It's already been a day since Canadian Music Week 2011 officially wrapped up, and already things are getting a bit fuzzy. I covered a lot of ground in the past week (literally - damn boots gave my toes blisters), and I'm not going to go into everything because the remnants of the final party are still lingering in the back of my skull, but here's the gist (from what I remember):

Wednesday I woke up at about 3am to catch my 6am flight. Thought I would snooze on the plane. Nope. Scariest flight I've been on to date. A freak storm brought about some of the worst turbulence ever and there were a few drinks flying in the air. The lady next to me asked me to hold her hand. I was pretty happy when we touched the ground.

I was met at the airport by the Age of Daze crew. I arrived to my hotel, the Fairmont Royal York, and it wasn't too long before I ran into dozens of familiar faces, past interviewees including Michael Chugg ("Chuggs") from Chugg Entertainment and Jay Frank from CMT and Futurehit.dna. As I ran into friends from all over Canada and beyond, we chatted like we had seen each other at CMW only yesterday and it didn't feel like a year had passed.

Thursday I took in a few sessions, including one on touring overseas which proved to be a bit vague and uninformative in my mind. I caught up with the fine folks from the Agency Group right before the Agent Super Session which included a panel of executives from The Agency Group, SL Feldman and Associates, Live Nation, and a few others. I'll get more into the details of those sessions at a later time.

Later that night I found my way into the Diesel Music posse which included the lovely ladies from Mad June and a couple of the guys from one of my favorite groups, Tupelo Honey. We made our way to the Mod Club for the Blackburn Radio showcase to see the Age of Daze crew perform with Crash Karma (who took home this year's best new group of the year award at the Canadian Radio Music Awards, which I think is debatable, but whatever). The show brought out a number of people including some of the Billy Talent guys whom I ran into (literally). I can't comment on any other artists on the bill, because to be honest they were all sort of unentertaining.

The show that did entertain me however, was at the Tattoo Rock Parlour later that night where Nova Scotia's The Stanfields pumped out their infamous Celtic/Bluegrass kitchen-party rock. I've heard so much about these guys and have never seen them, and now this is one show I'll never forget. If you can picture a mixture of Steve Earle meets The Clash and a single called “The Dirtiest Drunk (In the History of Liquor)” you can only guess what that show was like. Good times.

Friday came, and I decided to avoid most of the day other than a few sessions, a lunch with my favorite videographer on the planet, Orbit Creative, and a couple of other impromptu meetings. I was still recovering from the flu the week before, so I stayed in during the evening and watched most of the coverage on the catastrophic Japan earthquake which seemed more important to me than going out and giving myself a self-induced headache.

Saturday was met with an early morning, and I was incredibly thankful I had opted to stay in the night before. I went to support my home town crew of Penny Reign in the Canadian Radio Star Songwriting Competition and then made my way to the Indiepool area, which was a tribute to Motley Crue - which was fitting as Nikki Sixx was one of the speakers over the weekend. The set portrayed a trashed hotel room complete with a goat – yes a goat, which referred to the recent #winning antics of crazy man Charlie Sheen.

Later that night I reunited with the Diesel Music posse, and headed to the Tattoo Rock Parlour once again for a shoulder-to-shoulder Wax Records showcase that featured Alyssa Reid and Jesse Labelle.  I caught up with one of Canada's favorite radio trackers Oscar Furtado of Tandemtracks Promotions whom I missed out on meeting with the previous couple years. The night later found me catching Ill Scarlett and Jakalope at the Horseshoe Tavern where I evidently talked Finger 11's ear off, followed by the Cherry Cola club for some burlesque dancers and a band I don't know and didn't really care for. I capped off the night with a set at the Rivoli by another Nova Scotia act, Fever Fever. I also suffered from some crazy deja vu that night...the Rivoli reminded me of being at Pianos in NYC on the very same day last year.

