buzz play: survival guide for bands
DESCRIPTION
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. But with its cross-genre synthesis of best practices gathered through research among every style of music, Buzz has much to offer in the realms of hip-hop, rock, street, urban, punk, and any other live performance based styleTRANSCRIPT
5a survival guide for bands
PLAY If You PLAY shows; PLAY hArd. If You Are bookIng shows, book weLL. If You Are A fAn, suPPort Your bAnd wIth ALL Your mIght. there Is onLY one You; mAke sure You’re beIng the best You At ALL tImes.
GRAPHIC LEGEND
iiBAND LINK WEBSITE LINK COMMUNITY LINK
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09BUZZ
by SF Intercom
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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
colaboration OLIVIA PARIOT: WIRETAP MUSIC
colaboration 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
cfo 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)
• When the laW cOmes … (70)
• Pacific nOise(94)
• ten sURViVal tiPs (78)
• BUsking (50)
• haVing fUn? (72)
• insideRs scOOP (62)
• RadiO Vs yOga stUdiO (74)
• last WORds (102)
• the OWl mag (95)
• JOURnal ReVieW (66)
• cd design (56)
• the sOma 94103 (44)
• mymail (34)• deadtWeets (38)
opening mail
booking shows
insiders scoop
contributing writers
the scene & be seen
buzz guide
last words
• 1st hOW-tO (58)• 2nd hOW-tO (60)
bRANDILEIGHA StRACNER: fIELD EDItoR
Opinionated and bold, Stracner takes advantage of her job as an intern at Live 105 to attend and critique as many
local shows as she can handle, which is just about all of them. Stracner looks for a personal connection between
band and fans, and her interviews, writing, and professional connections built solid relationships among many
indie bands and Buzz Magazine.
amy scandURRa: cOntRiBUtOR
Scandurra’s soft-spoken, mild manner belies her inner rockstar. When she’s not too busy dancing with explosive
exuberance at local, live shows, Scandurra contributes commentary and photography to SF Intercom. Her passion
for, and deep knowledge of, indie music make her a go-to guru for friends and fans alike.
JacOB hennessey-RUBin: design sUPPORt
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.
lian ng: adVisOR
Lian strives to combine restraint as well as boldness into his design. Buzz’s clean lines, simplification of clut-
ter and refined headers resulted from Lian’s relentless attention to detail and lofty standards. Lian created the
dialogue that helped solidify what kind of publication Buzz would become. Lian’s vision for Buzz took it from a
monthly rag to the beast it was meant to be.
sPecial thanks:
stephanie trapp, olivia: wiretap music, anton: judgement day, grant: battlehooch, zen: please do not fight, peter:
earofthebeholder, justin: punchface, damon: paranoids, kendal dix: attorney at law, amy wilson: cpa in training,
stephanie trapp: photography, niana liu: watercolor maps, casey koerner: artist, lara de garie: artist
CONTRIBUTORS
StEfAN ARoNSEN: ARt DIRECtoR & EDItoR-IN-CHIEf
Stefan Aronsen is the only nonmusical
member of a vastly talented musical
family. From a young age Mr. Aronsen
struggled to learn first wind instru-
ments, then stringed instruments,
and finally percussion instruments.
Every attempt ended in exasperation
and embarrassment. Not until college,
where he discovered a strong talent for
graphic design, did Mr. Aronsen finally
develop his own unique expertise to of-
fer the music industry.
OPENING WORDS: BUZZ!!! I have always
loved the sound of innovation. There is
something so exciting about a commu-
nity of creative people getting together
to create a movement so loud you can
hear it. There is no quieting the move-
ment. Buzz is a survival guide by SF In-
tercom for Bay Area musicians. It has
over 100 pages packed with solid advice
from amazing fans, bands and industry
professionals. The goal of Buzz and SF
Intercom is to use existing advice to
help you become more viably success-
ful. The buzz is loud and with your help
it’s only going to get louder.
IAN tuttLE: EDItoR
Tuttle moved into SF Intercom’s offices
as a writer among graphic artists. His
multiple projects span from a novel-
in-progress to a weekly short-fiction
blog. Tuttle contributed his talents as a
copywriter to many stages of SF Inter-
com’s growth, drafting business plans,
venue summaries, and bios. He brought
insight and clear vision to the dispersed
cloud of possibilities of Buzz Magazine’
mid-life crisis stage.
PICTURE ME BROKENwww.facebook.com/picturemebrokenband
PICTURE ME BROKENwww.facebook.com/picturemebrokenband
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by SF Intercom
pho
to b
y: S
tefa
n A
rons
en
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whILe the IndustrY used to be mAde uP of three
sePArAte And dIstInct PArts (bAnd, LAbeL, fAn),
thAt modeL hAs been drAstIcALLY chAnged. the
new modeL, As buzz sees It, Is A cohesIve three-PArt IndustrY served bY strong
IntercommunIcAtIon.
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If You don’t hAve someone who Is
PAYIng AttentIon to the moneY, You end
uP eAtIng everY LAst doLLAr You mAde.
bE oRGANICAll you really need to do is play as many
shows as possible, with the best bands
you know, and meet as many bands as
possible. If you’re a good person, and
your music is good, and you’re exposing
yourself, things will happen for you. I
think it helps to know where you want
to be in a year. And saying you’d like
to be playing the Greek Theater doesn’t
count. Set reachable goals for yourself,
like playing Cafe Du Nord, or playing
with a certain band you love that’s a few
steps ahead of you, or getting played
on certain radio stations. But mostly
it comes from the ground up, and it’s
a very organic and sometimes sudden
process. Surround yourself with bands,
blogs, and people who love music.
