College Radio and Social Networking

So, I'm off to New York City tomorrow to attend the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) College Radio Conference. There will be lots of presentations and panels about the ins and outs of college, high school, community and low power radio. I'll be speaking on a panel about "Social Networking and College Radio" and would love to get your ideas about how your station is using social networking tools.

Does your station have pages on MySpace, Facebook, You Tube, imeem, Flickr, or others. Do you have a Twitter account? And who updates these pages and how often?

Do you think social networking tools like these are the best way to stay in touch with listeners and fans of your stations? Do you do in-person events too?

I also wonder if you take the time to monitor what people are saying about you in all of these venues? I just did a quick Twitter search for my station KFJC and saw some nice words from listeners digging the music. I also found some fun gossip when I searched for mentions of another station. And, as you might guess, plenty of people are posting tweets when they are annoyed by something that a DJ is saying or playing.

And, finally, is there a social network for college radio? There are various college radio groups out there (CMJ, IBS, CBI), regional college radio projects (Philadelphia College Radio Collective), and the private college radio message board Medium Rotation. Do you find a sense of community from any of these groups? Or are there others that I missed?

I'll definitely be recapping the conference and will let you know what everyone shares about social networking, but it would be cool to get a few ideas running here as well.

Radio Station Field Trip 11 - UC Berkeley's KALX

KALX Station Entrance

It's been a fun, but busy few weeks of visits to local college radio stations in the San Francisco Bay Area! On Thursday, February 26th I crossed the bridge over to the East Bay to check out what's going on at KALX, the station at University of California, Berkeley. Thanks so much to General Manager Sandra Wasson, Co-Music Director Casey Koon, and Operations Coordinator Erin Ruiz-Prunchak for taking the time to give me the grand tour and chat with me about the station.

KALX's 45th Anniversary 7"

Radio at Berkeley began in 1962 with the creation of carrier current station Radio KAL. The original board for KAL was built from a cigar box, which is on display in the KALX lobby. By 1967, KALX was officially born with their first broadcast over 90.7 FM. Over the years KALX has done a lot to document their history and their website even includes an archive of old charts from as far back as the 1960s. In honor of the station's 45th anniversary in 2007, staff put together a double 7" compilation featuring live recordings from their archives, including a live Talking Heads track from 1978.

KALX History on Display at Station

KALX relies on its large staff of volunteers to keep the station running smoothly. Everyone who volunteers at the station (whether on the air or not) is required to do at least 12 hours of work a month. Volunteers work across 11 different departments at the station, including music, sports, music library, public affairs, and others. Casey and Erin told me that at the monthly staff meetings there are often between 80 and 100 people in attendance (and that's just a portion of the entire staff of 250). Station managers meet weekly.

DJ "Disco Shawn" in On-Air Studio at KALX

Anyone (students, community members, faculty, staff, alumni) can volunteer at the station, but at least 50% of on-air DJs must be students. Sandra told me that it's "great in terms of diversity" to have a "broad range" of DJs across a "huge range of ages." She added that they always have a high school student or two on staff. KALX recruits heavily on campus, showing up at events and activity fairs in order to attract students to the station.

Part of the vinyl library at KALX

One must work at the station for at least 3 months before becoming eligible to start DJ training. Sandra told me that there are a limited number of spaces in the weekly training class, which lasts for 4 weeks. Following that, DJs sit in with an on-air DJ, take a test, and are then required to do 7 overnight shifts. A Program Review Committee (a rotating committee of folks with stints of 6 months to 1 year) is responsible for awarding shows to DJs. Erin pointed out that this type of set-up isn't always the case in college radio, where oftentimes one person (the Program Director) is responsible for awarding shows. Music DJs don't apply for a specific style of show since the station is all freeform.


Since shows are awarded for only one year, Erin said, "there's always room in the schedule" and that it "gives everyone a fair chance." Sandra added that this makes for a "vibrant, changing" airsound. Existing DJs can re-apply for shifts as well. Additionally, DJs are approved to fill in on specific time shifts throughout the day. On can move up the "sub list" (for example from midnight to 6am shifts to daytime shifts) by submitting an application to a separate "sub list" committee.

Board in On-Air Studio at KALX

Sandra guessed that maybe less than 10 people on the entire staff are long-time members of the staff, some for 20 years. She added that since KALX has changed so much over the years, she doesn't like to focus on the longevity of any one show or DJ.

