buzz personify: survival guide for bands

2a survival guide for bands

PERSONIFY It IS Ok tO FEaR thE maN. hOwEvER YOu ShOuld NOt FEaR SOmE OF thE wORdS “thE maN” uSES. ultImatElY YOu havE twO OPtIONS wIth YOuR muSIc. makE It a hObbY, OR makE It cOmmERcIal.

GRAPHIC LEGEND

iiBAND LINK WEBSITE LINK COMMUNITY LINK

DADDY CRIMBOwww.myspace.com/daddycrimboband

THE MATCHESwww.thematches.com

LIVE EVILwww.facebook.com/liveevilrocks

POPE OF YESwww.myspace.com/popeofyes

These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Heze-

kiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to

search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the heavens are high

and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

Buzz brings professional design directly to new bands,

helping new musicians distinguish themselves. Buzz

distills and distributes essential wisdom gathered from

fans, bands and industry professionals.

art director STEFAN ARONSEN

assistant designer ZEN ZENITH: PLEASE DO NO FIGHT

executive editor IAN TUTTLE

field editor BRANDILEIGHA ROBIN STRACNER

collaboration OLIVIA PARIOT: WIRETAP MUSIC

collaboration MIKE G: WIRETAP MUSIC

fourth executive advisor LIAN NG

third executive advisor CAROLINA DE BART0LO

second executive advisor TROY ALDERS

first executive advisor BRAD RHODES

photo assistant AMY SCANDURRA

photo assistant STEPHANIE TRAPP

contributing writer KENDALL DIX: ATTORNEY AT LAW

contributing writer LINDSAY GARFIELD: OR, THE WHALE

contributing writer IAN STAHL: ERA ESCAPE

contributing writer AMY WILSON: CPA IN TRAINING

special thanks to MOM & DAD, BROTHER, SISTER, FAMILY,

FRIENDS, JACOB HENNESSEY-RUBIN: MORAL SUPPORT,

OLIVIA: WIRETAP MUSIC, ANTON: JUDGEMENT DAY,

GRANT: BATTLEHOOCH, ZEN: PLEASE DO NOT FIGHT,

PETER: EAROFTHEBEHOLDER, JUSTIN: PUNCHFACE,

DAMON: PARANOIDS, PEARL STARBIRD, NIANA LIU:

WATERCOLOR MAPS, CASEY KOERNER: ARTIST,

LARA DE GARIE: ARTIST

web design STEFAN ARONSEN

digital director JASON ROBINSON

web editor MICHAEL HERAUF

web video YOUTUBE.COM/SFINTERCOM

social network MYSPACE.COM/SFINTERCOM

social network FACEBOOK.COM/SFINTERCOM

president STEFAN ARONSEN

email [email protected]

phone 415.894.2302

consultant OLIVIA PARIOT

consultant MIKE G

mailing address PO BOX 423525 SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94142

general info [email protected]

office number 415.894.2302

web SF-INTER.COM

BUZZ MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY

SF INTERCOM AND FEATURES

WIRETAPMUSIC.COM

The goal is to help new bands and struggling bands

become more viably successful. Buzz utilizes existing

social networks to connect with bands; this ties the book

into a rich web presence that serves as an interactive

clearinghouse. Buzz is the lifeline linking bands to their

audiences, venues, labels, and producers.

These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Heze-

art director StEfAN ARoNSEN

executive editor IAN tuttLE

web Sf-INtER.Com/buzz

• PO BOX (32)

• 1st HOw-tO (58)

• LAw PROtECts AGAINst … (70)

• EARsOFtHEBEHOLDER (94)

• tEN sURVIVAL tIPs (78)

• BUskING (50)

• 2ND HOw-tO (60)

• stOP FOOLING YOURsELF (72)

• INsIDERs sCOOP (62)

• I AM NOt tRIXIE RAsPUtIN (74)

• LAst wORDs (102)

• IPICkMYNOsE (95)

• JOURNAL REVIEw (66)

• CD DEsIGN (56)

• sF POtRERO 94107 (44)

• MYMAIL (34)opening mail

booking shows

insiders scoop

contributing writers

the scene & be seen

buzz guide

• DEADtwEEts (38)

last words

sPECIAL tHANks:

stephanie trapp, amy scandurra, olivia: wiretap music, jayson: music for animals, peter: earsofthebeholder, cory:

absolutely kosher records, petros: dizzy balloon, kimi: lilofee, laura: foxtails brigade, daemon: paranoids, vincent

lo - astro studios, jason: maus haus, grant: battlehooch, ian: era escape, shayna rader: editor

stEPHANIE “REGs” tRAPP: PHOtOGRAPHER

[email protected]

There’s an intimate power in small spaces. “Regs” trains her street-savvy eye on the ubiquitous and shrinks it,

making it personal. She is responsible for the Dead Tweet photos throughout Buzz Magazine. She spends her time

working on her own photography, photo assignments for SF Station, and taking in as much local indie music as

possible. Babysitting provides a positive and lively balance to her typical photographic material.

kENDALL DIX: CONtRIBUtOR

[email protected]

This jovial Midwesterner found his true home in San Francisco, where he once offered tickets to a sold-out concert

on Live 105 to anyone who could help him land a job. His voracious appetite for local culture and music made him

a valuable companion throughout Buzz Magazine’s development, and his law degree is still getting better with age,

ready to be tapped by a discerning employer.

JACOB HENNEssEY-RUBIN: DEsIGN sUPPORt

[email protected]

There’s something profound in that first friendship in a new city. Hennessey-Rubin has remained a constructive,

insightful ally to Aronsen and SF Intercom even as his personal focus has shifted from graphic to industrial de-

sign. Acting as a personal curator of over 200 blogs, Hennessy-Rubin kept Aronsen’s own finger firmly planted on

the indie music pulse.

tROY ALDERs: ADVIsOR

[email protected]

An art director at LucasFilms and teacher at the San Francisco Academy of Art, Alders served as a sounding board

and filter throughout SF Intercom’s development. Favoring simplicity over noise, Alders took Aronsen’s original

goal of “I want to fix the music industry” and honed it do a doable task: “I will create a survival guide.” Overf lowing

with an electric energy, Alders is good for advice on everything from hairstyles to relationships.