MIKE: Geographer
keeP it fUn and fReshWe’ve found it is impossible for us to
write songs and keep practicing sets
for shows. So now we break our time
down—we’re taking a month off shows
to write, taking three weeks to record
and then giving ourselves another
month to prepare a full set that we’ll
then play (in different variations) for
the next couple of months so that we’re
not constantly having to practice the
same songs all the time. That helps too
in keeping things fun and fresh for us.
ZEN: Please Do Not Fight
BEN RICHARDS: Singer-Songwriter
inVest in yOUR BandOh yes … Also I recommend that all the
money made from shows goes back into
the band fund rather than being split
up and given to the band members to
use personally … making merch, re-
cording and making CDs, and gas all
take a lot of cash … So it’s important to
set up a band fund and a person in the
band who is good with money and can
manage that fund.
OLIVIA PARRIOTT: Wiretap Music
gO get lUckyThe most important rule you have to
know is that no one knows how to get
famous. Rules don’t mean shit! Getting
famous just happens through forces
we cannot control and if you ever get
famous, consider yourself very, very
lucky. So go out there and get lucky.
SAM CHASE: Perfect Machines
033BUZZ
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bE moRE SPECIfICIt’s hard to make it on the road with-
out at least some sense of organization
and professionalism. For us, that comes
from our drummer, Matt Whalen. He
somehow always knows where we are,
where we’ve been, where we’re going,
and how and when to get there. Every
band needs a Matt Whalen.
JONATHAN DEVOTO: Bird by Bird
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Perfect MachinesProgressive / Glam / Punk
http://www.myspace.com/perfectmachines
words of wisdom for a new band from Rock StarSAM CHASE:
STARTING OUT:1. A name is not as important as you think. The band you are gives meaning and context to the stupid name of your band. Guns & Roses is a pretty stupid band name when you think about it. Same with Green Day. What the hell is that even supposed to mean? That isn’t badass. But we don’t ever think about that.
2. It sucks, but image matters. Just sayin’.
3. Know what you want to sound like as a band before you start writing. Make sure you are all on the same page.
4. It’s more important to be friends with the people in your band than to find the greatest musicians.
5. Be in a band because you love to make music. If you are doing it to get girls, you are wasting everyone’s time and space. The worst music is the music that is written to get girls rather than for the love of it.
6. Write music that means something to you. Your songs need a purpose.
7. Pretense will kill your band before it has even begun if you let it.
8. Make your live show as entertaining as your music. Give the crowd something to look at while they are listening.
9. Be different. Very, very different.
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ONCE YOU ARE A NEW BAND:1. Get stickers and give them to everyone.
2. Push your band on everyone. Live your band.
3. Make friends with bands. Listen to local music. It helps with knowing which bands will work well on a bill with yours and you’ll find which bands and fans may like yours.
4. Play, and play often.
5. Don’t just get on other bands’ bills. Make your own and repay the favor to the bands that put you on their bills.
6. Go to shows even if you are not on the bill. It’s a great way to make friends with bands and promote your own band.
7. You gotta spend time and money on this. Being in a band is not a lucrative job. It is your endless pit of spending, late nights and hard work.
8. Get your name out there even if no one has ever heard you. It is better to be the band that everyone knows but hasn’t heard, rather than to be the band that everyone has heard but no one remembers.
9. The band has to be your #1 priority.
10. Stand out, even when you aren’t on stage. Even if you aren’t at a show. When you are walking down the street you are still in a band and the more you stand out, the more people will recognize you from your band.
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AS A BAND:1. As a band you don’t deserve shit so don’t act like you do.
2. You have got a lot to prove because you are not the greatest band in the world so don’t act like you are.
3. Once you get on stage you are the greatest band in the world. Act like you are.
4. Whiskey is a good warm up drink but it is a double-edged sword, so watch out.
5. Make friends—lots and lots of friends—because for a long time those are the only people that are gonna come to your show.
6. Once on stage never complain that people aren’t in front of the stage. You’ll never be able to pull the whole crowd to the front and when you don’t pull anyone you look like a whiny douche. Always be confident on stage. Even if no one cares about you or your band.
7. Rock out to the other bands on the bill. Be genuine. Don’t try too hard to show support. Fake looks fake and while they appreciate you rocking out they can tell when you are only rocking out because you want them to do the same to you. Rock out and mean it. When they are done, talk to them. If they are good, tell them that. If they don’t rock out for you, so what. At least you burned some calories for a good cause.