Those are the moments I can remember. Overall, it was another good CMW. Generally speaking though, CMW used to be about showcasing your best talents for A&R scouts that could be found at nearly every one of the 60 venues. That's no longer the case, and the mood was rather somber in some instances.

I found the sessions to be rather cumbersome – what's left of the industry heavy weights talking about how to be successful as a band, tour, get noticed, etc – which is fine, but is completely irrelevant. How it all comes down to writing a great song – which I would tend to agree, but is also completely irrelevant if you pay attention to the music that is making it 'big' right now. I could see many artists still vying for attention from what they think are key people that are going to make them the next arena act. It just doesn't happen that way anymore, and it was clear that there were a lot of artists with a lot to learn, and still clinging to the old school model.

No one (that I heard speak anyway) talked in detail about the real issues – the fact that there are less and less people actually making a full time living in the industry. The fact that many of the speakers/panelists may not have a job next month. The fact that there is more noise than ever before, and building a fan base doesn't work the same way – simply because consumers are bombarded with music and many don't know (or care) who the artist is, but that music is mostly free and easily obtainable. A band can no longer rely on the drive times of radio to stick in listener's minds – but have to do something so unbelievably remarkable in terms of marketing that people HAVE to pay attention. The fact that there is no control anymore of what goes into consumers ears, and the entire industry is completely different and never going back. Or the fact that it is damn near impossible to pack a venue these days. These were just a few of the things that no one really talked about – maybe because it would bring about the harsh reality that it just is not the same. Or maybe, all these conversations took place on the day I stayed in, but I somehow doubt it...to me it seemed like a lot of the real issues were avoided.

Lastly, I have to give a big applause to anyone and everyone involved in CMW. The volunteers and organizers do an outstanding job every year, and never fail to answer your questions or help you in any way. Despite whatever direction unfolds for the industry as a whole, these folks know how to throw one hell of a party. Thanks.

And that's a wrap – another CMW in the books.

I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm heading to Toronto in the morning for another year at Canadian Music Week. 

Usually I know what to expect. This year I don't. Several industry executives have cancelled their trips.  Perhaps due to the Juno Awards in Toronto in a couple of weeks? Or perhaps due to the state of the industry? 

I guess I'll find out. Meanwhile, I'm going to kill what's left of this flu and get a good night's sleep of about 4 hours (my flight leaves in 7).  I'm sure any feeling of good health won't last too long... Canadian Music Week has a way of making one put their body through supreme amounts of pain (intentionally of course).

Good night!

PS...And if you're at CMW...find me and say hello!

And let’s not forget the fact that they’re Canadian. 

Canadian!!

Woo! 

Keeping up with the trend – not only am I’m totally stoked that this next group is also Canadian and reviving old school rock’n'roll in true fashion – but they’re from right here in my hometown.

Recently announced on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, a contest to Choose the Cover of the Rolling Stone Magazine – and The Sheepdogs are the only Canadian group out of 16 the list.  The winner of the coveted cover on Rolling Stone Magazine also snags a slot at Bonnaroo, a performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, and a deal with Atlantic Records.

Vote below!

While your at it, check out their video for "I Don't Know" below.  Congrats dudes! You’ve got an entire nation behind you.

So, let's talk about something positive! There are still labels that are indeed going strong. One of them is Roadrunner Records - and being that I'm an avid rock/metal fan, I couldn't be happier when The Music Void gave me the chance to sit down and have a friendly chat with SVP A&R, Ron Burman.

We discussed what makes Roadrunner a success, plans for the future, and tips for up-and-coming artists on getting noticed. Check it out for yourself below!

Are you a fan of hard rock/metal? Check out these sites:

Roadrunner Records - United States
Roadrunner Records - Canada
Blabbermouth
Sign Me To Roadrunner Records

I f’n love you man.  If music was a religion – you’d be gods.  No wait - bigger than gods - because I make time for you nearly every day, and not just when I want something.

I’ve heard a lot like you...but you – you’re the real deal. You help me get through my less than inspiring work-day, and I make time for you in my study schedule.  Sometimes you even make the most mundaine tasks (like house cleaning, barf) – dare I say, more bearable.

