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• Reputation: 20 Q&A: 0 0 0 23 3 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0

  1 0 It's unlikely, but not impossible. I would hope that the local press and radio would be composed of open-minded people with diverse tastes, but I've heard rumors that some of us are narrow-minded and aesthetically rigid. *Shudder*. Send me a link to your band's music and I'll check it out. Dave Segal answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 48 Q&A: 1 0 0 29 1 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0 Jake London

  0 0 A couple of thoughts. First, each band exists on its own terms distinct from what the members may have done in the past. The pedigree of the band members may help them to get a few shows early in the band's life, or convince somebody to give their new record a listen, but if people don't like the new band or it isn't drawing, they will stop caring pretty quickly that the members used to be in this popular band or that one. It's a brutal thing that way. I've seen people who were in bands on major labels really have to struggle with the reality that after having worked and succeeded for many years in a previous band, they are pretty much going back to square one with their new one, and the same magic just doesn't seem to be attaching to it. So the lesson is this: Stop comparing what is happening now to what has happened to you in the past. Now is now. Then was then. That being said, if you are a relatively new band, you are getting shows at good venues, selling merch, etc., who cares about press, etc? If your thing continues to grow and get successful locally, eventually people will want to write about it and play your stuff on the radio. They always do. Work on the parts of the puzzle you can control right now. Also, don't overestimate the power of this stuff. It's great if you can get it. But it's far from the entire game or determinative of where your band will end up. This is especially true in the present era of Facebook, Twitter, etc. There are a lot of ways to get your message out and assist people in hearing your band. Press and radio are just two options. I've seen countless local bands who still don't draw well in spite of great local press (read one or two local critics who love them) and strong radio support (read one or two KEXP DJs who love them). Many of these bands implode before too long, because they can't square their expectations (set by the press and radio hype) against the reality that less than 50 people are regularly coming out to their shows and the draw is not growing. Meanwhile, other bands continue on under the press/radio radar, but over the course of a few years build a sizable following. By then, there's an actual story worth covering. And people start covering it. So it all makes sense, feels genuine, and very organic. Bottom line: There are a lot of paths to building something successful. Jake London answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report 1 comment by kinney… 0 0 Thank you, Jake. That's just what we needed to hear. kinney commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 23 Q&A: 0 0 0 26 3 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0

  0 0 I really think that if your band is working well enough that you can play a weekend at the Croc and bring fans out to have a good time then you are doing alright (and trust me, i am going through my old calendar's trying to guess who you are). I look at one of my favorite bands in the world, Dr Dog, and I really don't think I've ever read a overwhelming amount of good press about them. Pitchfork pretty regularly shrugs their shoulders at them. But when they played here in 2009 they sold the Croc out and now they have a record out on Anti. Dudes did it organically, person-to-person with very little traditional "hype". Eli Anderson answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 1166 Q&A: 17 0 21 464 58 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 3 topics Music Panel Questionland Redesign Baking Week Moderator Megan Seling is a moderator on Questionland Seattle Follow Following 0

  0 0 Like Eric said, you should keep at it. It sounds like you're doing everything right. It could be that you haven't yet reached the "right" people (meaning folks who would be into what you do), or that they just haven't given your songs the proper attention. I hate using this excuse but it's true, so here it goes: I can get a LOT of e-mails and CDs. Most writers/radio stations/clubs do. Sometimes things fall through the cracks--it's really hard to keep up with everything all the time. It's not because your music isn't good or that people don't care, it could be that your e-mail or CD just got mixed up in the shuffle. So writing someone again never hurts. Sometimes it's just a matter of getting in touch at the right time. Whenever you have a notable show, a new song, or video or whatever, send out a quick e-mail! Don't pester, just keep in touch. Sometimes a band will start out as something I'm not into at all, but over time they'll start writing new stuff that I really like. Megan Seling answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 5 Q&A: 0 0 0 10 5 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 2 topics Music Panel Genius Awards Week Follow Following 0

  0 0 Well, there's your band's "style" and then there's how well you're executing that style. Most critics/DJs/gatekeepers I know try to maintain pretty broad tastes in music, but, obviously, if you're an alt-country band, seek out critics/radio shows that do alt-country, etc. It sounds like you're doing everything right—building a fan-base, not hassling folks too much. Keep at it. But, no, you probably can't change what a critic thinks of what you do without changing what it is that you do (although, of course, people have been known to change their minds sometimes). And that's not necessarily a matter of "style." Eric Grandy answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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