyone, but we're here to give you some tips on how to do it right!

A successful record is nothing without the music. Phase one: the creative aspect.  Before selecting which songs you want to record, you need to decide if you want to put out a single, sampler/demo, EP, or full-length CD. There are several factors that can help you determine this, specifically purpose and budget. If the purpose of recording is to shop your band to venues, labels, etc., it's best to select your strongest songs and go with a 3-4 song sampler. Alternatively, if you want to put out a record simply to deliver your music to your fans and you feel like you have enough quality material and resources, go with a full-length. Just remember, putting out a full-length demands some more resources than a sampler or an EP. That brings us to budget. Putting out a record without label support costs money. Ideally, your band or someone you know has a studio set up with pro-tools, allowing you to do a quality recording without going into a state-of-the-art $100/hour studio. If the actual recording budget isn't a huge concern, it could potentially be more efficient to record a full length over an EP. Getting a CD pressed costs the same amount regardless of how many songs are on it, however you can sell them at a higher price if there's a greater number of tracks. This will allow you to recoup your expenses much faster.

Let's move on to the belle of the ball, the reason we're all here, what it all comes down to: the music. There are so many aspects that go along with putting out a record, but this should be the #1 focus, especially in phase 1. We all get anxious to put some tunes down, but don't compromise the quality of your record by rushing it.

Step one: look at your entire catalog of songs, and select your strongest tracks. Try to avoid too many filler tracks. If you're struggling to come up with 10 or more quality tracks for a full-length, you may want to consider just releasing a solid EP.

Step two: Pre-production. These songs are your babies, and when you're so familiar with them, it's often hard to hear the potential for small changes to improve them. If you can't afford a professional producer, ask someone you know with a musical background for input. The more fine-tuning you work out before you head into the studio, the more prepared you'll be (remember, more time means more money!). At this point you know what type of record you're putting out, which songs will go on it, and the songs are ready to be tracked. Time to lay those beats down!

Once the recording is complete and the tracks have been mixed, it's time to move on to phase two: The fine tuning.The final touches on the record aren't going to necessarily make or break the songs, but it will determine how professionally your songs will be presented to your audience. Three important steps come into play in phase two:

1. First, determine the track order.

Start out strong, keeping in mind that some people (namely labels, venues, etc.) won't give it more than a few minutes, or even seconds. If you have a single, place it early enough in the record so your audience doesn't have to dig for it. You want your CD to be an experience; spread out slower songs instead of bunching up tracks with a similar feel. Focus on the overall vibe of the record, instead of individual songs. Create playlists with several different song order variations, and listen to them as a whole. Ask outsiders for input. Consider the songs that work best as openers and closers at your live shows. Song order is important; it's how you and your fans will get to know and love your record for the rest of it's life, so spend some time on this step!

2. A crucial step in creating a professional-sounding record is mastering.

Having your record mastered ensures that all of the tracks will be a standard volume and will sound bright and full. You don't want your fans to put the CD on in their car, only to hear a mere muffled murmur of the songs you worked so hard on. By mastering the tracks, the sound quality will be comparable to any major label record. Details are important, such has having smooth and equal transitions between tracks. This process is imperative in giving your record a professional sound; consider it the finishing touches on your masterpiece.

3. We're told not to judge a book by it's cover... but some do, so let's talk about CD packaging!

You want your CD to be the full package. The goods are inside, so you want to make the outside match as well (this sounds like a make-over show). When it comes to art, there's really no right or wrong. Simple vs. detailed, black and white vs. full color, photography vs. drawn art, it's all up to you. However, there are some tips to keep in mind when determining how to wrap up these tunes of yours. First, keep in mind the style of your music when coming up with the style of the package. Obviously having an acoustic record with lyrics dabbling in the wonders of love shouldn't have artwork that makes people think they've come across hell's headlining metal band. So try to match the artwork with the overall vibe of the music. That's the only advice we'll give on the artwork itself; it's your creation! It's very important to make sure that somewhere in the packaging you include the credits (composers, musicians, as well as engineering, producing, mastering, etc. info), contact info, publishing company, copyrights, and any other pertinent information. And of course, don't forget the track titles on the back!

The last important thing to mention is a bar code. By including a bar code on your CD, you are allowing yourself to set up sound scan at record stores and at shows. This is a system set up to officially track how many records are being sold. When getting your CDs pressed, simply ask the company you're ordering them through to include a bar code, you'll be happy you did it!

You've accomplished a great feat by creating a record with the full package. Now onto phase 3: your CD's life.

The CDs are hot off the press and in your hands- what an amazing feeling! It took a lot of work to get to this point, but this is no time to rest! Celebrate, yes; rest, no. Now is when the work really starts (if you want to do this right!). In order to make the most out of your efforts and use your record as a vehicle to get further as a band, there are several important aspects to tackle at this point: sales, promotion, touring, licensing. Let's break them down.

