Eis-Wood Sessions VIDEO clip + industry talk.
Mon Oct 06, 2008 7:40 pm
Please go to the YouTube version so kick things off. Would love to
crank out some views. I just updated our YouTube/Eisley page.
Are you guys signed up?
Laughing City has a thread going if you prefer forum style "replies" and a running dialogue over "comments".
Eis-Wood Sessions Video's
I just wanted to give you guys a little window into what's happening. We're in the early stages but the band is excited about new songs and it seems important for you guys to be included in the process. I want you excited. Hopefully you'll enjoy the clip. I had very little footage and most of what I had was shot with small digital camera - not a video camera, so the burden was upon me, as usual, to be creative in editing. Also - there's a Sherri shortage in this clip... but don't fear. She'll narrate the next clip - followed by each band member in succession. That's the creative plan.
Medicinal Musical Manifest
Hello fellow lovers of music. As our dearly elected politicians sling their slather and their spin on prime time... and as their respective media teams continue predict immanent news of doom, I urge you stand strong...push away the brooding, dark clouds...disburden your heavy hearts... lower the pressure of your very own blood... forget about your worries and join with me in solving the problems of the world... simply by listening to more music.
And this mental bail out comes at a trifle cost - far less than a trillion dollars. You already have the cure... you have the songs in your arsenal. A merry heart does good like a medicine; surely a little bit of hope can bring a lot of healing to the world you live in. So charge up your ipods, crank up the volume on your favorite tunes; play songs... loudly; for your neighbor, for the lady at the drive thru window, for your mom while she's doing the dishes.
Well, I'm partly serious. I cannot keep from engaging in kind of ridicu-drama. At least consider making a conscious effort to play more music. And make sure it's good music. I realize I'm being subjective but insomuch as my opinions are commonly expressed and deemed as truth here in TrolleyWood - I hereby offer a few words to help define what i consider to be beneficial attributes of good music: imaginative, honest, creative, innovative, engaging, genuine, inspiring and melodically compelling, etc. You guys might not agree... or you might include other words. You get the point.
STUDIO PICS
A few Fall photos seem fitting in the mix.
PICNIC/PUMPKINS
The New
We are living in an exciting time for music. Word on the streets? - the recording industry is dead. As mainstream continues to be pounded by it's long tail, opportunity for unrestrained, unconventional, artistic freedom in the marketplace, in the head-space and on the web-space... is on the rise. And that spells frustration for purveyors/marketers of imitative, inflexible, conventional, radio-tailored, mass-homogenized music. Some are profiting, some are tanking, some are adjusting, some are re-organizing. Any way you look at it, most all agree that this industry lampooned itself by failing to see the new world coming.
The shift from vinyl to compact disc was like Y2K compared to the shift from plastic to digital. Manufacturers retooled; nothing changed about the way people bought music. The consumer was fine. However, the shift from analog to digital was far more consequential... bringing about a slow death, bringing down institutions, paradigms, marketing models - completely revolutionizing the way consumers access music, purchase, experience music.
In a way, the collapse has created a shift that's healthy for artists; call it - a great leveling. And while the recording business is still losing cd sales, evidence shows thatmusic business is still winning.
I didn't start this blog to make any kind of appeal or even talk about the music industry; so i guess I'll get on with it.
Foreward
To celebrate the need for change and in the spirit of providing a musical anecdote for the heavy hearts of the people of this world, Eisley, a small band from Tyler, Texas is doing their part by forging ahead with a their 3rd, intense, authentic, inspiring... (and dare I hope:) crowning album. This new collective of kindred consciousness is underscored and legitimized by Eisley's proven track record of consistency (adherence to their own brand), longevity, creativity, beauty, originality and quality... presenting a paragon of uniqueness to an over-saturated, but appreciative music-loving market.
Did I mention I'm enjoying a home-made, quad breve' latte with 1 heaping spoonful of dark brown sugar and 2 pumps of Starbucks Peppermint squirty juice?
Everyone wants to be 'big' ... the real challenge lies somewhere between small and invisible. I urge you - don't give up on your dreams. If you haven't learned this yet in life, you will. It's so easy to give up. Anyone can give up; it's the pathway of least resistance. Remember the old cliche': when the going gets tough, the tough get going. You should keep going - unless, of course, your band is lame and everyone around you, including your best friends, confirm it. But even in that case, don't quit... just go back to the drawing board. Don't give up on a good thing.
Success is not a destination - as you guys know. Their marketing director at WB once referred to them as "the little train that could" - which sounds condescending, but he was making a point about the band's perseverance & steadfastness. Eisley has confidence... not in their ability to achieve someone else's definition of success, wealth, fame, etc., but in what they're doing; in how they do it... in their product... which is closely linked to themselves.
