In Honor of Wanee....

In honor of Wanee I'm putting up some choice clips from the festival....

Classic Mule doing a great cover of Steppenwolf...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-5J2fgqcyo

Widespread Panic with a little help from Warren....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCATWVQ8RGA

North Mississippi All-Stars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdn6xZvX0u8

The one and only Dr. John (said in a cajun accent)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-qX_1WSn68

The best band of 2010 and so far of 2011...The Black Keys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hHF4o5GIEU

A legend and my home state hero, Levon Helm with a little help from Warren...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tCT6lnvYDI

Stephen Stills covering a classic from his time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7d6icIZFiM

Bob Weir in 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LBXW5TiwdQ

Last but not least, the whole reason why the festival goes on... The Allman Brothers Band
Expect Robert Plant to come and sing this one with The Brothers...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5KLd9nsR5o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCMolV4WMBc&playnext=1&list=PL54602CB2CEF69EB8&index=62

Also be careful because cops will arrest you if your are screwin around...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_dx_QG_zmY

WANEE

So today they finally made the long awaited line-up announcement for the popular Florida music festival Wanee. It is located in northern Florida in a small town called Live Oak. The event is a three day music festival that takes place up on the Suwanee River at the Suwanee Park. This is and always has been a festival for and run by The Allman Brothers Band. There are many off-shoot projects that are playing including a first ever Wanee performance by the Warren Haynes Band, and of course Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi are playing. Oteil Burbridge is playing with The Lee Boys. This year also includes Widespread Panic (who are back from last year) Steve Miller Band, North Mississippi All-Stars, Taj Mahal, Ween and many more. The big addition this year is former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant and his Band of Joy. This is definitely an interesting addition and could lead to a possible collaboration between Plant and The Allman Brothers. The Brothers have been known to close with Dazed and Confused at Wanee and a Plant cameo would blow the metaphorical roof off the place. I have been to this festival three years in a row and have always had a good time. If you are a hardcore Allman Brothers fan then this is the festival for you. The Brothers always "bring it" at this festival and there are always a bunch of special guests during the two nights they play. It takes place in April which is nice because two years ago it was in June. If you have ever been to Florida in June then you know how incredibly hot and humid it is. The heat isn't the only thing to worry about, it rains almost everyday in Florida and while it is nice to cool off it really tears the park up and walking around becomes a hassle.  So if your game for three days of good times and music then I would advise you to hurry up and get tickets because the festival has grown so much over the past three years and with the addition of Widespread you are sure to get a lot of hardcore Spreadheads and their fans travel well. In 2009, there was probably 8,000-10,000 people at the festival which was a good size crowd but last year the crowd was 17,000 strong. Gotta love the perseverance of Panic fans but 17,000 was a little too much for me. I don't think I will be able to go this year which will end my three year run but I think last year was a great way to retire from a festival because lets be honest, the line-up last year was better. Anyways, if your going then have safe travels and for us not going we will be patiently waiting for the setlists and bootlegs to make us feel envious for not going.

Truth and Salvage Co.

What do you get when you put four singer-songwriters in one band? Well if the band is Truth and Salvage Co. you get a pretty damn good album, and an even better debut record. They are not afraid to wear the influences on their shoulder and they wear them well. Their mixture of roots-rock and country tones propel this album as a top contender for one of my favorite albums of last year. Produced by Black Crowes lead singer Chris Robinson, the songs have an earthly flow that can be enjoyed anywhere from the mountains to the beach. Songs like "Hail, Hail," "Call Back," and "Jump the Ship" have such a jubilant quality that it makes it hard for the listener to believe that this is just their first album. The songwriting is crisp and when you have four different songwriters the material never gets monotonous or boring, but instead it gives the album a very even pace and you'll be surprised by how easily the record flows that when you listen to the last song you'll forget you just listened to a whole album. The song "Welcome to L.A." should be played at every bus station in Los Angeles so that all the Mid-Western kids getting off the bus to achieve their dreams can get a quick tour of the city via song. Along with having four songwriters they also have four singers and these guys can sing. Harkening back to the complex harmony arrangements of Crosby, Stills, and Nash and The Band, Truth and Salvage blend their harmonies very precisely through each and every song. These guys can play their instruments too. Take "Rise Up," the break down in the middle of the song busts in to a duel guitar solo with matching harmonies. If you are thinking this sounds like The Allman Brothers Band, it does, but tipping your hat to an influence is not necessarily a bad thing. The ultra catchy "Old Piano" is a fine display of what good songwriting and great singing can do for a record. Its melody and great hook are enough to make this song a hit on the radio, but of course they won't play it because radio doesn't play stuff this good anymore. Finally, the closer of the album "Pure Mountain Angel" is one of the most beautiful closers I have ever heard. Its opening gospel-tinged piano playing is elegant and the harmonies are out of this world. It is a fine way to wrap up an album to say the least and I definitely look forward to what this band has in store for the future. If it's anything like their debut record then they will have a long and healthy career.