1. You don't need a big distribution deal to sell records.

Bands often get so caught up with the idea of distribution deals that they forget about the more important “D”: demand. As an up-and-coming artist, it's not important to have your CDs in as many stores as possible, rather just a few right places. These days, the Internet is your absolute best resource for selling your CD, both for digital and physical sales. When a digital track is purchased, it costs no money for you (as opposed to a physical CD), so the money that goes to you is 100% profit. When fans want to buy a physical CD from you, they can do so online; therefore, you're only sending out CDs that have been purchased. One of the most efficient ways for bands to sell their music is CDBaby.com. The way it works is you'll have your own page on this site where fans can order CDs (CD Baby will even send them out for you, so you don't have to worry about anything). They also submit your tracks to all the major digital download sites, including i tunes. You can use the links they provide to sell your music on your website, Facebook, Myspace, etc. The best part is, when you have a certain amount of money in your account, CDBaby.com will wire your profit right into a bank account. Doesn't get much easier than that! In addition to covering the online angle, you could also go into your local record stores and sell your disc on consignment. You simply walk in with 3-5 CDs, they'll give you an invoice indicating how many records you left there, and if someone buys a CD, you go in and pick up your money. As long as your music is available to any fans that want to buy it, there's no sense worrying about getting your record into stores across the country where there's not demand yet!

2. Your record is out in the world, now you just need everyone else to know it!

Marketing and promotion: perhaps the most important tools for making your record a success. Once your music is available for fans to buy, you need to let them know about you. There are several ways to do this, that we promise aren't too intimidating! Let's start with the basics, which I'm sure you already have covered, and that of course is the web. Don't do what a lot of people do and mistake social networking sites not as a great resource, but as the only resource. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc. are fantastic tools that you should be updating regularly, but don't rely on them as your only form of promotion. Make sure that you have a website full of information, especially links to buy the record (don't ever make a fan search your site to figure out how to buy your CD! Make it easy for them). Blogs are also a great way to link your product to the outside world. Keep a journal online documenting everything that your band is doing, and include useful information that people outside of your existing fan base would like to read. This will hopefully draw them in, introduce them to your great music, and expand your fan base! Now remember, there are many other ways to promote your record outside of the Internet. We strongly recommend getting postcards and posters made with your album artwork and information. Send these promo materials to venues where you'll be playing (or even ones you're not!), in record stores, tattoo parlors, and any local hang outs you can think of. Send your CD and a nice cover letter to local radio stations. Also, don't underestimate the importance of press. Getting a review or setting up an interview for an article can go a very long way. Put together a spreadsheet of local, regional, and even national music rags and send a CD to them (be sure to include a letter and one-sheet with info about the band). No one can expect up-and-coming artists to be able to afford a full page ad in one of these magazines, but press is free. Good press in a credible magazine can single handedly create buzz on a band, so it's worth the effort you put into sending those discs out!

3. Being a hero is something to be proud of, but let's take this to a national level!

Many will agree that touring on a record is a necessity. You want as much heat on your record as possible, in as many places as possible. This is a grassroots effort, and involves playing local clubs around the country to slowly build up that fan base and the popularity of your new CD simultaneously. In my experience, you sell more records on the road then you do playing local shows. Think of all of those CDs sprinkled across the country that will plant seeds for the next time you visit that city. Having a CD is the most important aspect of touring, because you have something to leave behind that properly represents you. Each time you go back you'll have a bigger fan base, until your popularity has spread across the nation! Don't know how to go on tour without label support? We've got a blog about that which gives you all the support you need!

4. It's all about the music, but it's nice to collect a paycheck for your hard work!
We know you're doing all of this because of your love for music and faith in your band. But without a label putting money and resources behind you, we know this can get expensive. Think of it as an investment; you believe you've got the goods, and you've put in the work and money to see it through. The positive side of not having a record label is that you don't have to share any of your rights, royalties, or revenue with anyone! So let's figure out how to recoup your expenses, then get some additional money rolling in for the band. The first step is not the easiest to understand, but it certainly is one of the most important, and it's called publishing. We've put together a nice long blog to help you set up your publishing, so we won't go too deep into the logistics here. Basically, you set up a publishing company for your band, send out some CDs and put the effort into getting your songs played by anyone and everyone, and in time collect royalties. This isn't the best way to make money in the short term, but it'll pay off for years to come! For short term income ideas, let's look to the most obvious, easiest, and beneficial ways to make money: merchandise! As a band, you get great rates on custom merchandise, then you can mark it up however much you'd like to sell to fans at your shows. Not only will you be making your fans happy and recouping money, you'll also have free marketing!

This may seem like a lot of work, and to tell you the truth, it is. But hey, if it was easy everyone would do it. It often takes one great record to break a band, so if you think of the potential outcome of your hard work, isn't it worth it?

Nina Chiminec is the marketing director at BandsOnABudget.com In her previous life she was the head of new media at SPV Records. Her clients included Motorhead, Type O Negative, and Skinny Puppy. She also spent 8 years recording and touring with the NJ rock band Avery. She can be reached at nina [at] bandsonabudget.com.

11/02/2009

In the course of two weeks, I unintentionally saw 3 of the best bands I've seen all year, and they came a long way to blow my mind. We're pretty spoiled with heaps of talented bands in the Asbury Park area, and we see where the local influences stem from. However, it's interesting to see bands that grew up in completely different cultures, with diverse musical backgrounds shaping their style. Though these bands were a little different than those I'm used to seeing in this area, good music is good music, and these guys were all refreshingly top notch.

Let's start with Red Wanting Blue, hailing all the way from Columbus, Ohio. What, Ohio isn't considered an exotic land? Fair enough, but these guys sound like they came from heaven, and I hear that's pretty nice. While far from angelic, these guys have so much charisma that it was practically spilling out of Asbury's beloved Saint on this cold October night. Even though their songs don't sound like they were written by the guy who invented the wheel, they did have a pretty original sound, and these songs were solid. I mean really good. My favorite song came towards the end of the set, starting off with a rhythmic hand clapping and guitar strumming. The tune was called “You're my Las Vegas”, and it had the charm of being so catchy and fun that you felt you could sing along by the first chorus. What sold me on this band more than their tight performance and lovable songs was the energy. Their front man was theatrical and professional, with a huge smile as a constant on his face from beginning to end. The energy that spanned across all 5 band members and into the crowd (including the staff!) is what really made this a performance to remember.

