• Michael Tilson Thomas: MTT will be in Boston this month, Guest Conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Tanglewood) -  Mahler  – read more here
  
  • get Michael Tilson Thomas news, updates & more on Facebook
  • follow Michael Tilson Thomas (it’s really him!) on Twitter
• High Sierra Music Festival: Happening now! July 1-4 in Quincy, CA – Say Hi Sierra from your camp or computer with twitter or facebook
• SoundExchange: Not Shocking is proud to announce our new Social Media & Communications client, SoundExchange! SoundExchange s a non-profit performance rights organization that collects statutory royalties from satellite radio (such as SIRIUS XM), internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings.  The Copyright Royalty Board, which is appointed by The U.S. Library of Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, master rights owners (like record labels), and independent artists who record and own their masters.
• The Ferocious Few: go to the rock show! You can also stream Juices. It is and is not a euphemism, we promise.
  • July 2 Oakland, CA – The Uptown , w/ Judgement Day – tickets
  • July 11  San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill, w/  – tickets
  • July 25 San Francisco, CA – ALL SHOOK DOWN! and SF Marathon (sf weekly)
  • July 30 San Diego, CA – Bar Pink – tickets
    
• New Music Seminar: New York City – July 19 – 21 – register now What the New Music Seminar IS about:
  • Seeing the music business and your opportunities a new way
  • Standing out from your competition
  • Legal and business basics that you must know
  • Keeping up with the latest technology
  • Managing and monetizing
  • Networking with others to build your own music business foundation

Not Shocking’s Corey Denis will be speaking at three different conferences this month! First is the GRAMMY U Music Industry Summit on May 15th at Ex’pression College for Digital Arts. Next up is Musicplus: Skill Building for Musicians on May 16th at the James Irvine Foundation Conference Center in Oakland. Musicplus is sold out, but you can tune into the live webcast from noon – 6:00 PM where you can watch the main room sessions, participate in a live chat, and even ask questions! Finally, Corey will be speaking at the SF MusicTech Summit on May 16th at the Hotel Kabuki with Not Shocking client Michael Tilson Thomas.

The Ferocious Few has been on the road playing up and down the West Coast. Help welcome them home to San Francisco on Friday, May 21st at Milk Bar, 1840 Haight Street! Doors are at 8:00 PM & there is a $7 cover. Merchandise will be available for purchase via cash or card thanks to Square!

Inu’s animated video ‘Stephen Colbert’ premiered on Indie Rock Reviews! Be sure to watch the full video posted below and don’t forget to pick up a copy of their debut album on June 29th.

Inu – Stephen Colbert from Indie Rock Reviews on Vimeo.

It’s official! Not Shocking is now a Ning Certified Partner! We’ve been listed as consultants specializing in creative digital strategies for music, comedy, literature and entertainment online and offline thanks to our involvement with the following Ning networks: SXSW Insider’s Guide, High Sierra Music Festival, and Reapandsow.

Join Corey in NYC at The New Music Seminar from July 19th-21st where she’ll be a part of the mentoring program. For more information check out the video highlights of the relaunch in 2009:

Come to the Red-Eyed Fly patio between 6-7:30p on Wednesday March 17 -  have a drink (bring your wallet!), see who’s in town, catch up and talk music or new media, compare schedules, and make sure you’re not missing any good shows…and then get to work!

This rodeo (who needs another mixer? this is Texas, after all) will be informal and along the lines of Toolshed’s annual CMJ mixer in NYC. At that mixer, we always have a great group of independent and major label new media professionals talking with movers and shakers from key digital and mobile companies.

Let us know you’ll swing by, RSVP right here

What Willo did: Illustration, Logo, Website, Business Card

See you at South By Southwest!

Not Shocking is proud to offer a Musician & Promoter Workshop Series to all bands and promoters in the Bay Area. The next workshop is scheduled for April 2010.

Our workshop was recently mentioned in Spinning Platters.

…..and the phone rang. It was friend, comrade, and fellow panelist Ariel Hyatt. “Did Tom Silverman send you the ri-DIC-ulous list from Billboard? I’m bringing it to our hotel room.”
And she did.

In September 2008, Billboard reported that they “decided to geek out with 20 promotions and publicity experts across genres and mediums to create the ultimate multimedia metric: Our first Maximum Exposure list.”

