Two Weeks on Apple’s Ping OR “Is Anybody Out There?”

When it comes to technology, I am under the firm belief that it is important to give something a real go before judging it. I’ve been on Apple’s Ping music-based social network for 2 weeks now and I finally feel like I am ready to make a ruling. Unfortunately for Jobs and co., it’s not one they are going to like – Ping is bad. Really bad. Terrible in fact. So bad that I would rather listen to a two hour recital for the local beginner’s Suzuki violin-based music program than spend another hour messing around with Ping.

The worst part might be that there are so many different bad parts, that I have no idea where to start. But here goes my attempt. The five reasons why Apple’s Ping needs to meet the fate of Google Wave (at best) but should really disappear all together in order to facilitate quick un-remembering.

Five Major Ping Fails:

1. Population – Apple billed Ping as its very own music-based social network, the final nail in MySpace’s coffin capable of rivalling and even surpassing the social aspects of Last FM (though without the all important streaming function). However, for either of these predictions to come true, large numbers of people would actually need to be using Ping, which they are not currently doing.
2. Sign-Up – To be able to get a Ping account, it is necessary to go through an iTunes store account. This isn’t a problem in and of itself except for the major issue that in most countries outside of the United States it is necessary to use a credit card to create an account. Do you think nearly as many people would be on Facebook if it required a credit card to sign up? Definitely not. Yes, there is a work around (by going through the App Store) to be able to get an account, but it is cumbersome and few but the most keen and most savvy potential Ping users would be willing/able to follow through. There are lots of people who do not have and do not want a credit card (I being one of them). Apple needs to stop pretending like we don’t exist.
3. Search – Those few people (especially interesting people) that are actually on Ping are next to impossible to find. Without being able to easily connect to friends on other social networks such as Facebook or Twitter, or even being able to find people via an email contact book, building a network is very difficult. Add to that ridiculous suggestions from Apple on people/artists to follow (no Apple I do not want to follow Miley Cyrus!) and this alone is a recipe for disaster.
4. Personalization – Considering that Apple is the largest online music retailer, it should certainly know better than to suggest that a person can only like three different genres of music. Furthermore, that Apple would force Ping members to choose from such a limited list is downright embarrassing. Where is folk on the list? Or blues? Can’t jazz music be inspirational? When has someone ever responded “soundtrack” when asked what kind of music they like to listen to?
5. Like – Ping only allows users (at time of posting) to like music they have purchased or are purchasing from the iTunes store. For someone like me who prefers to buy CDs, this means that my commitment to purchasing music in local record stores or at concert venues doesn’t count for anything. I understand that Apple is a company and wants to make money, and quite possibly thinks that this constraint will encourage people to buy more music from the iTunes store. But, at the same time Apple needs to recognize, if it is truly serious about becoming the network for music lovers, that none of the major social networks – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube etc. – grew within a highly commercialized network model and there is no reason to suggest that Ping could be the exception. Even where social networks, Last FM being a prime example, have developed a highly commercial model, they have done so after generating a wide user base who is familiar with the services offered and is excited about the great value that they will be getting for any dollars spent.

Now I’m not doing anything as drastic as shutting my Ping account down completely. I hope that Apple goes back to the drawing board, and does so quickly, to be able to work out all of the major kinks in Ping. But, I remain cynical. Apple, at least lately, seems to have forgotten what it is to be cool. Bullies and control freaks may seem cool in high school, but in the real world it is the carefree, the open, the useful and the fun that are cool, just like it was when we were children. Apple it’s time to grow up.*

* Note in interest of fairness, this was written from a MacBook (though using open source software).

5 Times Not to Approach the A&R Rep…

Generally people in A&R (artists and repertoire for those of my readers not coming from the world of music) try to keep a low profile. That being said, generally people in bands work to prevent A&R reps from keeping a low profile. Though generally always on the lookout for fantastic music, there ARE (believe it or not) times when labels are unable to bring on any additional bands and it IS possible that even during these times a label A&R person can be found at a music venue. Let me let you in on a little secret – A&R reps are generally A&R reps because they LOVE music. Therefore it is only reasonable that even in their ‘downtime’ these individuals would be partaking in music-related activities. Because it can be difficult to tell whether they are actually on duty or not, there are five general times (and possibly quite more) when you should NEVER approach an A&R person if your band would EVER (and I mean EVER) like to be signed. All examples have come from actual horror stories.