The second artist that impressed me this October actually did come from somewhere far away: Perth, Australia. Having just returned from Australia, I was so excited to meet this guy, just to hear his accent. Travis Caudle and his lovely wife Nat (who looks exactly like Natalie Portman) were some of the kindest people to ever play the Saint. The accents and sweet personalities had sold me on them prior to Travis' set, but that made me even more impressed when his music blew the crowd away as well. I guess if you're playing shows on the other side of the world, you have to have some talent! It's amazing how one acoustic guitar and one person's vocals can fill a room. His songs were beautiful, passionate, well-written and well-performed, to the point that I forgot the accent and personality and became absorbed solely by his music. Well done Travis.

I didn't just save the best for last, I wanted these guys to headline this review because I have quite a lot to say about them! And also because they were the last of the 3 bands I saw during my little 2 week musical adventure. They're called Rubik, and they're from Finland. I ended up at the Wonder Bar seeing these guys because my buddies at Shore Alternative swore up and down that this band couldn't be missed. Trusting their opinion and wanting to support musicians so far from home, I ended up in front of these 6 foreigners, having no idea what I was in store for. Wow. These guys are... different. It's as if they write normal, great songs, and then they go back and throw a ton of stuff on top of it. They do this in a few different ways, but mostly by incorporating a slew of different instruments. The stage looked like a Sam Ash, with keyboards and synths on stage right, left, and center. That's not all; they have two spare musicians on stage to rock out on a different instrument every other beat. Trombones, maracas, then playing a floor tom with the maracas, mouth-powered pianos, a BIRD (it was an instrument shaped as a bird, that made bird sounds), and on and on. The first track on their record opens up with a pretty synth melody and mellow vocals which continues on throughout the whole song, only every few measures you have lyrics shouting and drums pounding loudly over top. Musically, this band is unpredictable. Because the songs don't have a clear structure, you feel a little lost in the intensity of all the noise going on; however, the energy is so empowering, it just feels good to be lost in it. These guys had such an impact on me that I went to see them at Webster Hall the following night, where they played as part of the Syndicate's CMJ party. Turns out, the Wonder Bar show wasn't a fluke- Rubik blew me away once again. The room stood still once they left the stage, as we tried to get our bearings and digest what had just happened. If you like all of your senses to be overloaded in the best way possible, try to find this band before they head back overseas.

Nina Chiminec is the marketing director at BandsOnABudget.com In her previous life she was the head of new media at SPV Records. Her clients included Motorhead, Type O Negative, and Skinny Puppy. She also spent 8 years recording and touring with the NJ rock band Avery. She can be reached at nina [at] bandsonabudget.com.

11/02/2009

10/29/2009

For immediate release October 29, 2009

For the 8th consecutive year, No Idea Records has put together a phenomenal underground music festival in the downtown of Gainesville, FL. From Halloween Eve throughout the first of November, The Fest will be a host to over 5,000 music fans and 200 bands. Think South by Southwest, but less intense and more about the music than the industry. From the more well-known artists such as Less Than Jake, Strike Anywhere, and Dillinger Four, to No Idea's roster of punk-turns-country favorite Tim Barry, his buddy Josh Small, and the on-again-off-again Drag the River, there's something for everyone here. Just trust us, this festival is one of the best.

The owners of Bandsonabudget.com have long been fans and supporters of The Fest (they will have attended half of them!), so it makes sense for them to be involved this year. The company has been known to sponsor events based on being fans of the bands and labels themselves, but also because they support the cause. Festivals like this give opportunities to so many bands, and they truly do a great job creating their own independent music culture. If you're one of the lucky 5,000 to attend, keep an eye out for the Bandsonabudget.com logos through the guidebook and the rest of the Fest!

For more information on the fest, please visit: www.TheFestFL.com

10/16/2009

Digital Mastering Has Arrived

We've been offering it on a limited basis to our customers and newsletter subscribers but we're proud to announce digital mastering as a new service at BandsOnABudget.com. Read below for info about our new service.

Once your recording and mixing is finished, there's one more important step before sending it over for CD pressing: mastering. This process is imperative in giving your record a professional sound; consider it the finishing touches on your masterpiece. Your songs will be compressed to make sure they're at a standard CD volume and EQed to make the mix sound bright and full. Details are important, so we'll have your track transitions and any other special requests taken care of to make sure the final result sounds exactly how you imagined. The quick turnaround and affordable prices can't be beat, so don't leave out this aspect of the recording process!

Standard turnaround time in most cases is within 48 hours of receiving files. One of your mastered tracks will be sent as a sample within 24 hours, so you'll have input on the overall sound and EQ. To submit your tracks for mastering, CDs can be sent via mail or uploaded online. Tracks should be sent as WAV or AIFF files, stereo interleaved at a minimum of 16-bit, 44.1KHz. In addition to being able to access the tracks immediately online once the process is completed, a master CD will be shipped to you too. We also master vinyl releases!

To place an order or to receive a custom quote please call us toll free at 1 866-471-3868 or fill out our contact form.

Pricing

10/14/2009

Awesome show this Sunday at the Asbury Lanes.