CONTRIBUTORS

stEFAN ARONsEN: ARt DIRECtOR & EDItoR-IN-CHIEf

[email protected]

Stefan grew up surrounded by a musi-

cally gifted family and he was inspired

by their passion for music. He figured

it was his calling to be a musician. At

a young age he took up drums, it went

poorly. He wasn’t fazed, he figured he

wasn’t a percussionist, he moved on

to the clarinet. He could hear every-

thing he did wrong, but nothing he did

right, clearly wind instruments weren’t

for him. He did this with 4 other in-

struments until finally he realized he

wasn’t a musician at all.

OPENING WORDS: BUZZ … Hey! It’s Ste-

fan, let me in! I’ve come to help make

bands more successful. How am I going

to that? Well … not alone! Obviously! SF

has a community of fans, bands and in-

dustry professionals with solid advice to

make you a better you. That’s right Buzz

is here to help you avoid making the

same mistakes others before you have

already made. Why should the same

mistake be made twice? IT SHOULDN’T.

ZEN ZENItH: AssIstANt DEsIGNER

[email protected]

Home-schooled and hugely huggable,

Zenith is lead singer of the talented in-

die band Please Do Not Fight. His eye for

clean design kept Buzz Magazine look-

ing sharp. His personal involvement

in the indie music scene kept its voice

authentic. His spirit aided SF Intercom

morale when obstacles presented. Ze-

nith splits his time equally among mak-

ing music, teaching guitar, and leading

events for fellow “unschooled” folks.

THE DONT’Swww.facebook.com/thedonts

SUGAR AND GOLDwww.facebook.com/sugarandgold

MUSIC FOR ANIMALSwww.myspace.com/musicforanimals

030PERSONA - STEP 5

bY EmPhaSIzINg advIcE FROm ExIStINg baNdS, SPOtlIghtINg

vENuES that catER tO INdIE muSIc, aNd buIldINg a NEtwORk

OF RESOuRcES dESIgNEd wIth thE INdIE muSIcIaN IN mINd,

buzz taRgEtS a NIchE maRkEt.

032PERSONA - STEP 5

I dON’t thINk thERE’S a gENERal aNSwER

FOR EvERYONE, thOugh thERE aRE

PRObablY SOmE cOmmONalItIES.

stOP FOOLING YOURsELFPeople see what they want to see … but

you can play with that and stretch their

reality a bit with sound and sight. Of-

ten times the 2 are one in the same and

always complimentary. The songs we

perform aren’t written nor recorded in

a day-to-day; atmosphere-it is an alter-

nate reality with strong emotional and

chemical charges. Writing music is ex-

traordinary and sometimes transcen-

dental, so clothes and external props

can help to complete the picture of this

place you were when you wrote the song.

Both mentally and physically.

JAY: Music For Animals

Go oRGANICForming a band is an organic process

and every band develops differently.

The look, feel, style, name, etc. are all

part of that. It’s the business behind

the band that can be controlled.

PETER: Earsofthebeholder.com

YOU CAN MAkE It AwEsOMEMake sure you’re acting in a way that

you want your band to be represented.

Plan out things like when and where

you’re playing and how often and when

you’ll release new material. You have

to watch yourself because others are

always watching you. The only person

who can mess everything up is the

same person who can make it all awe-

some: you.

PETRO: Dizzy Balloon

bE uNIQuEDifferentiate yourself from all the other

bands out there so that people will al-

ways remember you. A persona makes

you yourself, it is a representation of

yourself, and that makes you unique.

VINCENT LO: Astro Studios

CORY: Absolutely Kosher Records

tHE NEXt LEVELWell, when Rob and I first started mak-

ing music there wasn’t even the thought

of a band or a live show, we just wanted

to create.

However, once we had written a couple

of songs, it was obvious that we wanted

to take it to the next level.

In essence, we want to be a really con-

ceptual-media oriented band, and I’m

huge on story-telling so for us every-

thing ties in together.

Every band is different, but for us, it

was important to have a story and a

theme from the get-go——-everything

since then has been evolving from that

initial fairy-tale of Princess Lilofee.

Whatever shape a band decides to take,

I think the most important thing is to

really stand behind what you are doing.

In this day and age, you can get away

with almost anything as an artist, as

long as you back it up 100%.

KIMI: Lilofee

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PRACtICE, PRACtICE, PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE , PRACtICE, PRACtICE

Things pretty much never go as planned.

I guess the best advice I can give is to

just make sure whatever it is that you

create is the best it can possibly be and

is real and true. I hate when stuff is

fake except candy f lavors. Everything

else should eventually just fall into

place somehow I reckon, I mean I sure

hope. OH! Make sure you practice as

much as possible.

LAURA: Foxtails Brigade

034PERSONA - STEP 5

maus haus Concrete / Dub / Crunk

www.facebook.com/maushausmusic

Here’s my personal list of do’s and don’ts, I wouldn’t call them survival tips though.

1) Don’t depend on your friends to come to every show — unlike you, your friends have lives outside of your band (like their own band) & you shouldn’t expect them to see you any more than they’d see any other band they’d like. The whole point of you having a band is to turn people onto something they’d like based SOLELY on the music.

2) When you book shows, make every show special, and don’t play every week. If you really just love playing shows, drive to Santa Cruz, Davis, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, or any other town where they’re not constantly being bombarded by awesome music.

3) DO go out to other local shows and meet people in real life & give them a card so they remember when they’re hung-over the next day. Don’t be a walking advertisement, though, people are usually weary of shameless self-promotion—talk to people in other bands, not just the bands who are playing who have 100 other people to talk to that night. It’s important not to look desperate, but networking is helpful.