1. The Bathroom – This seems like a no brainer, but anyone who has ever worked A&R has at least one story of being approached by an eager musician while trying to go about their, umm ‘personal business’. This applies for both men and women. While there seems to be more of a tendency to confuse the urinals with an office (despite – from what I can gather – a strict unspoken code about urinal conduct), it is equally as unacceptable as trying to slip your new EP through the crack in the stall door. The bathroom is quite possibly the only place an A&R rep would never think of music – creating the perfect toilet paper protective seat buffer requires all the concentration a human being can muster. Word to the wise – if you ignore this advice not only do you not stand a chance with the person you’ve been trying to court, you may also wake up with a restraining order.
2. When the A&R Rep is Intoxicated – I know that a lot of people who have worked/are working in the industry (including myself) keep a policy of not drinking at shows, whether on-duty or not. (because you sometimes find good music where you least expect it, it is quite important to keep a level head). That being said there are also a fair number A&R reps who do not keep this policy. If you run into an A&R rep at a show and they are unable to stand, form complete sentences or are dancing on the bar there is an exceptionally high likelihood that they are off-duty and even if they are not, they WILL NOT remember you come the morning.
3. At a Children’s Birthday Party – This applies whether the child whose birthday is being celebrated is the A&R rep’s or not. Everyone likes to let loose a little bit – maybe make some balloon animals, maybe see a magician pull a rabbit out of his hat – and a birthday party is a great environment to do that. Generally if at a children’s birthday party, the A&R rep is consciously trying to be “in the moment” and demonstrate to family/friends that they do have their priorities in order. Spending 30 minutes trying to get you to go away impedes upon their ability to do this. Accosting someone at a children’s party is tacky in general and it goes double if you try to sing that new song about you’re girlfriend leaving you for “the Puma*” in front of a crowd of starry-eyed 6 year-olds.
4. In a Courthouse – Whether it be to fight a parking ticket or because of a custody hearing no one wants to talk shop before facing the law. Plus, you likely will not know the reason for the A&R rep’s presence at the courthouse – while it is possible they are there to support a friend, it is also possible that they are there to file another restraining order (maybe even against you) or to face assault charges after punching an aggressive bassist in a club bathroom. This rule is just as much for your personal safety as it is for career success.

1. 5. At a Funeral – This is quite possibly the tackiest place to try to slip your new LP into the right hands. It is extremely hard to gauge how bereaved a person is at a funeral (body language and emotional state are not necessarily aligned) so even if you are willing to brave tackiness for your shot at fame and stardom, there is a 99.9% chance that even broaching the topic will leave a sour taste in any A&R rep’s mouth. Do you want to be included in “The Dirt-Bag Hall of Fame”? No. Then don’t even think about it.

Though these are some extreme cases of poor decision making, a good general rule to follow is to let the A&R rep approach you. Publicize your gigs well, make sure you have the support of at least a few really good bands also on the cusp of of being signed and most importantly let your music not your ego do the talking.

*If you don’t understand the reference watch 500 Days of Summer

Peter Katz’s On The Boards at The Refinery from the CBC

One of my favourite things about music is that sometimes it seems to be governed by fate. On those days when you really need it, you’ll accidently run into a new singer, or rediscover an old favourite that seems so pertinent that you can’t help but wonder whether the songwriter crawled into your head and decided to sing exactly what you were thinking.

I’ve known about upcoming singer-songwriter Peter Katz for a while. An old friend had heard him and figuring that he was my cup of tea (I do have a soft spot for acoustic singer-songwriters) passed him along. I bought the new album from iTunes, signed up to the mailing list and made a note to see him if he was ever in town (sadly I missed out on seeing him play at Folk Fest earlier this month due to a combination of lightning and a work-related emergency). Definitely an artist I both liked and respected, but there wasn’t yet the magic there.

