Sometimes a quickie is the best. Call it a wrap for Season 1. Thank you for hanging with us, we hope you learned a little along the way.
The guys were out and about seeing and playing music this past week. Music news rundown includes the American Music Fairness Act, Spotify's new (old) pricing tier, Apple Music adding the "Crossfade" function, and an incredible Glastonbury moment. Michael gets into a question from a listener accusing them of being political and why the guys aren't just "sticking to music" as he breaks down the SCOTUS ruling overturning Chevron "deference," and how that may change the entire music industry. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Hulu - The Bear Stu's is from Amazon Prime - The Boys
The guys had some fun in the sun this last week. Is prosecco better than champagne? Some talk about Kendrick's Pop-Out show, Justin's DWI, the Majors suing the AI companies, Queen's catalog sale, and more. Simon LeBon is still a beast and also an MBE now. Stu answers this week's question: "What do you pay side musicians? And do you pay by show, by hour, by rehearsal, etc.?" Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Apple TV+ - Dark Matter Stu's is from Amazon Prime - The Boys.
Corporate gig shenanigans. "Small Town Girl" can mean a few things. HEY, leave Dolly the F alone. We need to revere our older artists right now. A little Alien/UAP talk from Harvard University Human Flourishing Program. Canada just passed a 5% "streaming tax." Spotify still hates us, that's ok. A little insight into why some Gen Z 'ers are liking cassette tapes. Billboards are back for music marketing? Really? Well, some of the reasons why may surprise you. Sync of the Week: Stu's is from The Boys on Amazon Prime Michael's is from Drops of God on Apple TV
Weird vocal glitches on Zoom. Michael is obsessed with Lawrence the band and you should be too. Bands are still building it the old-fashioned way by hitting the road. All this talk about tour cancellations are sort of simplified, it's a bit more complicated. The boys get into some talk about legacy acts - new songs, ticket prices, and value. Michael gives his take on whether text marketing to your fans is worth it. The guys talk about the pros and cons of email, text, and social targeting for band marketing which may surprise you. Sync of the Week: Stu's is from Will Trent on ABC Michael's is from Hit Man on Netflix
Do you play card games at home? Epic birthday parties and epic great friends. Support local artists. Shout out to the Levitt Pavilion, Calexico, Mackenzie Miller and The Plainsong Orchestra as well as Tom Hagerman. If you don't like magic, are you joyless? Michael served on a jury. Is Stu becoming a Florida Man? He talks about his beach getaway adventures. Open stages can be a very good thing for you young bands. Spotify Demographics. Apple Music demographics. Some of the numbers might surprise you. The boys get into a bigger discussion about Apple Music demos and what all of these numbers should matter to you and your project. Hint: YouTube! Sync of the Week: Stu's is from Loot Michael's is from Big Door Prize
Dad jokes FTW. Using original sounds, and why producers choose to it. The importance of Audio Identity. What does some shitty sounding music become huge hits? How to define what your audio identity is but sounding different and even worse than other artists. The boys get into a discussion about adventurous eating. Often fancy food and drinks is...garbage! Please give these two a tequila sponsorship! Michael has a few thoughts and inside info on how Vegas is changing - rock residencies. Should you use the Spotify Ad Platform to promote your releases? The guys discuss what it is, how it works, and whether or not it is worth it. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Bodkin Stu's is from Superman and Lois
When should you set boundaries around your time in the music business? What's worth breaking those rules? The boys talk sync turnarounds. Michael got rejected for an Olympics placement because it "Sounds Too Olympics." It's AC season. Epic band flophouse stories. A shift from majors signing viral songs because the artists rarely payoff, so we're back to 360 deals. Don't do it. Sync of the Week: Stu's is from Fallout Michael's is from Liverpool Football Club
Money, Money, Money! The boys just dive right in to the topic of musicians who are trying to get money. Investors, managers, labels. Why do you want money? What will be your ROI? What's your business plan? Will money solve your band's problems? Sell joy BEFORE you sell your music. RIP to Sam Ash. Are big bulky amps and cab/combos dead? Should guitarists and bassists go to a virtual rig on the road? The upsides and downsides of going to emulators. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Letterkenney Stu's is from Warm Bodies
May the 4th Be With You, Happy Dave Brubeck Day. Cinco De Green / Red Chile-o day. Dua Lipa is having a moment - new album"Radical Optimism," we talk about her SNL double duty. Personal trajectory of songwriting. Stu sitting in with Something Underground at Little Bear. Daryl Hall's new release. We talk a little about lyrics and how sometimes they don't matter. We break down Christopher Cross' "Arthur's Theme (The Best you Can Do)." TO BE FAIR!!!! Crazy lyric songs which are earworms. UMG and TikTok. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from John Mulaney Everybody's in LA. Stu's is from Argyle. Do not listen to Music Biz Advice. If you feel confident in the music you are doing and want to break new ground, do it your way! Here's why.