KALX Program Schedule

The KALX schedule is a mixture of music, public affairs (including a variety of talk shows), news and sports programming with no specific blocks set aside for any one type of programming. Sandra said that she really likes the fact that all departments attend staff meetings and that music DJs regularly interact with news, sports and public affairs programmers while on the air, saying that it "makes for tighter connections" between staff members.

On-Air Studio at KALX

In terms of music, KALX prides itself on its freeform style of programming and according to the KALX website, "...every KALX DJ is encouraged to play a variety of musical styles and genres." Co-Music Director Casey is a senior at Berkeley and has been at KALX for 4 years. He said that their music philosophy is to "spread as much good music as possible" with a particular emphasis on hard-to-find and local music. He said they listen to everything that gets sent to them and add around 30 to 40 items a week. They do add vinyl (but no cassettes), with more 7"s being added than LPs. Right now Casey said they don't add digital releases right now, but hopefully in the future will be able to establish a system to do so. DJs are allowed to play digital music from their own computers and iPods as well.

A Portion of the Feature File of Recent Music Adds at KALX

Music DJs are required to play music from at least 3 different genres during their shift. Additionally, they are required to play 4 tracks an hour from the "feature" file, which includes recently reviewed music. An interesting thing that KALX does is that they have 2 categories within their feature file: Red Dot (for amazing music that will remain in the library forever) and Green Dot (for music that DJs might be on the fence about). During the period that music is in the "feature file," any DJ can make an argument for elevating Green Dot items to Red Dot status. If something remains in the Green Dot category, then it leaves the feature file after a month and is sold or donated.

Music Review Checklist

Additionally, the Music Department oversees a handful of genre-specific specialty music shows that take place from midnight to 1am. The Music Department decides on the types of shows to air and selects the DJs. Currently there are shows focused on electronic music, modern & avant classical, Americana, difficult music, metal, hip hop and jazz. KALX also has a live music show called KALX Live, that airs from 9 to Midnight on Saturdays.


They have a massive music library of over 80,000 records and CDs that is housed in a single locked room, off-limits to non-staff members. No recorded material can leave the station and the library is protected by an alarm as well. The station has been in their current space since 1995 and clearly a lot of care went into the design of the record library, as its spacious and well-organized. Sandra talked about how pleased they were to find one particular storage unit that holds 18,000 CDs in a 5 by 10 foot space. All the CDs are filed A to Z, with all genres filed together. The older vinyl library is still broken down by genre.

Amazing CD storage unit with rolling shelves that holds 18,000 CDs

KALX uses a digital system to play their promos and station IDs and 2 years ago they replaced their paper playlists with Radioactivity. Through Radioactivity, they are able to post real-time playlists with time stamps on their website, including a list of all the music played in the last 24 hours. Sandra pointed out that before going digital, it took 6 hours to create weekly charts.


Sandra told me that she's visited a number of college radio stations over the years and loves getting ideas from other stations. She worked at Rice University station KTRU when she was in college and later worked at KUSF. Additionally, KALX is part of the UC Radio Network (UCRN), a group of stations on University of California campuses that meets twice a year for a conferences at one of the member stations. I told her that I liked the idea of connecting with other stations and mentioned that when I first joined KFJC there was talk of a Bay Area College Radio Station picnic. Sandra filled me in on that, saying that someone from KUSF has actually put that together.

7" Library at KALX

Casey said that he also has friends at other stations, including UC Santa Cruz station KZSC and listens to KUSF. He told me that he definitely feels like he's part of a broader college radio community, especially because of KALX's participation in the UCRN conference every semester. He said, "it helps foster a nice sense of community" and has allowed him to see stations at UCLA, UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara. He also told me that the new University of California campus in Merced is starting up a radio station and that it's been great to share information with them and "brainstorm" and "give ideas."

KALX Co-Music Director Casey Koon

Erin added that KALX itself has a nice sense of community and that she really appreciates the diversity of the staff and thinks its beneficial to have a mix of students and non-students. Casey also pointed out that KALX DJs are an interesting group and are involved in the Bay Area arts scene in a number of ways.

Thanks again to everyone at KALX for a great tour. Up next will be a visit to San Jose State station KSJS.

