Creating the "line-up" (Part I)

It's proving to be harder than I imagined to get bands to agree to be the subject of my thesis. There is a list of problems that I know must be interfering:

1. The bands don't know me. They don't know what kind of coverage I'm seeking, and of course they want to look good in the end. How can they trust me?

2. Thus far, this is for my thesis. It's not for Vice magazine, or Rolling Stone, or even some cool independent documentary film maker. It's for little ol' me. Why would they want to put forth so much of their time for it?

3. They might feel like they get nothing out of it.

Here are my responses to these common interferences:

1. You don't know me, but you'll get to know me. I'm not in it to reveal your secrets or smear your name, nor am I out to glorify you. Just be yourselves, and you'll look good in the end, I would hope. If you don't, you probably don't deserve to.

2. Yes, this is for my thesis. But it could be published somewhere, and, hell, you'll get a crap load of fun coverage from my side. Audio, video, photography, etc. My coverage could help you out in the market. And all of my lovely unused material could go towards your Myspace, or next video. Who knows? Unused material is like the leftover bits of cookie dough that don't make it into the cookie cutter frame. Munch on that.

3. If you actually believe #3, I don't think I want to cover you anyway.

As of now, I have sent out a good number of emails (not too many) to bands from all realms of my journalistic background. Bands I know well, bands I met only once, bands I danced with briefly while we were both slightly intoxicated. And I have sent out emails to bands I don't know at all, but this gives me little hope that they will respond.

One band that I interviewed last year seems interested, or at least the drummer does. He forwarded me to the group's manager, and I'm now in talks with them – which is the most progress I have made thus far.

Oliver from the band A Place To Bury Strangers has agreed to help me out, so that's great! He'll serve a great role in the project, so I'm glad to have him.

Check out the video for a new song by APTBS, called "In Your Heart":



Beyond that, I am starting to formulate a book list, things I can read to educate myself on the days of rock and music and love that came long before I was born. I have some friends over at Vice Magazine/VBS, since that's where I intern, and I've heard a few suggestions for books. I also plan to turn to a professor in the English department at New York University who concentrates primarily on radical British culture in the 1970s – including music. He'll definitely have a few literary bites for me to check out.

###

These Are Powers – Life of Birds

And then it's fade away.

Is the Internet killing the rock star, or is there just a new rock star emerging? With the expansion of viral medias (like Myspace), musicians have been handed the opportunity of beginning a successful career based solely on do-it-yourself methods. From marketing to merchandise, management to public relations – bands of the 21^st century do more than just play the music. Viral media allows musicians to make their music, spread the word and gain legitimate followings without even stepping foot onstage. They can avoid major record labels and still sell their music.

But with opportunity comes another form of adversity. Starting a band these days is no longer just about the music. You have to work hard to emerge among all the start-ups. And there’s a much more fluid meaning of success. When, exactly, have you “made it”? Like many other traditionally structured professions (journalists, politicians, advertisers and marketers, etc.), rock stars have to adapt to an ever-changing landscape of technological advancements. So is the rock star we have come to know and love gone for good? Or do we just have to adapt, too, to this new image?

###

Joy Division – Digital