8. On stage, even if the club is empty, play like you are playing to a packed house of adoring fans. SAM CHASE: Perfect Machines
037BUZZ
by SF Intercom
CHAUNDON my advise is to perfect your craft! Do not. under any circumstance compromise your integrity!!!!!1 day ago from web
TheHotToddies @sfintercom advice about tour? Just get out there and do it! Myspace is a great resource to find cool bands to play with :)1 day ago from web
MarinLocalMusic @sfintercom they need to have a presence at shows they need a following - then contact the bookers - might have to do some tuesdays 1st1 day ago from web
all_ages @sfintercom you can build your scene by creating your own infrastructure. be creative, and remember almost anything can be a “venue”1 day ago from web
ArriveLounge Another 5th band member video tip: Don’t wear a T-shirt with a huge logo or a band t-shirt.1 day ago from web
3ringrecords @sfintercom The CD is no longer a viable revenue source and vinyl is on the up. Digital sales help but for how much longer? 1 day ago from web
Musibility TIP: Move the free line! Give away MORE MUSIC! Monetize on the back end for more money than before. 1 day ago from web
pdnf @sfintercom Naked drummers = The only way to go IMHO ASAP FYI LOL ROLF BBQ1 day ago from web
saraahB Freaking the fuck out. I would advise no one leave before the last band plays. OMG.1 day ago from web
Concerts are usually in the dark. Perhaps bands should make shirts and business cards that glow in the dark.less than 5 seconds ago from web
sfintercom
Photo by Stephanie Trapp: http://www.StephanieTrapp.comii
THE QUEERSwww.myspace.com/thequeers
THE QUEERSwww.myspace.com/thequeers
APSIDEwww.myspace.com/apside
043BUZZ
by SF IntercomAPSIDEwww.myspace.com/apside
bookIng shows the hArdest PArt 0f bookIng shows Is knowIng where to book shows. AttAched Are A couPLe good venues In: the somA
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THERE ARE loTS of dRink SPEciAlS in THE SomA. do youR RESEARcH And gET youR dRink on.
BRainWash
Everything about Brainwash is small.
Small stage, small tables, no dance
f loor, and no cover add up to little or
no pressure. If you promote, you’ll pack
the place. If you don’t, people will still
come. Brainwash is recommended as a
test venue to try out your show pres-
ence. As an added bonus for you tour-
ing musicians, all bands get to do free
laundry or have free food.
www.brainwash.com 1122 folsom Street San francisco, cA 94103 map cross street: 7th St. district: SomA Tel: 415.255.4866
SLIm’S
If your audience isn’t all 21 yet and
you’re rolling in on a tour bus, book
your next show here. Home of tour-
ing bands as well as local Battle of the
Bands, this is a great all-ages location
that consistently has a line stretch-
ing around the block. A big stage and
a large dance f loor are bolstered by a
full kitchen.
www.slims-sf.com 333 11th Street San francisco, cA 94103 cross street: folsom & Harrison district: SomA Tel: 415.255.0333
mEzzANINE
Most people have never seen a show
here. In fact most people don’t even
know it exists. However, if you want to
create a large festival, show, or event,
and you have a very large following,
this is a great spot in SoMa to do it.
www.mezzaninesf.com 444 Jessie Street San francisco, cA 94103 map cross street: 6th & mission district: SomA Tel: 415.625.8880
KUBESwww.facebook.com/kubesondrums
bookIng shows: the somA 94103
Bar reviews made possible by ian Tuttle: www.sf-inter.com/archives/category/venuesii
KUBESwww.facebook.com/kubesondrums
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bookIng shows: the somA 94107
HotEL utAH SALooN
This is a hotel with a bar and a bar
with a venue. Hotel Utah serves amaz-
ing food and fine drinks in an intimate
setting, complete with wood paneling
and a cool balcony. The venue is mostly
seated, so this isn’t the best spot for a
mosh pit, but if you want a classy show
in a storied spot book it here.
www.hotelutah.com 500 4th Street San francisco, cA 94107 cross street: Bryant Street district: SomA Tel: 415.546.6300
330 Ritch stReet
As you all probably know by now, this
spot is in an alleyway and yes it can
seem shady, but this spot has a jem on
the inside. 330 Ritch is located at 360
Ritch St in the SOMA district of San
Francisco. With past performers rang-
ing from M.I.A. to Kings Of Leon, if you
make it in you’re making it.
330ritch.com 360 Ritch Street San francisco, cA 94107 cross street: Brannan @ 3rd
the eagle taVeRn
They only do shows on Thursday nights.
The Stud books 1-3 months in advance.
They get a lot of requests, so it takes
a while to get a Thursday gig. It helps
if you have some other bands in mind
you want to play with. When they have
a show for you, they’ll let you know, so
keep trying..
www.sfeagle.com 398 12th Street San francisco, cA 94103 cross street: Harrison district: Soma Tel: 415.626.0880
Bar reviews made possible by ian Tuttle: www.sf-inter.com/archives/category/venuesii
RICKY LEE ROBINSONwww.facebook.com/rickyleerobinson.fb
RICKY LEE ROBINSONwww.facebook.com/rickyleerobinson.fb
050PLAY - STEP 5
bookIng shows: the somA 94107
We always try to have free CDs for people to take, so they
don’t feel the pressure to spend any money, but we also have
our polished CDs for sale too (5 bucks).
We definitely make enough money and collect enough emails
to make it worthwhile—we’ve peaked at $150 for playing for
one hour.
GRANT: Battlehooch
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Above, far left: SomA - San francisco neighborhood Watercolor painting by niana liu: www.nianaliu.com
i SAW Him. And—AccoRding To Him, THAT iS HiS goAl. So—HE’S doing A gREAT JoB. THEn i E-mAilEd Him To SEE WHAT HiS idEA of SuccESS WAS.I had some buzz a couple of years back in the club scene that rapidly dwindled as
I didn’t promote myself. Weirdly though, I’m getting a lot more satisfaction play-
ing in the street. I make more money in the street than the clubs for certain, a lot
more people see it, and it’s lot more interesting. I’ve had to get used to the idea of
the police getting involved :( But success to me right now is having a whole lot of
people see it, so that seems to be happening.
As you have an interest in this I am wondering if you know enough folks who are
doing the street thing that we might organize something someday.
