Top Ten in Eleven!

~ Mrs Blasko and I have complied our year end top 10 wrap up of music that we dug in 2011. All posts are linkable to iTunes. Enjoy!

My Fav Albums of 2011:
Nekromantix - What Happens In Hell, Stays In Hell
Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire
Speedwolf - Ride With Death
Gallows - Death Is Birth (EP)
Cerebral Ballzy - s/t
Amebix - Sonic Mass
Mastodon - The Hunter
Pentagram - Last Rites
Steel Panther - Balls Out
Black Veil Brides - Rebels (EP)

Mrs. Blasko's Fav Albums of 2011:
Arctic Monkeys – Suck it and See
Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams
Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
The Kills – Blood Pressures
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Self Titled
Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole
Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
Seasick Steve – You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
Trash Talk – Awake (EP)
TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light

Mrs. Blasko's Fav Songs of 2011:
Battles – My Machines (feat. Gary Numan)
The Black Keys – Gold On the Ceiling
Black Lips – Family Tree
Foo Fighters – Walk
Kasabian – Velociraptor!
Mastodon – Octopus Has No Friends
My Morning Jacket – Holdin On To Black Metal
Raphael Saadiq – Radio
Theopholis London – Neighbors
The Vaccines – Post Break-Up Sex

New Podcast Episode 8

Check out Podcast # 8 HERE!

Subscribe NOW!

Send me your questions: askblasko@gmail.com

Your Bands "To Do" List

~ This post originally appeared on LiveUnsigned blog. Article by Matt Stevens, illustration by Paul Linus Claassen.

The following is an example of things you can do regularly to make things happen (and it goes without saying your music has to be brilliant and remarkable for it to work). Some bands may do things at different times (i.e. only blog once a week or post videos more often) but this is a general example of a social media tasking sheet for a band:

Daily:
- Post updates to Twitter/Facebook.
- Re-tweet and share the links of other bands within your genre (then they will be more likely to do it for you).
- Update Your Blog.
- Upload Photos to Flickr.
- Tell one person about your music and thank them for listening (someone you know, not spam).
- Comment on a blog you are looking to have review your music (relevant content, not spam for your music).
- Post on a forum (not spam) and engage with people who enjoy the music in your genre.
- Reply to fan mail/@messages on Twitter and Facebook posts (essential).
- Check Google Alerts to see who is talking about your band online and engage with and talk to them.

Weekly:
- Update your gigs on Live Unsigned
- Post links to your music and ask fans to share them with their friends on Twitter (keep this to once a week to avoid it seeming like spam).
- Hang out at a gig where bands within your niche play and hand out fliers.
- Post a Youtube video (perhaps an acoustic cover/video blog/live footage).
- Submit your music to a music blog (that you are commenting on daily and engaged with)
- Upload a rough demo/rehearsal or live track/remix to Soundcloud.
- Contact promoters about booking gigs
- Contact local/national print press about interviews and reviews.
- Contact podcasters about playing your music and post an episode of your own podcast.
- Update band website with news and the other content generated in the week.

Monthly:
- Post a new song/EP on Bandcamp (and allow people to Download it in exchange for an email address).
- Upload a high quality video to Youtube.
- Do a UStream concert and post the show on Live Unsigned.
- Send out an email to fans.
- Review band finances.
- Review where the band is at with regard to long term goals.
- Start a contest for fans (perhaps to make videos or remixes)
- Create a new line or merchandise (T-Shirt/Mug/Box set/Multi-buy). A monthly time limited special offer is a good idea (i.e. 2 - CDs for £10 etc).

Long term goals:
- Get 5000 people on the email mailing list.
- Release an album and sell 1000 CDs
- Do a national tour.
- Collaborate with a major artist.

Music Biz Wisdom From The Godfather

~ Brian Slagel is the king shit of Metal Blade Records, and with the exception of Black Sabbath, has probably contributed more to the community of Heavy Metal than anyone else. Metallica and Slayer were introduced to the world via the Metal Massacre compilation series. He also signed my first band Cryptic Slaughter way back in '85! Here he is dropping some knowledge from his experience that you young bands should take to heart.

“A 360 deal for those of you asking is when a label signs a band and they take money from every form of income the band gets. Touring, Merch Music sales, etc… So they want their fingers in all the money a band makes. Not cool if you ask me. Bottom line this is a business and I always say first thing a band should do is learn about the business as it is easy to get ripped off Also artists need to know that management, record labels, etc.. we all work for you! It is ultimately your business and dont entrust running it to everyone else, always make sure at least one guy in the band understands and knows business. The successful bands always have this.”