Items listed include:

#2: PERFORMANCES ON “THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW”
#35: COVER STORY IN ROLLING STONE
#71: TOUR SPONSORSHIP WITH LEADING MOBILE CARRIER
#89: SONG PLAYED ON ABC’S ‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’
If you aren’t U2, It’s quite possibly the most ridiculous list floating around out there, so much so that i hesitate to even link to it out of fear an artist may be wooed by the shiny things (and damaged dreams) which await.

At New Music Seminar (the best music conference i’ve been to in 4 or more years), Digital Music News moderated & covered our panel discussion about the true hilarity of Billboard’s list. Paul Resnikoff guided us through a discussion about the reality of exposure in today’s climate. We discussed 1,000 true fans and the significance of multimedia multichannel relationships with music lovers. When it was all over, in true (superwoman) form, Ariel turned to me and said “we’re making our own list, Corey. I’ll email you.”
And she did.

“I want your top 5,” she asked.
With descriptions?
“yes, like the billboard thing, but not insane. Give an example with reapandsow artists if you have some.”
OK!

Ariel Hyatt assembled her “Dream Team” collected our answers, and published The Indie Maximum Exposure List. I spent a long time with the ri-DIC-ulous Billboard Maximum Exposure List, and tried to mimic it as best i could, but with a flair of, well, **Reality**

What an honor to be part of such an amazing project. Thanks, Ariel!

Ariel Hyatt’s Dream Team: Jed Carlson (co-founder & coo reverb nation), Randy Chertkow & Jason Feehan (authors, Indie Band Survival Guide), Corey Denis (um, that’s me, totally honored), Christina Duren (Ariel Publicity), Christopher Gesualdi (Ariel Publicity), Rick Goetz (former A&R Elektra, Music Supervisor), Tom Jackson (Produer), Erik Philbrook (AVP Marketing, ASCAP), Lou Plaia (founder, VP Music Industry Relations), Michele Samuel (principal, Beautiful Day Entertainment), Tom Silverman (founder, chairman, ceo, Tommy Boy Records), Derek Sivers (founder, CD Baby), Jonathan Coulton (musician), Matthew Ebel (musician), Carla Lynne Hall (musician & marketing consultant), Derek Nicoletto (musician), Phil Putnam (musician), Dudley Saunders (musician), Jennie Walker (musician), Jason Walsmith (The Nadas, Authentic Records)

The Indie Maximum Exposure List, was featured today on Hypebot.  I’ve posted my top 5 entries below.

check out the full pdf, with all 100 tips, at hypebot.

Indie Maximum Exposure List: My Top vs. Billboard’s Top 100

1. Sponsored streaming or live show through Reverb Nation, Pandora, imeem, Rhapsody Rocks
Hello, licensing. All of these media companies currently connect music with advertising & sponsorships which can help you get maximum (and trackable) exposure for your music. This is your Johnny Carson. This is your Oprah. if you get this, you will be exposed to over 40 million potential new & genuine music fans with high consumption rates on the web. All three companies have engaged in advertising programs which can promote a new release in a stream packaged in an advertisement. Read about Reverb Nation’s DIY Song Sponsorships here, or Pandora’s sponsored album releases here.
Tip: all of these companies are engaging or about to engage in sponsored video streams. Prepare now. Get your videos together now. Watch their video series & follow their news.
Live Music Component: Rhapsody has been promoting independent live shows for 3 years, with it’s Rhapsody Rocks series. reapandsow’s Big Light was featured in Rhapsody Rocks San Francisco where every band was sponsored, and therefore paid appropriately and featured on a Rhapsody Rocks playlist. Remember, these placements are just another 15 minutes if you don’t make a connection with every single person who connects with you about their experience with your music. Know who is listening and thank them.
Tip: You are not ready to begin pitching for this until you have 700 – 1000 true fans on Facebook and/ or Twitter (or whichever network you use).

2. You Say Rolling Stone, I say Hot Lips: Get a Live Show Review on Jambase, Appear on Jambase TV, Perform In Their Office For Jambase Live
Jambase has become the source for Live Music exposure online. Recently, reapandsow artists Big Light & Nathan Moore teamed up for Jambase Live & the crowd went wild. Jambase is not just a source for how to see live music – more than a 50,000,000  music lovers participate in the JamBase community, with massive syndication generating 750,000 unique visits every month. Think it’s just for Jam Bands? You’re wrong. It’s not.  Jambase has the most accurate show listings online, for more than 50,000 artists across 50 genres, performing in 50,000 venues worldwide. JamBase is headquartered in San Francisco and has been around for 10 years. Find them online jambase.com. Go say hi. now.

