Interview with Mary on page 4 of Indie Sounds NY, Vol. 7 PDF

FROM HARRIS RADIO
ISSUE 7
Stone The Crows: R. Star's About To Change The World …
And He Ain't Looking For A Big Label To Help Him!
Wanna get laid? Then, learn the tenor sax
and go to one of R. Star's dance party gigs.
For me, I'll take the relative quiet of the
female fan frenzy that is one of his shows at
the Rockwood. Indie Sounds squeezed in
the door to chat to the next Neil Diamond.
Indie Sounds: It sounds like you had a very
musical childhood?
IS: So what happened next?
what they really want until they have major
support. They do not realize that the more
you do on your own the less you leave room
for them to fuck things up. They do not have
any secrets … if anything, they have more
hurdles to jump.
Ryan: We played through high school and
really began honing in on our skills as a band.
We never really got to be good on our own as
much as we were great as a whole. We were
all on Long Island in college and doing our
thing at night in the city. We were aware of Looking back, everything was working
R. Star: I think it started when I would go
up to see my older sister's plays at one of
those acting camps. I think it was called
"Stage Door Manor" for all of those
thesbians out there. Lots of famous actors
went through it. Anyhow, I would come
home and start performing the plays I saw.
When I look back at the videos, I think too
much was rubbing off on me. I was so
flamboyant I am shocked I didn't go into
burlesque shows instead.
My main
education came from the Seattle scene in the
early 90's. Pearl Jam, Nirvana and all the
good stuff on the singles soundtrack became
my bible. From there, I back tracked and
took in all the greats. My passion was music
and it made me feel like I could be anything.
IS: Then you joined a band and started
gigging around NYC?
Ryan: With some high school friends, I
formed a band called Stage when we were in
ninth grade. We started by playing some
Screaming Trees, Smashing Pumpkins and
Dinosaur Jr. songs and then quickly began
writing songs of our own. We flooded the
creative gates open and wrote a full album.
By the end of the year, we were playing at
CBGB's and all the other popular New York
City venues at the time.
Photo by Derek Hoffman
the Long Island scene but we did not fit into
the emo thing.
IS: Then you got signed to Maverick …
Ryan: A lot of my friends in the city are very
obsessed with having a label sign them.
They feel like they really can't start doing
together at the time we signed. We had big
shows at a residency at the Mercury Lounge
and we had a strong demo we recorded with
what would be called a "hit" on it. We
signed right before September 11 and started
recording at Avatar Studios. We were living
in a loft in Soho and then on that horrific
day, everything was put into perspective.
WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005 1
ISSUE 7
The whole recording process had a different
weight on it. I was happy we were given a
shot but amazed how a company can spend
$500,000 making a great album and then not
want to follow through with everything else
a band would need. What they do is bank on
one act to be the focus and the money maker
allowing that one act to afford them to put
ten other artists into the studio. Starting my
own label - Stone Crow Records - now, I am
very aware and not surprised at all why you
hear everyday about the struggling music
business. Take a look at the indies. That is
the new music business.
are that if they give you a real shot they can
do things and push you through the system.
The reality is they do not do that. Even if
you think they will, they do not. Success
stories you hear about are because of the
bands' hard work. By you making things
happen for yourself they will be able to
jump on what you did in a bigger way but
you can't expect them to create big things
for you. A lot of my friends who have been
signed were doing well enough to get
signed. They built a following, great demo
and everything. Then the "big great label"
comes in and all the momentum stops.
IS: You quit the band this year? Why?
Here's a tip: If you do get signed, pretend
like you are not! Then you will keep doing
what made you successful in the first place.
In the case of Stage, we toured our asses off
and we couldn't have without the money
coming in from our label. We kicked ass
out there. Every record we sold was
because of touring and selling it directly to
the fans because of course asking a
company to have your record in a store that
you will be playing at would be too difficult.
Ryan: The word quit is harsh. I prefer
"moved on" but if you want to get technical,
I feel that they quit on me. This business
will take you on an emotional ride twice a
day. Everyone was beat up. When we came
home from touring our first album, we were
sent back to the studio for a second record.
The feeling was different. No one felt like
that 15 year old kid that can take on the
world anymore. If you don't believe in this
world than I feel it's over. I started recording
most of the songs on my own (drums and
all) and realized the band was no where to be
found. I was let down but knew in my heart
that it was time to move on. I always felt at
home when I am sitting behind the piano.
IS: So you've been through the "label"
system. What did you learn from that?