“Labels get a lot of bad press and some deservedly so, but also watch out for shady merch companies too. Merch is so important to bands these days, you have to be with a good company there as well. WIth a good deal too. Ultimately to be a successful band you need the whole team around you. Good label, booking agent, manager, lawyer and merch company. All need to be on the same page and working TOGETHER! It is like car, you have 4 wheels and if they do not all go in the same direction at the same speed, your not going to get anywhere.”

“In regards to health insurance, remember a record company is just a part of a bands income and deals. They have deals with publishers, merch companies, booking agents, etc… So a band is it’s own entity, merch companies do not provide health insurance for bands. Once a band is big enough they themselves need to be a corporation. Then they can get their own health insurance. That is how the system works. If bands were employees of the record company we would also have to take out taxes on all the money given to the artist. That would really limit what they would get as we would have to hold up to 42% of all the money for the government. So in the end it does kind of work and we try to help out the bands get insurance etc, also managers are supposed to help with that as well. As we have all said, this is a business and can get pretty complicated. I knew NOTHING when I first started out and learned mostly by mistakes. Knowing about business is really, really important for all! I know it kinda sucks, but better prepared than sorry.”

~ Cryptic Slaughter released 3 records from '86 - '88 on Metal Blade. 3 of us were teenagers in high school, and Les the guitar player was a few years older. By default he became the "business guy" simply by being not as immature as the rest of us. Back in that time the "360 deal" was not even on the menu. Hell, our first 2 records were only released on vinyl and cassette... yup it was that long ago. We all still lived at home and were on our parents health insurance. We all eventually parted ways after our summer tour in '88 in pursuit of adulthood and responsibility. I am happy to say that we all have stayed in contact and everyone is healthy and doing well. Thanks Brian for believing in us! Those were some Golden Years!

Podcast and Destroy!

Seth from HowToRunABand.com and I have a podcast and it is up on iTunes. You can subscribe and listen for FREE!
Click HERE to check it out!

Please hit me up at askblasko@gmail.com if you have any topics and/or questions you would like us to tackle.

TAXI Road Rally 2011

I will be speaking on 2 panels this year at TAXI's Road Rally Convention on November 4th. The Alternative Genre A & R Panel @ 2:45 and the Management Panel @ 4:30. Go HERE to sign up if you are a member or are looking for more info on the company and their annual convention.

Hope to see ya there!

Behind The Suit and Tie

A new preview clip from the long awaited heavy metal documentary "Behind The Suit And Tie" can be viewed above. The two-minute 45-second video clip features segments from Alan Becker (Red Distribution), Eddie Trunk (VHI Classic, That Metal Show, Q104.3, Sirius XM), Blasko, (Ozzy Osbourne), Missi Callazzo, (Megaforce Records), Al Dawson (Earache Records), Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records), David Ellefson (Megadeth) to discuss piracy, corruption, manipulation issues and the future of a record label.

Due in 2012 on an as-yet-undisclosed European label "Behind the Suit and Tie" "pulls no punches and features some of the prime movers in the heavy metal industry drawing back the veil of mystique surrounding the music business and addressing tough questions about the industry itself, how it's run and where labels see their role in a digital future.

Through a series of interviews with players from both indie and major labels, "Behind The Suit And Tie" "will showcase the truth of how the music industry is being affected by the downward spiral of CD sales and how new and up-and-coming artists must learn to adjust to changing times, according to a press release.

The film will contain insight from:

* Ed Rivadavia (RCA Music Group)
* Jason Lekberg (Eleven Seven Music)
* Brian Slagel (Metal Blade Records)
* Blasko (Mercenary Management, OZZY OSBOURNE)
* Doug Keogh (Roadrunner Records)
* Missi Callazzo (MegaForce Records)
* Carl Severson (Good Fight Entertainment)
* Paul Conroy (Good Fight Entertainment)
* Alan Becker (RED Distribution)
* Al Dawson (Earache Records)
* Burt Goldstein (Big Daddy Distribution)
* Eddie Trunk (VH1 Classic, Q104.3, Sirius XM)
* Pat Egan (Relapse Records)
* Ray Harkins (Century Media Records)
* Ralph Graupner (Indevent Music)
* Gary Susalis (Music Choice)
* Ged Cook (Demolition Records)
* Bryan Mechutan (Demolition Records)
* Lee Barrett (Ascendance Records)
* Adam Watson (Plastic Head Distribution)
* David Ellefson (MEGADETH)
* Ryan Forster (Moshpit Tragedy Records)

Commented creator/producer Robert Bolger, after five years in the making I'm proud to announce that this project will finally see the light of day!

For more information, visit www.behindthesuitandtie.com