4) Networking isn’t everything! Post flyers in real life. If you’re relatively unknown, make sure the flyer looks good and maybe gives people an idea of the “vibe” of the music. Spend time on the flyer, don’t just throw together some lame clip art. It’ll immediately look like a lame show they won’t want to go to. Don’t spend money on cheesy glossy postcards: that’s total cheese.

Don’t post your flyers on other bands’ Myspace: it really doesn’t work. Bands with real fans will only be annoyed, and bands whose comments are flyer graveyards typically don’t have that many real fans. Use that time sending your music to people who write blogs about music & get some descriptive feedback. Hit up the newspapers, people still read those, and it adds credibility.

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4a) If you really love spending a lot of time on Myspace, find bands in other nearby towns that you think will like what you’re doing, and do a SHOW TRADE. If you just try to open for more-established bands, you don’t really have any bargaining power—they’ll only help you out if they’re REALLY impressed by the merits of your music, I promise. If they don’t get back to you, don’t assume they think you suck, because people are busy & don’t have time to listen to every band that friend-adds them.

5) Play art openings & house parties—you’ll find people there that would never go see a local show at a dive bar EVER (usually because they don’t have money or give a shit) but you can be the pleasant surprise. When you play free gigs, have a donation can, and always have a flyer for your next booked show. Bring a mailing list to the house party, as long as you’re playing the house party. Mailing lists DO WORK.

6) Check local sites such as The List, Wiretap Music, Sonicliving, etc. and make sure your show is listed.

7) Know what you’re going to get paid BEFORE you play the show—get a guarantee or a guaranteed percentage. Free shows are fine, especially if you’re trying to be heard, but know that you’re worth something & know that you’re giving your talent for free. If you’re playing two shows, and one you’re going to get paid, and the other you’re not, PROMOTE the paying one. (Especially if you’re headlining.)

7a) KNOW WHAT ORDER everyone’s playing in advance, at least a week before or more. Make sure everyone agrees so you’re not fighting about it once you get there. This shit happens all the time, especially at small joints like the Knockout, Edinburgh Castle, even Hemlock. It equals a lot of bad energy and some band bitching on stage to 12 people how they’re sorry to be playing at midnight on a Tuesday. BTW: No one should play at midnight on a Tuesday, and if everyone in a band in San Francisco boycotts this, it’ll just stop existing.

036PERSONA - STEP 5

8) Think nationally. Write really good songs, record them really well, get advice from friends about how to improve them (even if they’re not musicians, everyone’s a critic), make what you’re doing FRESH and interesting, and think big. You can only get so far with San Francisco, period, and if you want to eventually be known in lots of places, you need to spend time letting people know you in lots of places. I learned this one the hard way, because there’s a point in every band’s career where you’ve been in every newspaper & website, and the amount of people interested seems to plateau. It’s hard & it’s sometimes expensive, but touring bands that tour constantly are usually the ones that go the furthest, because record labels know that you’ll be selling their records door to door for them, and booking agents know that you’ll be a steady stream of work for them.

Just make sure that before you pack up the van, you really believe in what you’re doing. You might ask “am I trying to communicate something special/unique, or do would I want to listen to this if I wasn’t in this band?” if you’re not sure, get back into the space & don’t come back until you’re pleased with your MUSIC! If you really truly know in your heart that it’s good, then there WILL be an audience—it just takes tons of thankless work, e-mailing, and unpaid hours to get it to them. But don’t forget, this is your dream!

(Jason Kick, member of Maus Haus & The Lovely Public)

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tylerhagenME LOOKS LIKE THE CAPS LOCK IS ON.1 day ago from web

brokeassstuart Things I hate: when people wear shirts of bands they don’t actually care about. Irony should have limits dammit!!!1 day ago from web

brokeassstuart Truthfully, with all the potential for being stepped on, blue suede shoes just don’t seem worth the aggravation1 day ago from web

Benangel Business Tip: Manage ur emotions. How often do u see pro’s lose it. Ok, except maybe elton John. Now there’s a queen!1 day ago from web

anthonyrstevens protip: when crafting a press release, don’t proclaim yourself as a thought leader in a paragraph containing two grammer errors.1 day ago from web

newandused @sfintercom As The Passionistas told me, Google-ability is very important with your band name.1 day ago from web

CareersSTL Quick Tip: Change your email to something more professional, and get any music off your voicemail. Just until you find your new job.1 day ago from web

sirjohncard Pro tip: If you are going to be speaking on a call with hundreds of listeners, you MIGHT want to prepare beforehand. Just sayin’.1 day ago from web

whoissyntax Tax tip 28 - People don’t need superman vision to see through bullshit.1 day ago from web

TIP: Most bands don’t need a website. Buy your domain name and forward that address to Myspace, Facebook, Youtube or Twitterless than 5 seconds ago from web

sfintercom

Photo by Stephanie Trapp: www.StephanieTrapp.comii

MAUS HAUSwww.facebook.com/maushausmusic

SCENE OF ACTIONwww.facebook.com/sceneofaction

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SCENE OF ACTIONwww.facebook.com/sceneofaction

bOOkINg ShOwS thE haRdESt PaRt 0F bOOkINg ShOwS IS kNOwINg whERE tO bOOk ShOwS. attachEd aRE a cOuPlE gOOd vENuES IN: POtRERO

044PERSONA - STEP 5

if you go To The ToP of PoTReRo on a cleaR day, you can See all of The miSSion, and PaRTS of downTown.

