The one thing I really like about the MMC is, okay,
sure, there's 300 plus bands and, yeah, there's no way
in hell you can get out to see each and every one
of them. But, if someone catches your interest,
chances are, you can get more information on the
trade floor. You might run into someone from the
band, maybe you'll pick up a flyer or, even better,
some of their music. I came home with some
flyers I thought were interesting and I picked
up a few CD's as well, which is what I'm gonna
talk about now...all the "extra" stuff, so to speak.
First thing I wanna talk about is the MMC compilation CD,
which is in the bag you get if you registered. Usually,
the CD's feature the best of the best of the 300 plus
performers and the 8th disc was no exception. A lot of
great music to be found on this double disc collection.
Julie Schreiber, Cherry Blossom Clinic, Emily Zuzik,
Julia Othmer. Those were people I saw this year. But,
let's see, who else on here caught my attention...Stryk-9,
Plus 3, The Underwater, Rachael Sage and a few others.
40 songs on two CD's, you can't go wrong. I also have
the disc from last year and the one from 2001. Wouldn't
mind adding the others to my collection. Anyone have
any that they'd care to part with, please get in touch.
Let's see...ran into Elysion Fields on Friday night. Haven't
heard any new music from them in awhile. But, they're still
out there, pluggin' away, doing what they do. I really admire
their dedication. I dig this band because, when I saw 'em live,
the one band that came to mind was Venom. Not so much for
their lyrical content because, as you know, Venom does the
whole "we're in a league with satan" thing. It's more i
n line with the music as Elysion Fields has that loud,
raw, metal power thing going on. A sonic assault on
your senses so to speak.
Picked up the Progressive Enterprises Studio demo
for 2004. Like the one I have from 2002, this one
features a pretty good line up. Nowhere Quick,
Condition K, Herbie, Running From Dharma and
The Underwater. Twelve songs, eight bands,
good stuff. Not sure where else they hand these
out, but, pick one up if you can.
Also got the debut release from Alan Pollard,
"See It For What It Is," which was a really
nice suprise. Excellent musicianship, top
quality singer/songwriter material with a
lot of emotion. At the time of this writing,
I can't seem to pull up his website. So,
if you wanna check him out, go here for
more information: http://music.download.com/alanpollard
I was handing out some flyers for Crack The Whip
Promotions and, if you're in a band, you need
to check 'em out. They can help promote your
music in the hottest markets, you can learn
how to build and use your street team to
the best of your ability, a little bit of
everything. Need a good contact? You can
find it at Crack The Whip Promotions!
While we're on the subject on handing stuff out,
let's go in another direction...the singer/songwriter scene.
I met quite a few talented performers and I had a lot
of information on Songsalive for them and I should
mention it here to pass it on to you as well. Songsalive
is your one stop song shop. It's an organization
dedicated to the nuturing, support and promotion
of songwriters worldwide. It's well worth checking
out if you're a singer/songwriter who would like
to take your music to the next level.
Back to the stuff that was floating around,
picked up a copy of Stryk-9's full length release,
"The New Breed." Forget what people say...all
metal is NOT created equal. There are those
who choose to rise above everything else
in order to make their mark in the music
world and Stryk-9 is a perfect example.
Metal is the foundation which their
musical style is built upon. On top
of that foundation, you'll hear elements of
hardcore, rock, rap style vocals and, to
a lesser degree, death metal. They throw
it all together and the end result is a nice,
neat, raw, brutal and aggressive package.
Fans of heavy music will totally dig this release.
Also picked up a two song sampler disc from Crawling Home,
who hail from Alexandria, Virginia. The two songs,
"Change Your Mind" and "Strong," are from their
debut release, "Pictures On The Wall." Can't really
form an opinion on a band with a song or two. The
tunes were okay, nothing that really caught my
attention in a big way. It's radio friendly, modern rock.
Well, that's about all for this one. I'm gonna finish sorting
through some of the stuff I have here and I'll write something
up on it. Still got some great stuff to tell you about.
So, keep an eye out for it.