The Revival Tour:

Chuck Ragan
Tim Barry
Jim Ward
Jenny Own Youngs

$13/adv $15/dos
Doors 7PM
All Ages
Oct 18th, 2009
http://www.asburylanes.com

10/13/2009

Mix 'n Match Hoodie Sale!

HOODIES ONLY $9.99

Sale Begins Wednesday October 14 @ 9am Sale Ends October 15th @ 12pm For one day only, BandsonaBudget.com is offering hoodies for only $9.99.  Keep in mind, most bands sell hooded sweatshirts at shows for $20-30, so not only will you be keeping your fans warm, you'll also be putting lots of extra money in your cash box!

The way this offer works is simple: the total number of apparel items in your order has to add up to 24. You can order as few as 1 hoodie, or as many as 24 (or more!) to complete the order, mixing and matching with any of our high-quality t-shirts to fulfill the remaining quantity.

The $9.99 special includes a Gildan pull-over hooded sweatshirt, plus one color printing on the front or back. Remember, you can also throw as many hoodies as you want onto any order for this special price, so take advantage!! For new orders, there is a $25 screen set up charge.

Over two dozen colors to choose from:
Ash
Black
Carolina
Blue
Cherry
Red
Dark
Chocolate
Dark
Heather
Forest
Green
Gold
Honey
Indigo
Blue
Irish
Green
Kiwi
Light
Blue
Light
Pink
Maroon
Navy
Orange
Paprika
Purple
Red
Royal
Sand
Sport
Grey
Tan
Violet
White

Contact us today to place your order!

Remember to include in your message the colors, quantities and sizes you would like to order.

10/07/2009

BandsOnABudget.com/ShoreAlternative.com/The Punkyard Present:

Dec 16th
Ben Franklin
The Amboys
Skull Motion
Sound of the American Doomsday Cult

The Asbury Lanes
209 4th Ave, Asbury Park, NJ
$10, 21+ 9PM

10/05/2009

09/28/2009

Shore Alternative is bringing another great show to Asbury Park next Tuesday October 6th.  Come check out the Riverwinds and Old Bat.  It's only $2 to get in and there will be drink specials, ticket giveaways, etc.

Also - be sure to visit their newly revamped website at http://www.shorealternative.com

09/04/2009

09/04/2009

Go check out the nice little piece Jason Thomson did about us over at the TriCity News.

08/21/2009

Jac

http://www.myspace.com/jacnj

BandsOnABudget.com was out at the Asbury Lanes last night and caught an amazing set from New Brunswick, NJ's Jac. Check out the video above and be sure to check out their myspace page for some additional videos and mp3s.

Jác is a band led by Ritchie Monteiro. Other members include: Katie Campo, Tom Millet, Bob Hackimer, Ryan Shafer, and Andrew Dodemaide. All have been in or are presently in music projects of their own, but are indulging the idea of bringing more untraditional instruments to the surface. The ensemble of instruments include: Ritchie - vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, piano, ukulele, percussion, accordion, trumpet, harmonica, Tom - bass, acoustic guitar, vocals, ukulele, Kate - accordion, violin, piano, acoustic guitar, vocals, Bob - drums, percussion, vocals, Ryan - Saxophone, ukulele, percussion, Andrew D - Violin, ukulele, percussion. Jác songwriting influences are broad, ranging from folk, jazz, spanish flamenco, country, Eastern European, blues, classical and many more. Art will also play an intergral role to the band, led by Gary Bennett and Ritchie Monteiro. Jác can be seen playing venues in the months to come. Check back on this sight for clips of new music and artwork.

08/19/2009

ShoreAlternative.com Night

Come out every Tuesday night to the Wonderbar in Asbury Park, NJ to catch some of the newest up and coming bands (many of them customers of BandsOnABudget.com). This week we have the following in store:

Sally Boyd
Werewolves
Gimme Drugs
Soft Black

Admission is only $2 and there are drink specials all ngiht. Come show your support and say hello.

08/19/2009

The Defog [Philadelphia, PA]

The Defog is an indie/shoegaze/rock band located in Philadelphia. A collage of flowing pianos, eclectic samples and loops, punchy guitar, melodic bass, intricate percussion, and emotional vocals build the framework for this unique ensemble.

We were out at the Wonderbar in Asbury Park, NJ last night and got to check out a great set from this up and coming band from Philly. Check out a song from last nights set above...

08/18/2009

Surfrider Foundation and Barefoot Wines Asbury Park Beach Cleanup

Saturday, August 29th from 2-4 PM hundreds of volunteers will be helping Surfrider Foundation and Barefoot Wines clean the beaches of Asbury Park, NJ. To show our appreciation, beach cleaners 21 and up will be treated to a reception with light food and Barefoot Wine at the Stone Pony from 5-6PM. Then at 6PM, there will be a free concert, open to all, featuring Mason Jennings, Cold War Kids, Gavin DeGraw, and Joss Stone!

Again, the concert is free, you don’t even have to do the beach clean up but we hope you will.

The beach cleanup is open to all but the reception and concert are strictly 21 and over. You must RSVP for this event by going to www.beachrescueconcert.com.

08/03/2009

We're proud to announce that BandsOnABudget.com will be a sponsor of The Fest 8 in Gainesville, FL on October 30th, October 31st and November 1st 2009. We're super excited to be involved with the No Idea Records guys and even more excited to be going back to Gainesville to see some really awesome bands. More details to follow but look for some exclusive Fest specials, Indeicards, and other news in the near future.