3. Spin Magazine Doesn’t Exist: Album review on Stereogum (buzznet), My Old Kentucky Blog, Largehearted Boy, Gorilla Vs Bear
Tip: first read these blogs and determine if your music is appropriate, and contact bloggers in accordance with a planned digital strategy. Pork is the other white meat, and these top music blogs are the other Spin Magazine. A review on any of these music review blogs will get you exposure to at least 10,000 true genuine music lovers. Blogs are also now participating in the presentation of events ranging from local to major showcases at SxSW. Recently, reapandsow band Wendy Darling hopped on a My Old Kentucky Blog concert. Three years ago, when My Old Kentucky Blog recommended Promonet as a source for cleared music, 750 new active users (other bloggers) signed up within 25 hours, and traffic doubled.
Tip: Time your solicitations appropriately, read the blog for at least 3 months before you submit or ask for their attention. Know the writers, respect the blogosphere, and communicate with them via their blog. All four bloggers above have been writing about music online for 6 years. They have specific taste and did not do this for the money.
Tip: do not spam. ever

4. Video / Music Video Feature on Current TV
reapandsow’s Rotary Downs was featured on Current TV and the band is still receiving feedback via comments on the video which was syndicated across the web. In addition, Current TV recommends “like music” to appropriate fans, so Rotary Downs enjoyed the benefit of entering the Current TV recommendation realm. Also, how can you deny the awesomeness of Al Gore? Pay attention to all the music contributors and if you think you fall into the category of something they may feature and go for this if you know you have at least 500 true fans who will enjoy it. Tell them when it airs and encourage them to share the video with the embed code. When you acquire new fans, make sure they know where to find your music and how to connect with you. Return the connection favor.  reapandsow band Rotary Downs enjoyed a 40% increase in digital sales as a result of their feature on Current TV.
Tip: remember, Current TV also airs on cable. Keep an eye on Current and start watching their music program.

5. Feature on Indiefeed Podcast (includes placement at indiefeed.com)
With single servings (one track at a time) this is the ultimate way to expose your single to a passionate group of music listeners. Indiefieed is the number one music podcast on iTunes. I have placed at least 30 tracks with Indiefeed, and as a result every track was exposed to over 1 million Nielson Certified listeners. Indiefeed likes to post your promotional mp3, and links to your website in the show notes available at Indiefeed.com, which has lead to at least 1000 dedicated-fan downloads and a minimum of 20% traffic increase with every feature I have placed.
Tip: Time this appropriately with your strategy, and give Indiefeed an exclusive if you can. Start listening to the show immediately, and follow the contact information provided for submissions.

In Defense Of 1,000 Fans, Vol.1: The Mountain Goats

I entered the music business at the exact witching hour when the internet was born. My career was rarely based on physical marketing and very quickly became focused purely on digital content, online street team/ fanbase development & digital marketing for artists & projects ranging in genre from comedy (Stephen Lynch), indie electropop (Figurine), funk (Maceo Parker), singer/songwriters  (David Wilcox, Tony Furtado), to indie rock (Frank Black, The Slip, The Samples , Ambulance LTD), Jazz (Charlie Hunter),  and Jam (New Monsoon).

And through all of this work over a 12 year period, I’ve discovered 3 key crucial elements to figuring out the new music industry.

• • Run your career like a business, but ditch the myths: there is very little money in the music industry, there never was much to begin with and there’s less now. Record labels are not going to rescue you.
  • Quality Matters
  • All careers take time: It takes at least 12 years to “make it” (for this purpose, let’s define “make it” as a television appearance on a #4 Nielsen rated late night show)

The three rules generally work together: Setting appropriate expectations, focusing on your art, and connecting to your fans as you develop over a long period of time. Your career is an investment by you, and anyone who wants to pay you to be you. And for a return on your investment, your goal is to make it a desirable investment to your most beloved fans.  But how do they become true fans?  If you remember the first two rules, the third is up to you. My favorite more recent example is the Mountain Goats. I don’t work with them, but i happen to love the band and know a “superfan” named Matthew. (Superfan: One who spends $100 – $300/ year on a band). As I interviewed Matthew, he explained how he just purchased a purple vinyl limited edition (only 777 available worldwide) of the new Mountain Goats album, he “couldn’t wait to twitter about it.” He went on to show me  that his photo of a rare Mountain Goats collaborative release with Kaki King on swirled vinyl received over 500 unique views – the most views “any photo has ever received on my flickr account.” Matthew beams with pride as he reports spending “at least $400/ year on the Mountain Goats” on items ranging from vinyl (new and rare) to digital EPs and t-shirts. And that is the best case scenario any artist can hope for – a fan who takes pride in both the full experience and consumption of your art. Converting pride into a return on investment will take at least ten years.

