By Danny Brown

In the previous State Of Indiependence, we looked at the best ways to promote yourself using various methods that were just a little outside the box. One of the ways we looked at was organizing a showcase; not only does this get you more gigging experience, it also helps attract the right kind of people. You know – the ones that can make things happen for you. But it’s not just a matter of arranging a gig and hoping for the best – a good showcase takes work, preparation and a whole lot more. Here, in part two of our ongoing State Of Indiependence series, we tell you how the top 10 ways to promote your showcase and get the best results.

* A showcase is just another gig – the difference is there’s no pay involved. So, make sure you promote it as much as you can via flyers, MySpace, bulletin boards – whatever it takes.

* Use it as a way to expand your audience. Look for music conferences, small town festivals, etc., and send your information their way. The beauty here is that you may get to play somewhere you normally wouldn’t get booked since you have no fan-base. Get your music out there!

* Do your homework about the venue you’re playing. What kind of crowd comes in, type of music they normally offer, bands who’ve showcased there before (you can ask them how it helped them), etc. The more you know the better prepared you’ll be.

* Get to know the owner. There’s an old saying that it’s not what you know, but who, and never has that been truer than in the music industry. Becoming friends with the owner lets you ask about other venues in the area, or local press and radio stations to advertise on.

* Find out if the venue has an e-mail list. It may cost you a little to get on it, but it’s worth it if you’re showcase is being advertised to a couple of thousand subscribers.

* Get to know the local bands on the bill. Get in touch with them, perhaps swap e-mail lists and get on their e-mail blasts to their fans and do the same for them – it’s all about networking!

* Local = global. After your set has finished, mingle with the audience, talk to people and ask if they want to be on your mailing list – your fanbase will soon grow, especially if you’ve just played a blinding set!

* Sell, sell and sell some more! Sign copies of your EP or CD, sell it at a good price exclusive to the showcase and wander around with a few copies. Many people don’t bother with merch tables if there are other acts on, so approach your listeners.

* A showcase can be an anchor. Look around, say a 50-100 mile radius of where you’re playing and arrange other dates. You reach a wider audience and you can promote the hell out of your showcase prior to it, and then bring new fans along with you.

* Enjoy it! Yeah, it might sound obvious, but just relax and do what needs to be done. Mingle, schmooze, promote, cold call – it’s all part of the process, so enjoy it, and you’ll soon see the benefits.

Short Scale: CD reviews in 200 words or less

By Rachel Heisler

CD review: LadybiRdS, Regional Community Theater (Creep Records, September 18, 2006)

Rating: 1 out of 5 geetars

With band members and guest musicians that work with bands such as “Gym Class Heroes” (Tyler Pursel), Say Anything (Maz Bemis), The Get Up Kids (Matt Pryor), Fairmont (Neil Sabatino), etc., one would think the music would have a little more substance and a little less fluff. Regional Community Theater is an exercise in electro-pop so poppy that it sounds like a mistake or a goof project into which no one bothered to put any time or effort. They even describe themselves as: “Cyndi Lauper superfan meets (a cupcake version of) The Postal Service (before Ephedra was banned by the FDA). Or, like getting hit over the head with an ice cream cone.”

The music is almost completely (if not completely) electronically made and comes out sounding fake. LadybiRdS are the musical equivalent of the shitty toy or stupid sticker found at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/weareladybirds.

Photo: Angela Boatwright

CD: Robbie Fulks, Revenge! (Yep Roc Records, May 1,2007)

Rating: Disc one: 1.5 out of 5 geetars; disc two: 4.5 out of 5 geetars

Robbie Fulks is a musician’s musician with a heart that is accepting of all kinds of music. Revenge! is a live, two-disc set that features a hybrid of styles: classic and contemporary country, folk, bluegrass, hillbilly, rockabilly, blues … and the list goes on. His appreciation for these and other genres is demonstrated by covering a number of songs, including “I Want to Be Mama’d” (Jimmy Logsdon) and “Believe” (Cher. Cher? Yeah, you read correctly. And, it’s an outstanding cover). Besides being a music connoisseur, Fulks is a smart-ass, smart-mouthed, cursing punk with an attitude the size of Texas. This is apparent through his choice in songs (check out “I Like Being Left Alone”), lyrics and between-song comments.