You don't need me to push the reality that this band has stayed the course, but it's true. If you think this journey hasn't been hard, you've not been reading between the lines. Of course, there have been so many great moments... highs, etc. You can read a trillion words that date back to 2002 if you are interested in wrapping your head around the journey we've all been on. I try not to focus on the dark part of this more than i have to. Eisley and other bands who struggle in the the long tail are, indeed, essential underdog's in an industry surrounded by demi-gogs. That's just a fact... at least up till this point.
It's not like there isn't amazing main stream music out there; somewhere. 
But every time I turn on FM radio, I hear music that this weird stuff. How do these bands float to the top? (top floaters). It astounds me. I've never heard of most of these bands but from the way they're being spun, you'd think that everyone is marveling. The industry coddles... the media follows. uhhh. So frustrating. But hey, someone likes it... and I guess those bands are enjoying their day in the sun. Oh wait - maybe those aren't sun rays; maybe they're neon rays from the public restroom's fluorescent light. Top floaters should fear the flush. I often wish I was the custodian for this biz.
Trends/Suppositions
Have you taken a look at the list of pop radio's top 100 artists lately? Jason and I have. All weirdness is taking place out there in radio-land. Try to identify even 1/2 of the artists in top rotation right now. I challenge you. Yes, I know that somewhere out there a wobbling mid-American market is dialing in this drive-time drivel... but few of them are stopping by the record store after work... and fewer are buying tickets to see some of these artists (check out Pollstar). Few we know, and I'm guessing few you know or hang out with even know who many of these artists are.
I mean - we all think that bands on the radio are huge. It's a generalization, but... come on - it's true. We figure they're banking it. It would appear not anymore. There seems to be reduction in the raw number of super-stars. The ripple in the industry is creating a new balance. The long tail is slapping the head of this squirmy dragon. What does this all mean? Thoughts?
Anyway - it's a crazy industry and I don't think anybody has the last laugh; not the big bands, not the small bands... and certainly not the huge labels. The jury is still out. WB is actually starting to show a turnaround in profit. But who really knows what's going to happen. Majors are finally re-framing their business model... unfortunately - by tapping into artists' brick and mortar...(nails and boards) but that's a topic for an entirely different post. There are mixed feelings on href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/audiosrc/arts/11leeds.mp3" target="_blank"> 360 deals... and eisley's management shares many of them . There are no laws, no concrete definitions... The future is not yet written.
SELLING vs BRANDING
Labels have always been focused on selling records. R&D $'s have always been about 'breaking' bands - attempting to turn investment into CD sales instead of building bands' brands. At least - that's what critics claim. For the most part - marketers are well read and understand the long term benefits of branding - even if pressure from sales CEO's, president's, stock-holders, sales dept's and A&R's don't get it. Every band has a brand. The problem is - most labels mis-manage bands' brands. Aesthetics, key messages are carried out without regard for what is true. People see thru fakery; fans are smart; we're all wise to the wild's of "spin".
In the new world, labels will hone in on brand building as a long term approach to marketing. This will encourage longevity... enduring relationships with artists, instead of the kind we've seen where labels make a record, push radio and drop the band if it tanks. Why? Because there are percentages of new profit streams to tap - as I said - ones that were, formerly, on the band side of earnings: - live side merch sales, settlements from touring, licensing, sponsorship deals, etc. Maybe it's unfair to go after those revenue streams, however, most would agree that labels have been the venture capitalists in the relationship... (the bank) and have taken the biggest risk. Most bands are not cash-cows; labels use profits from the big stars to fund (R&D) the other acts. Linkin Park, Madonna, Josh Grobin help creates the R&D that enable labels like WB to continue risking dollars on small, creative, great bands.
We all know the cliche' rhetoric: "the man is keeping us down..." and there is certainly truth in this, but depending on who you talk to - you'll get a different perspective on this. Everyone has a bleeding heart story: Poor bands... they only get to record 2 -3 studio records with top producers... all worth hundreds of thousands of dollars; they get to tour the US, tour the world, become popular ([i]almost famous!) without spending their own money. Get out your tiny fiddle. [bb]Poor label[/b]s... they take the risk and bank roll the venture. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. Everyone bleeds. Everyone whines. But to put things in perspective - try getting a million dollars from a venture capitalist with a business plan for your little rock band.
Smoking Cow's - Branding is more than a trademark burned on the side of a cow. It's complex and encompasses so much more. Here's my definition of BRANDING (quoting myself from 1998): The business of expressing a company’s core values, key messages, and personality – the totality of the experiences deeply rooted in its products, services, communications, and environments – based on research, knowledge, intuition, and aesthetics across a broad range of media to strengthen familiarity, trust, recognition, and equity.