S: i do! you SHould look uP THE fERociouS fEW And BATTlEHoocH. BoTH of THESE BAndS BuSk in SAn fRAnciSco.
I hadn’t heard Battlehooch, but I looked and yeah, very cool.
I know the Ferocious Few, Francisco and I have run into each other a lot, playing
some of the same spots. I saw him when I was playing at the exit of the power
to the people concert in golden gate park a couple months ago and the rangers
kicked me out. I ended up calling the parks office and they said I could get an
event permit for $500 if I wanted to put on a show. I think this is technically il-
legal, but I have no wish to fight with them over it. So I was thinking of getting a
permit and doing a multi-band show when it gets warmer. My understanding is
this is how the folks who do Mission Creek and Noisepop all started out. I would
want a killer lineup of acts that are on the fringe and aren’t getting done a lot of
favors by the current powers that be. Cause I’m in that category ;)
RICKY LEE ROBINSON
www.facebook.com/rickyleerobinson
rIckY Lee robInson Just wAnts to be seenSTEFAN ARONSEN: SF-INTER.COM
ii
POP ETCwww.facebook.com/popetcetera
POP ETCwww.facebook.com/popetcetera
random
PLAY Loud, PLAY hArd, PLAY smArt, And don’t PLAY wIth fIre; LeArn
from others mIstAkes.
random
056PLAY - STEP 5
vItAmIn PArtY … smArt dudes! I hoPe theY
reALIze thIs! months before thIs survIvAL
guIde exIsted, theY sent me A cd. theY
successfuLLY fuLfILL most If not ALL of
mY survIvAL tIPs for PersonA! smArt desIgn,
web Address, contAct Info on everYthIng And
theY sent It to me!
ABoVE fAR RigHT: Vitamin Party press package, contents: 1 cd + 2 stickers + lots of red = big impact. Buy cd at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vitaminparty
057BUZZ
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058PLAY - STEP 5
WHEn you don’T HAVE AccESS To A dARk Room, STEncilS ARE THE PooR mAnS ScREEn PRinT.StEP oNE:
You need your image to fit on an 8.5x11
piece of paper. Generally I will change
my image width to match 8.5 or 11 (im-
age> image size). Then I trim using can-
vas size to make it a perfect fit (image>
canvas size).
steP tWO:
This is a step where some people find
it fastest to change the image mode to
gray scale. I like using desaturate under
image>adjust on the menu bar.
StEP tHREE:
Select your entire canvas (Control A on
a PC, Command A on Mac). Copy your
canvas (Control C on a PC, Command C
on Mac). Paste your canvas (Control V
on a PC, Command V on Mac). You now
have a second layer that you should do
all your alterations on.
StEP fouR:
On the menu bar select image>levels
change your black to 120, your grey to
9.99 and your white becomes 196. This
is not an exact science. Likely you will
have some trial and error. Try multiple
numbers till something works.
steP fiVe:
You may find that step four blows out
areas of detail you find important. I
combat this by creating multiple cop-
ies of original and repeating step four
on additional layers. Then on the layers
panel click the arrow and multiply top
layers. Any areas that are too dark can
be deleted using the erasure tool.
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RefeR tO gRaPh RegUlaRly
Perhaps two months have past since you
took a look at the first page of your jour-
nal. A lot can change in 2 days, let alone 2
months. Be sure to write all thoughts down,
also refer back to your list and thoughts
regularly. If you’re writing it down you are
creating a map for yourself. One can pre-
sume that if you follow your map you will
BuBBlE cHARTS ARE An ExcEllEnT WAy To find connEcTionS And BRAncH ouT youR idEAS.
1. An imAgE
2. PHoToSHoP (oR comPARABlE)
3. 8.5x11 cARd STock PAPER
4. A PRinTER WiTH ink
ToolS To gET STARTEd
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I use heavy weight card stock for my
stencils. Some people prefer cardboard
or sheets of film, but those items can’t
be printed on a home printer.
StEP oNE:
When you are ready to print your sil-
houette it is a good idea to shrink the
image by down to 80%. You will need the
extra white space for over spray and to
increase the stability of your stencil.
steP tWO:
Before you start insure that you have a
sharp blade in your Exacto and plenty
of back up blades to replace the one
currently in your handle. I have used
as many as 10 blades on a super de-
tailed stencil.
(i) It is not a good idea to use dull blades.
It makes cutting more difficult which
increases your potential to make a mis-
take. When you struggle to cut you also
increase the risk of cutting yourself.
StEP tHREE:
Plan out all your cuts. Your going to cut
all the black areas, but some black ar-
eas can’t be cut off due to loosing im-
portant white areas. This is where be-
ing creative comes in handy.
StEP fouR:
It is in Step Three that you will real-
ize a need for paper arms to hold your
white areas in place. (These might also
be called connectors) Try to hide them,
make them part of the design … it’s like
framing a house, everything needs to be
connected with cross beams.
(i) In the past I’ve used thread and sewn
brackets into my stencil.
(ii) If you make a mistake you can use
clear tape to mask bad cuts and re-at-
tach areas that were not suppose to be
cut off.
SPRAy loTS of lAyERS, SPRAy THEm THin, don’T TRy To coVER EVERyTHing in THE fiRST Round.