REtOX LOUNGE

Way out in the dogpatch boonies you’ll

come across this 1970’s plane crash with

relief and delight. Upstairs is a typical

bar. The downstairs is a legit airplane

cabin. Retox is the perfect venue for a

basement house party … only in some-

one else’s basement … which happens

to have airplane portal windows.

www.retoxsf.com

628 20th St

San francisco, ca 94107

cross street: 3rd St

district: Potrero hill

Tel: 415.626.7386

bottom of tHE HILL

Time-tested and top talent approved,

Bottom of the Hill’s insides look like a

rooftop mid-earthquake. This is a per-

fect venue for medium-sized indie bands

but advertising is key as it will feel emp-

ty if only 20 people show up. An elevated

stage, smoking patio, great bar, and tasty

kitchen round out a solid spot.

www.bottomofthehill.com

1233 17th Street


cross street: missouri


Tel: 415.621.4455

MIGHtY

If you’re sure your band can bring in 300+

and you want to blow somebody’s roof

off, book Mighty. The venue hosts many

DJ, Noise Pop, and other high-volume

shows out in its isolated Potrero locale.

www.mighty119.com

119 utah Street


cross street: 15th Street


Tel: 415.626.001

bOOkINg ShOwS: SF POtRERO 94107

Bar reviews made possible by ian Tuttle: www.sf-inter.com/category/venuesii

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046PERSONA - STEP 5

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CONNECtICUt YANkEE

The Yankee doesn’t usually host shows,

known more for serving amazing soup

and playing all the major games on TV,

but if Fritz takes an interest in your

project he’ll make an exception. Highly

recommended for bands that can put

down a security deposit and draw 50-

100 fans. (And if you can’t muster up

those sorts of troops, Fritz will be the

first to tell you to go back to playing

your friends basements).

www.theyankee.com 100 connecticut St. San francisco, ca 94107 cross street: 17th Street district: Potrero hill

Tel: 415.552.4440

tHEE PARksIDE

Thee Parkside screams indie rock

from its swinging bar doors down to

its grungy bathroom. The bar is dark

and serves drinks for countless indie

shows, including Wiretap’s feature

events. How can you not agree with its

self-proclamation as “San Francisco’s

Premier Dive Venue.”

www.theeparkside.com 1600 17th Street San francisco, ca 94107 cross street: wisconsin district: Potrero hill

Tel: 415.252.1330

tHE VERDI CLUB

A quirky cross between a boyscout hall

and a bingo swing-dance room, the Ver-

di Club mostly hosts Big Band events. A

nice, separate bar, and elevated stage,

though, ensure an amazing concert ex-

perience if you have a jazz band or a

solid vision of how to take advantage

of the space.

www.posthoc.com/verdiclub.htm 2424 mariposa San francisco, ca 94110 cross street: Potrero avenue district: Potrero hill

Tel: 415.905.5712


Bar reviews made possible by ian Tuttle: www.sf-inter.com/category/venuesii

050PERSONA - STEP 5


There is no secrecy as to what can be determined as “our

success”. We just play our asses off, walk our own path, do

the groundwork, and generally kind of just work it out.

ABOUT US:

1. we started playing cause we love to play

2. the only step to success is to do it to it

3. no regrets

4. greatest success is baring my soul unquestioningly

(if that is a word)

D: The Ferocious Few

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They didn’T call in advance, TickeTS weRen’T Sold and noBody knew They weRe coming. howeveR, Today on The STReeTS of Sf BaTTlehooch Played live foR hundRedS of PeoPle. how?We’re also pretty lousy at getting media/blog attention in the bay area, so we

wanted to do some original-type promoting.

1. We started playing on the street because we were tired of playing in clubs

and bars mostly. most of our shows were 21+ and we wanted to play to an all age

audience. we also knew that there was nothing out there on the streets like us,

so when we imagined all the possibilities of what could happen if we set up on a

corner like 16th and valencia, made us laugh … (we generally like to make normal

situations as vivacious as possible).

2. Play with your friends, make a band or an event out of it … absurdity, origi-

nality, transcendence, sense of humor, visually stimulating … those are my five

successful requirements.

3. No regrets. every street performance teaches you something new … every time

we go out there, we get different crowds (which means different responses), we

meet new people, we LAUGH a ton. I’ve referred to the word laugh twice now,

that’s because i want to emphasize that we’re having an unmeasurable amount

of fun when we play.

4. Our greatest success is this quote i just looked up:

”The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and

dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”

–Dale Carnegie

Basically, we’re like magnets for fantastic!

Hope this helps.

GRANT: Battlehooch

www.facebook.com/battlehooch

ON thE StREEt buSkINgSTEFAN ARONSEN: SF-INTER.COM

above, far left: PoTReRo - San francisco neighborhood watercolor painting by niana liu: www.nianaliu.comii

CHAIRMAN WOWwww.facebook.com/longlivechairmanwow

ran

aS SOON aS YOu SOuNd gOOd, YOu NEEd tO lOOk gOOd. havINg a gOOd

PERSONa IS kEY tO SuccESS.

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ran

056PERSONA - STEP 5

lEt mE StaRt bY SaYINg, “I hEaRt YOuR muSIc,” IF

YOu chEck mY PlaYlISt I PlaY It all thE tImE.

I juSt thINk YOu ShOuld kNOw that YOuR haNd

wRItINg SuckS aNd YOuR blaNk cd ISN’t hElPINg

mE gEt IN cONtact wIth YOu … what IF I

waS a bIg ShOt REcORd PROducER. IS thIS cd hOw YOu waNt tO bE

REmEmbEREd? NO!

advice: you have no money for cd packaging and your craft sucks ... That doesn’t mean you should stop making cds at home ... it means you should stop sucking!!! get your boyfriend/girlfriend or somebody with good handwriting to put your band name, a contact person, a phone number and a web address on all cds hand-made and professional.

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058PERSONA - STEP 5

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Don’t book a show in a venue you can’t fill. It is better to

book a small venue and pack it out, rather than book a large

venue and play for a couple friends.

060PERSONA - STEP 5

Portions of the inside scoop were inspired by The indie Band Surivial guide by Randy chertkow and Jason feehan - www.indieguide.com/ii

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You’re not impressing anybody by playing a great show to

little or no audience. Bookers will remember you, and you

might not get to play that venue when your band is big

enough to fill it.