The reality of 1,000 true fans beyond the joy of garnering fans is knowing what to do once you know you have a fan, while continually growing as an artist.

The Mountain Goats are not just any band making any kind of music. You can bet that their album ‘Sunset Tree’ will end up on multiple “Top 100″ albums of the last decade, and the band is regularly revered by music critics worldwide ranging from Pitchfork to Spin.com.

Last week, The Mountain Goats (now on 4ad), promoted their new release by way of a performance on the Colbert Report.  And none of this happened overnight. Not even cose. Darnielle has been building relationships with his fans for more than 12 years, and their overt appreciation of his art is the result of a pure connection built on respect. John Darnielle, with more talent in his eyelash than most people have in their their entire bodies, respects his fans. Here are 5 ways John Darnielle has built one of the greatest indie success stories of all time, based on talent, fans & genuine connections:

1. Communicate With Fans As If They Are Friends
In the mid-90s, Darnielle played extremely small venues (coffee shops, pizza joints) and stayed after the show to sit with anyone who enjoyed the show. “When a connection was made, he took their address and wrote a letter to every single person,” explains Matthew. He loves this story, and with reason: this is actually how Darnielle met his wife. Matthew knows the story inside-out and continues to tell it with a smile, “her name is Lalitree, and the song about her is called ‘02-75′ because that was her Post Office Box number.”  Darnielle communicates directly with fans electronically today by posting on the popular forum at The Mountain Goats website.  At one point he asked his fans what kind of merchandise they wanted. The forum exploded with fan suggestions and The Mountain Goats delivered: the next tour had a Mountain Goats reusable grocery sack for sale as merchandise. The grocery sack sold out.

2. Make Music Available
The Mountain Goats release an album about every 2 years, but between full album releases, fans are inundated with singles & EPs. John Darnielle has released multiple singles & EPs unexpectedly on the forum, with donations accepted but not required. In addition, Darnielle requests on the forum that fans do not steal. Matthew reports he has “always paid, always. I have to, why wouldn’t I?”

3. Limited Edition Physical Product: Take Advantage Of 1k Runs!
Once able, it is wise to invest in physical product to sell on the road and online. The Mountain Goats have released split EPs with Kaki King & John Vanderslice on limited edition vinyl.  A limited vinyl edition of The Mountain Goats album Satanic Messiah was released only at indie retail, with a catch: 666 copies only. The most recent Mountain Goats album, The Life Of The World To Come (released last tuesday) has a similar limited edition purple vinyl release, this time 777 copies. Matthew owns #740 and explained “some people on the forum have 3 copies.” Fans did not know which indie retail store would carry the vinyl, so they had to seek it out. Matthew found his at Rasputin music in downtown San Francisco.

4. Your Fans Are Smart, All 1,000 Of Them
If it’s not you on twitter, your fans will know. If it’s not you on the forum, your fans will know. If it’s bad music that isn’t finished, your fans will know. If you are writing form letters, your fans will know. To build a connection with fans and harvest a relationship, it is important to remember that your fans are as smart as you, they demand the same quality art that you demand of yourself. They are growing with you, aging as you age, over about 12 years, to enable your career as a full time musician making a decent living.

5. Your Fans Love Great Music, So Give It To Them: Tour & Don’t Be Afraid Of Getting Upstaged
“I became a John Vanderslice fan because he opened for the Mountain Goats. I will probably buy everything Vanderslice does now.” (what do you have now, matthew?) “I have Romanian Names, obviously i have the split ep with the Mountain Goats Moon Colony Bloodbath, I have Pixie Revolt – which is one of his classics – and his new single Too Much Time.”

the Mountain Goats have also toured with Kaki King and are now on tour with Final Fantasy. Matthew had “never heard of Final Fantasy until now. Honestly, I’m sure i’ll grow to like them but I haven’t focused on them yet. I haven’t been to the show… yet.”

author’s note: i’ve heard of final fantasy, and they are bad ass. The name of the Mountain Goats fan was changed for purposes of privacy, although i’m told many on the forum think they have already figured it out….