Archival Carts at KALX

Previous Spinning Indie Radio Station Field Trips:

Field Trip to WECB at Emerson College
College Radio Field Trip 2 - Cal Poly's KCPR
College Radio Field Trip 3 - Notre Dame's WVFI
Radio Station Field Trip #4 - WFMU in Jersey City
Radio Station Field Trip 5 - East Village Radio in NYC
Radio Station Field Trip 6 - WNYU in New York City
Radio Station Field Trip 7 - Northwestern's WNUR
Radio Station Field Trip 8 - Stanford's KZSU
Radio Station Field Trip 9 - University of San Francisco's KUSF
Radio Station Field Trip 10 - Santa Clara University Station KSCU

Radio Station Field Trip 10 - Santa Clara University Station KSCU

Entrance to KSCU in Basement of Swig Hall

I've been sticking close to home lately, attempting to visit as many San Francisco Bay Area college radio stations as I can. On February 19, 2009, I traveled south to catch up with 2 of the Music Directors at Santa Clara University station KSCU. Over the years I've met a few folks who've DJ'd there, so it was fun to finally see the station in person. Thanks so much to Music Director Nicole Coxe and Assistant Music Director Sam Duarte for taking the time to speak with me about KSCU. Also a big thanks to DJ "E.O.," a long-time KSCU staff member, who gave me a bit of the low-down about the history of the station.


Located in the basement of the dormitory Swig Hall, thus the slogan, "The Underground Sound," KSCU would be impossible to find on campus if you didn't already know that it was there. There's no signage outside and the only real landmark is a big red flashing light atop the dorm building. Security on campus has been heightened recently, so any guests to the station need to be escorted in by a staff member. Like KUSF, KSCU is located at a private Jesuit University.

On-Air Studio at KSCU

According to E.O., a staff member and DJ (he does a dance/electronic/dark wave show now) at KSCU for 26 years, KSCU started in the mid-1970s, although campus radio at Santa Clara University has apparently been around for over 50 years in different forms (closed-circuit, etc.). E.O. told me that when he came to KSCU in the 1980s, the station only had 2 rooms and was located in a janitorial closet. Around 1985 the station expanded beyond the janitorial closet into a larger space in the basement thanks to their then-advisor.

The illustruous KSCU van!

E.O. had some great tales to tell about KSCU, including floods, power outages, a scandal involving the stolen KSCU van (rad! although it no longer exists, this is the first college station that I've heard of that had a van), and an incident in which a cockroach landed on a spinning record, causing it to skip.


Nicole has also been a long-time member of the station, joining when she was a senior in high school in 1999. She told me that she was aware of KSCU because she saw their presence at shows and knew that they were community-friendly. When she started, she said it was about 60% community members and 40% students at the station. She was Music Director from 2002 to 2004 and recently returned to the station. She mentioned that she was never actually a student at Santa Clara University.

Both Nicole and Sam talked about the value in having both student and non-student volunteers at the station. Although the General Manager is always a student, managers and DJs don't have to be.

Sam shows the paper playlists that KSCU DJs use

E.O, Nicole and Sam also swapped stories about famous KSCU alums, including musician Anya Marina, commercial DJ No Name (who used the same moniker at KSCU), Lex from Survivor Africa (and Frontier Wives) and the singer from Loquat (who was a DJ and GM).

Not only is the physical location of KSCU a bit removed, but their spot on the dial (103.3 FM) is unusual, in that it's a non-commercial station (50 watts) on the commercial band. It wasn't always that way, existing in the early years below 100 on the dial. I would guess this is both a blessing and a curse, as people seeking out non-commercial and college radio stations would be unlikely to find it if scanning the dial. Yet, commercial radio listeners might be more likely to run across KSCU. Sam mentioned that it's very common for people to call and request mainstream material, because they think it's a commercial station.


The station survives off of funding from the school and from paid public service announcements. I was told that KSCU used to do fundraisers, but that they stopped around 2006. When I asked more about funding, I was told that things have been cut from the budget, including trips to the annual CMJ Music Marathon in New York.