1. 8.5x11 cARd STock PRinT ouT
2. mASking TAPE
3. Box of ExAcTo BlAdES
4. ExAcTo knifE
ToolS To gET STARTEd
062PLAY - STEP 5
for indie music listen to Aaron Axelsen Sundays on from 7-10pm liVE105: http://www.live105.com/
063BUZZ
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While The Indie Band Survival Guide by Randy Chertkow
and Jason Feehan is certainly well written, the language and
layout appeals more to managers, record label executives,
and “left-brain” thinkers, rather than the musicians it sup-
posedly targets.
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Portions of the inside scoop were inspired by The indie Band Survival guide by Randy chertkow and Jason feehan - http://www.live105.com/ii
065BUZZ
by SF Intercom
Based on observation and common sense, most bands are
not going to sit down together and read through this one-
inch thick completely picture-free book.
066PLAY - STEP 5
i liVEd ABoVE BoTTom of THE Hill foR onE monTH. you cAn HEAR EVERyTHing fRom uP THERE. ESPEciAlly Sound cHEck.I have two things to say on this note. Isn’t there anything you
can test the mic with other than “CHECK, CHECK, CHECK!”
You’re creative think of something! Just so you don’t get
cheecky with me “TEST, TEST, TEST” is not an improvement.
Now to my point; Don’t miss sound check, nobody in the
crowd likes hearing you chat with the sound guy and thumbs
up means everything is awesome … not “TURN UP MY AMP.”
The sound guy is your best friend for 45 min. Treat him like a
god and you will have a good show. Abuse him and you may
find you just lost a venue for your gigs.
check check check check checkSTEFAN ARONSEN: SF INTERCOM
067BUZZ
by SF Intercom
068PLAY - STEP 5BOB MOULDwww.facebook.com/bobmouldmusic
069BUZZ
by SF IntercomBOB MOULDwww.facebook.com/bobmouldmusic
I understand that shoegazing is a type of music. I’ve learned
this recently. However … If you’re not a shoegazing band,
come with full force, kick doors down and come in with a
bang. You have 45 minutes on stage and any fears you have
need to be thrown out the window. Tonight you are a rock
star! Act like it!.
If ALL Your PrActIcIng Is for one nIght of PLAYIng. then PLAY
LIke It’s goIng to be weeks untIL Your next show. go bIg
or go home. be extreme!!!
CommunityOn the air since February 8 2006,
Pacific Noise has been introducing
you to the best new local bands we
could find. Our goal is to amplify
the potential 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 cable 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 be-
ing made by unsigned bands is way
more exciting than any thing i hear
on the radio. So with this video
070PLAY - STEP 5
EVEn lAWyERS knoW HoW To HAVE fun. THiS iS An AccounT of HoW A lAWyER HAndlES THE lAW WHEn THEy find you WiTH youR PAnTS doWn ~ STEfAnWhen I was 14, my friend’s older sister took us to Horde Fest.
We left around 9 on a cool, crisp Kansas City in the summer-
time morning. And by that, I mean the temperature was 100
degrees with 90 percent humidity.
In the infinite wisdom I’d acquired from my time on Earth,
I opted for a steady supply of canoe beer and brown, seed-
filled schwag in lieu of breakfast and lunch.
It didn’t take long for my dehydrated, underdeveloped body
to succumb to extreme intoxication.
At that point I was shirtless, sweating profusely, and total-
ly savage drunk. I felt a little dizzy and it seemed like the
perfect t ime to go to the bathroom to cool off and evacuate
my bowels.
Yada, yada, yada … my pants are around my ankles and I’m
throwing up into an amphitheater toilet. The cold concrete
of the less than sanitary f loor felt incredibly soothing to my
skin at that point and I sprawled out pretty much completely
naked and went to sleep.
When I came to, a nice gentleman was outside the stall door
inquiring into my well being and telling me to put my clothes
on and come to talk to him. It should probably go without
saying that he was an officer of the law.
when the LAw comes to PLAY
At this point, I sit with The Finest on the lawn outside the
bathrooms and proceed to spin a yarn about how I was only
dehydrated and had become ill from consuming too much
water. Either because I was born to bullshit or (more likely)
he took mercy on me because I looked like a 10-year-old
with a chromosome disorder and couldn’t fathom some-
body that young being a drunken liar, he let me go and told
me to be careful.
Then the clock struck 1 p.m.
It’s definitely not the best concert I’ve been to. I don’t even
remember if Blues Traveler or Neil Young was headlining that
year, but that was the first, and definitely not the last time,
that music and the law (or rather, avoiding the law) inter-
sected in my life.
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 pres-
ence, and his throne will be established
through righteousness.
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s pres-
ence, 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 ear-
ring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening
ear. Like the coolness of snow at har-
The art on this page was created by casey koerner: http://www.caseykoerner.com/ii
071BUZZ
by SF Intercom
072PLAY - STEP 5
Not making it.
All to often I see
that look on your
faces. That tired,
discouraged look.
You’ve been at it
for a long time …
playing shows,
promoting, get-
ting your album
just right. You
know you have
something special
and that your mu-
sic has potential
to really go places
given the right
opportunity. I’m
sure it does.
The local music
I’ve heard from
bands big and
small are all kinds
of awesome in a
dozen different
ways. Your music
IS important and
you do have some-
thing unique to
say. But the truth
is, I, like anyone
else who works
in radio or art-
ist management,
have a stack of 50
ep’s by my stero
that have never
even been open.