062PERSONA - STEP 5

idenTiTy iS a SuPeR comPlicaTed Thing. when you fiRST glance aT TheSe maRkS you may See The Same SymBol oveR and oveR and oveR. howeveR … when i look aT Them i See TonS of Tiny unique diffeRenceS.There is no formula to create the perfect persona. It will

take a lot of trial and error before you find the perfect mark,

the perfect fit, that sexy pop.

Perhaps your mark can best be compared to hipster jeans.

Those fuckers are so tight I can see your balls … the messed

up thing is that you wanted that. How many pairs of jeans

did you try on before you felt that click. There is always that

moment when you know you’ve found a perfect match. You

won’t settle till you find those perfect jeans. Don’t settle till

you find that perfect mark.

Trying free drawing the same way that writers free write.

If you keep drawing scribbles eventually your scribbles be-

come circles, your circles become squares and then “POP”

you’ve got wings, a banner and a great tag line.

Now go get them tiger.

OvER aNd OvER aNd OvER aNd…STEFAN ARONSEN: SF INTERCOM

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064PERSONA - STEP 5

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Your persona is important. You don’t always have to create

it … but you do need to control it. A band must consider how

they do and do not want to be seen. Personally I like it when

a band has a street look and a separate stage look. When a

band hits the stage with outfits that match there sound I

know they came to rock. When they arrive with outfits loud-

er than life I know I’m going to have a good time!

In your next meeting … because you have meetings … I want

you to talk about your persona! Somebody in the band has an

opinion. I want you to talk about why it is you’re so scared to

look good when you’re on stage.

I’m NOt SuRE whY muSIcIaNS ShuddER whEN thEY hEaR thE wORd

bRaNdINg … but thEY dO … SO tO tRIck thEm INtO accEPtaNcE I uSE

thE wORd PERSONa. muSIcIaNS lOvE that wORd! I thINk It’S aN EgO thINg.

On the air since February 8 2006, Pa-

cific Noise has been introducing you

to the best new local bands we could

find. Our goal is to amplify the po-

tential of the local music scene here

in San Francisco.

At this moment there is a huge re-

surgence of independent music. Lis-

teners are looking for new sounds by

using methods that are outside the

traditional mainstream radio and ca-

ble tv. While the mainstream music

media tries to “figure it out”, there

are so many bands who are getting

lost along the way. Most of the bands

we feature are releasing albums and

planning tours and it’s all DIY. And

to me, the music being made by un-

signed bands is way more exciting

than any thing i hear on the radio. So

with this video podcast, I hope I can

help a lot of these bands gain a larger

audience by using the technology

that is freely available for me to use.

Recently Pacific Noise has teamed up

with Lennon Studios to help make

some great new episodes. Each week

we invite a band into Room 8 to per-

form a few songs, and introduce their

unique sounds to you.

Community

066PERSONA - STEP 5

don’T go oveRBoaRd wiTh maRking youR TeRRiToRy. you don’T wanT To Be The nexT meTallica and end uP wiTh a RePuTaTion foR Suing youR fanS.It probably goes without saying that a band’s image can be as

important as its sound. Just ask The Sex Pistols, or more spe-

cifically Sid Vicious. The guy could barely play an instrument

and ended up as the public face of one of the more culturally

significant bands of the last fifty years*. And while you don’t

have to trash hotel rooms or take a crap on stage to achieve

success, it’s important that a band control its image for a

couple reasons.

1. Integrity. If Dr. Dre had just gone for the money and left

his image up to somebody else, he’d still be wearing se-

quined gloves and doing choreographed dance numbers for

the Wrecking Cru. He wisely decided to take control of his

image and went on the establish NWA and took hip hop in

an entirely new direction. When you control your image, you

control how the public perceives you.

law PROtEctS agaINSt SabOtagE

Unless you have a lot of time, somebody else is going to have

to do a lot of your marketing for you. If you decide to sign

with a label, it’s going to be the label doing it for you. In just

about every recording contact, there will be clauses address-

ing who controls the band’s likeness and name and how they

can be used. Taking a hands-off approach could lead to the

label making your album cover for you.

If you don’t want your label making tacky T-shirts with your

faces and giving them away at your local amusement park on

Christian Family Day, you better make damn sure you put in

your contract that you control your image. Likewise, make

sure that you and the label understand who has the final

say on public appearances if you don’t want to be performing

at that amusement park next to the shitty shirts. The same

goes for lending one of your songs in a TV commercial. Again,

make sure it’s in your contract.

Don’t go overboard with marking your territory. You don’t

want to be the next Metallica and end up with a reputation

for suing your fans.

kENdALL dIx ATTORNEy AT LAw

These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men

of Hezekiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal

a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As

the heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts

of kings are unsearchable.

Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material

for the silversmith; remove the wicked from the king’s

presence, and his throne will be established through

righteousness.

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not

claim a place among great men; it is better for him to say

to you, “Come up here,” than

for him to humiliate you before a nobleman. What you

have seen with your eyes do not bring [b] hastily to court,

for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you

to shame? If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not

betray another man’s confidence, or he who hears it may

shame you and you will never lose your bad reputation.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of

silver. Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold

The art on this page was created by casey koerner: www.caseykoerner.com/ii

067BUZZ

by SF Intercom

068PERSONA - STEP 5

You can’t pretend persona isn’t impor-

tant. Look at Obama, Brittany Spears,

Keane, MJ, ANYONE on a stage. For some

reason the public loves to keep their eye

on and pick apart those in the spot light.

Especially if they deserve it. This is true

on both large and smaller scales.

Be Aware:

I was at a show a few months ago and the

new bassist of a pretty popular and well

established local band got pretty drunk.

He was running around, loudly slur-

ring his words, grabbing girls, the whole

nine yards. Then something happened

that still, to this day, makes me laugh.

The lead guitarist (who had been in the

band for years and worked his sweat

and blood into it’s success), walks over

to the drunken bassist and puts a hand

on his shoulder. Smiling, and looking

across the room as if he was just shar-

ing a joke with a friend, begins to speak

lowly into his bassist’s ear. The bassist

smile fades, and he nods his head.

