Daytrotter Unveils New Design, Live Listening
One day, if there is any justice in this world, Daytrotter will have an entire room at the Smithsonian. I truly believe that Sean Moeller’s contribution to music is every bit as significant as the museum’s non-profit record label Folkways. With each passing day, and subsequent recording, Daytrotter moves closer to cementing itself as a living, breathing library of modern music.
Daytrotter began with a single mission: Record one band a day, every day, then give it away. It sounds so simple, but when one factors in the sheer magnitude of this mission it becomes maddening. At the time of this writing, 1321 artists have stopped by The Horseshack studio. Every post includes original artwork, Moeller’s writing and at least four tracks. When you include multiple appearances, the number of “sessions” grows exponentially. This volume of work is staggering.
The Horseshack is located in the abysmal, albeit convenient, armpit of Illinois that is Rock Island. Part of the Quad Cities, Rock Island is one of a handful of industrial towns straddling the Mississippi River at the Iowa-Illinois border. For decades, the city’s lifeblood has remained Rock Island Arsenal: the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing facility in the United States. Not exactly a hotbed of creativity.
Nonetheless, Moeller’s decision to make the Quad Cities the home of his burgeoning enterprise proved a critical one. Interstates 74, 80, 88 and 280 all converge here, along with nearly a dozen Illinois state highways. Thus creating a hub for travelers headed to every corner of the continent. As such, Daytrotter found itself a welcome stop for bands looking to break up the grueling voyage across the country. While we may not know about the Quad Cities without Daytrotter, we can be certain that we would not know about Daytrotter without the Quad Cities.
Yesterday, the website unrolled its latest redesign. Along with an updated look and more intuitive functionality, Daytrotter announced an exciting new feature: live listening. For a small price, listeners can now stream sessions as they are being recorded. Just when you thought the site couldn’t possibly get any sweeter, it did. For years I have dreamt longingly of a life as a fly on the wall of The Horseshack. Now, that opportunity is mine.
Another change involves subscriptions. Daytrotter’s free downloads will not be available for much longer. The site is moving toward a $2/month subscription fee. This is a small price to pay for 365 artists and 1300+ songs per year. Not to mention, I would rather pay two dollars than have my listening experience interrupted with annoying ads like many other free music services.
For those that have yet to visit Daytrotter, you may think that I am over-selling yet another music blog. I promise you, without a shred of doubt, that my words can not begin to do justice to the greatness that is this musical juggernaut. My only hope is that the site will outlive everyone that stumbles upon this post. Daytrotter is an invaluable institution. To all those whose daily grind makes our enjoyment possible, we are forever indebted. Thank you.
Written by Rob Peoni
The Age of Engagement with Musicians Through Social Media Platforms
Some bands just have it. These bands understand their market and strategically find ways to expand their brands. I believe we are seeing an unbelievable movement occur within the independent music scene. The bands that thrive and escape the one-and-done album lifecycle are those that truly own every element of their band. The good ones are true entrepreneurs and continue to find ways to make themselves interesting to us. They collaborate with their audiences and gather feedback to improve. We are experiencing the engagement era of the independent music scene. They are marketers and their product is the sound that transmits from a myriad of both traditional and unconventional instruments (i.e. guitar, bass guitar, drums, horns, synths, maracas, turntables, violins, cellos, beat box, harmonica, jazz flute, loop machine, and recorder). They provide the beat and then take the time to ask us how it felt.
We have seen bands build their brands out by using easily accessible free tools such as Twitter and Facebook. Wavves, Best Coast , Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Tyler the Creator have grown in popularity by communicating with their audiences. They understand the power that social media can provide and they are capitalizing on all of its projecting strengths.
Case in point:
RT @thefader: The FADER FORT by FIAT NYC lineup: @LIVELOVEASAP @wavveswavves @PURITY_RING @XDannyXBrownX +EVERYONE http://bit.ly/nwKfWO
This was a RT (retweet for non-social media users) by Wavves this week promoting their CMJ Showcase. The RT of the venue / promoter is a common move by engagement driven bands. A simple click of a button can drive more people to the door. I will bet my bottom dollar that this got the attention of a few Hipsters in NYC that saw this and said to themselves “Oh shit, Wavves is in town. I have something to do tonight”. I am thrilled writing this and finally sharing some of my observations with the readers of this blog. My other favorite part about Wavves front man, Nathan Williams, and his use of social media is that he builds off of the engagement. Another tweet he sent was so easy, but so thoughtful.