Sometimes you get me in the mood (if you know what I’m sayin).  And sometimes you help get me out of a mood I'd rather not be in.

I read your newsletters. I compliment you daily on your Facebook wall. I visit your website.  I happily vote for you every time you’re entered in some contest.  I even spend my hard-earned dollar from my miserable day job on you.  I tell everyone about you, and spread the good word in hopes that one day everyone else will recognize your magnificence.

What do you do for me?

Sincerely,
Your biggest fan."

*       *       *       *

All fake-fan letters aside... The real question is:  What have you done for your fans today?  How much time have you given them?  To state the obvious, communication is one of most effective ways to build and retain a fan base. 

This may not be true for the pre-packaged, manufactured artists of the world (you know who these are) that have the support of a major label shoving their bland over-produced bubble-gum garbage down consumers throats.  But in the case for the DIY artists (that actually play their own instruments) trying make a buck – interaction is one of the easiest, most effective ways to make your fans feel like buying an over-priced ticket to your Tuesday night show is worth it - and to keep them coming back for more.

Too often I hear artists say, “We just don’t have the time to engage....”

Really?!

Not 'having time' is no excuse, imho. Communication is the easiest it's ever been.  Remember the days when the only way to reach out to fans was to physically reply to hand-written fan mail?  Talk about time consuming.

The average consumer has a day job, even two or three jobs - And faced with 3000+ advertisements per day.  But yet, a die-hard fan will take the time to rifle through the onslaught of junk and seek out information on the artists they admire.

In a world where time is a commodity – are you giving your followers the same time they give you?  Or are you one of those that believe artist-to-fan communication comes in the form of a mass Facebook message only when you need something?

With that being said, I'd like to kick off a new year with a few 'thanks' to a lot of folks who have helped make 2010 one worth remembering.  If I had to name everyone who I owed a kudos to, I would surely be here until the apocolypse in 2012...and being that I still have a few things to cross off on my bucket list, I'll stick to a just a few off the top of my head.

• To Jakomi and the Music Void - For allowing me to be a part of one of my best experiences to date.  You're one of a kind, and your work and knowledge blows me away.

• Rob and Orbit Creative - Thanks for trusting me enough to leave your video gear under my watchful eye.  Also thanks for capturing some of my favorite (and least favorite) experiences on film.

• Rod Black of Jet Black Stare - your an inspiration, plain and simple.

• Steve of Social Code - thank you for filling my space with guitar solos and good vibes.

• Thank you to Ralph and everyone over at The Agency Group.  You've always come through for me more times than I could have asked for.

• Thank you to my photographers, Macarena Yanez (Maki Fotos), Ben Checkowy (Aperature Photographics), and Vanessa Neufeld (Vanessa Leanne Photography).  You're talent amazes me, and you made me look good (which is a feat in itself!). I wish I could use your lighting everyday.  Also thanks to my make up artist, Amanda Zinovich - I could also use you everyday.

• Brian at Thorny Bleeder Records - You're the guy that's on top of everything...all the time.  You're a wealth of information, and I've learnt alot from you. I look forward to more of your great work in 2011.

• The folks over at Rock Star Weekly - Not only do you continually produce killer content, but you let my face grace your website - that deserves a huge thanks!

• A couple individuals over at 604 Records and Roadrunner Records - you know who you are.  Thanks for letting me pick your brains and providing me with great insight.

A huge thank you to everyone who gives a shit about what I have to say.  Thanks for reading, your comments, and your emails.  To all the incredible artists, industry professionals, managers, and everyone in between - thanks for doing what you do.

Basically, thank you to everyone both old and new that I have had the chance to meet this year (even the jackasses, it wouldn't have been quite the same without you).

Cheers to 2011! To new challenges, new technologies, and a new list of folks to thank next year (or, I guess before the apocolypse).