However, that changed when today I was alerted by a tweet from Mr. Katz himself (if you fancy following him you can too – http://twitter.com/peterkatzmusic) that a concert recorded in Saskatoon in April had been posted to the CBC website. Still feeling badly that I didn’t get a chance to see him live at Folk Fest, I was eager to have a listen and I am definitely not disappointed that I did. There was that magic, the magic that I had sensed he was capable of but was still waiting for (probably because I have yet to see him perform live).

The order of the set list creates this fantastic flow between songs and his witty and poignant stage banter not only illustrates his humbleness (in a completely positive way) but provides a wonderful complement to his passionate songwriting. The songs themselves are intensely emotional, but in a way that inspires hope not wallowing. Songs like “Oliver’s Tune” in particular (written about Canadian fiddler Oliver Shroer’s final concert) can’t help but force you to think about the big questions (like the point of life and the meaning of happiness) but in a way that makes you feel grateful for the opportunity.

I highly recommend giving this concert a go, even if you are not traditionally a fan of “man and his guitar” type music. It’s rare that live magic is bottled so well and shared with the world (for free to boot) – something that would happen even more rarely in Canada without the CBC. So to check out this show please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20100408pkatz

To find out more or hear more about Peter Katz (and to buy his still very excellent recent album ‘First of the Last to Know’) please visit either his official website (http://www.peterkatz.com/) or his Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/peterkatz). He also just announced a whole whack of new shows across Canada so make sure that you get a glimpse of that magic first hand when he comes to a city near you.

The Mumford Trap?

Today I was forwarded this video in an email by a friend who knows that I’m keen on both Mumford & Sons and The Temper Trap (those two bands are on my top 10 favourite music list for 2009). Sometimes when your favourite bands come together it can sound downright dreadful, but other times it’s pure bliss. Thank goodness in this case it is the latter. The bands, though they have very different styles seem to play off each other quite nicely here. Though it is quite likely that this is a one off collaboration, I for one would be queueing for tickets if there were to do a full-out North American tour together.

Here it is for your viewing enjoyment:

10 Things Your Management Needs to be Doing For You if They Aren’t Doing It Already

So you are an independent band or musician looking to score your first record deal – no major labels of course, but a cool indie like ANTI- or Engine Room or Kelp Records. You’ve self-funded your EP, you’re drawing around 200 a show and you’ve heard your song on the radio for the first time. You’ve even been hearing rumours that A&R reps have been spotted at your shows. You are so incredibly ready for this next step – but the offers aren’t coming in and now you are wondering why?

The sad truth is that it could quite possibly be your management. The reason that it is a sad truth is because at this stage of your career your manager(s) are likely 1) A parent 2) A spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/romantic entanglement 3) A sibling 4) Your best friend from high school who you love but couldn’t let into the actual band because he is tone deaf. It is also quite likely that your manager has never been near the music industry and that their own record/cd/iTunes collection consists mostly of Stevie Wonder, KISS and/or the Backstreet Boys. You brought them on as manager because you love them or they are family, but at this crucial stage in your career they could be doing more harm than good. In some cases your management alone may be the reason you don’t have record labels beating down your door with contracts.

Among A&R folks, tiny label execs and others responsible for sealing the deal with indie bands a good quarter of the “ones that got away” stories shared centre around really strange experiences with management. From managers that ask at the first meeting whether the label is willing to sign a 10 album deal to managers that draw up riders including demands for unlimited Taco Bell expenses there seems to be no line that hasn’t been crossed by either a well-meaning but naive/uninformed manager or a greedy one. Even when a label rep is willing to muddle through a terrible management situation and are willing to put an offer in front of the band (which invariably includes the replacement of management) he or she is often turned down. The band explains that they can’t possibly let their current manager go even though in so many cases they are making as logical an argument as “No doctor, please don’t cast my broken leg, I like the way the bones look just as they are”.