About The Fest

THE FEST is a culmination of bands and friends from all over converging for a few days of pure insanity all over the fine city of Gainesville, FL. The first one took place May 24th and 25th of 2002 and was thought to have gone down in history as the drunkest and rowdiest time ever to be had in Gainesville. We hosted over 60 bands in two days at 6 different venues, got free beer from Pabst Blue Ribbon, had a massive late night after show that was mistaken for a riot, watched HAR MAR SUPERSTAR start the largest dance party in his underwear, first time we got to see Against Me play to over 100 people, and I think the only other "big" band we had was Pretty Girls Make Graves. Man, how things have changed. Overall I think people were hung over for the rest of their natural lives. So in a nutshell it was a fucking blast. Read More

07/31/2009

Check out this weeks killer Shore Alternative show at the Wonderbar this Tuesday. Come show your love for Howie, one of our new guys who also happens to play in Athletics.  Mention "color separations" and he'll buy you a beer...

07/31/2009

Media Kit

BandsOnABudget.com Vector Logos

07/20/2009

Our friends at On The Verge have posted an exclusive video with The Matches performing their song "Honest and Anonymous". Check it out below.

On The Verge celebrated our launch with a show at Ace of Clubs in New York City featuring performances by The Matches, Drive By and Those Mockingbirds. In this OTV exclusive clip, Independent Music Award Winning band the Matches gives our crew a special acoustic performance post-show backstage at Ace of Clubs. Check it out and stay tuned to OTV for interviews with each band and exclusive debuts by the Matches. GET MORE FROM THE MATCHES AT WWW.PLANETVERGE.COM

For more from On The Verge, visit http://www.planetverge.com

07/15/2009

Our friends at On The Verge have posted an exclusive acoustic song from The Matches. Watch them perform "Needs and Wants".

In an On the Verge exclusive, the Matches premiere Needs and Wants off their upcoming album. Its so addictive that even our cameraman couldnt stop humming it after he was finished editing it. GET MORE FROM THE MATCHES AT WWW.PLANETVERGE.COM

For more exclusives from On The Verge, check out http://www.youtube.com/user/PlanetVerge. 

07/14/2009

On The Verge has a video interview up with Dan Keyes of Young Love. In it, he talks about a number of things including his old band, his influences, and much more.

Days before releasing new album, "One of Us," Young Love frontman Dan Keyes sat down with Jordana at Webster Hall to discuss the album, the rough patches in his life and his positive outlook on it all. Join us in the dressing room for this interview exclusive. Follow us on Twitter @planetverge for updates on when Part 2 (when the cameras "weren't rolling") will be released.

For more great interviews from On The Verge, visit http://www.planetverge.com

07/08/2009

Exclusive to BandsOnABudget.com, we're bringing you a few new tunes from Joe Michelini of River City Extention's performance at Shore Alternative's weekly event at the Wonderbar in Asbury Park, NJ.  If you are unfamilar with these guys a strongly urge you to get familiar.

07/07/2009

Our friends at On The Verge have posted a video featuring Matt Lord of Sohodolls.

For more videos from On The Verge, check out www.planetverge.com

07/07/2009

Our friends at On The Verge have a video up with Rob Hitt. In this interview, Rob discusses discusses various aspects of what it is like being a vegetarian.

Previously the drummer for Midtown, Rob Hitt is now into it all: hes a manager for bands with Crush Management, resident DJ at Angels & Kings (he even owns part of the joint) and hes one of the East Villages sexiest vegetarians. Jordana gets Rob to sit still (well, sort of still) for a few minutes to discuss his love of tofu turkey and much more.

For more from On The Verge, visit www.planetverge.com

07/07/2009

07/02/2009

Come Hang out with us next Tuesday (and every Tuesday) at the WonderBar in Asbury Park NJ.  This week's lineup includes Montagna & The Mouth To Mouth, Brook Pridemore, and Kenny Junior.

07/02/2009

Asbury Park Venue Hosts “Monkeying with the Movies” on July 18

ASBURY PARK (June 30, 2009) – The ShowRoom, Asbury Park’s independent cinema and multi-purpose venue, will host the musical group Monkeyworks, a seven-piece electro-acoustic music ensemble, for a special “Monkeying with the Movies” live event. The group will score music to silent film classics live at the Cookman Avenue movie theater on Saturday, July 18 at 8:00 p.m.

Monkeyworks is known for its unique, interactive performances and impromptu compositions. At The ShowRoom, they will bring improvised, live music to silent film classics starring Fatty Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Keystone Cops and Felix the Cat. The group will then take requests from the audience to compose and perform songs on the spot.

“The ShowRoom is thrilled to welcome Monkeyworks to Asbury Park,” said Nancy Sabino, co-owner of The ShowRoom. “Our venue provides a blend of film, music and culture that creates fun, interactive experiences for our audiences. Monkeyworks are the ideal performers to highlight the multifaceted, theatrical experiences that The ShowRoom was designed for.”

Monkeyworks has been together since 1997 and has recently released a second CD entitled “Seeking.” Combining styles such as Jazz, Rock, African, Cajun, Middle Eastern, and Ambient music, the group creates a truly diverse and one-of-a-kind experience for audiences. Monkeyworks’ unique sound and concept has led to performances at famous musical events and venues such as the Guggenheim Museum’s WorldBeat Jazz concert series and the Knitting Factory.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472. Tickets for “Monkeying with the Movies” are $10.00. For more information on Monkeyworks, please visit www.monkeyworksmusic.com.