Running The Market...

Social media is everywhere these days and business' that don't latch on to this social phenomenon will be out of business before they know it. I am here to inform people about 3 different social platforms and three tips to help make the most  of the platforms in their digital campaigns.

1. www.facebook.com: This is the mother of all social media platforms. There are over 500 million people on facebook and it is continually growing, especially in the business world. According to http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/6619-four-best-practice-tips-for-facebook-advertising they say a great tip for utilizing facebook would be to "cross-reference targeting options when reporting." This is essentially means that when you find that target demographic you are looking for do a cross-reference and see if you can find any other demographic you were not searching for. Once this search is done you can concentrate your marketing fully on this healthy demographic. Another tip would be have a "vanity" url. This means that you have your company name in the facebook website so that consumers can easily find your page. For instance, if you were target your facebook website should look like: www.facebook.com/target. This makes searching for your company much easier. Another tip for marketers would be to create a "click through rate ratio." This will allow marketers to see how many people are clicking on their adds and how many people actually visit their website. This is an effective way to see if the money you are spending is being used properly. If you see a particular campaign is not going the way you want then shut it down and create a new one.

2. www.twitter.com: I just found a great website that has many tips on how to effectively use twitter the right way. The website is http://www.twitip.com/10-tips-to-be-effective-at-marketing-on-twitter/. Tip number one would be to know the difference between spamming and posting. For a business this can be crucial, because people who follow you don't want to read nonsense about you going to the grocery store. If they follow you its because they want to be informed about your business or your product. Make sure that when you decide to tweet that the message be conveyed clearly and keep people anticipating your tweets instead of tweeting every hour. Tip number two would be to engage in conversation with your followers. This will make them feel as if they are part of the company, and while you are doing this you can gain valued information such as complaints or maybe you have some people do surveys that would benefit your business. Tip number three would be make sure your twitter page looks nice. You want your twitter page to seen in a flattering light so I would recommend to hire someone to make sure your page is up to date and that it looks professional.

3. http://www.linkedin.com/: This is the most professional of all the social media websites. This is where a lot of people come to look for jobs. At http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-powerful-linkedin-marketing-tips-for-small-businesses/ they have a handful of tips that will help you better utilize linkedin.com. Tip number one would be to create Linkedin ad campaigns. This is beneficial because you won't get a lot of views from random people but from people who are interested and may want to help you or maybe looking for a job. Tip number two would be to start a blog about your industry and post a link on your linkedin page so that people may visit. If an employer sees this and recognizes that you know what you are talking about then you might get a job offer out of it. Tip number three would be to get recommendations you attract more clients. According to http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/6-powerful-linkedin-marketing-tips-for-small-businesses/, they say in order to get recommendations you have to give out recommendations. I mean "What better way to really market your business than by having your colleagues and clients share your expertise?"

Here are some videos to help out:

A little shameless self-promotion

If anyone is interest here is a couple of links to a couple original songs that I wrote

This one is called Build my Life Off the Land

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4J3wo0yfq0

This one is called Always Doin Me Wrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz6rDofYgvw&feature=related

Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COwkOpMXEog - This is Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. Great new band with a really talented and beautiful lead singer. She can play the guitar and piano with best of them and her voice is astonishing. If she were to do crappy pop songs then she would be at the top of the charts because she has more talent in her fingernail than all the Ke$has and Katy Perrys. By the way this is a cover of a My Morning Jacket song called "Golden."

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=The+Black+Keys-+Next+Girl&aq=f - Here is The Black Keys for ya. Hypnotic groove and catchy lyrics make this one of the best songs on one of their best albums "Brothers." Truthfully, in my opinion, The Black Keys haven't made a bad record yet. If you like this then I recommend checking out everything they have ever done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv7v7lQ3Gas - My Morning Jacket have no fear. I admit this song isn't for everyone and its mainly because of its Prince-like vocals but they don't usually sound like this. They also bring a shitload of energy in their live performances. For my money they are one of the best bands out there. Their new album should be coming out soon. Stay tune for more details....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xtmm3TjGj0 - I know these guys aren't new but they are still putting out music that matters. Possibly one of my favorite bands of all time, Ladies and Gentleman let me welcome to the blog The Black Crowes. I was actually at this show and this is probably the best song to open a set to. They just broke up and are an indefinite hiatus, heres to hoping that its not that long of a break. Hope you enjoy it in all its cosmic glory.