So independent bands of the world, whether you are looking to justify keeping on current management, searching for a new management (possibly after finding the above paragraphs hit a little too close to home) or want to find out where it all went wrong I present to you (in no particular order) the list of: 10 Things Your Management Needs to be Doing For You if They Aren’t Doing It Already

1) Making Sure Your Band Does Not Murder One Another

Seems like a given, I know, but one of the primary purposes of management is to ensure your band stays happily together. This includes breaking tension when necessary, helping band members resolve disputes and ensuring that as best as possible the needs of individuals are being met insofar as they don’t infringe on the needs of the group. To be able to do this effectively they need to know you as individuals – what makes you tick, where are your buttons and who’s most likely to be pushing them.

2) Not Scaring Away Label Representatives Interested in Talking to You

Again, straightforward given the lead-in to this list. Your manager shouldn’t be making demands at the first meeting and should be both polite and respectful to A&R if they introduce themselves at the end of a show. Perhaps most importantly they should be clean and (at least relatively) sober at the end of your show, prepared to talk business if the opportunity presents itself. While there are some who don’t mind snorting lines off of dirty bar mirrors, the overwhelming majority (99% at least) wants to see some signs of responsibility and dependability.

3) Making Sure You Get Paid After Gigs

Though not as big of a problem as it used to be, there still exists many a venue that will attempt to rip musicians off. Make sure your manager is aware of the payment agreement for the night (set amount, percentage of door, whole door, free show etc.) and ensures that this agreement is fulfilled. If you’ve agreed on a percentage or the whole door than this means that as best as possible you manager should be gauging the number of people in the place so that if you are pumping up a crowd of 200 you don’t get paid for a crowd of 60 at the end of the night.

4) Putting Together Your “Real Life” and Your “Electronic Press Kit” (EPK)

Your EPK is your lifeline as an independent band. It is what allows you to differentiate yourself from everyone else looking for the same opportunities. It allows labels, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, festival organizers and sometimes even this big-deal bloggers get to know the real you. There are a lot of online services that will guide your manger through the process step by step so there is really no excuse for them not to be doing this. If you have never seen an EPK before check out Children’s Entertainer Bruce Cambell’s: http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=154842. PS: As a band MAKE SURE that your CONTACT INFO has been included (I wouldn’t mention it if it wasn’t a common problem).

5) Getting You Gigs

In the early stages of your career you likely don’t have/can’t afford both a manager and a booking agent. Because your manager (hopefully) wants you to succeed, they normally take on these duties. This means that THEY call potential venues for you (because if you haven’t noticed the key places to play often won’t even talk to bands if a member of the band itself makes the call). This means that they ensure that when they have found you a gig (or a gig has found you) a solid payment agreement is in place and that you will have what you need to play. For example if you have a pianist – they should make sure the venue has/can get a piano for you (unless your baby grand fits in your mother’s minivan). You aren’t Mariah Carey or Gene Simmons so this doesn’t include making sure the venue has champagne filled dressing rooms or bowls of green M&Ms.

6) Keeping Your Calendar

Your manager should be keeping track of everything you are doing (related to the band) and everything you have done. They should know when all of your upcoming gigs, press interviews, photo shoots practices etc. are and they should be willing/able to send reminders when need be.

7) Submitting Your Music to (Public/Independent/Uni-College) Radio Stations

Something normally done for larger bands by an artist development agent, in the early stages of your career it is a duty generally assumed by your management. This means finding out exactly what the radio station wants in a package, how they want to receive it, who it should be sent to and making sure it gets there during the preparation stages for a new cycle of music (usually around the 12-15^th of the month). If you have an in with a DJ they should be using it. If the station is playing similar artists, knowing to mention that in the introductory note. If you are submitting to a station that is out of town, letting them know when your band is playing in that town so that they can help generate some hype or interview you while you are there if they are really keep on you.

8 ) Applying for Festivals

SXSW accepts applications and so does NXNE. In fact a lot of festivals do. Your manager should know this and should have the deadlines etched into his or her arm (not really but close). They should know about the nature of the festival, know how to spin you as the best fit for the festival and about the bands that have played the festival in the past 3-5 years (Have you opened for any of them? Can you call them and ask for advice on how to apply for this festival or whether this festival is worth applying to?) With so many music festivals springing up, there are tons of opportunities for bands to get out there, even if it is first thing in the morning.

