So I don't quite know where to begin,

So myself, and two friends have just completed our first album!

Unfortunatley, it was completely self funded, recorded in my little homw studio, and destined to not be heard by the masses.

I'm releasing it myself, to my towns little underground music scene on, to put it simply, burned Cd's that I spent about two weeks on.

I know that this is a good compilation of demos that has the ability to turn some heads at the record companies.

I just don't know how to pass my music up the chain of command.

I obviously know that I can't just send the CD to a record company and expect it to be heard.

But what about some indie labels?

What should I do to get some attention?

The only way to get the attention of a label that can do anything for you is to basically prove you don't need them at a smaller level-which means you're playing out a lot, touring, moving a lot of cds from stage and/or paid downloads, have your pro promo in place, have some nice writeups from at least regional publications, and have a fairly large following.

No label is going to be interested in you if you aren't doing at least these basic things. They are looking for people into which they have to minimize their investment for maximum return.

Sell about 40k copies yourself. That should do it.

As one wise person said, the only way that labels will care is if they hear about your band from someone who isn't you. The key is to either figure out whether you're primarily a studio band---or a live band. If you're a live band, tour the heck out of places, play your town, etc. If you're a studio band, you can actually get great word of mouth from a great recording--because it's easier to give critics and interviewers a cd as a facsimile of what you sound like live, anyways, seeing as that it's something that they can listen to at their leisure, rather than seeing a live show (which involves driving to the gig, spending the time there, finding a babysitter for kids, etc). We've done it that way. We play select shows, and I think that the critical acclaim has allowed us to pick and choose better shows that we would have otherwise had to slog it out at (some shows, admittedly, are a dead end....no one there, no bands sticking around for your set, etc), and the weird thing is that we've got alot of bands asking us to play with them, just because of the good word of mouth of people recommending us or whatever from the recordings.

I think that it's harder to drum up interest in a cd, these days, from playing out live and then trying to push the cd from that. I've seen alot of great local and touring bands sell next to nothing--if not nothing--at shows. But yeah, you've either got to put priority on touring or recording, to sell the other.

I don't want to be a dick, but if it wasn't destined to be heard by the masses, I say dismantle shop, head back to the lab, and start all over again. If you're not confident that your final product is something worth listening to and investing in, why waste people's time? Essentially, you end up saturating the market. Do you have links to your material?

I'm completely confident in the material, I don't really know what I meant by saying that.

www.myspace.com/mikesteck93

all the songs up there appear on the album,

but a few of them are changed.

Connection and Not My Style have new vocals,

and Heart of Gold has been remixed and mastered.

I think a way to look at it, and this is just based off what I've read on forums like this from much more knowledgable and informed people, is that major and even indie labels are looking for a "complete product" that they can market. What that means is that they aren't looking for just "an album" to mass produce and sell, even if it is a really great album full of potential hit songs. They want a band or artist (hopefully with a decent look) that is already showing they can sell tickets, sell merch, and sell CDs THEMSELVES. At that point, the label will go "Hey, these guys are making some noise. How can we get in on that and make money off of them?"

The music industry isn't awash in cash anymore. They aren't looking for some unknown (even if you are extremely talented) to "shepherd" into a touring and recording act.

Sounds like you already have the CD part done. Start selling it, start playing out and selling merchandise, and then maybe you'll be at that point to start thinking about a label.

1800 myspace profile views, 55 myspace friends, mediocre home recordings, no shows, no website, and no local press...would you sign yourself? That should answer most of your questions.

Man,

I of course realize that I have pretty much zero experience in the music biz.

I don't expect for some big time record exec to miraculously hear my CD and instantly offer me a huge contract.

All I was asking for was how to get some attention.

You don't have to attack the most meaningful thing I have in my life, ok?

That doesn't seem like much of an attack. Better get some thick skin if you're gonna' be in the music business.

I wasn't attacking you...just being a realist. And reality is bittersweet hendrixman.

not being a jerk either.

the recording QUALITY was pretty decent. but the PLAYING was a bit below decent.

Just listen to whitewash. it doesn't even make sense.. i listened to it thinking "uhh.. is he serious" the solo if you call it that is a bit off.

the guitar solo sounded like a video game sound effects.

sabe is right about his comments. and posting on these boards will get you some "tough love" but most of the suggestions/advice are spot on.

i would say get yourself a band, learn to play with other musicians, work on your timing, keep recording, but go back and listen to them so you can improve on it.

-PJ

some general advice...look around myspace. find bands in a similar vein. Look at what they are doing. Do something else. Figure out what sets your band apart from the other bands in your genre, or what you could do to set yourselves apart. Also look at the things other bands are doing that you are not that make sense, sound better, etc. The only positive thing I have discovered about myspace is that you can size up the competition in a day.

Daddymack, this is sage advice

You should put together 45 minutes of material that you can perform without errors. It can be a combination of your original material and covers, whatever makes for an entertaining set. Your biggest goal is to entertain people, not to force your songs on them. Big difference in perspective, think about it. Once you've got that down, you can approach other bands to open for them or split a bill. This is how you get started playing live. If you entertain people, they will give you all the attention you can handle.

As far as recording is concerned, your songs are uneven right now. Whitewash is terribly out of sync, but Connection has a very well played and recorded rhythm guitar part (hollowbody?) and the vocals were pretty good too. You can do this and you shouldn't give up, but you're going to have to try harder and keep getting better. It's hard being 15 and you've got plenty of experiences to draw upon, so if you really put yourself out there and don't play it safe, you'll say something that moves somebody. Once you've moved them, they'll rewind and listen again. That's the goal in making a recording, right?

Keep it simple and keep trying. It feels like a race and it is, but what you can't see yet is that it's a marathon not a sprint. Good luck!

Truer words were never said, my good man.

If you really want to be hardcore, and I mean really, fabricate a fake manager and have him running around contacting all the industry bigshots. It makes you seem a whole lot more marketable, and it definitely looks more professional than contacting them on your lonesome.

I've actually pulled this off to get shows. It literally works. If you aren't willing to play dirty, don't play at all, I think.

Daddymack, this is sage advice

thanks, sabriel...this is essentially what I did ten years ago in 'realtime' putting our band together. Saw a lot of steadily working blues and blues rock bands over several months and realized they all were getting their material from the same second hand sources, and were all copyng the same hackneyed material... which, sadly, is why so many people think the blues is boring, dead, etc.

So after analyzing that, and doing a lot of research among the band members, we hit on a fairly unique (for L.A.) approach to being a blues band....no Cream covers, no material from later than 1969, and digging out recordings from the 30s, 40s and 50s, and then making them work for us...we are on the outs with the local blues establishment (the Blues Societies don't understand us...) here, unfortunately, because we don't fit their mold, but it got us some great work over the years that most other blues oriented bands never got a shot at.

And this June we get to open for James Cotton at a local blues festival...so I guess it was worth it...

I think people also forget even when you are looking at an indie label you still have to be touring, selling CDs, marketing yourself etc. Those guys don't have a big budget so you still won't get very far without a lot of leg work yourself.

Hmm...now where have I heard this before?

Oh, now I remember...

well then, I totally agree with bluestrat =)

I'm just funnin' ya.

Welcome to the forum!