This project began as a single disc, and Fulks should have stuck with that plan. Disc one does little to showcase Fulks’ true abilities as a singer and/or songwriter and/or guitarist. To get a real feel for what he’s capable of, listen to “That’s A Good Enough Reaon” and “Bluebirds Are Singing For Me.” Whether he’s twangin’ up or mellowing out, Robbie Fulks is a hoot, and the world would be a much better sounding place if all musicians knew as much about music as Fulks.

For more information, visit www.robbiefulks.com.

Upcoming shows:
07/25/07-Rawhide Saloon, Jamestown, CA
07/26/07-Palms Playhouse, Davis, CA
07/27/07-Freight and Salvage, Berkeley, CA
07/28/07-McCabe’s, Santa Monica, CA

CD review: RX BANDITS, … And the Battle Begun (Mash Down Babylon Records, 2006)

Rating: 3 out of 5 geetars

Occe upon a time, rock, ska, punk, funk, world and jam band collided and in so doing created RX BANDITS. The five-piece band is socially conscious, rhythmically driven and progressive.

Though long breaks showcasing drum, guitar and other solos sometimes go on longer than necessary, these interludes are very well placed and give the songs a stimulating atmosphere (that only bands like Led Zepplin and Smashing Pumpkins have mastered). The jams, AKA songs, also feel long, even when the songs are a normal two-three minutes … but the five-minute ones tend to feel like 10, probably because although there’s a lot going on instrumentally and rhythmically, there’s an palpable lack of melody. Finally, … And the Battle Begun is a whirlwind of music. Nothing wrong with that, except that even the most high-energy bands need to take a breather once in awhile. One wonders if the BANDITS have ADD or a Red Bull addiction.

Fans of Sublime might find some comfort in RX BANDITS, though the BANDITS aren’t as witty as Brad Nowell, however, vocalist/guitarist, Matthew Embree, could give Nowell a run for him money when it comes to singing.

A strong band, RX BANDITS will still be on stage when everyone else has gone to bed.

For more information, visit www.rxbandits.com.

Upcoming shows: With The Fall of Troy and Maps & Atlases
08/10/07-Trilogy Theatre, Victorville, CA
08/11/07-Backstage, Bakersfield, CA
08/12/07-The Boardwalk, Orangevale, CA
08/13/07-Slim’s, San Francisco, CA
08/15/07-The Vault 350, Long Beach, CA

CD review: Black Light Burns, Cruel Melody (I AM: WOLFPACK, June 5, 2007)

By Ash

Ever hear of a band called Black Light Burns? No? How about Limp Bizkit? Wes Borland is the commonality between the bands, which are both known for their crazy guitar riffs. (more…)

SHORT SCALE: CD Reviews In 200 Words Or Less

By Rachel Heisler

CD review: Rickie Lee Jones, Sermon On Exposition Boulevard (New West Records, February 6, 2007)

Rating: 4 out of 5 geetars

Rickie Lee Jones’ Sermon On Exposition Boulevard shows off a seemingly straight-up recording of somewhat serious, somewhat tounge-in-cheek songs that put forth a very pure, deconstructed sound. But further investigation into the recording process of Sermon reveals a few unexpected details,

It turns out that all 13 tracks were inspired by the ideas and words of Jesus Christ. Jones and here musical conspirators put the Savior’s words into a contemporary context, saying what he said in a way that even the most simple of his followers can understand. Equally as interesting, if not more, is that Jones improvised lyrics to the song, “Nobody Knows My Name,” a song she had never even heard before walking into the studio. From that point on, the record is said to have changed directions, and when Jones added bass and guitar parts and musical input, it changed even more.