“Who’s coming to fader fort tonight?”
Williams not only chooses to promote his show, but opts to engage with his audience. This is so awesome and is a perfect display of someone who just gets it. Williams also lets his fans into his life of drug use, partying, and random whacky thoughts. I have never met Williams, but I know exactly who he is and this man is a character that I find interesting. He likes to party, write radical music, and eat at Applebees. I will always pay attention to him and always buy his records because he has earned this loyalty. An owner who is himself…and he creates pretty kick ass music.
These bands are allowing all of us to understand who they truly are and what they do when they are not behind the microphone. It is amazing that 146 characters can project as much power as a live show these days. An @ mention from a band you love truly makes a fan feel special. They are really out there, they are real people, they care enough to thank me for promoting their show. This is cool and causes me to build a special allegiance with these engagement-driven bands. It does not matter what musical direction they decide to turn to with their next album because I will automatically accept it. I trust them because they allow me to engage and connect with their vision. This is tremendously exciting not only for me, but it is also thrilling to these bands who are on a tight budget searching for easy promotional resources.
Here is my story:
One of my favorite independent band’s Hooray for Earth came through Indianapolis this Saturday night as the supporting act for Cymbals Eat Guitars. I was an early adopter of Hooray for Earth as they caught my attention when they released their six-song EP Momo in 2009. This band did a fantastic job of using social media to keep their audience engaged and after releasing their full-length True Loves, in June of this year, I was hooked. They are such a cool band and are a prime example of a band that finds as much value in their instruments as they do with social media. Noel Heroux is an incredibly fascinating visionary that displays his inner creative genius with his fans through many channels of communication. Heroux & Co. did an absolutely amazing job during their stop in Indianapolis. They verified everything that I thought about them because they had already built that impression with me via their Twitter account.
I left the White Rabbit Cabaret convinced on two fronts. This band rules as much as I thought because they sound incredible live and they are authentic. They truly care about building a relationship with their fan base.I was truly humbled after their set. I was sitting at the bar enjoying a Kentucky Lexington Bourbon Ale (which is perhaps the most fantastic brew I have had in ages – I am serious, if you are a beer drinker you MUST try this) when Heroux stepped off of the stage and approached me. He thanked me for using social media to pump them up and drive traffic to the show. He went on to tell me that he truly appreciated Indianapolis’ scene and fans. He felt a special energy in the room that night, people were connected with his vision. He gave me one of the best compliments I have received since I started promoting the music I love. Heroux told me that bands like Hooray for Earth could use another couple thousand people like me. This was an absolute honor for me. He gave me the opening to stay in touch and it is my greatest hope that I can continue to engage with amazing people like the guys from Hooray for Earth.
I tried to remain cool during this chat, but found myself playing the role of fan by the end of the conversation. I told Heroux that “No Love” was in contention for song of the year for me because it had an outstanding energy. I asked him what it was about and his response was fantastic. He attempted to piece together different reasons and themes for why the song was written and what it meant, but at the end of the day the song was just instinct. This song now has become not only my favorite song of the year, but an “indiegnma” (word I just created: noun, An authentic, good song in the independent scene that leaves you a bit puzzled). I left knowing less of what I thought the song was about, but I feel like I have gained so much more. This was truly a compelling dynamic.
I am so passionate about creating more stories like this that I have been working on a start-up company called IndiEngage (follow us on twitter @IndiEngage). This is a start-up company for start up fans and bands. My vision is to create an online interactive community for like-minded individuals to collaborate, influence, and be scene! I am spending a tremendous amount of work connecting with fans, bands, and promoters to help bring my vision to life.Saturday night was not just a routine night of attending a concert. Saturday night was an experience. I am hoping to build a unique unity during this new engagement era. I want more people to experience these experiences. Who knows how long it is gong to last and where it is going to go? What I do know is that I want it to blindly take me for a ride and then strategically build engagement with this time. I am happy that I have a good band to reach out to when this thing goes live. Hooray for Music, Hooray for Engagement, Hooray for Earth.