9) Applying for Artist Development Grants

If you live in a fantastic country such as Canada then your government may offer some funding to help struggling artists (including musical artists) get out there. There are grants to help cover the cost of travel, grants to help with the creation of videos or websites and even grants to help you navigate the copyright/intellectual property process. A good manager will not only know about these things, but will be in contact with granting organizations to determine dates/deadlines/application requirements/eligibility etc. If your manager isn’t an excellent writer, then this is an area where they should be shopping the work out to someone else.

10) Dealing With Your Social Media

Even where band members tweet to a common account, blog on MySpace etc., your manager should at least make sure that you have a presence in these places, that fans are being engaged with and that important information is being shared (Is a gig cancelled? New ep out? Etc.) If your manager pulls out a dusty photograph album when you ask to see the Facebook page he’s created you are in trouble.

Now that you know what your manager should be doing it might be a good time to have a few words with him or her. Hopefully these few words aren’t “You are fired”, but even if they are remember it might be for the best. If it’s someone you love, they should still love you even if you have ‘creative differences’. The important thing to remember is that while a label can always sign another band you might not be able to sign another label. There is a musical surplus and sometimes difficult decisions must be made if you want to be one of the lucky ones.

Midnight Musings: Art and the Unknown Self

When I have been asked to comment upon the nature of art over the past few years, I have often retreated into a discussion of the ‘artist’. Rather than entering into value judgements or statements of preference (something I feel uncomfortable with when experiencing art), I explain that there is a profound difference between someone who creates art and an artist, but that both contributions are equal and necessary. Those who create art do so because of an innate human desire to express themselves, to share their creativity with the world. Artists on the other hand have a deep personal need to create, desire is left completely out of the equation.

Artists create art because they have no other choice – to not create would mean implosion. The art that results is not a painting, song, story or film but a tangle of thoughts, emotions, dreams, imaginings and things entirely unknown both to those experiencing the finished art and to the artist him or herself. The artist cares little about how the world receives this art because they know that whether it is loved by many or few (or whether it is loved at all) it needs to exist. The artist may or may not feel this need to create consciously – creation could come easily or it could be greatly pained. The key is that while an artist is a vessel for art, someone who creates art is allowed to be an agent.

Though this is how I have explained ‘the artist’ for a few years now, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve only really begun to fully understand this positioning. I think I may have spent the last two weeks as an artist, or at least how I’ve described an artist. I don’t say this boastfully or in sadness. Rather, it is something said humbly, meekly and with great trepidation as I feel like at this particular point in time it is something I have no control over.

As a child, I never dreamed of becoming an artist (I wanted to be a doctor or a professional athlete). Even now, I have never asked to be an artist. Though I’ve been introduced as a filmmaker or a musician (or sometimes both) I’ve never felt comfortable accepting those titles as anything more than labels of convenience (what else can you call somebody who makes films for a living or music) than truth. Rather becoming an artist feels like something that has been thrust upon me, a beautiful weight. Just as the element of choice is fully divorced from the creation of art by an artist, the element of choice plays no role in the creation of the artist. To be an artist is a tremendous gift, but it is also can be an inescapable burden. I have no idea whether this is a short-term condition or a life sentence. All I do know for sure is that these are decisions that are not up to me.

Over the past two weeks I have had this incredible surge of creative energy that has taken over my every waking moment as well as my dreams. And while I’ve been able to still function at my dayjob (somewhat), I’ve spent my nights writing more than I’ve ever written in my entire life – not just prose but songs, poetry, essays and ramblings as well as something larger, more structured that I think could be the script for my next film. Even more than writing I’ve been thinking, a whirlwind of thoughts coalescing into a giant jumble where every piece that I decipher feels like magic – an image waiting to be committed to film or a melody just waiting to be played.

Given the slump I have had recently in terms of short film ideas, on one level this surge is exhilarating and relieving, but on another deeper level it is a little frightening. It’s a tap that’s impossible to turn off, day or night and while sometimes I strain to plug it, I am mostly running for empty bucket after empty bucket, determined not to let any go to waste. For as suddenly as it emerged it will disappear, with no indication of when, or if, it will return.

