I love words. I love special, unique, words. I love the kind of words that you don’t hear anymore. It’s not destiny that brought us together — it’s kismet. The right word, used the right way,…

Like nearly every gay man and housewife in America (and Canada…), I watched Heated Rivalry. For those who aren’t aware, it’s a gay coming-of-age story set between two major league hockey players. What sets this show…

So Trump won. Prior to his “victory,” he was ranting and raving about the election fraud that was running rampant. The second he won, it was a fair election. Amazing how that works. Meanwhile, the Democrats…

We’ve got to do things better, faster, and more efficiently. While we’re at it, let’s focus on corporatizing our structure. Surely there’s a streamlined mechanism in place to hit KPIs, track ROI, and maximize EBITDA. We…

Everybody has a bad day. This might be my favorite example. Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift teamed up to sing Rhiannon at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Unfortunately, there’s this one note that’s tough to hit. It’s…

You gotta feel bad for the people of Springfield, OH. Those pesky Haitian immigrants are eating dogs and cats! Can you believe it? Of course not. But do people believe it? Apparently so. Rarely do I…

How many of you have worked in the corporate sector? You know, it’s the place where it’s all about the bottom line, driving revenue, and hitting those KPIs. Truth be told, it can be a pretty…

There are things that just make you laugh. Others that make you scratch your head. Sometimes both. And then there’s this. I’ve got to wonder what Paul Simon felt when he saw this. And if he…

A long time ago, I didn’t know who David Bowie was.  I was young, foolish, and in 8th grade.  Without a drivers license, and desperate to “spread my wings,” I learned how to navigate the subway…

The other day, I went to a grocery store.  In an attempt to start eating healthier, I noticed they had wild-caught, Sockeye salmon from Alaska.  Fish being healthy, and brain food, I decided that was going…

A big chunk of what I do involves looking at endless numbers of spreadsheets and charts.  Spotting trends, digging into referral sources, and trying to make facts rise from figures like some sort of marketing phoenix….

Lately, I’ve seen an increasing number of artists and musicians coming to me looking for help.  What’s fascinating is that they’re very quick to point fingers at everything around them.  Usually, fault lies within.  Here then,…

Lately we’ve gotten a ton of calls from potential clients wanting to work with us.  And there’s nothing we love more than clients who want to pay us tons of money.  Unfortunately, client expectations often exceed…

When you work with musicians, lots of fun things happen.  At the outset, the excitement is palpable — so many cool things you’re going to do, so many great ideas, and that new album is going…

I run a small business.  I’m the owner of my small business.  I deal with the day-to-day fun that comes with owning a small business.  Today was a rare, red-letter day for running a small business….

I got into a pretty heavy “discussion” with a friend the other day.  He works in content marketing, and his job is to create content around a brand that helps drive focus and awareness.  Ultimately it’s…

I believe in the power of great music to accomplish anything.  Music creates moments, traverses chasms, and powers the soul.  That’s the reason I got started in this industry in the first place. Without rehashing my…

Without going on and on and on about how last night’s Closing Ceremonies, what seemed oddest to me was the attention lavished on David Bowie.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy.  But where has…

Amanda “Fucking” Palmer raises over a million dollars on Kickstarter prompting her to scrawl the fact across her naked torso. There are her boobs for all to see. Oh, you rebel. Oh, you cutting edge, avant…

When you’re a Jewish kid growing up in the suburbs, your choices are pretty slim.  You like Billy Joel, you go to Hebrew School, you get braces, and you practice for your Bar Mitzvah.  That’s pretty…

Last year, my company (D.I.-Why) sponsored the New Music Seminar. It was our first sponsorship ever as a company, and we were a bit nervous about what could happen. Having worked in multiple marketing departments over…

I held off on writing a SXSW post because everybody else is. Who wants to be a sheep, right? When March rolls around, every musician and music industry hack starts frothing at the mouth. SXSW is…

After months of effort, research, head-scratching, and stress, I finished my book.  The first copies of the The Analysis of Hype are now in the hands of those who purchased the eBook.  Printed editions are printing…

Pretty much everyone knows the story of Kubla Khan.  It starts out, “In Xanadu did Kublai Khan A stately Pleasure-Dome decree, Where Alph, the sacred river ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless…

Here in Boston we’ve got our knickers in a potential twist.  Yet again, there’s talk of raising fares on the “T” to offset some staggering deficits.  It amazes me that so many companies (and politicians…) think…

I’m the first person to tell you not to believe everything you read on the Internet. For every useful piece of information, there’s a Nigerian price lurking right around the corner. But when you’ve found something…