Do the Swifties have "Scout's Honor" right? Punk Rock is dead (or is it?) and the guys might have a few reasons why. Every heard of Dwarf Metal? Well, Stu just saw Wind Rose in a sold out 1,000 cap theater on a weekday, so it is definitely a thing. No surprise here, Michael didn't quite understand it. Michael wants you to know that person having the biggest year in music isn't Beyonce or Taylor Swift, it's _____ Sync of the Week: Michael's is from The Sympathizer Stu's is from Conan Must Go. The fellas give some professional advice for all songwriters - how to pitch, how not to pitch, and what 3 things are a must in the business.
Downsides of a having a full kitchen in your media studio. The boys get a little geeky on Taylor Swift "The Tortured Poets Department" release; focusing on strategy, her team, the rollout, and what might be next. A breakdown of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2024 Inductees - which artists should be in, which maybe shouldn't, and what artist was left out. Also, some old guys talk about Coachella/Couchella and their impression of the live sets. The good - No Doubt, and the bad, Lana Del Rey (producer's note: Michael is dead wrong about this goddess). Also, some screw ups with Grimes and Blur. Michael breaks down why Genius.com and lyrics were a crucial part of Taylor's latest release and why you should (and could easily) be doing the exact same thing. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Sugar Stu's is from Fallout
How does punctuation work in publishing, or does it? Tequila, Old Fashioneds, ordering food for the band. Michael foolishly went to a secondary location! How not to work with a producer. Basically, if you're asking for help, take it! An update on the Kickstarter (fully funded) the boys talked about before: how many backers do you need, what are the price points for reward that work now? Why you should release on global release day Fridays. Should your band/artist be on YouTube even if you aren't doing videos, and why? (hint: hell yes.) Sync of the Week: Michael's and Stu's is from Loot
Our last podcast ever on account of the solar eclipse and the rapture. Hope everyone had fun! Some comments on the "Stop Devaluing Music" open letter to AI Tech platforms - it's kind of ridiculous. Is 11pm too late at a party for a spontaneous jam? The boys breakdown what pre-production is and what you need to do to prepare to make the best recording possible. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Tokyo Vice Stu's is from Empire records
The boys listened to Beyonce's new album "Cowboy Carter" and give their impressions. They also break down the record-breaking first day streams, which may surprise you. The guys get into whether Lizzo is quitting music, social media, or both, and why. A little side discussion about the problems with male trolls attacking women in music (and in general) online. The BMI buyout is complete and members got their BIG PAYDAY...find out how much and what the future of BMI may be. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from The Regime Stu's is from The Fall Guy (Trailer)
Ever heard of Golden Girls finger puppets? The boys get into James Blake and this whole "Brand New" platform called Vault - for direct to fan distribution by subscriptions. The boys remember Taylor Hawkins. How and when to do a show promotion, and how not to. Sync of the Week: Michael and Stu both pontificate on the new 2024 Roadhouse with Jake Gyllenhaal
A (kinda) Quickshot about the Living Wage for Musicians Act: a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, in conjunction with United Musicians and Allied Workers. Who's behind it? How does it work? How might it affect music fans and DSPs (streamers)? "By creating a new streaming royalty, the bill would help ensure that artists and musicians can build sustainable careers in the digital age" More info on the bill and the UMAW: https://weareumaw.org/make-streaming-pay The full text of the bill: https://d12t4t5x3vyizu.cloudfront.net/tlaib.house.gov/uploads/2024/03/Living-Wage-for-Musicians-Act_Final-Text.pdf
TikTok ban talk. Michael drops some thoughts on Living Wage for Musicians Act. Rick Beato was wrong about what 1 billion streams pay (not his fault). Are Kickstarters alive in 2024? (hint: kinda). The boys give you real, live numbers on the actual cost of writing, producing, recording, and releasing an independent record in 2024. Sync of the Week: Stu's is from Roadhouse (the orginal) Michael's is from Constellation
Elks clubs and High School musical fundraisers! Michael "dressed up" as a rocker from the 80s (so he basically just put on clothes). Young DJs and the new generation's perception of music at parties. Stu went of a field trip to Woody Creek and the home of Hunter S. Thompson. The boys discuss some alternative ways to build your music career outside of the streaming grind with Spotify et al. There is nothing wrong with making your day job a corporate/wedding band, here are some tips to get started. Sync of the Week: Michael's is from Expats Stu's is from Dan in Real Life.
What's the latest movie catchphrase that everybody does? Michael was gonna be an air traffic controller, really? Woo Woo Alert! The boys go deep on some deep thinking about the universe, muses, and where music comes from. Stu-isms are strong in this episode, you should abide. Michael will probably be canceled - maybe the whole podcast will be censored - for his take on what he would do if he met G-d or the Devil. (producer's note: are any podcasts hiring? please email Kelsey) The boys throw a curveball: Maybe the best thing you can do to write and produce great music is to stop doing music at all for a period of time. Celebrate boredom. Give your muse the chance to communicate with you. Sync of the Week: Stu's is from Scrubs Michael's is from Next Goal Wins