About The ShowRoom Opened in April 2009, The ShowRoom is both an independent film theater and a multi-purpose venue located at 708 Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park, NJ. In addition to screening critically acclaimed, independent, classic, foreign, family and festival-winning film, The ShowRoom endeavors to provide the community with a versatile space for business meetings, art openings, live performances, book signings and more. Owners Michael Sodano and Nancy Sabino are film-industry veterans with more than 25 years of experience in creative communications for corporate productions. With The ShowRoom, first-rate cinema is becoming yet another component in Asbury Park’s growing downtown arts community. For more information, or to learn about film screenings, please visit www.theshowroomap.com or call 732-502-0472.

06/26/2009

Our friends over at On The Verge have an interview up with the band Hanson. They cover a number of topics including the reason behind their barefoot walks, their new album, and much more.

Hanson hosted its 102nd Walk around the world raise AIDS awareness at Montclair State University in November. On The Verge was there for every freshly manicured, barefoot step, along with about 200 other action takers. Later on, we invaded the brothers dressing room to discuss the importance of The Walk Campaign (Hanson generously donates $1 per walker to help African children) and the bands secrets for self-made success in todays music industry. Aspiring indies, grab a pen and paper because youre going to want to note the words of wisdom from Issac, Taylor and Zac.

For more videos from On The Verge, visit www.planetverge.com

06/26/2009

Our friends at On The Verge have posted a video interview with Jet Lag Gemini. The band talks about their current tour, their new album, and more.

For more from On The Verge, visit www.planetverge.com

06/26/2009

Check out On The Verge featuring Butch Walker. In the interview, he covers a variety of topics, such as what makes his new album "Sycamore Meadows" different from previous albums, his friendship with Pink, and more.

It's no secret that we love Butch Walker. He's decorated the pages of Planet Verge since we were a mere print zine and now he's lighting up our airwaves. This is the first in a series of segments we're bringing you on the former Marvelous 3 frontman turned mega-awesome solo artist/producer. Hop on the tour bus with us before his show at Maxwells, NJ and then tag along as we head to the Stone Pony and chat with Butch fans.

For more great interviews from On The Verge, visit http://www.planetverge.com.

06/26/2009

If you're in the area on June 30th, stop by the Wonderbar at 1213 Ocean Ave in Asbury Park. Our friends at ShoreAlternative.com are putting on a show featuring Chemtrail, Future Future, and Brick Mortar. There will be guest Djs and ticket giveaways. We will have a table set up as well, so stop by and say hi while you're there. Don't miss out on what is guaranteed to be a fun night!  

06/24/2009

Interesting article on how Amanda Palmer used Twitter to gross over $19,000 last month.  Yes - she may not exactly be 'indie' but there are still plenty of creative ideas for marketing your band on Twitter...

http://mikeking.berkleemusicblogs.com/2009/06/23/how-an-indie-musician-can-make-19000-in-10-hours-using-twitter/

06/17/2009

Mi2n has a great writeup on out friends over at Planet Verge.

The girls of Planet Verge have teamed up with digital network ambush.tv to produce On The Verge, the Internet TV show that is one-part band interviews, one-part scene and one-part philanthropy. It’s “What’s Hot and What’s Important”, but most of all, it’s what the On the Verge hosts live and breathe. Producers/Hosts Joelle Caputa, Jordana Reim and Jess Sager bring viewers backstage for OTV-exclusive acoustic shows, to the red carpet, the runway and… the farm (watch and see!). The girls are playful and conscientious, some straightedge, some vegan, and all living it up with regular doses of rock n’ roll.

Planet Verge and ambush.tv began production for On the Verge in October 2008 and are proud to announce the debut of episodes online at www.planetverge.com. Episodes are filmed on location as well as at the ambush.tv studios in Hoboken, New Jersey.

read the full article here

06/09/2009

Our friends over at On The Verge have some pretty cool stuff going on. Go check out their recent interview with The Academy Is...

In one the the first ever On The Verge interviews, Jordana sits down with William Beckett and Adam Siska of The Academy Is... at Atlantic Records for an intimate chat about their album Fast Times at Barrington High, the guys' favorite high school memories, Adam's love for older women, William's history of being a heartbreaker and much more. See how far these guys have come since their cafeteria days at Barrington High and maybe even learn about the inspiration behind their song, "Beware Cougar." (Cue: eyebrow raise).

06/01/2009

05/29/2009

The popularity of IndieCards is constantly increasing, as there are many uses for this innovative promotional tool. Whether you are a musician, a label, a small business owner, a radio station, or just an average joe, IndieCards can be used to your benefit in a number of ways. Still not familiar with the concept of IndieCards? Here are the top 4 ways IndieCards can be used:

1) Hand Out As Demos
If you have ever been to any kind of concert, I'm sure you have been handed a band's demo CD before. It is always great to get free stuff, but sometimes it is inconvenient to carry around a bulky CD. Do your fans a favor and get IndieCards, so when you hand them out, they can just stick the cards right in their pocket

2) Promotional Postcards
In addition to just including your music on the card, you can also use the physical card as a method of advertising as well. Bands can include information on the actual card as well, including the band name, website, show dates, and other items. Instead of handing out postcards and a CD, why not just get IndieCards, where you can combine the two in this compact format.

3) Replacement For CDs
We already went over how handing out IndieCards is more convenient for fans at concerts due to its compact size, but for full length CDs in general that people purchase anywhere, it is also a good alternative. People like sleek products, and it seems like the smaller the product, the better. Cell phones used to be the size of a brick (e.g. the Zack Morris phone), but have evolved into fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand. The same case works for music, as it is a lot easier to handle something the size of a credit card than a bulky CD case.