Ryan: I learned that they never learn. The
business plan that they have has to be the
worst ever. It does not surprise me that in a
time when music is more places than ever
before and more a part of our everyday life
that a company that is in music can actually
be making less money than before. Only the
square-thinking major record labels move
slow and stupid enough to let a time like this
slip through their fingertips.
A big label is a bank with a loan that in the
real world would not be legal. The positives
IS: So how is Stone Crow Records going to
be different?
Ryan: The funniest part about the existing
music business is how a lot of people get
there. The romantic idea of someone
wanting to be in the business for the good of
the music does exist but more often you find
out why there is a lack of passion. I know
people that were in the IT department and an
A&R job opened up and now they know
how to make records. I know people who
were frat boys at Syracuse and studied
marketing and had never heard of Lou Reed
and are now making decisions on what band
is going to get the push at Sony. These are
the people that so many musicians are dying
to work with.
Step outside and walk down Stanton Street.
You will meet people that really matter to
your career. What matters about the team
that makes up Stone Crow is that everyone
2 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005
Continued on page 7
IN THIS ISSUE
1 On The Cover:
R. Star
3 What's New on CD
3 Scene & Heard
4 Live Before Dark:
Mary Noecker
5 Industry Insider:
Ariel Hyatt
6 In Town, On Tour, and Spotlight:
Kristin Sweetland, Marah
8 Five Vital Questions:
Susan Enan
8 Live in NYC:
Chris Brown, Kate Fenner
Editor and Publisher: Pete Harris
[email protected]
Designer:/Cover banner photos: Ananda
Bates, [email protected]
Indie Sounds NY is the only publication
serving the New York independent music
scene. Each month, Indie Sounds NY seeks
out the singer/songwriters, the bands, the
places and the people who make up a unique
and vibrant artistic community.
Indie Sounds NY is brought to you by Harris
Radio, an internet radio station broadcasting
24/7 on www.harrisradio.com, playing great
music from unsigned artists and independent
labels. And Canadians. Harris Radio also
operates www.gigapple.com.
Pick up Indie Sounds NY from music
venues around the city, or download it from
www.indiesoundsny.com.
© Copyright Lighthouse Partners, Inc., 2005.
ISSUE 7
WHAT'S NEW ON CD
Bedsit Poets
The Summer That Changed
www.bedsitpoets.com
Breaking Laces
Lemonade
www.breakinglaces.com
The Kennedys
Half a Million Miles
www.kennedysmusic.com
Laura Thomas Band
Step To The Wire
www.laurathomasband.com
Low Water
Hard Words In A Speakeasy
www.lowwatermusic.com
Michal The Girl
Strung Out
www.michalthegirl.com
SCENE AND HEARD
* Satalla is the latest music venue to carry
Indie Sounds NY. Located on 26th Street,
between 6th Avenue and Broadway, the club
is adding more singer/songwriter acts to its
traditional world music menu. Of particular
note are the monthly "Under the Radar"
nights, hosted by WFUV's John Platt.
* There she goes ... why is everyone leaving
NYC for LA? The latest musical export is
Melineh Kurdian, her of the backflip-inducing
debut album. And if that's not bad enough,
Nicole, my favorite bartender at Vivaldi (see
photo), will soon be heading that way too!
* Open Mics ... Indie Sounds NY's open mic
guide has moved into musical cyberspace at
www.gigapple.com. Please let us know of
new open mic nights in the city.
WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005
3
ISSUE 7
LIVE BEFORE DARK
Mary Noecker
It's hard to miss Mary Noecker's bopping
bass style on stage. Indie Sounds figured her
day job was as a dancer. As it turned out,
that wasn't quite the right diagnosis.
Indie Sounds: So, what is your day job?
Mary Noecker: I am an emergency medicine
physician. I am presently working at Lenox
Hill Hospital on the Upper East Side.
IS: And what are you up to musically?
Mary: Currently, I am playing bass with
several New York City projects, including
Bill Popp and the Tapes, Lone Vein, Meredith
Bliss, Bonus Strike and The Verge and Mary.
I work mostly with Bill Popp, through which
I have had the pleasure of doing several
European tours.
I have also been doing some studio work and
devoting a good deal of time to studying the
upright bass. I'm looking forward to more
studio work in the future as well as
performing with major acts.
IS: How easy is it to fit all this music into
your work schedule?
Mary: It works out well for me because my
schedule is flexible, giving me plenty of time
to pursue a career as a musician.
