Why can't we get our album reviewed?

[A.Scriabin]

Hello all,

 

My band, Frantic Clam, from Austin, TX has played shows at all the major spots in town for the past couple of months and we're getting 15-30 fans turning out on the off nights.

 

We recently released our first EP "Celebrity" with songs that you can find here:

 

www.franticclam.com

or

www.myspace.com/franticclam

 

 

We had it mastered by Trutone's Joe Lambert in NYC. Pressed to Digipack CDs. And we've sent it out to at least a handful of bloggers and other local Austin music critics without any response after they receive the EP. We've tried submitting through Sonicbids but it's a scam for the most part.

 

Short of hiring a PR rep to promote our EP, how can we achieve some sort of press related feedback that we can use to promote our music?

 

How do you cope with the seemingly impenetrable wall of the review dept?

[Music Calgary]

Might be your approach. Try changing it and see. Try one blogger. Email them and introduce yourself first. Tell them how much you like their blog. Start there. It'll happen eventually. Guaranteed.

[modulusman]

Start drawing 200 people on off nights.

[guysmy]

look for blogs that talk about really obscure bands (no disrespect, i'm in the same situation). once you are in a few spots other bloggers might follow suit, but the first few are really tough to get. i didn't get much of a reaction either and i sent out a good amount of e-mails.

 

check out http://hypem.com/ for discovering new blogs.

[Booya Tribe]

It could be a lot of things. It could be that you are not sending to the right publications (regular papers are generally pretty conservative, even the smaller lefty ones still often cater to only certain types of music and unless there is someone who is hip to it, they may skip over the weird stuff), or that even when it gets to the review dept, it is not reaching the right person within the dept who would review your style of music (if you see a person reviewing the "weird stuff" then put "Attn: That Person's Name" on the envelope when you send it). It could be that the packaging or materials accompanying the EP isn't inviting looking to the reviewers, so they pick other things first.

 

Getting reviews doesn't really do that much for you anyway, honestly, unless it is in a widely distributed publication that caters specifically to the type of music you play. You can get a freind to write a quote and use it the same way in promo materials. Do you have any friends in respected bands? Get them to write a little blurb about your band.

 

A better way to promote your band is probably to keep playing shows

[sabriel9v]

You need to blow the right editor or staff writer

[The*Ataris]

Hello all, My band, Frantic Clam, from Austin, TX has played shows at all the major spots in town for the past couple of months and we're getting 15-30 fans turning out on the off nights. We recently released our first EP "Celebrity" with songs that you can find here: www.franticclam.com or www.myspace.com/franticclam We had it mastered by Trutone's Joe Lambert in NYC. Pressed to Digipack CDs. And we've sent it out to at least a handful of bloggers and other local Austin music critics without any response after they receive the EP. We've tried submitting through Sonicbids but it's a scam for the most part. Short of hiring a PR rep to promote our EP, how can we achieve some sort of press related feedback that we can use to promote our music? How do you cope with the seemingly impenetrable wall of the review dept?

 

 

Hmmmm...well, obviously the people writing about music in every town have different agendas, but obtaining press isn't rocket science.

 

First off, a little press garners more press, and while that might seem like a catch 22, it's really more about starting with easy goals.

 

Secondly, just having a CD in an envelope isn't going to get your CD reviewed; a good press release, however, will. That's the difference between a good promo guy and the slugs who play in bands, generally. I like to think of myself halfway in between

 

It's hilarious, because the less work a music editor has to do to get his or her story or column (ie. they're able to lift entire passages off your press release) the better.

[Booya Tribe]

 

It's hilarious, because the less work a music editor has to do to get his or her story or column (ie. they're able to lift entire passages off your press release) the better.

 

 

Trut... I've seen it before for sure.

[Badside]

I've been told that getting reviews in "real" publications is near impossible if you don't have a solid distribution deal going.

 

As in: they don't talk about a CD people can't find easily.

 

Truth is... though I do read CD reviews in the local cultural paper, I never bought a CD based on it. I will check a band's myspace if they keep talking about it though (not just in the reviews section), and that's the hard part I guess. I know who's the guy I need to talk to, but I can't get to him!

[BlueStrat]

A lot of national magazines have review sections dedicated to unsigned bands but the competition to get listened to is fierce and the chance of getting carved to bits is higher so you had better have a well produced and well packaged product.

 

Oh, and as trivial as it sounds, make sure the shrink wrap is removed from the CD. You should always do this when sending CDs as promo, for review or for booking. Guys who have to fool with shrinkwrap when they're listening to 20 CDs a day may just give it a pass.

[primeelite]

Getting reviews all has to do with how big of a buzz your CD has first without even getting press. If you have a solid fanbase then everyone will want to do reviews because they know people will want to read it. If you are only bringing in 30 people a night then they know maybe 5-10 of those people will read the review which does nothing as far as making money for the publication.