In terms of KSCU's role at the university, Nicole told me that they've enjoyed having events on campus, but that it's become increasingly difficult as the school has been reluctant to allow shows and events. KSCU had to cancel a planned Halloween event last year due to concerns from the school about student safety. Sam added that there have been break-ins on campus and that there is new heightened security and that the "view of non-students has gotten harsher." I asked if the fact that they are at a Jesuit university influences programming at all. Nicole said that in particular metal and hip hop shows have faced scrutiny over some of their content and they have had to step away from certain genres like dark, death metal after getting complaints.


Despite all of this, Nicole and Sam told me that a lot of new people are joining KSCU, many of them non-students and some from other college radio stations like KZSU. Nicole said that he appeal of KSCU for new DJs is that "it's so freeform" and that DJs are "generally allowed to play whatever they want." DJs are required to play 5 tracks an hour from their "clocks" (new adds) section. Music remains in "clocks" for 7 weeks and includes around a few hundred releases in a range of genres including electronic, rock, and hip hop. There are also specialty shows playing a range of sounds including blues, power pop, 1980s underground music, electronic, and reggae.

KSCU's Assistant Music Director Sam Duarte

Between 20 and 40 items are added to the music library every week, including some vinyl. Nicole said that they don't get as much vinyl as they used to and are increasingly getting sent digital-only releases, which they burn to CD and add to the library. Although it's not in place now, they're working on a digital library where they can house new digital releases for DJs to play. They don't play cassettes anymore, but Nicole said that when she started at the station there was still an 8-track player. She added that the majority of DJs are playing CDs on their shows, with some playing music from iPods and computers, and a small number (maybe 5) playing vinyl.


KSCU has a large music library, with a lot of vinyl (including a separate jazz library). Nicole said that they listen to everything that gets sent to them, including online submissions. They try to be "local-friendly," adding and supporting musicians from the area as much as possible. DJs are actually encouraged to play 2 local artists an hour on their shows. Within the music department there are also sub-genre directors handling electronic, blues, metal and hip hop.

Jazz Library

Since KSCU emphasizes adding non-commercial music that isn't being played on mainstream radio, I asked how they define "independent." Sam said she tends to focus on local artists and people who are struggling to get heard elsewhere and tends to put releases that look "pretentious" in a second opinion pile when deciding what to add to the station. Nicole added that it's difficult to figure out what's independent, as some releases are "masked" as indie, even though they are on a major label. She said that sometimes they will add major label releases, but just won't chart it. Nicole told me that once she was hassled for not adding a major label Beastie Boys release, but that she just didn't feel it was appropriate to add something that was charting on Billboard. Sam said that things have really changed, though, and that "indie is just a musical genre." Nicole agreed, pointing out, "The '90s indie is no more." Sam added that truly independent artists are still a primary focus, saying, "We still want to promote label-less bands."


I was told that one of the challenges at KSCU is attracting enough volunteers to the station. Many time slots are vacant and when I was there I witnessed this myself, as one DJ left and stuck a Depeche Mode compilation in the CD player on repeat as the fill-in DJ. Nicole said, "it's sad that it's gotten to that point," where they have to put CDs on repeat when there's no DJ. Nicole said their number one priority has to do with recruiting and retaining DJs. They are actively trying to recruit new DJs and each time I've listened to the station recently I've heard the on-air DJ making an announcement about how one can join the station. In order to become a KSCU DJ, one is required to do a certain amount of volunteer work (reviewing music, attending monthly staff meeting, etc.) before becoming eligible for DJ training. It's typically 2 to 3 weeks of on-air training and then one is allowed to apply for a shift the following quarter or begin subbing for shows right away. Sam told me that the current staff is about 50/50 between students and non-students, with more a majority of managers being students and a majority of DJs being from the community (or alums).

Flyer for upcoming KSCU off-campus shows

Nicole told me that one area where there is a lot of energy at the station is in promotions. They are doing lots of ticket giveaways for shows and are also putting on events off-campus by either co-presenting shows at local clubs like the Blank Club and co-presenting "Midnight Movies" at the Camera Cinemas in San Jose. A KSCU DJ is also doing live music shows at an arcade in San Jose called Nickel City. Nicole and Sam both talked about how the South Bay has been lacking in music venues and that they often get creative about places to host events, especially since they tend to have younger listeners and strive to have all-ages shows. Nicole mentioned that they used to do Listener Appreciation parties and even held one at a thrift store and had the punk band Discount (singer from the Kills) play.