Photo: Bill Hansford
him to collapse at any moment. I kept on
playing but in my mind I was trying to figure
out where the club kept its emergency kit.
Luckily he was fine and it turned out he
always looked like this when he played!
and the nicest/talented staff, it is to me the
heart of music in New York City. One of my
other favorite venues is Joe's Pub. The sound
is great and the stage is spacious enough to
move around and have some fun.
IS: You have a very dynamic style, unlike
many bassists who are statues. Is that
something you work on?
IS: Finally, do you have aspirations to form
your own band, or write music?
Mary: It pretty much just happens and I am
thankful for that. I know that it can be very
distracting to watch a musician who looks
uncomfortable performing.
Mary: Right now, I'm not looking to form my
own band, but I am starting to develop my
own music.
Weblink: www.billpopp.com
IS: So music is your goal, not medicine?
Mary: Definitely.
IS: Does that style vary much with the
different bands you play with?
IS: But, have you ever had to use your
medical skills at a gig or with a band?
Mary: It differs only in how the music makes
me want to move.
Mary: I did have a gig with a drummer who
was sweating so much and had such a
stunned look on his face that I thought he
was having a heart attack. I was expecting
IS: Which NYC venues are your favorites?
Mary: CBGB's is my favorite venue for so
many reasons. Besides a great sound system
4 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005
JOBS @ INDIE SOUNDS NY!
Indie Sounds NY has openings for business
development
and
distribution
representatives in NYC. These are parttime, paid positions ideal for organized,
self-motivated music fans.
Email
[email protected] for more info.
ISSUE 7
the word out.
INDUSTRY INSIDER
What makes hiring a PR agency worth the
money is twofold - first and foremost, our
contacts and relationships coupled with our
skill at presenting artists in the best possible
way. A great publicist should always make
the writers' job as easy as possible. We are
aware of schedules and deadlines and we
know when it is appropriate to follow up with
writers. We also know how to walk the fine
line between being appropriately aggressive
and just plain annoying to media (and this is a
very fine line).
Ariel Hyatt
For an indie artist, there's nothing quite like
the buzz of that first press mention. But it
can take months to happen. Indie Sounds
found out from PR guru Ariel Hyatt that
patience is key.
Indie Sounds: How did you get into this
zany music PR business?
Ariel Hyatt: While I was at university, I
spent my summers interning and then
working at a major fashion PR firm. So I
learned the ropes through that experience.
When I graduated from college, I realized I
was much more in love with music than with
fashion so I started the long humbling
journey of finding a music related job. After
a lot of rejection and the realization that a
paying job at a top fashion PR firm does not
mean a paying job in the music industry, I
decided to take an unpaid internship at the
coolest indie label I could find. I made sure
that the label represented some of my
favorite bands and really had a need for me.
I then made myself indispensable at the label
(What Are Records?) and got hired not long
after I started.
IS: How has Ariel grown?
Ariel: Ariel Publicity just turned nine this
year. I can't believe how fast the time has
flown. We have grown from one computer
and me in my kitchen in Boulder, Colorado
to a four-publicist firm in the heart of New
York City. I think the reason we have grown
is mostly through word of mouth and the fact
that Ariel Publicity has and will always
service developing indie artists.
IS: You also started Vermillion Media
Group. What's that, and how does it differ
from/complement what Ariel does?
Second, is the sheer fact that most artists hate
"selling" themselves to writers. Many of our
artists come to us after having tried their hand
at PR and detest it.
It takes sheer
determination and not being afraid of
rejection/apathy on the part of the media.
Photo: Enrique Cubillo
Vermillion Media Group is now a year old.
It is a partnership between me and Ellyn Solis
(an 18-year PR veteran from Rogers &
Cowan/Sony Music).
We named the
company after the fact that we are both
redheads.
Vermillion Media Group services artists that
are ready to move to the national stage artists that already have many components in
place, such as a management firm, a booking
agent, a record deal, a tour, etc.
IS: What can an artist expect from a PR
agency. What makes hiring you worth the
money?
Ariel: A PR Agency's job is to get the word
about the artist out to the media. It is our job
to present artists to music writers, TV
bookers, and online outlets and to build a
story on your behalf in the media.
IS: Typically, what does a PR campaign
consist of?
Ariel: It really depends on the desires of the
artist. Some artists come to us at the very
beginning of their careers in need of basic
exposure in their hometowns, online and in
'zines, where more experienced artists may
come to us because they are touring and need
tour publicity and national exposure.
