TONIGHT Friday May 15

Last Month's Atrists of the Week
THE WEBB SISTERS:



Followed by

WES HUTCHINSON's ♥
BIRTHDAY SHOW
at
THE ROCKWOOD at 11PM





and....NEXT WEEK
»»»» MICHAEL LOGEN««««

    (One of my brilliant 2006 Showcase artist)
will be in NYC:

*Monday may 18th at The NY songwriter's Circle 8PM
* Tuesday Bar 4 in Brooklyn 9PM
* Sunday May 24th @Rockwood's Happy Hour 5PM



Best of ALL.........................

THURSDAY MAY 21st 9PM
at The Rockwood Music Hall
DON'T MISS
A SPECIAL ALL REQUEST EVENING
with the brilliant musican's musician
***DAVID MEAD***

Their haunting and emotional songs combined with exquisite harmony and sensual chemistry make them positively irresistible. There is absolutely nothing like them anywhere in the world of music today - a melodic guy/girl duo whose songs touch people of all ages and are able to span pop, soul, jazz and have even made it onto the soundtrack of a major motion picture.







Their shows are always perfection with both their charm and talent winning over every audience they encounter.  Austin was no exception, and Sam & Ruby were going to be a very tough act to follow.  I had started SXSW at the top.

My dear friend, Tony Moore has been attending SXSW for 12 years.  He is an artist and the manager/promoter for two of London’s best venues;  The Bedford and The Regal Room.  He knows the business inside and out, knows all the players, and his experience, success and mega watt personality make him  larger than life wherever he goes.  While reading accounts of his previous SXSW experiences,  I decided that if I were ever to go to SXSW… it would be as Moore’s shadow. 

This year Moore is stirring things up and bringing The Bedford Showcase to Austin with 18 artists direct from the UK performing on 3 consecutive nights.... From brilliant newcomers like the soulful Nate James, or the beautiful folk/pop of the Webb Sisters (think a female version of The Kin)  to well known signed artists like The Proclaimers ("I will Walk 500 Miles") 
www.myspace.com/thenatejames   
www.myspace.com/thewebbsisters ,
www.myspace.com/theproclaimers , 

The Bedford showcase at SXSW is guaranteed to be one of the best events in town, and I am thrilled and privileged to be their official photographer.  Here is the official flyer:



In addition to my official duties with The Bedford showcases, I am also going to squeeze in the performances by three acts I have known, loved and promoted for a while:  SAM & RUBY who will also be performing at The Hilton Garden Inn on March 18th at 9PM,  Jerry Cherry who will perform at an Absolute Pitch showcase at 12:30AM at The Creekside Lounge, and an "unofficial" performance by Michael Logen at 6:30PM on Saturday at the Chuggin' Monkey.  So, if you're in Austin this week - come find me and I'll buy you a drink!

PS...  I've posted another favorite song from my Artist of the Month, David Mead "Hunting Season' off his 2006 release, Tangerine.  ENJOY!

I have been contacted recently by several companies, no doubt MANY of you have been also – these are companies that either make you think that they LOVE YOUR music and know they can help you make money with it, or they make claims that they can market/promote your music better than anyone.  Here are a couple in particular that piss me off

BMV Promotion....

These guys send a blanket email via myspace that says the following:

STEP 1 - BMV Promotion will take the time to discuss the future of your musical project. We will guide you through many steps in order to succeed and be successful with whatever your band/project is trying to accomplish.

STEP 2 - BMV Promotion will push your music in any way possible. The BMV team will push our hardest to have your music heard everywhere!

STEP 3 - If you signed up for the BMV Bonus, we will spend everyday promoting your music on your Myspace, which will help create more views, song plays, and friends. The BMV Bonus will create more traffic everday onto your website, and from that your name will be exposed and your music will be heard by more and more viewers.....

Curious about these things, and in the best interest of all the independent artists I know, I decided to research BMV a little further.  Their myspace page consists of little more than hype and the price and links to purchace their various “service packages”…  Please tell methat none of you are stupid enough to sign up with an outfit like this without ANY track record!  At the time they sent out these solicitations, they also had a link to an official web site that was a dead end.  Recently, however they have put up a web page that looks pretty, but has no substance.  They name drop networks but make no mention of actual placements, and their ‘testimonials’ are little more than what amounts to what I imagine are probably quotes from friends.