We talked about the college radio community in the San Francisco Bay Area and Nicole told me that in 2005 there was a KSCU vs. KSJS basketball tournament. She said she'd like to do more things like that, where stations are interacting. Sam added that with "college stations suffering...it's cool to pull together...with other stations." Sam added that KSCU feels separated from the school and other organizations on campus since they are located in a dorm basement, saying that it often feels like they are a "lone ranger." For that reason, she was excited about the possibility of connecting more with other college stations in the area and sharing "friendly advice," saying "it would be great to have a community."

Nicole and Sam added that they do have a community of long-time listeners, but still need to work to get their name out there. Nicole added that the availability of music online has hurt the music scene, saying that people used to go to shows to learn about new music and would hear opening bands and music they'd never heard before. She said that she used to go to the Cactus Club every week to see shows, like The Donnas, Toilet Boys. Sam agreed that she loved seeing live music and that today there are "so many bands" on MySpace that it's "hard to get close to them." She said that she'd like to host a local music show and have bands come to the station to play on it. KSCU does have musicians performing live at the station now, including a lot of hip hop acts.


Both Sam and Nicole talked about the closeness of the staff and sense of community within KSCU, with Nicole saying, "The people that are involved at KSCU are all very personable and just warm, we really are a big giant family. Most of my great friends I met through KSCU, including my boyfriend..." Sam said that "it would be cool to have more people hanging out at the station" as she really enjoys being around the station and having great conversations about music.

Thanks again to everyone at KSCU for a fun visit. Up next will be a recap of my visit to UC Berkeley station KALX.


Previous Spinning Indie Radio Station Field Trips:

Field Trip to WECB at Emerson College
College Radio Field Trip 2 - Cal Poly's KCPR
College Radio Field Trip 3 - Notre Dame's WVFI
Radio Station Field Trip #4 - WFMU in Jersey City
Radio Station Field Trip 5 - East Village Radio in NYC
Radio Station Field Trip 6 - WNYU in New York City
Radio Station Field Trip 7 - Northwestern's WNUR
Radio Station Field Trip 8 - Stanford's KZSU
Radio Station Field Trip 9 - University of San Francisco's KUSF

Industry Noise Conference Recap

Awaiting the Panelists at Industry Noise
February 27, 2009

Yesterday I attended the first Industry Noise conference in San Francisco. Put on by the folks at Noise Pop along with the Bandwidth Music Technology Conference, it was a full-day event full of keynotes and panel discussions about the music business.

Although this was billed as the first "Industry Noise," event, Noise Pop has been holding educational sessions under a variety of names, with a range of themes and sponsors since 2000, when they debuted the Noise Pop Educational Series. The inaugural 2000 event featured a really cool line-up of free panels at the Make-Out Room on a Saturday afternoon, with artists like John Darnielle, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields and John Vanderslice along with folks from the business side of the music industry. Panels have taken place every year since, except for a break in 2005. I've been most years, and every year it's been exciting to see musician and journalist heroes (John Doe, Allison Wolfe of Bratmobile, Smog's Bill Callahan, Ann Powers, Greil Marcus, etc.) chat about music. Last year I covered the 2008 event.

What makes this year different, is that it was a much longer day of panels at a weekday event. Some panels were concurrent with others, so there were many more discussions to check out this time around. Also, for the second time ever (In 2006 it was $20 for a weekend of panels), there was a fee for the sessions ($150 for industry types, $50 for students).

For most of the day radio and the music industry got a bad rap. Especially in light of the current economic times, there was a lot of gloom and doom about how the industry will never be the same. Yet, at the same time there were artists throughout the day who emphasized that what really matters is the passion behind the music and clearly many of them are still very devoted to their craft.

Keynote with Fat Mike of NOFX and Fat Wreck Chords

Fat Mike's Keynote Conversation

The day began with a keynote conversation with Fat Mike, of punk band NOFX and record label Fat Wreck Chords. As an owner of an indie label, he gave some perspective about how he thinks indies are positioned to survive in the future. He admitted that "it's tough to sell records now...especially to kids," but argued that he thinks that independent labels "...are going to survive a lot easier than the majors." Mike went on to discuss what it's like to be an artist in an era when there's so much information online about everyone and everything. He said that he didn't think that people should know bands as well as they know them today, and said that he missed the "mystique" surrounding artists before the Internet came along. This theme was echoed throughout the day, as many panelists wondered about the negative side effects of having every detail of one's life documented online.