Myspace friend
requests from 5
or more bands a
All kinds of music have place in the
yoga room—not just Thievery Corpora-
tion-esque stuff. In the warm-up part
of class: a glazed, lush, harmonic elec-
tro-pop tune will make your heart soar
as you do a sun salutation. In a chal-
lenging vinyasa series: a hard-driving,
stomping rock n’ roll jam can inspire
you to do yet another chaturanga. And
at the end of class: an indie rock acous-
tic ballad will sound so good in sivasa-
na, it just might make you shiver.
And here is the best part: the students
will ask about your songs. I talked with
Rusty Wells, a renowned Vinyasa yoga
teacher based in San Francisco, about
the reactions he gets from the music
he plays. “It happens in every class, I
get requests for the playlist. I recently
taught at a 3-day conference in Chicago
where I received 50-60 questions about
what I played!”
So – get out there and talk to your yoga
friends! Give them your demo!!! Ask
them to play your songs in class, or ask
them to hand out your demo to their
teachers. Ask them to play your songs
streaming on their website. Ask them
to send a download of your newest
track with their next newsletter. And
while you’re at it … ask them to show
you a stretch to fix that kink in your
neck from your guitar strap ;-)
Om Shanti!
Amy Nicole Wilson
If you’re reading this magazine, there
is no doubt you’ve heard heaps of sug-
gestions how to promote your music:
sending your demos to radio stations,
networking on music forums, creating
a MySpace page, maintaining a website,
knowing SF Intercom. Here is an idea
you may not have thought of yet: give
copies of your music to all of the yoga
teachers you know.
Yoga is about opening your heart, your
mind, and your body – at times it is tre-
mendously inspirational. This is why
yoga and music go hand and hand – be-
cause music is tremendously inspira-
tional too.
Think about it: yoga class has oppor-
tunity for an intense music listening
experience, and it’s all up to the yoga
instructor. In today’s ADD society,
people make judgment about whether
or not to download a song based on a
20-second clip. Not into the song on the
radio? You’ve got 5 other stations pro-
grammed. But in a yoga class you have
surrendered this control to your teach-
er. You are there, you’re stretching,
sweating, and you have nothing else to
do but breathe and hear what is being
presented you. As an independent band
trying to get exposure – this is what you
need. You need to get your music played
in the yoga room.
DAN DEACONwww.facebook.com/dandeacon
you nEEd To START PRomoTing youR muSic in lESS conVEnTionAl WAyS THAn you HAVE in THE PAST.
rAdIo vs YogA studIoAMy NICOlE wIlSON
073BUZZ
by SF Intercom
DAN DEACONwww.facebook.com/dandeacon
074PLAY - STEP 5
REcoRding youR BAnd iS HARd. i WAS REAding SomEWHERE THAT REcoRding dRumS iS EVEn HARdER. HAVE you found THiS To BE TRuE? ~ STEfAnI would definitely agree that recording drums is hard. Es-
pecially when getting the right sound from the drums as a
whole on the record. I think this is due to the fact that with
drums there are so many different pieces (snare, toms, bass
drum, all the different cymbals). It’s different than guitar,
we Just fInIshed our record
bass, or vocals where you’re recording one thing at a time
and can edit that one thing … with drums your recording
like 10 different pieces at once so editing and making all the
sounds gel together is a bit more complicated.
BlAKE dAhlINgER: I ThE MIghTy
These are more proverbs
of Solomon, copied by the
men of Hezekiah king of Ju-
dah: 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
075BUZZ
by SF Intercom
My advice for drummers attempting to
record would be the following:
Know what you want your drums to
sound like. Know what gear you need to
get that sound and talk to your record-
ing engineer so they can help you get
the desired sound.
If you want deeper/bigger sounding
drums they’re gonna need to be big-
ger in size … not a jazz kit. Likewise if
you want a smaller sounding kit don’t
play John Bonham sized drums. Make
sure you have the right heads (coated/
clear, 1 ply/2 ply) so you get the tone
you’re wanting … and make sure to
have brand new heads on when going
into the recording session. Change out
the snare head every so often (and the
toms/kick as necessary) if you’re doing
a longer recording session so the drum
doesn’t start sounding ‘f lat.’
Do some pre-production recording with
your band before recording what will
actually go on the album. That drum
fill you thought sounded so awesome
going into the chorus when you play
live might not sound so good when you
hear it recorded.
Practice to a click/metronome and defi-
nitely record to a click/metronome.
Make sure you’re aware of how you’re
playing the drums, meaning … if there
is a section of a song that’s really rock-
in’ and heavy make sure to play the
drums with some force … Don’t be a
pussy :) the energy will definitely come
through on the recording. Likewise if
there’s a more subtle/quiet section or
a crescendo/decrescendo make sure to
play with those dynamics … don’t rely
on the recording engineer to add that in
through editing on the computer.
General advice to being in a band:
It’s a partnership and a total group ef-
fort. Everyone should have an equal say
and opportunity to express their opin-
ion. In my mind it’s just as much about
great friendship and respecting one an-
other as it is about making great music.
It’s a lot of hard work. Make it your life
and leave everything out on the table if
you want to take it all the way so that
you know you did everything you could
to be successful. And this is really cli-
ché, but it’s absolutely true … if you
want something done right, do it your-
self. This isn’t to say you don’t need
help along the way, but don’t sit around
waiting for things to happen. With the
Internet age and the current state of
the music industry it’s more possible
than ever to be a successful band with-
out being on a major label.