Written by Brett McGrath
Thought on Tracks 
Why I Love Vinyl: A Collector’s Confession
The Dig
I have been a collector my entire life. You name it: baseball cards, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, starting lineups, wrestling figures, ticket stubs, etc. In many instances I have taken this collector’s mentality to ultra-obsessive measures. I am completely aware that this is self-incriminating, but during the seventh year of my life I had my mother scour the aisles for over a year to find me The Nasty Boys tag team dual pack from Hasbro. I would not stop until the Nasty’s were mine. Ten months passed and with the help of a dedicated mother my gems were found at Children’s Palace (now Best Buy). Looking back, this was the collector’s pinnacle in my life. So much hard work, I should haven given them the tag team titles, started reading books and ended this sick obsession right there. Unfortunately, those are not the next steps of a self-diagnosed addict.
Music has always been my first and most important obsession. I give my dad credit for this. When I was a youth we would listen to the oldies radio station and he would always name the song, band, and year of any song that were to blast through the ’88 Oldsmobile factory speakers. My dad’s obsessive attention to historical detail made me think that this was how everyone was supposed to be introduced to music. Knowing that Spiral Starecase’s “More Today Than Yesterday” was the best one-hit wonder of 1969 at age 12 was normal, right?
My obsessive compulsive relationship with music coupled with my collecting, for many years, caused me to refrain from starting to collect vinyl. It was like opening the door of the local brewery on free sample day to a broke, deadbeat, recovering alcoholic. My dad enabled. He offered me his collection with the understanding that they would not be sold. The downward spiral into the deep, dark, grooves of the record began.
My dad’s collection was the fantastic beginning to my digging journey. Chicago, Beach Boys, America, Barbara Streisand, The Guess Who, The Grass Roots, early disco, Motown, I could not ask for a better foundation. I took these 70+ records and decided to build a vinyl skyscraper that I hope is never finished.
I love digging for vinyl because it is always an experience. If you are a dedicated digger, then you have the opportunity to discover something as rare as the Nasty Boys every trip. I love that most record stores give you the chance to dig through boatloads of 99 cent bins. Sure, a bad back and sore knees might result but it is completely worth it when you are on a mission. The justification for buying new releases on vinyl is elementary. It gives you a tangible item, cool sleeves, and a digital download along with your purchase. Why would you buy Dum Dum Girls latest release ‘Only in Dreams’ on iTunes when you can get a kick ass record along with it?
Playing a record is more intimate. All my attention is focused on the artist and their songs when I am spinning. Listening to songs in iTunes has become the norm in this new listening era. While it is convenient, easy, and the shuffle feature is fun, it does not completely suck me into the artist’s work like vinyl. The digital listening experience is flawed because of that very convenience and functionality. We are an impatient society and iTunes makes it to easy to expose this human flaw. The skip, shuffle, and search features enable us to enjoy what we already know we like, however, it does not challenge us to explore new listening opportunities. Listening to a 12″ LP forces us to hear it all. This is why I love vinyl.
This forced engagement has given me an expensive, but satisfying new hobby. I knew my addiction was in full force when I stepped off a U.S. Airways jet in LaGuardia airport. Instead of looking for directions to my hotel I pulled out my iPhone and searched “record stores + Manhattan.” My initial experience in the Big Apple was not visiting Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, or visiting my hotel. No, it was spent walking 30 blocks to a store to talk and buy records. John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, I needed this record. I needed it not because it was one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, but because I needed to bring back a piece of NYC with me. Vinyl currency is always the most valuable. Thank you Academy Records & CDs. You guys were great and feel free to reach if you ever follow through on your planned excursion to Richmond, Indiana.
A collector will always be a collector. I have met new friends, expanded my musical interests, and enjoyed many lonely nights since I began collecting records. While it can be an expensive obsession it rewards the listener. Why not pay for something that will last forever? If you’re on the fence I would recommend you to hop over to the other side. The hours will pass along with the soreness in your knees, and the grooves will get you. The recovery from your new nasty addiction will not be easy. I’m okay with being your enabler. Jump in.
Written by Brett McGrath