I’m not sure to what extent the product of this time will be shared with the wider world. The overflowing stacks of paper, musical notation and storyboards need to be sifted through. I’m not sure if any of it is any good, especially the songs (as my band-mates point out I’m a drummer by training so the quality must be somewhat dubious), but this doesn’t matter to me as much as it once would have. Just the simple fact that whatever all of this energy is – all these thoughts and words and ideas – I am glad that it is being released, being allowed an existence outside of myself. As uncomfortable as it may be at times, I am just grateful to have had this experience at all. To be able to create – to capture the beauty in the simple things and the complex, to glimpse the magic in things that we can see or hear or feel or touch as well as those things that we can not conceive of – is a gift. If this all ends tomorrow and I never have a creative surge like this ever again, at least I know that I have not let this opportunity slip by unclaimed and that is enough to overcome most of my fears.

The Five Songs I Can’t Get Out of My Head

Here are the five songs that I just can’t get out of my head today (July 8, 2010):

1) “Home” – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

2) “Model Homes” – In-Flight Safety

3) “The Heart Won’t Be Denied”  - Colin Devlin

4) “Who Needs Actions (When You’ve Got Words)” – Plan B

5) “Taibhsí nó laoich (Heroes or Ghosts) – The Coronas

Bryan or Ryan: The Adams Debate

Regardless of the popularity levels of both artists, there has always existed a certain amount of confusion surrounding Bryan and Ryan Adams. They are not the same person, they aren’t even alter egos. Nor they are brothers (that would be a bit cruel on the parents’ part wouldn’t it) or father and son. Aside from a birthday (November 5) and achieving acclaim in ‘rock’ music as it is loosely defined, there isn’t that much they have in common at all.

Most obviously Bryan Adams is significantly older than Ryan Adams (15 years to be exact). Bryan hails from Toronto, Canada while Ryan was born and bred in Jacksonville, North Carolina (1,309km away). Bryan has racked up 15 Grammy nominations and a win while Ryan has only a nomination to his name (though every indication exists that he prefers it that way). While Bryan’s biggest audience is mums (does the group need a more detailed description – I think not), Ryan caters to the stand still and think ‘show’-going crowd. Bryan Adams gets covered, Ryan Adams plays covers (though for his credit he does “Wonderwall” much better than Oasis). Bryan plays ‘adult alternative’ (whatever the hell that means) and has made his fortune with the classics you hear at ever wedding: “Summer of ’69”, “Everything I Do I Do It For You”, etc. Ryan on the other hand is most known for his unique style of alt-country heard in “When the Stars Go Blue” and “New York, New York”. Ryan might even have you tossed out of his show if you request that he sing about the six string Bryan played during a magical summer that occurred 5 years prior to his birth.

For those who have sorted out the differences between Bryan and Ryan, the question often turns to who is better? If you judge based on accolades and commercial success, the hands-down champion would be Bryan. If someone judges based on which answer they think will make them look coolest (only the people most obsessed with being cool refuse to use the word) in a room full of self-proclaimed music nerds, the winner would be Ryan.

Personally I love them both more or less equally but in different ways, kind of like how a good parent claims to love their children. I adore that Bryan Adams makes me want to roll the bus windows down and sing at the top of my lungs. I love that Ryan Adams is always there for me when I’m feeling a bit down, reminding me that as bad as I feel it could be worse (I could be him). I like the cheesiness of sloppily slow dancing to “Heaven” and the way in which “Come Pick Me Up” can be interpreted as both desperation and hatred but either way it sends shivers down the spine. My more or less joyful childhood was infused with Bryan Adams as much as Ryan Adams defined my brooding adolescence.

Thus, it is impossible for me to choose. But then again I don’t think I (or anyone else for that matter) should have to. The wonderful thing about music is that it’s a non-competitive good which, at least according to my former development economics professor, means that enjoying one piece of music does not mean that you have to enjoy another piece less. There are no allocated enjoyment units in the game of life that one has to conserve and play strategically.

If anyone else feels the urge to enjoy a bit of Bryan or Ryan (or both) you can find their official sites here:

Bryan – http://www.bryanadams.com/

Ryan – http://ryanada.ms/