Radio that
Colors this Town by Lacy Radcliff For promoting or advertising a band, the options can be limitless. If you think out of the box and are a very creative person, then having a job in A&R might be something for you. Most bands use radio, blogs and podcasts as a form of promotion, but it’s not just about the bands. The people behind these forms of media advertising are the real fans; the ones that spend, what I’m sure is a very large quantity, of their time on the computer trying to advocate their emotions and commentary on music. The recent Dallas Observer Music Awards even highlighted some of these people’s efforts with their “Best Radio Show/Podcast” category. Although there are indeed countless numbers of people who pump out these shows and podcasts, and not everyone can be mentioned, Dallas MusicWire would like to tip their hats to the following shows that are giving Austin’s music community a run for their money; well, we have that mindset, nonetheless. Dallas Does Indie is a podcast/blog/website hosted by Jasien Sword that basically describes its entity in the title. The website picks a set list of songs and mixes for each episode, and the listener can also buy these mixes, sometimes for free with website giveaways and contests. Dallas Does Indie is worth listening to because of the amount of content. It has Indie music worldwide, but includes signed and unsigned artists, and even offers musicians to send their promo kits or mp3’s to Sword and you might get featured on his show. His theme would be like a support system for independent music everywhere. Gutterth Podcasts are from Gutterth Productions, which is once again an organization built straight from a dire passion for music. Out of Carrollton Gutterth promotes local musicians and these musicians are featured in 2 • MusicWire
register on DallasMusicWire.com to receive our monthly emag
their podcasts. RTB2, a Dallas MusicWire favorite and popular local band, did a live set and interview on a recent podcast. Gutterth Productions is another great way to get heard and be heard, if any of you prospering bands are looking for another useful outlet. Another great podcast is Track by Track by Paul Slavens, where Texas musicians play their new albums and discuss what went into making them with KERA “90.1 at Night” host Slavens. This bi-weekly podcast is presented by artandseek.org, North Texas’ home for the arts. Each episode runs for 15 minutes and goes into detail about each track of the artists’ albums. This is a great way for a musician to have a “behind the scenes”discussion about what went into the creation of the album. Fans and music listener alike always seem to want to know the rhyme and reason behind a song, or what influenced the musician or songwriter to go about their process of making music. Paul Slavens makes an album come alive by hosting this show. Anyone can host podcasts or blog. That’s the beauty of it. And most subscriptions are free, so the only real commitment to this popular activity is time. The internet is becoming the dominant power, if not already the most powerful PR tool for the music industry. Buying all of our music online, getting tickets to concerts, watching YouTube, it’s all there at our disposal. But people have to remember that just because your writing about music advocating what bands to listen to, getting on your soapbox about “no one buying CDs anymore,” whatever, you have to stay an active member in the local music community. And this is what these radio shows and podcasts are about: Dallas local music. So give it a listen, get inspired, and get out there music lovers!
OCTOBER 2009 • 3
Managing Editor Jeff Kauffman, Jr. Art Director Writer
Donny Stevens
Double Wide
Lacy Radcliff
Epic.
MusicWire eMagazine is published monthly by DallasMusicWire.com. Opinions expressed in articles or advertisements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. MusicWire eMagazine is not responsible for omissions or information that has been misrepresented to the magazine. Advertisers and its agencies assume all liability for advertising content. No part of this publication may be transmitted without the permission in writing from the publisher.
This past Saturday night could have been the best local show I’ve ever seen. Amidst technical difficulty, a crowd that couldn’t get enough, and two dudes that know how to put on a show, there was greatness….The O’s. Check’m out on DMW, or hit up their Myspace. Either way, a lot can be learned from these guys.
Contact Jeff twitter.com/jeffkauffmanjr | myspace.com/jkauffman9 | facebook.com/jeffkauffmanjr