Magically the obnoxious bassist disap-

pears and his twin “Non Freakaziod

Buffoon Bassist” takes his place for the

rest of the night.

Be Yourself:

Yes people will like talking about you

if your obnoxious. Yes gossip sucks but

people do it. Yes the truth is what you

do affects the whole band. Having said

that, live your life (actually a quote

from the drunken bassist). Say what

you feel is important to say, give the

gift of who you really are to the world.

Being wise (I.E. astute, aware, careful,

clever, cunning, discerning, discreet,

enlightened, foresighted) doesn’t mean

being fake.

Be Nice:

I was working a show at Bottom of the

Hill and the drummer from a certain

band was rude to me. Now I may be just

a lowly promotions assistant at a radio

station, but he didn’t know that. Even if

I was just a fan, it’s always a bad move

to give people attitude.

Later on at this show, I was taking down

signs and the lead singer (Ah the lead

singer, a breed somehow naturally pro-

ficient at schmoozing and BS), knowing

that I worked at a radio station he would

like his band to be on, ran up smiling,

started helping me take down signs,

and asked if he could give me a free cd.

why aRe you PReTending PeRSona iSn’T imPoRTanT? why aRe you lying To youRSelf? do youRSelf a favoR, ShaPe uP oR geT ouT of my face.

StOP FOOlINg YOuRSElF!!!IAN STAHL: ERA ESCAPE

While I don’t have a large ego and can

usually let things go pretty fast, after

Mr. Rude Drummer I honestly didn’t

want their bands stupid CD. I have a

whole stack at home I haven’t even lis-

tened to yet. Let alone put in any of the

DJ’s/Music Producer’s mail boxes.

Be smart:

Conversely I have seen several bands

gather a huge fan base by little more

than their charms. It’s actually pretty

genius, they hang outside after shows

with their f liers and f lirt. A lot of

times young concert goers don’t even

really know what kind of music they

like yet, and are just at a show because

the scene is exciting. So if you walk up

to a girl, act like you think their cute,

give them a f lier and ask them to come

to your show … I have been freaking

amazed at how well this works for

growing a fan base.

Don’t live to please everybody, but

people are watching you. So don’t be

a fool. You don’t have to be fake, but

for goodness sakes have a care. Don’t

make your girlfriend worry, but you can

catch many f lies with just a little bit of

honey. So don’t be a jerk.

These are more proverbs of Solo-

mon, copied by the men of Heze-

kiah king of Judah: It is the glory of

God to conceal a matter; to search

out a matter is the glory of kings.

As the heavens are high and the

earth is deep, so the hearts of kings

are unsearchable.

Remove the dross from the silver,

and out comes material for the sil-

versmith; remove the wicked from

the king’s presence, and his throne

will be established through righ-

teousness.

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s

presence, and do not claim a place

among great men; it is better for

him to say to you, “Come up here,”

than

for him to humiliate you before

a nobleman. What you have seen

with your eyes do not bring [b]

hastily to court, for what will you

do in the end if your neighbor puts

you to shame? If you argue your

case with a neighbor, do not betray

another man’s confidence, or he

who hears it may shame you and

you will never lose your bad repu-

tation.

A word aptly spoken is like apples

of gold in settings of silver. Like an

earring of gold or an ornament of

fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to

069BUZZ

by SF Intercom

070PERSONA - STEP 5

TheRe iS noThing woRSe Than going To a Show wheRe a SingeR/SongwRiTeR iS Telling you aBouT Some TeRRiBle Time in hiS oR heR life, and all you can Think iS “geez, ThiS iS moRe BoRing Than leaRning Sex-ed fRom my 75 yeaR old Science TeacheR in The 6Th gRade!”

Sorry folks, but being an entertainer (read: songwriter)

means entertaining your audience. It does not mean stand-

ing at the front of the room in a tee shirt and bemoaning

your pathetic childhood. It means giving people of piece of

yourself that they want to remember and experience more

than once.

I am NOt tRIxIE RaSPutIN

This takes a lot of finesse, as most of us are actually bor-

ing, whiney, pathetic brats that long to be famous for all

the wrong reasons. But if you are still crazy enough to want

to be a performer, know this: you must bring a PERSONA to

the stage, and not the REAL YOU. In fact the more notorious

the persona, the better, because all of the fans out there

jOSIE SHRAdER IS TRIxIE RASPuTIN

These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of

Hezekiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal a

matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the

heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings

are unsearchable. Remove the dross from the silver, and

out comes material for the silversmith; remove the wicked

from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established

through righteousness.

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim

a place among great men; it is better for him to say to you,

“Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a no-

bleman. What you have seen with your eyes do not bring

[b] hastily to court, for what will you do in the end if your

neighbor puts you to shame? If you argue your case with a

071BUZZ

by SF Intercom

are looking for a wild ride when they come to your show. If

they aren’t then you are REALLY boring, and should use a

stage name like Michael Bolton or Amy Grant to streamline

the process for everyone.

Now there is a girl out there named Trixie Rasputin, and she is

kind of a self proclaimed badass. Her real name is not Trixie,

nor does she get paid to wear slutty outfits. And yet, at every

show she’ll be wearing something that will simultaneously

give you a boner AND make you feel like it’s your fault for

being creepy. This is all intentional however, because Trixie

is an alter ego of a person who is really quite nice and polite,

but with an insatiable need to write, sing, and torture the

world with her music. The only way this could be achieved

was for the nice girl to create a very impolite and engaging

character (Trixie) to be her rep out there on stage. Trixie hap-

pens to be a hell of a lot more interesting than the real person

inside of her, mainly because she is impervious to emotion,

criticism, and embarrassment. That’s the point of persona.

It’s absolutely essential for any musician to practice choking

off the real person and letting their inner problem child out

of the cage. If musicians don’t do that, we’ll be forever stuck

listening to people like Michelle Branch tell us how hard it

is to be pretty, white, and young in an industry that favors

people who are pretty, white, and young. SHEESH.