Fat Mike said that his label still produces vinyl, but lamented the cost of producing vinyl records and the fact that it's getting harder to sell it again. He said that he was a fan of independent record stores and reminisced about discovering new bands at Rhino Records when he was young. He also said that in his youth he discovered new music on radio, citing commercial station KROQ. Yet, when asked about college radio he said, "I haven't listened to college radio in 25 years." When asked why he stopped listening, he said that the stations often didn't say what they were playing. He admitted his love for now-gone Radio Free Hawaii.

Mike ending his keynote talking about the importance of staying true to oneself as an artist. He said that doesn't focus on an image or what his fans want, but instead thinks that musicians should work to be "really good...and touch people." He argued, "You don't want to know whta fans want. Fuck the fans...Knowing what your audience wants? You're dead...We're not doing commissions here...." He continued, saying that they are putting out the art that they want to put out. He didn't discount fans entirely, saying, "I appreciate them."

Next Big Thing Panel on Future of Record Labels

David Krinsky (Rhapsody), Jordan Kurland (Zeitgeist Artist Mgmt.),
Aaron Axelsen (Live 105),
Greg Werckman (Ipecac), and Cheryl Kovalchik (RCA)

The second panel was moderated by commercial radio DJ and Music Director Aaron Axelsen of Live 105 (who was also on a Noise Pop panel last year) and focused mainly on the role of record labels and commercial radio. There were representatives from both indie and major labels on the panel and a theme that they raised was that the distinction between major and indie is of little interest to most people. Greg of indie label Ipecac Recordings said, "I don't like using the term independent and major," arguing that there's so much cross-over and that "real people don't care" what label something is on. Jordan Kurland of Zeitgeist Artist Management (and Noise Pop) agreed, saying that a "small community of people care" about the label that something is on and that the difference between indies and majors is really just the role of the artist and what the artist wants from their label.

Aaron talked a bit about his role as Music Director at Live 105, saying that he gets sent 500 CDs a week. Although he has indie roots (from working in college radio, indie record stores, and at an indie label), he is responsible for programming a mass audience of 600,000 to 700,000 listeners. He said that he relies on audience research and has learned that, "Most people are afraid of new music." Despite that, he does try to introduce new music on his station and likened it to "getting a 4 year old to eat broccoli" by putting cheese on it and surrounding it by familiar things like Red Hot Chili Peppers. He said that it's a "...precarious balance" to "cater to the masses" while also introducing new bands into the mix.

Jordan talked about how 10 years ago people heard about new bands from friends, local papers, and from local college radio stations like KALX and KUSF, but that now something as simple as "one...review in Pitchfork...can change everything."

Cheryl Kovalchik from RCA mentioned that one of their current acts, Audrye Sessions, was signed in large part because of radio play on a local music show on Live 105. Greg Werckman of indie label Ipecac Recordings, however, had a much more jaded view of radio, saying, "to play the game in press and radio you have to have money." Others disagreed, with Aaron saying that radio play alone won't break an artist and that labels need to also work to market their artists.

What Happens in Vegas... Panel about Image Management

Lawyer Owen Seitel, Vanessa Burt (Mutiny PR/Fat Wreck Chords),
Michele Flannery (You Tube), and David Downs (writer)

After lunch (during which time people could sign up for mentoring sessions) there was a panel about how to control and manage an artist's image in an online world. Panelists shared tips about tracking and managing one's press and image online, such as signing up for Google Alerts and creating your own artist channel and musician account on You Tube. Lawyer Owen Seitel said that artists need to understand "what's being said about you" and acknowledged that people are leading increasingly "transparent lives" with Twitter, blogs, MySpace, Facebook, etc.