No Selling Out
Whatever. You get how important it is for you and your band, company, entity, etc. Not waving any flags but most would agree that Eisley's brand has been and remains very consistent, reliable. In communication, style, sound, messages, experience, product, core values, etc... we've worked hard on over the years to stay on course. There was more pressure in the early days to change but at the end of the day (decade) this band has allowed *little if any tampering.
*WB/Goodmanson wanted to change the lyrics to Telescope Eyes in pre-production (Laughing City). Sherri only did what she thought was best, considering the challenge of introducing a 4 minute song to a 3 minute marketplace. In the end, she agreed to lose the "dear Mathew" verse on the version that ended up garnering a 24th most played status on rock radio in Dallas in 2003 (researched at 98%). Was that selling out? One tweak to a song and eisley grabbed a piece of drive time radio PIE! I'm being silly but my point: Eisley, like most bands, isn't closed minded; they do their thing... and are open to advice as long as it doesn't compromise their values. In the case of Telescope Eyes, they had already recorded a version with the "dear mathew" verse; Fans could listen to either version. Clearly, the 4 minute song wouldn't have made it. As a result, Eisley grew leaps and bounds in Dallas, Tx. The risk was not paramount since eisley was so over that song by the time this argument raised it's goggle-eye'd head. Unfortunately, the trouble surrounding T.E's was revisited on Room Noises as Rob Cavallo's flashier spin on the jam resulted in failed attempt to re-vitalize radio play.
Lessons learned. But please don't think that Eisley is being knocked around or is going to be knocked around by the man. No one is messing with their songs, their lyrics, their production, their style... at all. If you didn't like "Combinations", don't blame WB. You can blame Richard Gibbs and Eisley if you want but there was no tampering.
The Practical Application
Look... most would agree that the pressure to become something your not is a heavy force in this industry. That's the human condition and it's particularly a strong force in the music biz. But as I said, when labels overlook consistent branding... they over-look the truth in favor of turning a buck. Eisley hasn't conformed. Make sure you don't... in life. Heed the words of My Fair Lady's: Eliza Doolittle: "I sold flowers; I didn't sell myself. But now you've made a lady of me, I'm not fit to sell anything else."
No matter what you do in business, as an artist... be true to yourself. Be yourself. How can you be anything else? Every person, every band, every entity... everyone has a brand. Be who you say you are. You are the brand, you are the product. Every word spoken, every expression, every communication from you you or about you (internal, within OR external, outside) will, in fact, resonate the reality of your brand... the validity and truth of your brand. If you say, "I love people. i'm a people person" - but talk crap about people every time you're with others, your brand is bogus. Whatever. We're all guilty of saying one thing and doing another. We need to work on our brands. This is a deep subject.
Foundations for a new era
Eisley is standing at the precipice a new era. The industry has been forced to change, the game has changed, technology has changed but Eisley has not.
Jason and I have been talking, thinking, negotiating, examining, re-examining everything where Eisley is concerned for months now. The critical mission is to navigate these new waters, discover new markets, reach beyond current boundaries, reach goals. We've been working on rebuilding the foundation of Eisley's business platform (Team Eisley). No surprises - the music platform is solid - Eisley just turns on their engine; pure, uncontaminated, consistent, remarkable chunks just come out (chunks = music/art/essence/image/brand/product).
I presume that any/all new fans are cut from the same like-minded chunk, being lovers of music... with hearts and ears to hear. This journal is really about new music (no charge for everything else). I just wanted to do a bit of evaluation (this message as well as the questionnaire) and make sure you know that Eisley will continue to present their artistic music to you guys. The video is just a window into that.
We value and appreciate and love you - not because it's of any advantage to proclaim... not because we think that if we suck- up or because you'll do something for us. The truth is (and I know every artist says this in different ways) but... you have done something for Eisley; way more than you probably give yourself credit for. You are 1/2 of the equation. A manifesto requires both the purveyors of the principles and the people who support and believe in the cause. Art and audience are closely tied. I just made that up but it sounds pretty believable.
Warner News
It is now common knowledge in the business sector, but I thought you guys should know: Eisley's A&R, Craig Aaronson, has been appointed the President of SIRE Records . You guys know the history, I'm sure. At least some of you might. Sire is legendary home of Depeche Mode, The Cure, Talking Heads, The Ramones, The Smiths, Morrissey, etc. Pretty cool.
weird. I just noticed this. Look at http://warnerbrosrecords.com They are actually promoting Jack's Mannequin on their front page. I went there expecting to find some fat promo for some huge alt rock band and was actually quite surprised to see Andrew's band. Maybe things are changing... not that anyone goes to the WB site.
Ok. Gotta go. I'll post this and try to proof it during the next few days. Sure it's laden with misspellings and run-ons and bad punctuation and confusing wordage - as usual. cya. bd
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