Ciao.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of the eccentric, eclectic styles – I just don’t have that imminent aura of hipster (or was it pot?) hovering over me, nor do I have a flannel shirt, a cashmere scarf, funky glasses, or a beard.  Regardless of my failure to fit in – good music is good music, and Amigos was where it was at.

If I was looking for a reason to be out on a Tuesday, I got one.  The night started with Hamiltion-based group...coincidentally called ‘The Reason’.  I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of them before (partially due to my own ignorance) despite their many successes over the past few years.  At first they reminded me a bit of the Counting Crows – but that proved to be far from the case by the second song.  When James “Cubby” Nelan wasn’t on keys, he was one of three guitarists, and my ears were met with a massive wall of thick and juicy indie rock sound.  Vocalist Adam White was a bit under the weather, though he never showed it, and truth be told - I’m a sucker for a harsh phlegm filled voice, it’s kind of sexy (get your mind out of the gutter). 

After hearing one of their older songs, Subways in Pittsburgh (requested by a fellow that had been battling leukemia) – I was sold, and picked up their newest album.  There’s a reason why these guys have a solid reputation for their live performance.

My ADD kicked in slightly for the next group, Free Energy – likely because I was out on a Tuesday, or I was still playing “spot the plaid”.  There were a few songs that did spark my limited attention span though– and judging by the lack of folks in their seats, it's safe to say their stage presence fed the room with just that – an energy free-for-all.  Even though they did perform on David Letterman and are about to embark on a tour stint with Weezer - the singer reminded me a bit of the kid from the pop group The Stereos, with the exception that I actually liked the music.  The song I did take a liking to was “Bang Pop” – which was a bit more on the pop rock side, and at that point – all I could think of was the Stereos – though a completely different genre, less fromage, and minus gaggles of screaming bubble-gum-pop tween girls.

Can you see the resemblance?

(Sorry but I couldn't resist)

Free Energy VS  The Stereos

(Free Energy photo courtesy Kathleen Hill)

Then there was Hollerado – the Human 8-bit Experiment in the flesh - who capped the night off. Despite getting caught in a snow storm, the mural of a van arrived just as I was pulling up.  It was too far past my bedtime however, so I didn’t stick around for the entire set.  Though I kind of wish I had, as I did hear rumors of silly string and party poppers.  But, to my pleasure they did start things off with my two favorites – Americanarama and Juliette.  I can’t comment on the rest since I wasn’t there – but having seen Hollerado and feasting on heaping plates of nachos a few times in the past, I’m sure they impressed the Tuesday night concert-goers.

So, I got to see some good music – on a Tuesday night no less.  But I’ve realized this – I enjoy music of all sorts, and despite the great people (hipsters or not), there are just some places where I will never really fit in.  Try as I might – and even if it is in style - I can never wear layers of plaid.  It reminds me too much of my school years which are better left forgotten. And it wasn't in style back then.

And if I actually was able to grow a beard – something is definitely wrong.



You will be missed.  For almost a decaded you've allowed millions of cheap bastards to engage in your P2P filesharing fun and infect hardrives with porn, viruses and spyware.  What is the 30 year old dude still living in his folks basement with a playlist the size of my entire hard drive going to do now? Or how about the spoiled teen that doesn't even know what a compact disc is? 

No more free music?! Oh the injustice!!!

(Photo credit: The Playlist)

It's certainly been a good week for artists, labels, and just about anyone trying to make a living in the entertainment industry. Last week a court order was issued to shut down Limewire's service to the Gnutella peer to peer network.  Visitors to the site are met with a legal notice that informs them of the shutdown.

Limewire is just one of many P2P file-sharing services that are accountable for the millions of dollars lost in the music industry.

Of course, the lost revenue isn't all Limewire's fault - those too cheap to buy their music are just as much to blame.

But, are they?

