The music industry learned long ago how to milk the cow that is the record buying public. From
the days of payola and tight playlists in the 50's and 60's, we've seen the industry turn
touring into a cash-first business, then segregate music in the name of marketing, and finally
turn radio, television and even movie soundtracks into a blatant form of litmus test for
corporate investment. So now we have...payola and tight playlists?
But we're truly in an age that rivals The Industrial Revolution, as technology accelerates at
an almost incomprehensible rate. And thanks to the Internet and the ability to inexpensively
manufacture and record music on personal digital equipment, any band on the planet can create a
product and make it available to a global market in an "on demand" scenario. No longer does a
failed project mean boxes of unsold vinyl in the basement, or does a mistake on the artwork
lock up the bands assets until that Kinko's bill is paid.
And the newest hot potato, digital sound files that rival CDs for sound, have everyone up in
arms. Certainly it's a foolproof way for labels and bands to allow potential customers to hear
the music and make a judgment for themselves. And the ability to make a new song or live track
available immediately, without the expense and timeframe needed for a formal release, is a
godsend from the fan's eyes. But naturally the issues of copyright infringement and piracy rear
their heads in any discussion of this subject. Lost revenue is not something that the
established labels will tolerate, but what they're not saying out loud is that they fear the
entire structure of the recording industry is on the chopping block. As many computer-friendly
users have already demonstrated, who needs Big Brother and the large slice of the pie that they
take, when any garage band can produce and release a CD of equal quality (and arguably, better
substance)?
Well, it all comes back down to marketing. While Napster and other MP3 friendly exchange
programs battle it out in court with the RIAA and certain individual artists, the bigger
question still looms like a brilliant beacon:
How the hell do you get people to know you're out there, anyway?
If the established industry wins the battle, or a sympathetic encoding system for copyrighted
product prevents people from mass-manufacturing bootleg CDs, or even if the whole damned thing
blows up and we all start from scratch, the problem remains the same. Whether you are an artist
creating the next great rock and roll masterpiece, or you're a soap company trying to make
everything cleaner and brighter, if no one know you're alive, you won't sell squat. The
established artists, like the soap companies, have a head start and a lot of money. But there
are a lot of great bands out there floating under the vox populi radar, and they're not getting
airplay, and they're not getting a major deal, and they're not getting on the soundtrack to
Scream 16. But dammit, they are making great music, and they deserve to be heard. But how do
you find them, when there are thousands and thousands of bands all over that fifth dimension we
call cyberspace?
Welcome to The MP3 Files.
Our agent will comb through the nooks and crannies of the Internet, turn over rocks, wade
through bombastic "sounds like" claims and bring you back dossiers on some truly worthwhile
artists who deserve your attention. If you like what you read, you'll be able to follow the
link to the band's site (or at the very least, an established site like MP3.com) where you can
use your ears as well as your eyes. Most of the bands will have product available at reasonable
prices, and you just might find some artists who worm their way into your "favorites" pile.
When possible, we'll attach a direct link to an artist website, but when in doubt, travel to
MP3.com and search by the artist's name.
Case 001: The Juleps (
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/31/the_juleps.html)
It's pretty hard to find a band who can play a Billy Joe Shaver song better than 'ol Billy Joe
himself, but their live version of "Hottest Thing In Town" might be the track that changes that
theory forever. It's from a CD called Live At Thurston's that's only available via the MP3
site. If you're wondering where you've heard that voice before, vocalist Gary Yerkins (as well
as a couple of Juleps) is also a member of The Insiders, who released a couple of albums for
Columbia and had an FM hit with "Ghost On The Beach". While The Insiders focus more on solid
pop and rock and roll, The Juleps are more strum and twang territory. When Yerkins and vocalist
Cathy Richardson harmonize, it's like Steve Earle and Emmylou ripping it up - "Wild Beautiful
Thing" and "Can't Back It Up" are nothing short of fabulous! Many of the live tracks are
available on the studio CD Kickbutt City, USA, which is also available from the band. Yerkins
says that the band was formed as an "anti-agenda, anti-biz, anti-career band" where he could
write music along the lines of his favorite artists and feature duets with a female voice. It
turned out to be much cooler than anyone anticipated. Look for a feature article on the
Insiders/Juleps aggregation in an upcoming issue of Cosmik Debris.
Case 002: The Lilybandits (http://www.lilybandits.com/)
An absolutely stunning record that transcends any single style, 33 1/3 conjures up everyone
from Big Star to the Jayhawks to the Long Ryders or even the Rolling Stones (with Gram Parsons
steering the ship, of course). Tracks like "Fire In The Hole" recall more obscure y'alt bands
like Walk The West. "Past Few Days", available as an MP3 file, might be the single most
beautiful song I've heard this year, with achingly sweet vocals and fragile, haunting refrain.