4) Added Value To Sell With CDs and Vinyl
Although IndieCards are becoming the new trend in music distribution, there will always be people who prefer CDs to the cards. For the people who still enjoy purchasing CDs, you can still get IndieCards to include with the CD as a bonus for the customers. This gives them the option to either use the CD or IndieCard to listen to the music. This extra bonus also entices the customers to purchase the CD since there would be an added value to the purchase.

It also comes in handy with Vinyl records. Not everyone who buys Vinyl records has a record player and many people want to be able to put their music on their iPod. By releasing IndieCards with a 7” or full length vinyl record, it gives the people the ability to enjoy your music in multiple formats.

Don't miss out on IndieCards, available here at BandsOnABudget.com!

05/28/2009

While it may not directly pertain to all y'all bands on a budget, we'd like to plug a great new iPhone app released by our friends over at Zetetic.net.

Strip is a secure Password Manager and Data Vault that protects your sensitive information with 256-bit AES encryption.

Store your passwords, financial details, and other data without fear of prying eyes, device loss, or theft. Perfect for IT, legal, medical, and business professionals with a need for security and confidentiality.

For more info check out the Lite Version in the itunes app store at http://bit.ly/tdwgi

05/26/2009

Just a quick post memorial-day tidbit - gradedbutedible.com posted a review of our services on their website - check it out or see below...

"Technically, night one. We got here late, cuz I hadda drive way long to pick up my awesome new shirts, which I friggin LOVE. In fact if you need shirts, and you're in NJ or somewhere near, you should buy your shirts from Bands on a Budget, because his prices are great, and Bret's an awesome guy. So anyways. We drove a long time (me= me n Randy), Connecticut BLOWS, and we got here and went to check in to the con Thursday night. And the badges SUCK this year. What the hell? I'm gonna try to post tomorrow about Friday, so maybe check back? If I can pull my shit together I will really post all weekend! EXCITING."

http://gradedbutedible.com

05/15/2009

Many thanks to Drew for whipping up this video short interview for us.  Check it out here:

Here's the link to the higher resolution version

05/15/2009

There are many bands looking to make an impact in the local music scene, but it seems as though one band stands out above the rest; that band is Ben Franklin. No, Benjamin Franklin didn't rise from the dead and start a kick ass band, but even if he did, it wouldn't be able to touch this Brooklyn  band.

Ben Franklin is a group of really enthusiastic and creative characters that chose their namesake for obvious reasons: they get excited and make things. The music tends to follow their interests, fairly all over the spectrum of rock. All three of them are battle-tested from previous acts (Days Awake, The Meltdowns, The OAOTs) and years of playing live. Forming in Dec 2008, Ben Franklin were able to put their first show together in a mere four rehearsals.

Ben Franklin consists of singer/guitarist Billy Gray, Eddie Garza, who sings and plays bass, and Sarah Tomek, who sings and wails on the drum kit. 

The band is releasing their first EP,  These Are the Most Delicate Songs, Saturday May 16th at I.M. Automata Chino in Jersey City, NJ, followed by releasing their first full-length album in early Summer 2009 on Tank Crash! records.

To hear more from Ben Franklin and get updates on what is new with the band, visit their myspace page at www.myspace.com/wearebenfranklin.

05/12/2009

BandsOnABudget.com is proud to announce that we will be sponsoring the 3rd annual Asbury Rock Stars Charity Softball Tournament. On August 8th, 2009, the tournament kicks off at Bert Willis Field in Neptune, NJ featuring eight softball games with more than 80 players fighting for charities of their choosing.

The idea of a charity softball tournament featuring Asbury Park based musicians came from Rick Barry, who presented the idea to friend and event planner Ali Fisk. Shortly after, Shannon Breslin and Mallory Massara became involved with the project as well, helping organize different aspects of the event. Last to join in was BandsOnABudget.com's own Danny Croak, who donated all of the screen printed shirts for everyone involved.

The tournament is proving to be successful way to raise a substantial amount of money for a good cause. The number of participants in the tournament last year doubled from the previous year, and it looks as if it will continue to grow again this year. Sign ups end on May 24th, 2009, so anyone who is interested must visit www.asburyrockstarscharity.com and register by that date.

We encourage everyone to check out the website and donate for this great cause. It will be a fun and friendly game that will bring people together to raise money for different charities. Bring your friends, family, and whoever else you can find to have some fun playing softball with some musicians for a good cause.

05/11/2009

BandsOnABudget.com has released a Spring Sampler IndieCard featuring 11 BandsOnABudget.com customer's original tracks.

For those who are not sure what an IndieCard is or how it works, IndieCards are used as an alternative to CDs. The cards are about the size of a credit card and contain a unique code on the back. By entering the code on BandsOnABudget.com, you gain access to exclusive content from the band.

The Spring Sampler IndieCard features various genres of music to include something for music lovers of all kinds.

