I would like to start interviewing underground bands that have at least one album out, and are willing to sit on the phone with me and discuss their craft, and what it feels like to do what they do. If that sounds like fun to you then hit me up on FaceBook/WesleyNyle or find me on Twitter/WesleyNyle. I would love to listen to your work, do some research and call you up or meet you some place in the Dallas area and talk shop.
So with that said here’s the podcast:
Without the internet, many bands that are currently the focus of the independent music scene would otherwise be lost in obscurity.
The rabbit hole of current indie rock trends continues to go deeper with bands like Yeasayer as a prime example: a group originating in Brooklyn nearly six years ago, and in some aspects sharing the traditional tale of touring and peddling vinyl singles, to rise form the primordial ooze that is indie rock obscurity. But also gaining traction from online publications and being boasted as the “Most Blogged About Band” in 2010. Let’s hear the Doors, Janice Joplin, or Queen brag about that.
It’s true that the majority of entertainers are jumping on the online band wagon. And why not? Aside from the monetary aspect of it, producing and publishing your own music or media, is less mess altogether, no agents, no labels, no censorship, no contracts, and with home studios becoming more and more reasonable to build and operate. Bands essentially have all the time you need without paying a studio to play. Radiohead’s last two self-releases, In Rainbows, and The King Of Limbs are shining examples. Doing extremely well as digital downloads that were presented initially as a “Pay What You Think It’s Worth” experiment. Even comedian and writer Louis C.K. made an impact, with his self-releases that he made available only on his website for the ridiculously low price of five dollars, knowing that the media could easily be pirated, but trusting his fans to pay for the easier experience of simply downloading the content directly from his website.
Ahmed Gallab, a relatively obscure, yet insanely talented multi-instrumentalist, who has toured with Caribou, Of Montreal, and now has landed a solid role as Yeasayer’s multi-instrumentalist. Is following in the footsteps of many other successful, and established musicians; like Albert Hammond Jr. of The Strokes, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of The Marz Volta, in the vein of branching out into his own solo project, under the name Sinkane.
Really, Gallab has been creating music on his own for several years. It’s only now through the miracle of sites like SoundCould, ReverbNation, and BandCamp that artists are able to take risks, and show off their work with less capital, green lighting new music attics like myself to discover and share what would normally only be a local treat. This is helping smaller artists make a living with their music, and for artist like Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, generate revenue for causes in a more creative way than selling an autographed bass. Example being Flea’s solo album Helen Burns: a solo, self-released, pay what you think it’s worth album, that’s funds benefit the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music. The online liner notes warn, or boast that this is not a Red Hot Chili Peppers album, and stands on its own merits with spaced out experimental jazz, giving this newish idea of posting your own self-produced media some serious street cred.
Even though some of Sinkane’s work is out on the internet for our enjoyment his entire body of work can’t be found entirely in digital format. A shrewd business decision, and yet still an artsy move. His entire discography consists of 2 EP and 3 LP’s that majoritively can only be purchased on vinyl through his site. Since early this year this native Sudanian has been teasing Bloggers with talk of a new LP titled Mars, but right now it looks like the single “Jeeper Creeper” on his SoundCloud is the only proof of new material.
This is Sinkane, an artist that you wouldn’t have heard of without the online music community.
Tracks Herd On This Podcast:
(intro background) Sinkane – Color Voice
Yeasayer – Blue Paper
Yeasayer - Longevity
Radiohead – Morning Mr. Magpie
Sinkane – Apache Beat
Fela – 333
Sinkane – Jeeper Creeper
No comments:
Post a Comment