Perhaps the dude above isn't a prime example (I'd say he's more of a gamer).  Music piracy isn't limited to any one group.  Today's entire generation have been conditioned to believe that you can get just about anything for free – especially music. It's almost seen as an insult if you ask a music fan if they paid for their music. Despite the excess of available information, most don't even realize it is illegal. Computer shops even ask if you would like to have Limewire installed on your computer.

Society is just as much to blame for the ignorance, IMHO.

I err on the side of the artist of course. I've seen artists sell their houses, increase credit cards, put their livlihood at risk just to be able to afford to record an album. One can't describe how frustrating it is to spend thousands on an album only to have your hard work given away – for free. I've seen first-hand artists selling their CDs at concerts – and the fan says “I love your music, I downloaded it last week .” - not even blinking an eye or realizing that what they just said is “I just stole your music.”

Some of us are still old school. I remember when the only way to get music was to spend my hard earned allowance and hit A&B Sound on the weekend (god rest it's soul – that was a great store). To this day, I'm still completely old school and buy hard copies. I'm actually fearful of the day CD Plus closes it's doors.

I can't say that I have never downloaded music in my life. I have – and so have musicians, producers, and everyone else that says their against it. I'm sure there are those that haven't – but for all of us in the industry to say that we have never done such a thing – would be both ludacris and hypocritical.

If there is any chance for the industry to thrive – monetization and regulation is necassary. Without it, there is little chance for artists to be compensated and music companies big and small to continue developing up-and-comers and established artists. The disabling of Limewire is a step in the right direction to help ensure there is a level playing field for legal music stores that provide affordable music, and sometimes even free.

So...one down...how many more to go?

I suspect most Limewire users will move over to Frostwire...or any other of the hundreds of alternatives. But, with any luck...it's only a matter of time before the illegal music services see the same fate...hopefully.

And for the 30 year old I mentioned above – get a job and pay up!

So I found an old DVD from my very first guitar performance on stage.  I haven't watched it in a while...but I finally converted the format and uploaded it. 

All I can say is...Oh my.

I started playing guitar several years ago - admittedly, the first few years I only went because I thought my guitar teacher was cute.  Just kidding (kind of) - I did take it seriously, but it did take me a while to get on any sort of stage.  Once I started working more on the behind-the-scenes business-y stuff, the focus became on everyone else's music but my own.

I'm all for making fun of myself - so what better way to do it than to unleash this beast to the world.  I think this is circa 2004ish (you can tell by my hair!).  Make Note: I was about 20 pounds heavier, had zero rythym, looked way to serious, and clearly wanted another swig of my beer.  That, along with my bad hair day, and it's definitely something for me to chuckle at, as well as be proud of. 

This is me performing Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog" with local favorites - cover band Men Without Shame (Shameless plug: These guys have been one of Canada's top party bands for as long as I remember...there's no cover band that has a tickle truck full of crazy attire quite like these guys and I have never seen them play to anything less than a packed house).

I've got plenty of pictures, but this is the only video (at least that I know of!).  So, without further ado...I present the ONLY footage of me playing guitar. 

That's right, you better feel special.

Questions? Comments?  Requests? Is it better or worse than I thought?  Let me know!

Cheers!

Now, when I'm searching out music videos I usually take a peek on Blastro.com - a site that's catered to flightly music lovers like me.  And even cooler - not too long ago, I got to sit down with the founder of Blastro Networks, Rob Campanell, as part of a series of interviews for the Music Void.  I knew I would be checking out their events at SXSW in Texas, so getting some face time with the guy that started it all was icing on the cake.

Blastro Networks runs three on-demand, genre-specific websites (blastro.com, roxwel.com and yallwire.com ) and had a pretty stellar year - growing to the largest music video (including artist interviews, performance & festival coverage) network just behind Youtube and Google. 

Check out the chat below (btw, I hate my voice in this one):

The Music Void - Rob Campanell Interview

So if you're in a band, and you have a video...think about us folks that have non-existant attentions spans.  It's easy to upload it to Youtube and lump it in with millions of other videos, but then you have to count on people like me finding it.