 

To get a review what you need to do is start small and move your way up. Rollingstone isn't going to give you a review until your worth it. Start small and regional by sending the Cd and following up with an email or phone call. Make sure with your CD you provide a press release, bio, and best of all "talking points". This will help the reviewer write the review quicker and get all that you want in it in the review.

[danosongs]

Just make a list of all the local music editors and send them your cd. There is no wall, its just a numbers game. Whats so hard?

[siberiankiss]

We just got reviewed by the local paper. The guy just called us up and said he's running an article about us. Then again, we are pulling in a solid 800 - 1000 people at every gig. Create massive amounts of buzz. Get your ass out and promote. Flyer! Be seen! Booking gigs and bringing in 30 people is unacceptable if youre trying to get to the next level. Don't play out just to play out. Make it an event that people MUST go to. You want these people to come to you. IMHO of course. What do I know though? Im stuck at a local level too but it seems to be working so far.

 

my band: www.myspace.com/brookroyal

[Music Calgary]

 

we are pulling in a solid 800 - 1000 people at every gig

 

 

Pretty impressive, the music is very generic -- perhaps that's a lesson for the OP...

[bdemon]

Ya know, if any of us really knew the secret to getting lots CD reviews we'd have done it and have lots of success to show for it.

 

I got some e-book when I released my first CD, the Indie White Pages or something like that. A HUGE listing of all the websites and print publications who review indie artists. Did a bunch of research. I spent a fortune mailing CDs, then realized a bunch of them were showing up on Amazon's used section, no reviews.

 

Well, I actually got enough of reviews. Some were basically two sentence summaries of what genre my CD was...mainly a generalized quickie so the site's owner could start hassling me to buy ad space. Others were buried in pages of indie reviews--pages of tiny print. The only person I suspect went looking for my review in those was ME. Other guys were downright hostile, posting scathing criticism of my ideas that were mean spirited, more personal attacks than anything else...there was nothing constructive for me to learn.

 

The best treatment I received was from local papers, those focusing specifically on community events and people. Major cities were a bit more difficult, but papers in the burbs (I'm outside San Francisco) gave me feature stories and big photos.

 

So that's my humble opinion...go for the local rags or maybe a niche magazine if it relates to your band in some way. Maybe your band did some charitable work, maybe IT drummer in your band reads a computer magazine that would do an article on the guy and his band. I mean, that's a stretch...but it's that kind of creative thinking that can get you quality writeups--not sending your package to huge bins in the critic's office.

[MartinC]

 

Short of hiring a PR rep to promote our EP, how can we achieve some sort of press related feedback that we can use to promote our music? How do you cope with the seemingly impenetrable wall of the review dept?

 

 

The answer is in the question-hire the pr person. You spent seemingly a lot of time and money to make the recording-how much did you budget to promote it? I was playing pretty good local gigs at one point and getting zero ink. I hired a pr person, who although very talented, had no experience in the music business. Three months later I had press like I'd never have had. I didn't even have a cd. Just a cassette with two songs. She had the contacts and experience.

[Fernabulax]

maybe the reviewers don't like your music - if so, count your blessings - nothing's worse than a bad review

[pradip030384]

There are not such sources from we can get album revieved.

[BlueStrat]

There are not such sources from we can get album revieved.

 

[boxorox]

Oof. Blog-blog-blog. Mail-mail-mail. Yes, you have to do this, but nothing is more effective than personal contact. Know the DJ's, the journalists that cover new music and live shows, Be where they are at other people's shows. Go by the studios, the radio stations, the offices and talk to them. Nobody looks at Blogs unless they are already interested. An unsolicited envelope dropped on the desk by the mail boy is going straight into the garbage. Get a promo kit together and go to them. Shake hands. Look 'em in the eye. Convince them you are a dedicated professional, and damned good at what you do. Like Willie Loman, your future is riding on a shoeshine and a smile. Be seen, be present, be positive, be pleasant. Leave the petulant artist at home. Be a salesman, your music is your product.It's not whoring. It's marketing and promotion.

[gtrwiz]

 

Just make a list of all the local music editors and send them your cd. There is no wall, its just a numbers game. Whats so hard?

 

 

 

You don't live in Austin, it's a {censored}ed up scene here. My friends band new CD debuted at #1 on iTunes, and there has been no mention of them. OTOH, Butthole Surfer's are on the cover of the Austin Chronicle... WTF have they done in the last 10 years?

[Deeprig9]

I read a while back it's good to send it to get reviewed at least 2 months before it's released, publications prefer to be on the cutting edge, reviewing something before it's available to everyone. If it's already out, you will have a much harder time.

 

Also I've noticed in the local paper, they have a special review section for 7 inch only, so a gimmick like that might put you closer to the top of the pile.