IS: Can you cite any particularly successful
campaigns you've worked on?
Next Month in
Indie Sounds NY
On the Cover:
Marwood
Look out for the Novmber issue at all good
NYC music venues. Or download it at:
www.indiesoundsny.com
What an artist should expect from a PR
agency is effort made on their behalf to get
WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005
5
ISSUE 7
Ariel: I have placed over 10,000 articles
since I started and I feel like every placement
no matter how big or small is a small victory.
I love when we get a new artist that has never
gotten any ink and build them from the
ground up. It is always satisfying to say look we got your first placement, your first
CD review or your first calendar photo.
IS: Ideally, how should the artist/PR agent
work together?
Ariel: I think hiring a publicist is like hiring
a 5th or 6th band member. You are trusting
that person to represent you and your artistic
vision and your music in the best light
possible and on paper so you should feel
comfortable with your publicist. If that
person does not set you at ease and does not
seem to understand your artistic vision and
goals that's an indication that you are
probably not hiring the right person. Your
publicist should prepare you for what the PR
process is and coach you on how to be
prepared for press interviews, photo shoots
and bio writing.
Your publicist should set goals with you and
work towards them on your behalf with your
input. Our most successful campaigns come
from the artists that are willing to come to
their own party and work to understand what
it is we go through everyday. Artists that
step up and say something if they are not
pleased with the way the campaign is going.
Ask questions and always remember that
your publicist works for you - not the other
way around.
IS: How has the music PR business changed
since you started?
Ariel: It's no secret that the music industry
has radically changed over the past few years
and this goes for the music PR industry as
well. It has become harder and harder to
stand out in a world that releases 1,000 CDs a
week and any given city has so many shows
on any given week. It is not easy to do this
work and sometimes results take a long time
to produce. We used to produce results a lot
faster than it takes now due to the sheer
volume of CDs being sent to the writers
(coupled with the fact that there are more
publicity firms than ever before).
In Town, On Tour
I recently placed a CD review in Performing
Songwriter in the DIY section a full nine
months after the album was released. It took
nine solid months of consistent follow up
and contact with the editor to get that
placement. This is not unusual at all - that is
just the amount of time it took the magazine
to get the CD out of the stacks, listen to the
CD, decide that it was appropriate and
assign the review to a writer. In this new
world of hiring a publicist, patience is key.
I can't tell you how many calls we get from
artists ready to leave their current publicists
because they feel that their expectations are
not being met or that their publicists do not
have time for them. Mostly, I will play
devil's advocate and by the end of the
conversation, the artist realizes that the PR
campaign is not going badly at all.
Photo by Joyce Spindel
Kristin Sweetland
Live @ The Bitter End
November 3, 7pm
www.kristinsweetland.com
IS: You are developing a web-based service
too, aren't you?
Ariel: Yes. We're developing a new web
based PR solution for indie artists that are
looking to get as much exposure online as
possible, which will include blogs, Internet
radio stations and online music directories as
well as online 'zines that cover music.
Spotlight on ...
We will be fully submitting the information
on the artists' behalf. We will ask that each
outlet give us feedback so that the artist can
see where they were added and what each
resource thinks of their music.
Hopefully, it will be live by November 1 we are still testing it. These things always
take longer than you want them to!
Weblink: www.arielpublicity.com
6 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005
Marah
Dave and Serge Bielanko's rocking
combo release If You Didn't Laugh, You'd
Cry on October 18. Check them out at
Southpaw on October 22 or online @
www.marah-usa.com.
ISSUE 7
R. Star ...
the beauty of music. I was reconnecting with
what music means to me. I put some
microphones up to record the ideas that were
Continued from page 2
coming out just for reference and then a few
weeks later I had 20 songs. Some were
here has passion. Even the interns are music literally captured live, written for the first time.
moguls in the making. We simply love the These tracks became my album Songs From
music foremost but then treat it like a real The Eye of an Elephant - a sketch album of me
business with a plan and then execute. You in my living room simply playing music for
would be surprised how many record music and not anyone else.
companies just throw things at the wall and
see if they stick. The trick for us, now, is to IS: What instruments do you play?
think outside the box, to think about where
music is now and not two years ago. Music Ryan: I started playing the tenor when I was
is more in our everyday lives than it has ever younger because my older cheerleading sister
been. It's only a hard business to be in if you told me that all of the good kissers played the
are still thinking the old way.
saxophone. I went on to play piano and guitar
because I wanted to sing. Then I just started
IS: So what is R. Star all about?
playing everything I could find … trumpet,
drums, bass etc.
