By Mara Rosenbloom Photos by Nick Lerman Musicians throw around the term “the blues” a lot. Often there seems to be an assumption that we all know — and agree on — what that term means. In a jazz context, say, a jam session, if someone says, “let’s play a blues,” typically the only follow-up…
By Claude Johnson “Sweep picking” is a technique where the guitarist plays single notes on consecutive strings with a “sweeping motion” of the pick. While simultaneously using the fret hand to produce a specific series of notes, usually an “arpeggio.” Both hands are essentially performing these motions in unison, to achieve the particular desired effect of…
By Mike McDearmon In an era when music discovery spans so many technological channels, it’s about time we rethought what aspects of SEO are actually worth your effort and energy as a musician in 2016. The goal has always been to attract new fans to your music, but while almost everyone with an Internet connection uses…
A lot of musicians want to play colleges, but most don’t really know what that means. As someone who has played over 100 official university sponsored shows around the country, it’s a field I know quite intimately. From the schools surrounded by a hundred miles of corn to the those with 40,000 students located in…
By Coley Dennis of Maserati Athens is a microcosm unlike any other city I’ve ever seen — equal parts indie rock mecca, college party animal house, and football-obsessed mental ward. Yup, I’ve called this place home for 15 years. It’s a strange environment that only attracts the true slackers and let’s them thrive. If playing in…
By Sammy Wags Making a power trio, rock quartet, or any standard instrumental formation stand out in an ever growing crowd of great bands can be tough. Adding some subtle flavors and outside influences into the mix can be a great way to spice things up and give listeners something else to latch on to throughout…
By Briana Marela In many big cities, it can be hard to find someone who actually grew up there. As someone born and raised in Seattle I have seen it change quite a lot over the years, growing and morphing into the tech metropolis it is today. Though I will get nostalgic from time to time, and…
By The Phantastics Kansas City is very much a city that lives up to its state motto, the “Show Me State” — there’s a shell of skepticism, challenging you to present something impressive— but once you crack the outer shell, you will be enveloped by a very soft teddy bear of love. That’s what we have…
“We’re in an information overload… Just to be recognized you have to be more creative and do things in a way that people will talk about socially — online but also in the physical world. How do you become one of those things that people talk about?” – Scott Rodger (Arcade Fire’s manager) Your album…
By China Marsot-Wood What is it about live music that inspires me to do what I do — go out, after work, night after night to watch, and photograph, and listen to, and write about strangers playing music? It is a question I couldn’t answer immediately, so I’ll ask it differently. Why are musical events so important for…