I’m gonna say it:  I hate Kickstarter.  I hate the fact that they make it easy for anyone to ask you for money.  That’s not to say I’m a total Scrooge, but I keep getting hit…

Over the last few days, I’ve received 73 Facebook event invitations.  It’s not because of my incredible popularity, subtle wit, or boyish charm that people want me at their event.  Shocking, I know.  Instead, they overutilize…

Within the last month, I’ve had two interns quit.  As the lowest rung on the professional ladder, it’s not common for interns to be less than enthralled with the work they’re doing.  But as companies continue…

Working with musicians, you hear a lot of “oh no, my fans would HATE that …”  Venues do it too.  And managers often assume an understanding of what their artists like or dislike.  On nearly every…

Working in the music industry is kind of like living through a Homerian epic. There are heroes and enemies and epithets a-plenty. You also get introduced to the mighty beast known as hubris.  You know the…

There are times when it’s fun to be a dick. Maybe you’ve hard a really hard day; the man is beating you down. You gotta vent on someone, and that barista seems perfect to inflict rage…

I spend a LOT of time at music industry events. And I spent a lot of time in college as a music business major. And I grew up in Boston. So when I see a band that’s doing everything the industry’s leading voices are recommending, I (at least…) pay attention. The bizarre twist is that NOBODY else is paying attention — except the fans!

Maybe it’s a character flaw, I’m not sure. But I want to be as nice to every client as I possibly can. Sometimes that results in over-promising, and most times it results in under-charging. As an…

So the whole industry is all abuzz about Google Music debuting. And for those that’re using Google Music, they’re not all that thrilled. It’s slow, clunky, and not exactly the Music 2.0/Next Phase/New Wave solution everybody was trumpeting from the rooftops. And so it goes. Once the music industry gives up on one problem, they just move onto another while forgetting to continue solving the previous one. That’s why I’m saying “fuck the cloud.”

Here’s the deal folks: websites are instruments for your career. Like a fine Steinway or a vintage B3, simply posessing them doesn’t equate to being a virtuoso player…

Today, on 4/20, we should all learn The Terrible Truth!

Happy 67th Birthday to John Kay – frontman for Steppenwolf. Their biggest hit, “Born to Be Wild” was originally written as a ballad. Steppenwolf’s sped-up 1967 arrangement was the one that became a hit and helped…

It seems that no matter where you go, there’s always some asshole that wants to pee on your cornflakes.

In the process of starting D.I.-Why, I realized that bringing on investors might not be a bad idea. If you take a look at the companies shaping “the new music industry,” investors are heavily financing their…

I resisted writing this post for a while, because I’m either gonna piss off a few people or (at best?) come off sounding all snooty and elitist. Finally though, that moment has passed. Foursquare is a…

It’s really not something that needs to be discussed, or at least that’s what I thought. When you’re working with a client/artist/musician/band/whatever, the asumption is that everyone involved will conduct themselves in a professional manner. Unfortunately, at 3 AM, this isn’t what happened…

Business school grads make millions preying upon a ready group of suckers who sang lead in their high school musicals, but a decade later they’re just bartenders working for tips wondering why fame and fortune hasn’t smiled on them.

Looking back, I don’t think I said much of anything for the first 6 months I was working in radio. But I absorbed everything. Over time I learned how to be persuasive without being a bully. I learned when the end result often meant sacrificing what you thought (at the time) was totally essential.

The hardest lesson was learning to let others do their job so you can do yours.

Dear Neil:

I spent most of yesterday celebrating “Music’s Biggest Night” with a few thousand of my closest friends. As a member of the Recording Academy, it’s a singular thrill to be able to personally witness the hype machine ramp things up into frenzy of klieg lights and chaos.

But this year, moreso than the others, was it really music’s biggest night?

Latest Amoeba Music shopping spree: You should all go buy these NOW! And while I love Newbury Comics, Amoeba Music is the greatest music store on the planet. Perhaps the galaxy, and likely the universe…

Back when I lived in Hollywood, I spent most of my time working from home. The boss-man didn’t want to incur unnecessary overhead, so in exchange for picking up the cost of my phone and internet, I never had to commute more than 10 steps from “home” to “work.” For the most part, it was pretty sweet. But…

I love random facts. And I couldn’t pass this one up …. so random, so weird, and so damn cool! On this day in 1963, Fleetwood Lindley died. At the time of his death, Fleetwood Lindley…

50 years ago today, JFK became our 35th president. Watch the speech that started it all…

It snowed in Boston.  One reporter saw a guy named Noah putting snow tires on his ark.  Shoopa Shoopa.  Knowing that I was going to be spending a large amount of time outside snowblowing/shoveling/cursing my life,…

A few hours ago, Debbie Friedman passed away. For those who knew her, she was a unique person with an absolute gift. But for most Jewish kids, she was the creator of countless songs that are indelibly linked to our days in youth group.