If Techies Rules the World/If Artists Ruled the World

Corey Denis, Greg Sandoval (CNET), Bryan Kehoe (Kehoe Nation), Goh Nakamura (singer songwriter), and David Hyman (Mog)

On this panel, artists and music technology folks shared their perspectives on the intersection of the digital world and music. David Hyman of Mog argued that there's "almost too much" music on the web and wondered how people sift through it all. Reapandsow's Corey Denis pointed out that people need filters and that "music fans are the best filters now." She said that profiles on social networks like MySpace, Facebook and Mog can be effective "filters for music." Corey was a champion for technology, arguing that all bands should bring in a digital person to help create and maintain the band's online presence. She said she didn't see much value in radio promotion anymore, saying, "traditional radio [is] pretty much dying" and that she wouldn't spend money to promote a band to radio, adding, "maybe college radio...Maybe."

Keynote Conversation with Lou Barlow and Bob Mould

Celia Hirschman interviews Bob Mould and Lou Barlow

The coolest part of the day was the closing keynote featuring two indie music idols: Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, Folk Implosion) and Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar). They chatted with moderator Celia Hirschman about their careers in music and how they are currently using technology to connect with fans. Lou Barlow talked a lot about how his approach to creating his website LooBieCore was similar to the DIY ethos of his early days in the hardcore music community. He said that he thinks hyperlinks an amazing way to share favorite bands and likened it to the kinds of conversations that used to happen a hardcore shows, when people found out about music by word of mouth.

Bob Mould started his blog in 2004 and said that before that he was a "pretty private person," but that the blog got him to start writing again and got him back into writing music, which was a "lifesaver." Lou Barlow agreed that his website had a similar effect, saying, "I was at a real low...wasn't really writing songs," but that the website actually motivated him to write songs so that he could post them to the site. He said that like cassette culture, "the immediacy is there." Bob concurred, saying that the excitement he gets when hitting "publish" on his blog "is like that old feeling."

When asked about the term "indie," Bob said, "it's a word that became marketable." He also argued that in the 1980s the music was really bad and that "there wasa real reason to rebel." Kids worked hard against that, creating smaller scenes and booking their own shows to hear the music they loved. He said that by 1991 with the success of Kurt Cobain it felt like "we won...there's your indie rock."

Both Bob and Lou said that they love new music. Lou pointed out, "A lot of people just complain about new music... [and] fetishize...early '90s stuff," but he argued that "New music is good." Bob added that when you "hear new music...[you] get refreshed...for the creative soul that's important."


They also returned to the theme of the vast amount of music available online. Bob said that now one can find so much music and if you don't want it, you just "drag [an] icon into the trash." He said that kind of "shows the value attached to it" today, that it's disposable. He compared it to the past when "there was a physicality to it," such that it was a big deal to move into a new place and haul all of your records. Today, he said, "you move your phone."

All in all, an interesting day of panels with some provocative discussions about the intersection between art and commerce. As always, the most inspiring points were made by musicians pointing out their love for the art and their optimism that music will continue to play an important role in peoples' lives, even if the industry is going through tough times right now.

Noise Pop Begins with Sold Out Shows and Wine Pairings

Mountain Goats (solo) at Swedish American Hall, San Francisco
February 25, 2008

Noise Pop 2009 launched in San Francisco on Tuesday, with a crazy number of shows, films, and related events. Festivities began for me last night at the sold-out solo Mountain Goats show (aka John Darnielle) at the Swedish American Hall. It was such a civilized way to start off my 2009 Noise Pop experience as it was an early (7:30pm) seated show in an intimate venue.

John Darnielle's peformance last night was amazing. He's a charming and witty entertainer, singing intense songs and sharing both heart-breaking and hilarious tales from his childhood throughout the show. I've been a fan for years (and perhaps was even in the audience at the Thirsty Swede during the first San Francisco Mountain Goats show ever, which Darnielle referenced last night), and it finally struck me last night that what sets Mountain Goats apart from the singer-songwriter masses is Darnielle's biting lyrical content and his powerful vocal delivery, which at times verges on yelling. He's simply captivating and it was a treat to be in the audience last night and hear his lovely songs.

In addition to the music, at the show folks from Wente Vineyards were on hand in the bar area, sharing tales about their project "Discover the Wine, Discover the Music." Their winemaker is about to embark on travels around the country chatting up his indie rock/wine pairings, with trips to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and South by Southwest. Noise Pop was sort of their launch event. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the whole concept, but it's definitely an intriguing idea. After listening to Mountain Goats, winemaker Karl Wente chose 2 wines to pair with the music. A news blurb on the Noise Pop website says, "John Darnielle is like your favorite cashmere sweater-- the one that has a few holes, but you love & wear it no matter-- classic, yet 100% one-of-a-kind. Our Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon and Louis Mel Sauvignon Blanc are both classic varietals of the Bordeaux..."

