Roxy on February 16th

Just grabbed a primo slot at the Roxy on February 16th. 9:45pm on Friday, Feb. 16.

Very cool.

I think I'll decide on the set list this week instead of the last minute per usual.

The State of Digital Music

My record company, Avant Garde A Clue, Inc. is a digital-only label. We secure the digital rights to our artists' music for itunes and other sites. Some of the bands on the label are myself John Romano, Jaime Paxton, whose music has been featured multiple times on MTV's "Laguna Beach" and Big George Webley, whose record "Handbags and Gladrags" is the song you hear at the beginning and end of the original, British version of "The Office".

Since we don't print up cd's anymore, we have no problem with our artists putting music out in physical form with other labels or independently. This allows us to pay a very high royalty rate on digital sales, while still being able to offer guidance to bands and singers.

It has been reported over at Motley Fool that "Legal digital downloads are extremely high-margin products for music companies, since they don't incur manufacturing or distribution costs.", but keep in mind that the marketing costs to break a band are unbelievable. Then add in how many songs are poached on illegal download sites and the majors are in a tough spot.
The cure in three steps:

1. Toughen up the laws and ease the processes for shutting down illegal download sites. In the case of illegal downloading, it is quite obvious at this point that yesterday's Napster became today's Grabster and will be tomorrow's Blabster or Hamster, and so on. The point being that sites offering mp3 downloads should bear the full burden of the legality of the products they are offering. Forget about which server or country is offering the media. If a company offers copyrighted music for free that they don't have the rights to they should be shut down immediately.

2. Make mp3's the standard way to sell music: I love Apple and itunes, but songs need to be in the unrestricted mp3 format. If illegal download sites were shut down, do record companies really want to stop kids from sharing a hot band that they discovered? The answer is no way. Sharing between friends is highly important and encouraged by all record companies.

3. Offer coupons for mp3 players: If I were running EMI or BMG my main goal would be to get a mp3 player into the hands of every human being on the planet. Think of this; Buy 10 cd's (digital or physical), send the receipt to BMG, get a $25.00 rebate on ANY mp3 player.

Long term where can this all go? Imagine going to see U2 or me John Romano (ha ha, hey, I do put on a great show) and the next day downloading the show from itunes. Better yet, include the cost of the download in the concert ticket. Physical cd's will die and eventually become like the tapes you see at roadside truck stops. The ultimate vision of the music business is music companies will actually partner with bands, paying smaller advances but allowing artists to make more money in royalties.

Molly Malone's

Opened last night for The Spectacles at Molly Malone's in Los Angeles. Kind of an interesting show, as the founder of the bar passed away last week. Her portrait was up as well as a wall of floral arrangements. I played the following songs:

Click on a song for a free mp3.

Without
Sail
She
One Oh One
Strawberry
Blue Jean Girl (Unrecorded)
Sensitive White Guy

Enjoy.

EMI Fires Two Executives

The ever-changing record business has lost two more soldiers. EMI fired two of its top executives this morning because of a "slow" holiday season.

Here's the dealio:

CD prices have lowered in accordance with the explosion of mp3's (some legal, many illegal). Itunes keeps labels in the relative chips via its rocking store. The malady? Marketing costs have skyrocketed over the last ten years. Oh and did I mention that music is now fast food, hot today gone tomorrow, and we get fatter in the meantime? Does anyone really believe the majors when they issue press releases about the "most anticipated album of the year" due in a few weeks by The Shins? Why is it the most anticipated CD of the year? Because some marketing schmuck at Warner said so? Nothing against The Shins, they rock, but music has changed. Bands don't lead youth anymore, or at least they don't lead masses upon masses of kids with nothing else to believe in.

Conventional wisdom is constantly talking about how the labels need to "change" their business models. Well, buddy boy it isn't just the labels that need an attitude adjustment. Did you know that sleazy radio promoters still charge $15,000 to mount a promotion campaign that hits the 100 smallest US broadcast markets? No way those guys can get away with those prices forever. Also, artists themselves need to get a better handle on the business. Record companies should give all prospective artists an IQ test or at least a rudimentary business course.

Until marketing costs are brought in line with the economics of the record industry the majors will continue to bleed executives and dollars.

This year the majors will spend $5,000,000 on 50 bands and 5,000,000 bands will spend $50 on mylivepromoter. Hey, Myspace is a cheap way too promote, but who really goes there anymore? Myspace is on life support among the hip and websavvy. Any good myspacer knows how to ignore those "Hey check out my band's heartfelt ballads...." emails.

Bands like myself and others will continue to make interesting records at a cheap cost and keep spreading the love audience member by audience member until things shift.

Mr. Romano is a musician and the President of Avant Garde A Clue, Inc. and the founder of the AltEnergyTour.

SHOW NOTES: Tangier's on a Thursday night

Just played an acoustic gig at Tangier's in Silverlake.

Set List:

• Strawberry
• Marry
  
• Sail
• Sensitive White Guy
• Blue Jean Girl (Unrecorded)
  
• Hollywood
• Hey Son
  

Nice, intimate crowd. I enjoyed playing and connecting with my fellow Angelenos quite a bit.

Freesongoftheweek.com surpasses 10,000 downloads.

Freesongoftheweek.com a free song download service which started just over two months ago by Avant Garde a Clue, Inc. has surpassed the 10,000 mark in total mp3 downloads.

Freesongoftheweek.com delivers a fresh, eclectic rock track FREE about every ten days to users via itunes and other "podcast" aggregators such as Odeo and Podcast Pickle.. Past songs have included “Sensitive White Guy ” by John Romano, “Happy” by Candygram For Mongo, and the Reggae Rock jam “Bedroom Window” by Get Licious.

Matt Wise, lead singer of L.A.-based Get Licious, says “Free song of the week has been great for us; every song they’ve put up has been really unique. We are proud to be a part of it.”

Laura Glendinning, Avant Garde A Clue, Inc.’s Vice President for A&R says, “The coolest part of my job is delivering worldwide fans music we think needs to be heard.” Ms. Glendinning has been with the label for just over a year.

Freesongoftheweek.com’s first release topped just over 300 downloads. Last week, John Romano ’s sardonic “Sensitive White Guy ” topped 2,500 downloads. This week’s release, the sweetly touching “Listen Up Sweetheart" by Yarn, has already topped 900 downloads in just three days.

According to media consulting site trendwatching.com, many record companies are in a state of “digital denial” when it comes to giving away content free on the web and selling to a new marketplace. “Free song of the week is all about putting music into the hands of fans who are tired of a steady diet of music approved of and dumbed-down by record label committees”, says Ms. Glendinning.

Bands wishing to submit music for consideration are urged to visit www.sonicbids.com/freesongoftheweek to submit.