Too many folks today feel compelled to tell you how shitty their experience was with any retailer. It seems that bad news is far more interesting to share than the good kind. After a while, you…

For anyone that’s a marketing consultant, you know the three steps to discomfort…. You submit an invoice to a normally happy client. They come back to you with: “what have you done? Why am I paying…

My computer is a few years old, and I was starting to panic. Should this computer die, I’m totally lost. My entire professional life (not to mention a lot of other stuff) resides inside it’s Apple-y…

After a while, pie sucks. It doesn’t take much skill to buy a frozen crust, plop fruit and sugar inside it, and bake at 350 ’til golden brown. Anyone who does this, and claims to have “baked”…is a liar.

Over the weekend, I saw a very cool band play. At times, their shtick began to take away from their music. It was as if they had to make sure they got the gimmick represented at every opportunity…

So why hasn’t the band put it all back together, hit the road, and capitalized on the adulation? And why has Steve Perry remained suspiciously out of the limelight for so long? It makes a cynical marketing mind wonder how “planned” the spontaneous appearance at the Word Series truly was…

OK, so I stole this title from Led Zeppelin, but it’s really the best way to describe what’s going on in today’s music industry — and especially in its marketing. I’m amazed by the continual insistence on the “next big thing” being hyped long before the current big thing has been proven…

Here’s your easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide …. Be an outsider. If you’ve never worked in politics, government, or gone to jury duty — all the better! Have a silly skeleton in your closet. You dabbled in witchcraft?…

So there’s all this hype and rumble around the new Elton John/Leon Russell album. Some love it, some hate it, and most agree it could’ve been better. I’ve been an Elton fan for a LONG time….

This post was written by David Ginsburg of Hector Solutions… Over the weekend, (weekend is a vague term in the 24/7 world of social media) I was speaking with a colleague handling the PR for a…

I don’t like discussing politics. Usually it’s because I’m totally right, and the other person is an absolute moron. But seriously folks… The more I watch the news, I see all these ridiculous Repubican-type “Tea Partiers”…

Here in the new music industry, the paradigm is shifting. There’s a clear lack of synergy between the next-gen music makers and the major label gatekeepers. As a result, there’s a clear lack of revenue caused by and resulting from illegal file-sharing by the disenfranchised youth movement. While some may claim a certain Luddite pretense by those in control of the industry, it’s easier to claim that they’re disconnected and reluctant to embrace new technologies.

Maybe you’ve heard this bullshit before? I thought so.

Our industry, and our patience for hearing new music, is contracting. We’re increasingly overtaxed/conditioned by technology so that if it doesn’t come to us instantaneously, and stand out at the same time, we just move on. The act of musical discovery and exploration has been relegated to music purists who make up an increasingly small piece of the consumerist pie. So what’s YOUR shtick? Why do we care about your music? And don’t say “because it’s good … ” That’s a bigger cop-out than the last five Rolling Stones albums.

I work a lot.  Probably too much.  That’s not to say I deserve pity or commendation.  It’s just that sometimes it’s easier to keep working than it is to just stop and relax.  The vicious circle…

The big news perking through the indie music world is that Bandcamp will start charging musicians to provide free downloads. When you read a bit deeper, the company needs to cover the costs associated with providing…

On this day in 2000, the musical “Cats” (finally) closed on Broadway after 7,485 performances spanning nearly 18 years. Snooty theater people say it happened 7,484 performances too late.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I love my iPhone. Actually, I’ve loved all my iPhones, and upgrading to the new iPhone 4 was a no-brainer for me. 7 hours in line on the day…

I love timely musical references. Maybe it’s the radio geek in me, I dunno. Here’s Wynton Marsalis and Sarah Vaughan performing “September Song” with the Boston Pops from the early ’80s…posted today September 1st !!!