Track listing for the sampler:

1.Blameshift – F.A.K.E. (myspace.com/blameshift)
2.One False Move – Drowning Melody (myspace.com/1falsemove)
3.At Rest – Dressed For Death (myspace.com/atrestmusic)
4.They Sound Like Robots – Allisyndrome (myspace.com/theysoundlikerobotsnj)
5.The Emmaus Project – Can You Tell Me? (myspace.com/theemmausproject66)
6.Natalie Gelman – Never Had You (myspace.com/nataliegelman)
7.C.O.G.- Child of God – Know Your Bible (myspace.com/pdsoul)
8.Bess Rogers – Bulldozer (myspace.com/bessrogers)
9.Tommy Strazza & The Model Citizens – Detour (myspace.com/tommystrazza)
10.Eric Ginsberg – Break My Rules (myspace.com/ericginsberg)
11.The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa – The Shooter Is Me (myspace.com/theecstasyofsaintteresa)

Give the sampler a listen, and while you're here, check out the new merchandise specials here at BandsOnABudget.com!

05/04/2009

05/01/2009

Just a few new/updated specials to throw at you today - full newsletter coming next week with lots of goodies...

1000 Static Data IndieCards™
FREE w/ 100 piece T-shirt Orders.

1000 Static Data Indiecards™ $79

With Any T-shirt Order, otherwise only $99.

24 White Shirts: $99

Gilden G500 100% Cotton T-shirts,
1 Color, 1 Location Print

5000 4x6 Postcards: $169

Doubled Sided, Glossy, Full Color

50 11x17 Posters: $75
100 11x17 Posters: $99

Full Color, 1 Sided

To order Contact Us

05/01/2009

Here you can download the Intellectual Property Release (IPR) forms for your CD order:

IPR Form Page 1

IPRform Page 2

04/17/2009

Happy Friday all - just wanted to give a quick plug to our friends over at ShoreAlternativeRadio.com

ShoreAlternative.com is an Internet based radio station/lifestyle network dedicated to playing the best of Indie Rock/Alternative in an easily accessible manor. It is made easy to listen in any time of the day on your computer or even on the go with your iPod Touch or iPhone.

ShoreAlternative.com plays the likes of Radiohead, TV On the Radio, The Cure, The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, Muse, Lilly Allen, Bjork, Depeche Mode, Beck, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, Morrissey/Smiths, Interpol, and many more bands. They play good music that you won't hear on other stations.

You can also find what's happening with your favorite bands in the Alternative News section of the website, including updates on album releases, news on bands, and more.

Find Top 20 lists as well as the Top 10 Buzz Songs on ShoreAlternative.com. Bands currently on the top of their charts include Depeche Mode, U2, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kings of Leon, and Coldplay.

In addition to the top artists charts is the Artist of the Week section of the site, where each week, a different artist is profiled. This week, The Soundscapes is the band holding this honor. This is a good way to give bands selected as the Artist of the Week exposure to a large audience who may or may not know who they are.

Stay tuned to ShoreAlternative.com to listen to the best of Indie/Alternative music from wherever you happen to be.

04/10/2009

Static Data IndieCard™ Templates

Photoshop .psd (7.8 MB)

Variable Data Plastic IndieCard™ Templates

Plastic IndieCard Illustrator .ai (CS1) (2.58 MB)
Plastic IndieCard Illustrator .ai (CS3) (2.45 MB)
Zipped Archive Illustrator .ai (CS1 & CS3) (3.38 MB)

04/10/2009

Photoshop .psd 4x6 Postcard Template (4.74MB)
Zipped Archive 4x6 Postcard Template (2.29MB)

04/02/2009

04/01/2009

For Immediate Release April 1st, 2009 Asbury Park, NJ

This ain't no April Fools Joke...

BandsOnABudget.com would like to announce the launch a new digital download service for artists & musicians. Dubbed IndieCards™, this online service accompanies our line of digital download products and allows your friends & fans to download exclusive tracks, content, and whatever other media you want to share with them.

For more information and pricing for our digital download card products please visit http://www.BandsOnABudget.com/viewpage/digitaldownloadcards

03/28/2009

For Immediate Release
March 28th, 2009
Asbury Park, NJ

BandsOnABudget.com is proud to announce that we now supply static data download cards. Our most budget-minded option, static download cards are made of recycled paper, are full color, front and back, and feature a uniform 'static' code on the entire set. These cards are perfect for giving away in lieu of demos or as promotional items.

Static data download cards start as low as $89 for 500 cards. They are also available in quantities of 1000 for $99. Want more than 1000? Call us for pricing on quantities of 2500, 5000, or greater.

Looking for something more? As always, we offer the regular 30mm digital download cards starting at $235 for 500. This card contains full color on one side and black and white on the other. Full pricing details are available at: http://bandsonabudget.com/viewpage/digitaldownloadcards.

Don't miss out on this great chance to promote your music for a low price with digital download cards, available now at BandsOnABudget.com!

03/28/2009

Our not so secret digital download card service has been slowly been rolling out as of late.  Were ready to start beta testing the system and need a few bands willing to beat on our system. 

What are the benefits you might wonder?

Well, first you can get in on the ground level of our brand new, cutting edge service, and quite honestly, you'll get bragging rights.

Better still (well, what can be better than that), you'll also get a free portal for your band to host their music and have your friends, family, and fans download content.  Think of it as a faster, not as annoying version of purevolume or myspace.

Want to get started - it's free and simple - just visit http://BandsOnABudget.com/contact and tell us you're interested in being a beta tester.

Cheers

The BandsOnABudget.com Team

03/26/2009

2009 SXSW Frank Turner Review
By Nina Chiminec

Buried amongst the names of over one thousand bands at the South by Southwest Music Conference, it takes something special to make your way onto someone’s schedule three times in two days. With eyes glazed over, I finished going through the entire list of artists playing the festival this year, and starred the shows that were a priority to me. My coworkers laughed as they