TRIXIE RASPUTINwww.myspace.com/therasputinproject

074PERSONA - STEP 5

BUZZ GUIDE baNdS aRE aFRaId OF thE wORd

bRaNd. SO wIth that IN mINd I SaY “YOu dON’t NEEd tO bRaNd

YOuRSElF aS lONg aS YOuR cREatE a StRONg PERSONa.”

075BUZZ

by SF Intercom

076PERSONA - STEP 5

1 _IT IS O

K TO

BE C

OM

MER

CIA

L: it is ok t

o fe

ar t

he m

an. h

ow

ev

er y

ou s

ho

ul

d no

t fe

ar

so

me o

f th

e wo

rd

s “t

he m

an” u

se

s. ult

ima

te

ly yo

u ha

ve t

wo o

pt

ion

s wit

h yo

ur m

us

ic: ma

ke

it a ho

bb

y, or m

ak

e it co

mm

er

cia

lly v

iab

le.

2 _ MA

KE S

MA

RT D

ESIG

N C

HO

ICES

: po

or d

es

ign c

ho

ice

s wil

l re

fl

ec

t po

or

ly on y

ou. y

ou

ma

y be a w

on

de

rf

ul

ly tal

en

te

d ba

nd, b

ut if y

ou

r gr

ap

hic

s su

ck, p

eo

pl

e ar

e go

ing t

o as

su

me

yo

ur s

ou

nd s

uc

ks. if y

ou’r

e no

t go

od a

t de

sig

n, hir

e a de

sig

ne

r.

077BUZZ

by SF Intercom

MAKE SMART DESIGN CHOICES

BUZZ GUIDE

078PERSONA - STEP 5

BUY YOUR DOMAIN NAME

3 _ BU

Y YO

UR

DO

MA

IN N

AM

E: yo

u ar

en’t t

ru

ly yo

u un

til y

ou o

wn y

ou

r na

me. a

s so

on a

s s

om

eb

od

y bu

ys y

ou

r do

ma

in na

me …

th

ey a

re m

or

e yo

u th

an y

ou. e

ve

n if yo

u do

n’t kn

ow

ho

w t

o de

sig

n a we

b sit

e yo

u ne

ed t

o ow

n yo

ur d

om

ain n

am

e.

4 _ CR

EA

TE A S

OLID

WEB

PR

ESEN

CE: t

his h

as m

ult

ipl

e me

an

ing

s. fir

st, b

e se

ar

ch

ab

le o

n t

he w

eb, p

eo

pl

e ne

ed t

o be a

bl

e to f

ind y

ou. s

ec

on

d, tie a

ll o

f yo

ur w

eb c

on

ce

pt

s to

ge

th

er

vis

ua

lly. t

his w

ill l

et p

eo

pl

e re

co

gn

ize y

ou w

ith

ou

t se

ein

g yo

ur n

am

e.

079BUZZ

by SF Intercom

BUZZ GUIDE

080PERSONA - STEP 5

5 _ CR

EA

TE A P

RES

S KIT: w

ha

t yo

u pu

t in yo

ur p

re

ss k

it ch

an

ge

s da

ily. ho

we

ve

r, sim

ply

ha

vin

g o

ne

is e

xt

re

me

ly im

po

rta

nt.

i r

ec

om

me

nd

ke

ep

ing

it s

imp

le,

inc

lu

de

a b

an

d b

io, s

tic

ke

rs a

nd a c

d. so

me p

eo

pl

e ma

y wa

nt a b

an

d ph

ot

o, ot

he

rs m

ay ju

st l

au

gh a

nd d

ra

w m

us

tac

he

s on t

he

m.

6 _ ALW

AY

S CA

RR

Y CO

NTA

CT IN

FO: s

imil

ar t

o th

e bo

y sc

ou

ts m

ot

to, b

e pr

ep

ar

ed, c

ar

ry

co

nta

ct in

fo im

pl

ies ju

st t

ha

t. yo

u ne

ve

r kn

ow

wh

en y

ou’r

e go

ing t

o ru

n int

o a an in

du

st

ry

pr

of

es

sio

na

l th

at w

an

ts t

o wo

rk w

ith y

ou. w

rit

ing o

n yo

ur/t

he

ir ha

nd is n

ot g

oin

g to

cu

t it pr

of

es

sio

na

lly.

081BUZZ

by SF Intercom

BUZZ GUIDE

082PERSONA - STEP 5

7 _ PU

T CO

NTA

CT IN

FO O

N EV

ERY

THIN

G: p

ut y

ou

r co

nta

ct in

fo o

n yo

ur c

d, on y

ou

r cd c

as

e, o

n yo

ur p

ho

to

s, on y

ou

r sh

irt

s, ev

er

yw

he

re. fa

ns, b

an

ds a

nd in

du

st

ry p

ro

fe

ss

ion

al

s wil

l g

et in c

on

tac

t wit

h yo

u if yo

u ma

ke it e

as

y.

8 _ MA

KE M

ERC

HA

ND

ISE: m

os

t b

an

ds

do

n’t m

ak

e a

lo

t o

f m

on

ey

on

cd

sa

le

s. t

he

y d

o h

ow

ev

er m

ak

e mo

ne

y se

ll

ing t-

sh

irt

s, st

ick

er

s an

d ot

he

r ba

nd m

er

ch. m

ak

e so

me …

th

en

pu

t yo

ur c

on

tac

t inf

o on it.

083BUZZ

by SF Intercom

BUZZ GUIDE

084PERSONA - STEP 5

9 _ GET S

PO

NS

OR

ED: a

th

le

te

s ge

t sp

on

so

re

d so w

hy c

an’t y

ou? f

ind s

po

ns

or

sh

ip fr

om

co

mp

an

y’s yo

u lik

e. se t

his a

s a wa

y to h

av

e fo

od w

he

n yo

u’re o

n to

ur, c

us

to

m ge

ar w

he

n y

ou’r

e on s

tag

e an

d cl

ot

he

s to l

oo

k st

ee

zy a

lwa

ys. t

he

n ho

ok m

e up!