It’s not the fact that Jones has been a trendsetter throughout her 27-year career, it’s not even that she has two Grammys under her belt. It’s that within that time she has welcomed change and has embraced new sounds and textures. Just listen to the sweet longing in her voice on “Falling Up” or the free-form sounds of “I Was There” and try not to fall under her spell.

Upcoming shows:
07/14/07-Latitude Festival-Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
07/15/07-Montreux Jazz Festival-Stravinsky Hall, Montreux
07/18/07-Glee Club-The Arcadian, Birmingham
07/19/07-Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
07/20/07-The Stables, Milton Keynes

For more information, visit www.rickieleejones.com.

Photo by Lee Cantelon

CD review: Southern Culture on the Skids, Countrypolitan Favorites (Yep Rock Records, 2007)

Rating: 4 out of 5 geetars

An odd little group to be sure, one that likes to throw chicken and banana pudding into its live audiences, Southern Culture on the Skids is a risk-taking trio that throws a kick-ass party wherever it goes. The band’s country/Americana/surf/R&B/psychobilly style is dynamic (to put it mildly), and Countrypolitan Favorites is 15 covers all done in the Countrypolitan style (an outgrowth of the 1960’s Nashville music scene that blends country and pop).

Rick Miller, Dave Hart and Mary Huff (who changes wigs more than most of change our underwear) put a special R&B/blues touch to Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Tombstone Shadow,” mellowed T-Rex’s “Life’s A Gas” and turned Pete Townshend’s “Happy Jack” into a twingy-twangy jiggin’, jivin’ jamboree.

The music is clean – maybe too clean. Guess there’s nothing to do but put on a pair of shit-kickers and jump right into the thick of it and splash it ’round. When all silliness is put aside, SCOTS is a band that makes making music look too damn easy, and is inventive in a refreshing way. Just by using lots of sounds that don’t usually go together (but should), Southern Culture on the SKids makes music an adventure.

Upcoming shows:
07/21/07-Green River Festival, Greenfield, MA
09/21/07-Capitol City Carnival-Faire & Brewe, Centerville, VA
09/22/07-Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
09/23/07-World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
09/25/07-Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA

For more information, visit www.scots.com.

CD review: Type O Negative, Dead Again (SPV Records, March 13, 2007)

Rating: 4 out of 5 geetars … I think …

I understand completely why promotional CDs have lines drawn through bar codes … the record companies don’t want journalists turning around and selling them when they no longer need them, and that’s all well and good. However, when you put a creepy voice ON THE RECORDING ITSELF that says, “This recording is the property of Type O Negative, Brooklyn, New York” every 60 seconds, well, that’s just FUCKING ANNOYING and highly distracting. In all my years of writing I’ve never been witness to something so horrible. Music journalists can’t very well do their job of listening if the listening is interrupted each and every god-damn minute, now can they?

Dead Again’s title track is superb – punky, dark, lyrically twisted and real. Track two, “Tripping A Blind Man,” is another winner – sounding very much like Black Sabbath meets Queens of the Stone Age. As for the rest of the CD? I can’t tell you, I turned it off. I couldn’t take that voice for one more second. Bullshit, man. Complete and utter bullshit.

CD review: Golden Smog, Blood On the Slacks (Lost Highway Records, April 24, 2007)

By Ash

Golden Smog got its start in 1992, and what started out as a side project for all involved has turned into a band that won’t quit recording albums. One thing this group isn’t lacking is guitars: guitarists Gary Louris, Marc Pearlman (The Jayhawks) and Kraig Johnson (Run Westy Run) join bassist Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) and Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), who helped pen and record some of the band’s material. (more…)

CD review: The Pipettes, Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me (Cherrytree/Interscope Records, June 5, 2007)

By Ash

These three lovely ladies are ready to take the globe by storm. Almost always outfitted in polka dotted dresses, they are bringing the retro sound of girl groups of the 1960s back. The Pipettes are backed by a four-piece band called The Cassettes, and have been called the cure for cookie cutter rock-induced boredom. And it’s RiotBecki, Rosay and Gwenno Pipette who are the harmonizing, synchronizing dancers that front the group. (more…)