That's it for me kids, I will be back soon.

Music

So finally there is some good music on the charts. One of my favorite bands since I was 17 has finally made it and that band is called The Black Keys. For those who haven't heard about them yet you should definitely check them out. They are a mixture of blues, soul, and punk. Their first records were very minimalist and focused more on the chunky guitar riffs and loud drumming. It is kind of shocking to see that on their 6th record they finally garner some success. It almost harkens back to the 60's and 70's when artist development was key and that bands didn't put out their best records until their 3rd or 4rth records came out. This is the pattern The Keys have followed. If this were 1973 they would easily be one of the hottest bands out there and would be in the same ranks as The Stones, Zeppelin, and The Who. Along with My Morning Jacket, The Black Keys are bringing solid rock and roll back to the mainstream where it is needed most. I am so tired of shitty rap and constantly uncreative pop songs. I can respect certain aspects of some of these acts. I am not a fan of Kanye but I understand why people are. He is a good lyricist and producer but his music isn't for me. Lady Gaga is basically doing what Madonna did almost 30 years ago. I don't know why people keep calling her original she is literally following the same path as Madonna. Anyways, enough of my ramblin I'm gonna put some videos up of some great rock and roll that is still out there today....

Ways of Getting into the Industry

After I graduate with my Master's in Entertainment Business I want to jump straight in to the music industry. I plan on moving to Nashville as soon as my lease for my apartment is up, which will be in June. The music industry is a very competitive industry and networking would be one of the key ways to land a job. That's why I have kept in touch with a lot of my friends and especially the ones who have moved to Nashville and already have jobs there. There are many ways to get hired in the music industry. The most simple way would be to send in your resume, but sometimes the simple way does not guarantee someone a job. You could also design a website for yourself that highlights your attributes. This shows the employer that you are a hard worker and they are more likely to remember you as opposed to just handing in a resume. This website will also have your resume on it but it will look better than a piece of paper. Think of this as your portfolio. There are many websites that allow you to design your own page but the one that I use and the one that I think is the best is www.wix.com. It is very user friendly and guides you through multiple ways you can design your page. Anyways, back to the hiring process, usually you will get an interview and if the employer likes you then they will ask you back for another interview. Also, if you don't have a profile on http://www.linkedin.com/ then you need to get one quick. Employers are using this website more than ever to find employees so make sure it looks good. http://blog.linkedin.com/2009/10/14/linkedin-50-million-professionals-worldwide/ says there are 50 million linkedin users but this number has certainly grown since this blog came out almost a year and a half ago. Sometimes you will have to settle with an internship before you will be given a job. Internships are good for a new employee to become acquainted with the business, and employers like them because they generally don't have to pay you. Employers want to see that you have experience and this is a good way to gain some. After the internship is done, the employer can decide if they want to hire you. NEVER think that you will get hired after you are done with your internship, on your free time you should be looking for other jobs or internships that you can work for after your previous internship is through. 

3 ways to use digital media:

Well the first thing I am going to talk about shouldn't be a surprise because everyone seems to be using it and that is social media. Build an internet presence for yourself. This is especially handy when your employer looks for you on the internet. They can look at all things you have done and make a judgement if you are right for their business. www.facebook.com, www.twitter.com, and www.linkedin.com are all great websites to start building your web presence. 

Another digital media tool that one could use would be blogging and especially blogging about the respective field of work that one wishes to work in. This will show an employer how dedicated you are to working in the industry but make sure you know what you are talking about because you don't want to come off as misinformed. Make sure if you have a blog to not keep it yourself. Try and get the blog out there on the internet so people can see it. The more people that see your blog the more likely you are going to get noticed and maybe offered a potential job. 

Another way of utilizing social media is doing a podcast. Once you have completed your podcast you can put a link for it on all your facebooks, twitters, and even your blog. People will have a one-stop shop for everything that is you and for everything that you care about. Podcasts are huge these days, and they even have awards for the best podcasts of the years, sort of like an Oscars for podcasts. Here is a good website to become more acquainted http://www.podcasting-tools.com/blog.htm,