Here are two VERY IMPORTANT things that should immediately red flag solicitations like this

1.       LACK OF SOLID BACKGROUND/EXPERIENCE/Track records....

They should be able to provide you with a more specific ‘resume’

A web page should contain a LOT of information including accomplishments, placements, examples of marketing campaigns, a decent roster and links to notable references


2.       MONEY UP FRONT....
No, no, no, no, NO!  Unless this is a TOP firm who have had ENORMOUS success with NUMEROUS acts you’ve actually heard of, then THEY HAVE TO PROVE THEMSELVES WORTHY OF YOUR MONEY. If they really LOVE your music and are SO confident that they can make you money… then they should be more than willing to work on a commission basis. If they don’t, then what is your guarantee they won’t just take your money & run?  Or do little more than what you could do yourself with a bit of networking and what a dedicated Street Team would do …FOR FREE?

This next firm got my back up SO much that I have actually registered a complaint about them to the Better Business Bureau.

HITT MUSIC GROUP....

I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard of them.  The market is flooded with their solicitations.  I have had several artists I work with ask me to check them out.  My answer has always been the same: SCAM          

Not only do their enticing propositions pop up everywhere, but so do complaints and horror stories about them.  But I haven’t made a big stink about it until today….when I received one of their lovely little proposals myself. Here, in it’s entirety is the complaint I lodged with the BBB:


Complaint Type: Selling Practices....

Company Information:

Hitt Music Group, Inc.....

I received a letter from Hitt Music Group which describes their obviously excited interest in my music, in which they stated how I am exactly what they need for some upcoming projects, as well as their ability to "advance the success of your music, deliver some great exposure, polish your overall image, and could make you some money!"  HERE'S THE THING: I am not even a musician !!!  I am a music promoter (the LAST person they should be contacting) and I find this kind of solicitation outrageous and intolerable as a music industry professional.....

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a letter like this completely false and misleading if it is being sent to people they obviously have not researched, much less have an ACTUAL interest in?....

Imagine you are some poor starving artist praying for that one connection, that one big break; someone who really appreciates your artistry and takes a personal interest in representing you...  This letter would be a dream come true - IF IT WERE TRUE.  But sadly, and clearly it is NOT. It is a sham directed toward hopeful and inexperienced musicians.....

Resolution Sought: STOP this false form of solicitation!....

Here is how I believe this scheme works: 

They blanket the market with these solicitations and get hundreds and hundreds of people to pay them a flat fee. ($400 for a year "Membership") They get a couple of successes, but the majority of their business (and income) is from artists who get not much more than that first bullshit letter and the bitter taste of a life lesson left in their mouth. They are “playing the numbers” - casting a big net, catching lots of fish that pay, with very few actually getting what they pay for. They have a snazzy website, but again nothing there that is making me say, “Wow these guys are amazing I gotta work with them”

Once again – if they are so fabulous, then they should work on commission.


I know it is a lonely, thankless, unprofitable, soul destroying business being a musician – I know that everyone wants to find that magical connection that will catapult them to if not stardom, at least a level where you can afford to pay the rent, but PLEASE don’t be blinded by flattering solicitations and grand plans…or you will likely be disappointed by beautiful lies and empty promises.



Here are some things that have been posted on the web about HITT Music:


"I thought it was the greatest thing when i started to work for them the money seemed great…. then i started seeing that they were more worried about signing up people than getting the people that did placement." 
From a former Hitt employee


"I was contacted by Hitt and I was told that they found my music and wanted to use it in a film contract. They told me the deadline was the next day (RED FLAG) and urged me to pay the $400 fee to get things rolling. VERY FISHY.."

"They called and emailed me like crazy, until I sent them the money. Haven’t heard a word..." 

"They have an elaborate set-up online to try and convince you otherwise --
including polished Web sites, social networking profiles, and fake user
feedback. They've even created fake bands to serve as fraudulent testimonials. "

"the bottom line here... they are asking you to pay for a membership. If someone
contacts YOU regarding YOUR music, then asks YOU to pay THEM... they are not
legit. If Hitt Music wants to be a legit company, they should GET YOU RESULTS
FIRST. To prey on aspiring artists, many of whom aren't that good anyway, is a
slimey existence. Bottom of the food chain." 

"So is Hitt Music a scam? I say decide for yourself. In my humble and honest
opinion, I would have been better off spending $400 on a whore.  I least I would
have gotten SOMETHING out of it. If it sounds like I'm pushing my point too far,
I probably am(forgive me).  I just feel that too many hard working musicians are
being ripped off, but you know what they say, "there is a sucker born every
minute".   I am not attacking HMG because I didn't "get a deal".  Like I said
before, there were no gaurentees.  What I am attacking is the hype of their
company.  They make you feel like you are in good hands, when in reality, they
couldn't do anymore for me than I could have done for myself.  In fact, I've
made more contacts in the music biz, and gotten much farther on my own, than
anything Hitt Music has tried to pull.  "

Patrick - a former Hitt music "Member"