Wow. Sipping wine at Noise Pop. What a change from the early Noise Pop days of beers and free afternoon BBQ at Bottom of the Hill! What do you think about pairing wine with music? Do you associate particular beverages with certain bands or songs? What would you drink while listening to Mountain Goats? A brooding Pinot Noir? A funky Cab blend? Or maybe a cheap beer and a shot of whiskey?

Tomorrow I'm heading to the full-day "Industry Noise" event to hear all about the role of indie rock and indie performers in the changing music industry. Recap to follow.

Recession Hits Indie Label Touch & Go

I'm reading some mixed accounts today about changes taking place at prominent independent record label Touch & Go. They're reducing staff, cutting off their production and distribution deals with indie labels, and will stop releasing new music (for the time being). According to a CMJ piece today:

"Following online rumors, long-time indie mainstay Touch & Go has confirmed that it will cease releasing new albums and become a catalog only label. The Chicago label that that has produced seminal albums from Slint, the Jesus Lizard, Big Black, TV On The Radio, Shellac and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and later garnering fame for its losing copyright lawsuit over a "handshake" deal with the Butthole Surfers, has met its demise after nearly 30 years. The label, who's recent roster includes Ted Leo, the Uglysuit and All The Saints had seen financial trouble amidst a difficult economy and a decline in record sales.

Promotion for new acts such as Sholi and Mi Ami, who both released their debut albums today, will be kept up for a short time as not to leave the new bands without a paddle. The label is expected to go catalog-only, however, the distribution side has been shut down and the label will not produce new music. An unspecified number of layoffs will occur."

An article on Pitchfork clarifies that Touch & Go is actually hoping to release new music again in the future and also will still produce some projects already in the works. The article states:

"It's a very, very sad day for indie rock. One of America's foremost independent record labels, Touch and Go Records, has announced that they will no longer release new music.

They have also shuttered their distribution arm, which manufactured and brought to market releases for labels like Merge, Kill Rock Stars, Drag City, Suicide Squeeze, Flameshovel, Jade Tree, and Post Present Medium.

From Big Black and Shellac to Butthole Surfers and the Jesus Lizard, from Dirty Three and Pinback to Ted Leo and TV on the Radio, from Calexico to the Mekons to Slint, Touch and Go nurtured the careers of so many bands that served as backbones for indie rock. They even boasted a promising crop of new bands, with recent releases from Crystal Antlers, Mi Ami, All the Saints, and Sholi.

Crystal Antlers' Tentacles, slated for release on April 7, will still come out. They also plan to go through with a series of Jesus Lizard reissues in August, as well as a Jesus Lizard 7" box set release for Record Store Day..."

I'm sure the ramifications of this announcement will be huge and I hope that the indie labels that Touch & Go works will be OK. It's pretty scary to see the economy taking its toll on indie culture, so please do what you can to help support these bands and labels.

Noise Pop Next Week in San Francisco

As a long-time attendee, I'm pretty excited to be hitting this year's Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco next week. Since its humble beginnings (it began with one $5 show at the Kennel Club in 1993), Noise Pop has expanded in length and scale over the years. I first went in 1994, when it cost $15 for an all-access pass to 3 nights of shows at Bottom of the Hill. The 2009 edition (February 24th to March 1st) is much more elaborate with a variety of music-related events, including shows, lectures, films, art and panel discussions taking place all over San Francisco.

Over the years, I've been to a bunch of cool panel discussions during Noise Pop. These daytime conversations typically happened at music venues or bars like Noe Valley Ministry, the Makeout Room, and 12 Galaxies. This year the day-long session, Industry Noise, is a bit more formalized than in prior years, focusing on indie music, technology and the changing music industry. It happens on Friday, February 27th at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco. Keynote speakers and panelists include Fat Mike from NOFX and Fat Wrek Chords, Lou Barlow, Bob Mould, Penelope Houston, and others. In terms of radio, Aaron Axelsen, Music Director of commercial radio station Live 105 will be moderating a panel about "The Next Big Thing," which will delve into the role of major labels in the music business today.