Tracks like "Hangin'" combine strong pop sensibilities with enough roadhouse flavor that both
camps should gobble this up. "Beautiful" is countrified blues with a guitar solo that recalls
Ronnie Wood's heartbreaker on The Faces' live version of "I'd Rather Go Blind" (if you're gonna
pay homage, it's good to reference the gods!). "Long Time If I Don't See You" is a great
morning-after songs, and in "Easily Broken Heart", well...how about Rudy Vallee goes country?
Chock full of winning tracks like "Vertigo" and "Top" that will resonate in your head after one
listen. Make them one of your favorites, too.
Case 003: Cheap Wine (http://www.space.tin.it/musica/mardiama)
I don't speak Italian, and I can't read Italian, so whatever was in the press kit that I
received from Cheap Wine is a mystery to me. What's crystal clear, however, is that rock and
roll knows no geographic boundaries. How a band from Italy comes out sounding like The
Sidewinders and Green On Red crossed with classic-era Stones isn't important, the fact that
they do is what matters. The GOR references are everywhere - the band's name comes from a Dan
Stuart song (covered on their CD A Better Place) and both guitar players have obviously
listened to a lot of lyrical players like Chuck Prophet. "Walkin Away", available on MP3, finds
the quartet sailing out of the gate with a drum-propelled rocker that features harmonic guitar
lines from Marco and Michele Diamantini; Rich Hopkins fans will do double-takes. "A Better
Place" and "Dark Angels" explore the acoustically darker, Cowboy Junkies play "Sweet Jane" area
of the aural soundscape. The vocals are sung in English, and Marco does not have a strong or
classic voice, but he conveys emotion that matches well with the material. As a testament to
good taste, they list their favorite bands on the "thank you" page of the CD booklet, and if
your record collection were limited to those artists, you'd be in good hands. Repeated plays
only endear me further.
Case 004: DNA-12 (http://www.mp3.com/DNA12)
The duo of Paul Mahern and Gretchen Holtz cover a lot of territory in their eight-song CD It's
Almost Midnight. The shuffle-pop jangle of "Wigwam" drew me into their world, a sweet acoustic
melody with a rhythmic guitar line that would not sound out of place on a Peter Holsapple
record. Although many of their other tracks have decidedly religious overtones in the lyrics,
you would be hard pressed to file this next to Amy Grant ("Eve said to Adam/the Original
Sin/ain't nothin' more than you trying to fuck me again..."). "Let The Animal In" is sung as a
low-key, haunting mantra by Mahern, but "Children Of Zoso" is energetic pop with great vocals
and a bubblegum chorus, and "Soldiers Of Light" stomps like a long-lost track from X. Likewise,
"Open Soul" is a dichotomy - fingerpopping Lou Reed, perhaps? If you are looking for simple
mindless love songs, this isn't it, but if you are open-minded lyrically, the music here is
greatly rewarding.
Case 005: Bobbo (http://www.mp3.com/bobbo)
I'll be honest - I was trolling the MP3 world one night trying to see who would dare list The
Faces or Ron Wood in their "sound alikes", and that's how I found Bobbo. And when I saw that he
also listed his love for a Hammond B3 organ, I knew it was something I had to hear. My Affect
Is Appropriate finds Bobbo playing guitars, piano, accordion, mandolin, lap steel and bass
along with the aforementioned massive organ, and anyone who enjoyed both the warmth and power
of The Faces and their family - Woody, Ian MacLagan, Ronnie Lane - will enjoy Bobbo's record.
"January" was my starting point, organ as the solid rock foundation over which guitars ring and
Bobbo's vocal rasps. If there is a weak side to his arsenal, it's his vocals, which are always
emotional but sometimes flat and off key. Yeah, like Woody. But the twelve songs on his CD have
a lot of heart and recall many of your favorite bands that just don't get airplay anymore. Just
like Woody. You probably know someone like this who lives for music and plays songs for himself
as much as he does for others. Hell, you may be that person. Check him out.
Next month's MP3 Files will explore more worthwhile artists including The Spreaders, The
Ditchdiggers, Dion Watts, The Ex-Husbands and Pseudonym. And if you have some suggestions for
overlooked artists who deserve some attention, drop a note to our MP3 agent at
bholmes_fm@msn.com. Hey, even a good detective appreciates a solid lead now and then!