Ryan: I want to be the new generation's Jew
rocker like Neil Diamond (people are always IS: Where are you playing live?
scared to say I sound like him and I love the
comparison). When I decided to move on Ryan: When I decided that I was going to go
from the band, I just wanted to cleanse with this, I looked for venues to play in the city
myself. I sat down at the piano with no (where I am residing). I realized there are a lot
expectations. I sat down and played just for of singer/songwriters out there. I knew that I
can be looked at as one but I am not. I am
more Peter Gabriel than John Mayer, and I
did not want people to confuse that just
because I might have an acoustic guitar in
my hand.
I found a new club - Rockwood Music Hall
- that had no reputation yet in being
typecast and started a residency there. I
really love the room and quickly started
selling it out every week by word of
mouth. For the first time, I am building a
good story. I have this album that was
never supposed to be an album and a live
show that people are showing up to with
their friends every week. I am also starting
to play in non music venues like clubs in
the meat packing district. I figured that
when my show ends, the party can begin.
People are getting laid at an R. Star show.
It's good for business!
IS: So, what's next?
Ryan: I am currently working on a video
DVD collection for each of the songs from
Songs From The Eye of an Elephant. I am
going to be leaking edgy viral videos
online every few weeks. The whole
collection will be released early next year.
The main thing that I am doing now is not
having any boundaries. The way The
Pixies can go from metal to country in ten
seconds is how I feel that I am approaching
my new songs. Losing Your Memory is a
great ballad about Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind and feels like you are
watching end credits and Back of Your Car
sounds like an eighties dance party that
Pearl Jam showed up to. Psycho Suicidal
Girl is simply fun. The One You Know
sounds like driving through a Quentin
Tarantino movie. I love the idea of playing
for movies. My songs have been described
to me as movie soundtrack music. And I
like that!
Weblink: www.rstar.net
R. Star tries a new sex position. Photo by Fawn Lansley.
WWW.HARRISRADIO.COM | WWW.INDIESOUNDSNY.COM | OCTOBER 2005
7
ISSUE 7
IS: If there was a movie made about your
life, who would you want to play you?
BACKLINE
LIVE IN NYC
From www.gigapple.com
Five Vital Questions For ...
Susan Enan
Indie Sounds: What was the first album you
ever bought?
Susan Enan: Bach Toccata in D minor.
Susan: Tippy Hedron. She looks nothing
like me, but I wish I could move like her.
IS: Who would be in your dream band?
Susan: The 'dude' who works at the post
office on 4th Ave. (he always wears
sunglasses and has great 'dude' hair), C.S.
Lewis to provide us with stimulating
conversation while on the road and Peter
Gabriel.
IS: Who is the sexiest person on the planet?
Susan: Owen Wilson.
IS: Who would you choose to be the next
president of the USA?
Susan: Owen Wilson.
Who: Chris Brown and Kate Fenner.
Susan Enan is a NYC-based English
singer/songwriter.
She's currently in
Vancouver, recording a CD that's gonna rock
for sure. More at www.susanenan.com.
Where and When: Rockwood Music
Hall, October 15, Chris @ 9pm, Kate @
10pm. And Tony Scherr plays @ 11pm.
Questions: Mistress Tessa Perry,
www.tessaperry.com.
Web: www.chrisbrownmusic.com,
www.katefenner.com.
WHERE TO FIND INDIE SOUNDS NY
Ace of Clubs
www.aceofclubsnyc.com
Kenny's Castaways
www.kennyscastaways.net
Pete's Candy Store
www.petescandystore.com
The Bitter End
www.bitterend.com
Arlene's Grocery
www.arlenesgrocery.net
Laila Lounge
www.lailalounge.com
Rockwood Music Hall
www.rockwoodmusichall.com
The C-Note
www.thecnote.com
Caffe Vivaldi
www.caffevivaldi.com
Micky's Blue Room
www.mickysblueroom.com
Satalla
www.satalla.com
The Living Room
www.livingroomny.com
Galapagos Art Space
www.galapagosartspace.com
Parkside Lounge
www.parksidelounge.com
Southpaw
www.spsounds.com
The Sidewalk Cafe
www.antifolk.net
Also online @ www.indiesoundsny.com. Venue owners: To distribute Indie Sounds NY at your club
and get listed above, contact Pete Harris @ [email protected].
8 INDIE SOUNDS NY | ISSUE 7 | OCTOBER 2005