Another fine AIM sponsored event hit London town this week gone. AIM, of course, is the umbrella organisation for indie labels, of which we are part. They hold networking events for owners of indie labels. I go to a fair few. It’s good to mingle. This week’s episode was about synching music to ads, film, TV and whanot.

Running an indie label? Ever get that sinking feeling…? It got me a laugh or two on the night.

Very excellent presentations on how the synching thing works. A lot of times, it would appear, deals get done because a deal has to get done by end of play Friday. Those who are quick to clear the rights get the deals. Puts an indie in an advantageous position over a major. We may not have Coldplay, but we can clear our shit quicker than the major can call everyone whose permission is needed at their end. Makes sense.

In a world where top down advertising, like TV ads and passive ads in the press, is losing its effectiveness advertisers are increasingly looking for ways to create daily on-line experiences around their brands. It’s much like a band is deemed to have to blog incessantly about what it’s doing. So do brands have to create a daily, personal relationship with their customers. In doing all this, they need lots of music. New music. Now. All the time. They need new things to tie in with what they’re doing. That’s where indies can come in, providing music, band tie ins and so on.

Of course, with so much great music being made all the time the chances of getting heard are slim and none. And Slim is outta town…

The good news is that people are listening, contantly searching for new sounds and vibes. G-g-g-get out and push!

There was a listening session during which a panel of music supervision experts listened to and commented on a selection of tunes submitted by my fellow AIM members. The idea put forward was that there is no such thing as “really well synchable music”. Anything is synchable, as long as the circumstances are right.

It’s like this: all ideas are good. It’s just a matter of timing and circumstances. So, you’ve been on tour for 12 weeks. The money’s been good and you’ve got a few days off. At that point it’s perfectly acceptable to exclaim with all possible gusto “let’s hire a convertible, buy some acapulco shirts and hit the road with a bunch of loose women and a trunk full of good gear”. The idea will get a great reception. If it won’t, perhaps it’s time to reconsider the other guys’ attitudes.

But if you’re sitting in an accountancy meeting at 10.30 am on a Monday, this idea is unlikely to get a favourable reception. Then again, your accountant may be a drug crazed party animal. In which case, you may have an answer as to why your finances are suffering.

Back to music.

We heard some very cool music. I got this feeling that there are very cool labels out there putting out all this wonderful great eclectic music. They sure as hell won’t get played on R1, but it’s all legit stuff. We, here at the ‘Farm, tend to like artists that write current, edgy popular music. I’m a big fan of old obscure Cuban stuff and, for example, Django Reinhardt’s work, but I’m not that keen on putting that kind of music out. I like to live in the modern domain.

But these labels who put out all these spectacular rarities are doing good biz in the synch game. I occurred to me that there really is a market for everything out there. You’ve just got to find your niche. For instance, if you like doing jazzy piano ballads, what is the point of complaining that Camden indie venues don’t want to give you gigs? No shit, Sherlock! Consider going to a wine bar, maybe a hotel lobby. Tell them that you should be doing a residency, playing a selection of fine tunes in that genre. Slip in originals. If they’re any good, they will go unnoticed. If they stick out like a sore thumb, maybe you should write some better tunes before inflicting them on the buying public.

Similarly, if your music doesn’t fill a need at commercial radio, why hire a plugger to try and get it in there? Why not look for alternative means of getting your wares heard? They exist.

It was quite an exciting evening, actually. Eye opening, one might say. My favourite bit was when this Amerian dude on the panel talked about his work in creating soundtracks for video games. He said that he will pay around $3-5k for an unknown rock band, but to get Van Halen will cost him ten times as much. At the mention of the name, I let out a subtle ”whoa!”. People around me looked at me with confusion. Later on, when it was time to mingle, I approached the guy thanking him for mentioning the mighty VH. Turned out he was a massive fan. We bonded heavily, talking about deep cuts off the second album. Again, people around me looked on with confusion.

Esteban’s new single is gathering airplay across the island.

Violet Bones’ single is out now

Last but not least, here’s the New Band Plug Of The Week: Footsteps And Voices

Peace and Love.
V.
PS. I think I’m personally responsible for a small yet quantifiable resurgence in the popularity of squash. I bang on about how great the game is to everyone I meet. Lo and behold, I’ve been receiving messages from people in my life saying that they’ve taken up the greatest game known to man. Well done! Rock!
PSS. Most of the people I come into daily contact with are involved in the art or business of making music. So, it was very funny when the other day I came into contact with someone who was an engineer in the metal industry. I asked him which metal bands he engineers for. The look of confusion on his face was priceless.