10 _ CO

NS

IDER

ALTER

NA

TIVE A

DV

ERTIS

ING

: wh

er

e a

re

yo

ur

fan

s? a

re

yo

u a

dv

er

tis

ing

th

er

e? a

re

th

ey

re

ad

ing

it? ta

lk

to

yo

ur

fan

s, f

ind

ou

t w

ha

t t

he

y r

es

po

nd

we

ll

to,

ad

ve

rt

ise in w

ay

s th

at w

or

k ... st

op w

as

tin

g mo

ne

y on a

dv

er

tis

ing t

ha

t isn’t h

el

pin

g yo

u.

085BUZZ

by SF Intercom

BUZZ GUIDE

086PERSONA - STEP 5

I get a kick out of this guy! I see him everywhere. That is not

an exaggeration! He is everywhere! I saw him at the trea-

sure island music festival 2008 and 2009, the green Festival

2008 and 2009, the bay bridged makers fair, the ferry build-

ing farmers market and numerous other places. His tactic

is brilliant: a type writer a bench and a cup for donations.

you can find this typewriter poet at: www.zachhouston.comii

087BUZZ

by SF Intercom

088PERSONA - STEP 5

THE SCENE & BE SEENwhO dO YOu kNOw?STEFAN ARONSEN: SF INTERCOM

These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of

Hezekiah king of Judah: It is the glory of God to conceal a

matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. As the

heavens are high and the earth is deep, so the hearts of kings

are unsearchable. Remove the dross from the silver, and out

comes material for the silversmith; remove the wicked from

the king’s presence, and his throne will be established through

righteousness.

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a

place among great men; it is better for him to say to you, “Come

up here,” than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.

What you have seen with your eyes do not bring [b] hastily to

court, for what will you do in the end if your neighbor puts you

to shame? If you argue your case with a neighbor, do not betray

another man’s confidence, or he who hears it may shame you

and you will never lose your bad reputation.

A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise

man’s rebuke to a listening ear. Like the coolness of snow at

harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send

him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters. Like clouds and

you aRe only aS SucceSSful aS The PeoPle you know. So who do you know? geT off youR BuTT and meeT Some PeoPle in youR induSTRy.It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the scene of you’ve been

playing for 50 years, you need to know who is currently sup-

porting the scene you play in. In most situations your suc-

cess relies on your ability to reach out and connect with fans.

Some bands may attempt to find their audience independent-

ly. However, if you’re smart, you’re recognizing the need for a

community and reach out to the people working in your field.

There are fans, bands and industry professionals that want

to help connect you to your fans, help you become more suc-

cessful. I suggest starting with bloggers. Generally speaking

they already have fans and many fans find blogs to be a good

filter for the music they should be listening to. Here are some

blogs you should be reading.

089BUZZ

by SF Intercom

090PERSONA - STEP 5

visit earsofthebeholder at: www.earsofthebeholder.comii

THE SCENE & BE SEEN

I constantly type this address wrong! I

have started reminding myself, we have

two ears for listening, not just one. Thus

when you visit his site type www.ear-

Softhebeholder.com, without the S you

end up on a site that in no way relates

to music.

I met peter at Benders during a Sugar &

Gold show. He was introduced to me as

“my friend with the blog.” Eventually the

friend with a blog got a chance to tell me

his name and his site. After the show

I went to my studio to do my research.

What I found was pleasantly exciting.

Similarly to ipickmynose.com, Peter writes

a blog about the indie scene as it unfolds. If

you want to know who’s big in SF, who you

should be listening to, whom you should

book your next show with … read peters

blog. Eventually you’ll get to know his

writing style, at that point you should send

him your music. Make sure you follow his

guidelines. Bloggers are a great way to get

your music out to a larger audience and get

a feel for how you’re doing.

haS Been inTRoducing you To The BeST new local BandS They find.

EaRSOFthEbEhOldERPEtER ARkO

By: STEFAN ARONSEN

091BUZZ

by SF Intercom

visit ipickmynose at: www.ipickmynose.comii

IPIckmYNOSE

and we all poop. so are the days of our

lives. but seriously ipickmynose.com, the

blog not the habit, has made it his habit

to review and be in the know about all

major music happenings in the bay.

You may be too busy picking your nose

to notice some majorly cool band playing

in your hood. Never fear Anthony is busy

picking bands to profile so you can keep

picking your nose.

ipickmynose.com is living testimony that

not all movements need web hosting,

some big projects find all they need on a

blog platform. (This does not mean you

don’t need to buy your web address.)

Check out ipickmynose.com, read his

blogs, write your comments, and when

you’re ready send him your material.

However, make sure you read his guide-

lines. Yup! He has guidelines. (One being

that you actually know his writing and

have been to his site more than once.)

educaTing The PuBlic aBouT The San fRanciSco Bay aRea indePendenT muSic

ADRIAN bISCHoff

By: STEFAN ARONSEN

LIVE EVILwww.facebook.com/liveevilrocks

094PERSONA - STEP 5

095BUZZ

by SF Intercom

096PERSONA - STEP 5

097BUZZ

by SF Intercom

098PERSONA - STEP 5

099BUZZ

by SF Intercom

thE Old REcORd INduStRY mOdEl haS cOllaPSEd. cd SalES aRE dOwN, PRINt magazINES aRE dwINdlINg, aNd INFORmatION IS SPREad vIa thE wEb IN a cOmPlEtElY chaOtIc aNd uNREFINEd mESS. Out OF thIS dISORdER, buzz cOdIFIES a SOlId SEt OF RulES, ImPOSES a NEw ORdER, aNd aSSIgNS PRactIcES aNd habItS that wIll lEad EmERgINg muSIcIaNS tOwaRdS SuccESS.

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