BLAKE: I The Mighty
if you like what you’re reading you can find i The mighty at: http://www.facebook.com/ithemighty
VETIVERwww.myspace.com/vetiverse
VETIVERwww.myspace.com/vetiverse
078PLAY - STEP 5 EDWARD SHARPE
www.facebook.com/themagneticzeros
BUZZ GUIDE PLAYIng mIght come nAturAL,
but PLAYIng And mAkIng moneY mIght not. AttAched Are 10 survIvAL tIPs to heLP
You PLAY In A more vIAbLe And successfuL wAY.
079BUZZ
by SF IntercomEDWARD SHARPEwww.facebook.com/themagneticzeros
080PLAY - STEP 5
DO WHAT YOU DO TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY
_ 0 1
1_
DO
WH
AT Y
OU
DO
TO TH
E BES
T OF Y
OU
R A
BILIT
Y: if yo
u ar
e pl
ay
ing s
ho
ws, p
la
y ha
rd. if
yo
u ar
e bo
ok
ing s
ho
ws, b
oo
k we
ll. if y
ou a
re a fa
n, su
pp
or
t yo
ur b
an
d wit
h al
l yo
ur m
igh
t. t
he
re is o
nly o
ne y
ou, m
ak
e su
re y
ou’r
e be
ing t
he b
es
t yo
u at a
ll t
ime
s.
2_
PLA
Y LOTS O
F SH
OW
S:
ve
nu
es
wil
l n
ot
bo
ok
yo
u f
or
a s
ho
w
if y
ou
al
re
ad
y h
av
e a
he
ad
lin
ing
sh
ow.
ho
we
ve
r c
on
sid
er
op
en
ing
fo
r o
th
er
ba
nd
s. a
ls
o p
la
yin
g s
ho
ws
th
at
ar
en’t in s
an f
ra
nc
isc
o wil
l he
lp a
s we
ll.
081BUZZ
by SF Intercom
PLAY LOTS OF SHOWS
_ 0 2
082PLAY - STEP 5
GO WHERE THE MONEY IS
_ 0 3
3_
GO
WH
ERE TH
E MO
NEY IS
: it
ma
ke
s s
en
se …
t
his
jus
t m
ea
ns
inv
es
t y
ou
rs
el
f in
pr
oje
ct
s th
at h
av
e po
te
nt
ial t
o ma
ke p
ro
fit. a
ls
o pl
ay s
ho
ws t
ha
t pa
y, pl
ay s
ho
ws t
ha
t y
ou c
an s
el
l pr
od
uc
t, an
d pl
ay s
ho
ws t
ha
t pr
om
ise f
ut
ur
e mo
ne
y. yo
u ca
n st
ill p
la
y fr
ee
sh
ow
s, bu
t fig
ur
e ou
t wh
y an
d ha
ve m
er
ch
an
dis
e re
ad
y to s
el
l.
4_
GO
WH
ERE TH
E PEO
PLE A
RE: t
his h
as t
wo m
ea
nin
gs. f
irs
t, pl
ay v
en
ue
s th
at d
ra
w a
cr
ow
d, it ma
ke
s pr
om
ot
ing e
as
ier. s
ec
on
d, tak
e yo
ur in
st
ru
me
nt
s to p
la
ce
s wh
er
e pe
op
le
ga
th
er. t
his d
oe
sn’t a
lwa
ys m
ea
n cl
ub
s, ve
nu
es a
nd t
he s
uc
h. co
ns
ide
r bu
sk
ing o
r ma
yb
e h
ou
se p
ar
tie
s. th
ey m
ay n
ot k
no
w y
ou’r
e co
min
g, bu
t th
ey’l
l be fa
ns a
ft
er t
he
y se
e yo
u.
083BUZZ
by SF Intercom
GO WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE
_ 0 4
084PLAY - STEP 5
PLAY OUTSIDE OF SAN FRANCISCO
_ 0 5
5 _P
LAY LO
TS OF S
HO
WS
: do
n’t lim
it yo
ur
se
lf b
y pl
ay
ing s
ho
ws o
nly in s
an f
ra
nc
isc
o. b
ra
nc
h o
ut
an
d p
la
y s
ho
ws
in t
he
ea
st
ba
y, p
en
ins
ul
a a
nd
sa
n jo
se.
yo
u’ll
ge
t b
et
te
r a
t pl
ay
ing, g
ro
w y
ou
r fan b
as
e an
d ma
ke m
on
ey. y
ou m
igh
t al
so c
on
sid
er p
la
yin
g al
l ag
e s
ho
ws o
r bu
sk
ing.
6_
PLA
Y PU
BLIC
SH
OW
S: b
us
kin
g is a gr
ea
t wa
y to p
ra
ct
ice a
nd m
ak
e mo
ne
y. it is no
n-t
hr
ea
te
nin
g. th
ou
gh y
ou d
o ha
ve t
o de
al w
ith c
op
s. pl
ay
ing a
co
us
tic s
et
s wo
rk
s be
st f
or
no
t ge
tt
ing in t
ro
ub
le. f
ind p
op
ul
at
ed s
tr
ee
t an
d se
t up.
085BUZZ
by SF Intercom
PLAY PUBLIC SHOWS (BUSK)
_ 0 6
086PLAY - STEP 5
PLAY VENUES YOU CAN FILL
_ 0 7
7_
PLA
Y VEN
UES Y
OU
CA
N FILL: y
ou w
ill l
oo
k su
pe
r pim
p fil
lin
g a sm
al
l ve
nu
e. ho
we
ve
r, y
ou w
ill l
oo
k su
pe
r fo
ol
ish b
oo
kin
g a la
rg
e ve
nu
e an
d ha
vin
g th
e sa
me n
um
be
r of fa
ns.
