Welcome to episode 6 of the podcast Dropping The Needle, May 21, 2012. This episode we discuss, Artists You Buy Blindly Because of Devotion.
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Dropping The Needle is the podcast where all music from all genres is discussed. New releases, classic albums, rediscovered music, signed and unsigned. No ass kissing, just two guys talking about music. Dropping The Needle is hosted Michael Brandvold from Michael Brandvold Marketing and Mitch Lafon from Bravewords.com.
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- Follow Mitch on Twitter at @mitchlafon
Michael Brandvold is a freelance music industry consultant based in Northern California. Having launched Michael Brandvold Marketing to leverage his years of experience to provide direction to large and small clients in the areas of online & social marketing as well as e-commerce and customer acquisition and retention. Gene Simmons of KISS first tapped Michael’s skills as a pioneering online marketing strategist to launch and manage all aspects of Kissonline.com’s multi-million dollar enterprise, including their ground-breaking VIP ticket program. Michael has also managed the online efforts for Andy Gibson, Alexa Carter, Greg Kihn, Motley Crüe, Rod Stewart, Madonna, Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna and Britney Spears to name only a few.
Mitch Lafon is a professional music writer located in Montreal, Quebec (Canada). His career started in 1980 when at the age of eleven he interviewed The Demon of KISS, Gene Simmons. In the ‘90s he did studio work with various artists including LA GUNS and worked on an Ace Frehley Tribute album. Over the years, his work has appeared in Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles Magazine as well as Metal Hammer (US) and Classic Rock (UK). Currently, BraveWords.com and Roadie Crew magazine from Brazil are where his interviews can be found. He is well-respected by artists who often request him by name (when they are ready to grant an interview). He is also responsible for all content on BraveWords.com Official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/
Yet another great subject Michael and Mitch. Hey, thanks for the shout out. That’s very nice of you. I did want to say that I do actually like podcasts that play music as well, like The Decibel Geek Podcast. You know, I think your subject should be divided into two categories. Blind devotion to a new studio album of original music and blind devotion to anything whatsoever. There are numerous bands that I’ll buy a studio album of new music from. There is no way I could list them all. But think about all the different types of releases you have to put up with today. You have live albums (I love Alter Bridge, but didn’t buy their live album), covers albums, and my personal pet peeve, re-releasing an album that was just released with a couple of bonus tracks on it. That crap chaps my butt like no other. Another form of that is what Sixx: A.M. did recently. Their latest album was fantastic (even if they do use a drum machine), but they turned around and released an album of reworked acoustic tunes from that and their first album. Don’t get me wrong, I like hearing stuff like that, but I’m not paying extra for it. Include it as a bonus disc on your next CD and I’ll give you my money then. So, if were talking blind devotion to the point you would buy that type of stuff, I could probably cut it to 3 bands, and two of those would be pushing it. First is Kiss, they get on my nerves with some of the stuff they do, but I still bought Icons. The two that may be pushing it for me, but are still possibilities would be Winger (yep, you read it right, this band has only released 5 studio albums in 20 plus years, but they continue to get better with age) and Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and company are amazing and they do outstanding covers. Again, great subject and now you have my 2 cents.
You gentlemen warm my heart….for many reasons. First, for being sooo passionate about music. You both have deep roots in the business side of music….but more importantly your lust for music is so evident in all that you do.
Secondly, to hear your thoughts about Little Caesar…which was weird…it was like I was spying on your conversation…really, really means a tremendous amount to me.
I’m very grateful that you appreciate what we do, and more importantly that you understand and respect why we do it…it’s just as important as relating to the music itself.
We gave up the idea a long time ago that we were ever to achieve the level of success or recognition that the other bands that you mentioned have. All we have is a love for music, and each other, and the need that we must make music together. The connections, the experience of going into recording studio, rehearsal studio or to be on a stage together is the priceless blessing we get because of music fans like you.
For a band like us, that had so much hype and promise, from some of the most powerful people in the industry, the simple fact that we still get to do it together, means riches for us. We never asked for any of that hype….we WERE excited about it, but it was almost secondary. For us, being in a band with other guys that adore music as it’s own entity, was a bond that is priceless.
We can’t make music for profit…there is none for us. Some guys go to work and save up to take a fishing trip, or go golfing in an exotic location. We do that with music. We save up and go into a recording studio. The gifts we receive, the deepening of our connection to collectively build sounds, energy and tones is a safari for us. To attempt to create something that moves us in the way that our heroes music moves us, is our muse….and sole reward.
We look at bands that get to make music all the time with envy. What makes their music more profitable than ours? Why can’t we do it? We came so close. Many of our difficulties were based in business, power struggles between giants, some bad series of events that occurred in the narrow window that a band gets to either perform or be banished to obscurity. It took me many years to separate commercial success and making credible music. Its very hard for a musician to not place his self worth in unit sales….especially when making music is your life’s blood. But there are way more commercial failures of good, honest music than most ever hear about…pardon the pun.
I can not put into words how much it means to me that 2 guys who love music as much as you both obviously do, appreciate what we do….so much so that you would buy it unheard just due to previous efforts. That is my “grammy”. I rely on those sentiments that you 2 discussed to keep my energy up to keep doing it. I don’t know if it’s masochism or stupidity, as it is the hardest thing in the world to get music out to people these days. We have no glory, no backing, and lots of humility and gratitude. We do it because we have to… for our souls. We make a record and listen as we make it to be as self critical as possible. We listen as if we are holding it up to the candles that shine brightly from music we adore to try and make it credible. We do it with little tools and weak weapons against the mass of corporate supported music that gets a million downloads or YouTube hits.
In closing, let me express my deepest gratitude for your help. I’d cut my ear off but that’s been done by greater men than me. For us to hear one word uttered in support or appreciation for our little efforts is gas in the tank. Thanks for being fans…not just for our music, but for ALL of music. In these days of apathy, it’s a treat to hear men so passionate, for what to me, is the soundtrack of life and everything contained within it.