8_
PLA
Y ALL A
GES S
HO
WS
: th
is is no
t a ch
oic
e th
at is a
lwa
ys a
vail
ab
le. m
os
t ve
nu
es in
sa
n fr
an
cis
co a
re n
ot a
ll a
ge
s. ho
st y
ou
r ow
n sh
ow
or b
oo
k at a l
oc
at
ion t
ha
t is. th
er
e a
re a l
ot o
f un
de
r ag
e fan
s in th
e ba
y ar
ea.
087BUZZ
by SF Intercom
PLAY ALL AGES SHOWS
_ 0 8
088PLAY - STEP 5
HAVE GOOD STAGE PRESENCE
_ 0 9
9_
HA
VE G
OO
D S
TAG
E PR
ESEN
CE: if y
ou’r
e go
ing t
o st
ep o
n sta
ge y
ou b
et
te
r ow
n th
at
sta
ge. w
hy s
tan
d in fr
on
t of p
eo
pl
e if yo
u ar
e no
t go
ing t
o en
te
rta
in. al
so f
ind o
ut w
ha
t “
go
od s
tag
e pr
es
en
ce” is f
or t
he k
ind o
f mu
sic y
ou p
la
y.
10_
HA
VE FU
N: i h
at
e wh
en b
an
ds s
ay “
ha
ve f
un” a
s th
eir s
ur
viva
l ad
vis
e. i re
al
ize it’s
tr
ue …
ho
we
ve
r … t
he
re is n
ot m
uc
h i ca
n do w
ith “
ha
ve f
un.” y
et i d
ec
ide
d, as m
y la
st
su
rv
ival t
ip, be
ca
us
e it se
em
s to b
e un
an
imo
us, i w
ou
ld t
el
l yo
u to “
ha
ve f
un.”
089BUZZ
by SF Intercom
HAVE FUN
_ 10
092PLAY - STEP 5
THE SCENE & BE SEENthe PeoPLe You see
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
in A nEVER Ending BATTlE To BRing locAl BAy AREA PRofESSionAlS To you, i giVE you PAcific noiSE And THE oWl Sf. EnJoy!Sometimes the people you see every day have a life you don’t
even know about. I’ve been discovering more and more peo-
ple I’m connected to who have alter egos that are very im-
mersed in the bay area music scene.
It is your responsibility to know these things. Sometimes or
someday you’re going to discover you’re only as good as the
people you know. That is why smart people should surround
themselves with smarter people and dumb people should
surround themselves with less dumb people, and drunk peo-
ple should surround themselves with less drunk people. The
problem occurs when the person who is more than you real-
izes. So don’t let them realize. (Shit … does this even make
sense anymore?)
STEFAN ARONSEN: SF INTERCOM
093BUZZ
by SF Intercom
094PLAY - STEP 5
I was originally introduced to John as “the
dude that I found on Craigslist.” See my
friend Jacob was looking for roommates
and found John.
For months I never saw john. He was nev-
er at the house when I came to visit. Jacob
told me he was working multiple jobs and
attempting to create a new kind of blog.
It took me a couple more months to re-
search this “blog.” At first I was turned
off by its rough indie nature. However in
time I came to enjoy the very thing I orig-
inally disliked. John managed to make
rough a style. I have enjoyed what was a
small sapling (blog) become a (web org)
tree with branches.
If you love videos you’ll enjoy Pacific
Noise. John has managed to capture a ma-
jor portion of the bands currently playing
in the bay area. I love Pacific noise for its
rough nature and plethora of selection.
mAy oR mAy noT STill BE AcTiVE, BuT iT HAS loTS of inTERESTing conTEnT.
PAcIfIc noIseBy: STEFAN ARONSEN
JOhn sWansOn
THE SCENE & BE SEEN
095BUZZ
by SF Intercom
The Owl Mag is a San Francisco/Bay Area
centric online music magazine. They of-
fer insightful news, reviews, videos and
features about local artist, emerging/
unsigned bands, independent DIYers and
those that have “made it.” Their inten-
tion is to create a place where music lov-
ers can submerge themselves in genuine
music knowledge without feeling out of
place.
The Owl Mag remains objective and true
to the Bay Area music scene. They high-
light many artists and quality venues.
Their goal is to provide an easily perus-
able site that lets fans find information
on a range of different music styles.
They call themselves Owl Magazine be-
cause Owls are Nocturnal and seen as
being wise. They suggest it’s like their
readers, but one could also argue it’s like
them.
They are here in SF, they are writing about
bands. You should really check them out.
locATEd in Sf & coVERing THE indiE ScEnE you’RE in.
By: STEFAN ARONSEN
the owL mAgJasOn JURgens & maRi tanaka
THE FLAMING LIPSwww.facebook.com/flaminglips
THE FLAMING LIPSwww.facebook.com/flaminglips
098PLAY - STEP 5
099BUZZ
by SF Intercom
0100PLAY - STEP 5
0101BUZZ
by SF Intercom
0102PLAY - STEP 5
0103BUZZ
by SF Intercom
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. but wIth Its cross-genre sYnthesIs of best PrActIces gAthered through reseArch Among everY stYLe of musIc, buzz hAs much to offer In the reALms of hIP-hoP, rock, street, urbAn, Punk, And AnY other LIve PerformAnce bAsed stYLe.
BUZZ is produced by SF Intercom