Back in college I waited tables. I’m fairly certain it goes hand-in-hand with attending music school. One of those establishments was The Cheesecake Factory. Being there 40+ hours per week got you very familiar with the…

I get asked a lot of questions, but lately this one has risen to the top:  “Can you recommend a good/cheap/fast place to get shirts made?”  Every single band feels that after they’ve recorded some tracks…

I wanted to come up with a more profound title, but I couldn’t. Although, a declaration of true love seems pretty emphatic, don’t you think? Staying up with the trends in the music industry is important…

I had an interesting conversation today. While the topics ran the gamut of marketing “disciplines,” the recurring concept being debated is that of appropriate voice. And I have to admit, the debate continued long after the…

The other day I accepted an offer to do a guest lecture at NYU. More specifically, it’s in the “Clive Davis Dept. of Recorded Music” of the Tisch School of the Arts. For me at least,…

Palm trees were gently swaying. There was brilliant sunshine glistening off of the water. Folks were laughing, frolicking, and cavorting. And me? I was responding to a series of emails despite the automated away message that…

35 years ago on this day, Jimmy Hoffa went to a lunch meeting at the Machus Red Fox Restaurant in suburban Detroit. He was never seen again. Coincidentally, on that same day, at roughly the same…

The gentlemen of Hollow Vixen made a killer video for their song, “B.O.B. (Battery Operated Boyfriend).” And that video sat in the virtual can for a while ’til there was a best time to both release it and capitalize on it. This made sense then, and the proper time, effort, and coordination was what would (hopefully…) going to lead to something that’d launch the band to the next level — whatever that is…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hollow Vixen Debuts “Battery Operated Boyfriend” to Disgust of Moral and Decent People Everywhere Boston band feels compelled to shatter the myth of man over machine – women agree. BOSTON, MA – July…

While this might come across as something I’d carve into an oak tree during the last week of summer camp, it’s really more of a professional statement. In a recent Digital Music News post, I read…

OK, I know, you expect to read music stuff here. Maybe something about Topspin, or a rant against illegal downloading. Screw all of that — today’s Mel Brooks’ birthday!!! Just watch, laugh, and think of your…

I’m a fan of lists. For no good reason I love hearing the best, worst, most likely to, or things you’d bring onto a desert island. It’s less about what’s on the list than it is…

For about a month now, I had been debating whether or not I should check out the “Troubadour Reunion” tour by James Taylor and Carole King. I’ve always wanted to see Carole King in concert, and…

The guys in Hollow Vixen have a lot to be proud of: they launched a website, released their first EP, played a bunch of shows, and managed to get it all done without (as many bands…

Here at Nimbit, we were challenged to come up with a 5 minute presentation on “a day in our life.” As a marketer, and someone just a bit on the competitive side, I wanted to do…

In my role at Nimbit, I spent a lot of time talking about the benefits and features of our brand-new, super snazzy fan messaging system. And I even used it to send Nimbit newsletters and press…

There’s a lot of talk about “image” in the music industry. Apparently looks are as important as talent and ability. Taking that into consideration, I offer the following image of my dog. Photo Credit: Ian Rogers

The whole dang world uses Facebook. So naturally, musicians trying to find ways to increase sales/exposure/fans have turned to Facebook in droves. To that end, Topspin and Nimbit both offer tools to increase return on Facebook…

Preface: Before I start today’s post, I want to acknowledge some key, critical facts.  The folks ’round the Nimbit, Topspin, and Hollow Vixen camps have expressed their concern about the very nature of doing something like…

Yesterday I laid the groundwork for this little experiment: I’m working with the guys of Hollow Vixen and using both Nimbit and Topspin platforms to see which works better for launching a new release and establishing…

I figured something like this deserves a bigger title than just “Something I’m Gonna Try.” In my capacity as mild-mannered marketing consultant, I spend a fair amount of time at Nimbit. No surprises there, and honestly,…

There’s a lotta folks talkin’ shit on the Interwebs, but often I wonder who’s actually DOING stuff. In other words, if you work in this industry, shouldn’t you actually be doing something instead of just pontificating…

Direct-to-Fan is the dominant trend in today’s music space. Whether it’s Trent Reznor telling us, or anyone else, the ability to engage with fans and provide unique, compelling offers is tantamount to success. What’s disturbing though, is that you’ve labeled Tunecore as a frontrunner in the direct-to-fan space. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Today would’ve been Totie Field’s 80th birthday.  She was born Sophie Feldman in Hartford, CT and got her start in Boston clubs.  Not that I see any resemblance to anyone in my family, but it does…

As Facebook eats the lunch of just about every competitor, I have to wonder — what happened to MySpace? Are they the spurned middle child between Friendster and Facebook? Do they have a Jan Brady complex that causes them to sit in their bedroom dreaming up imaginary boyfriends?

Just found this, randomly. Me interviewing Blink-182, on my birthday, in 2004 … in Paso Robles, CA.

When I started at Berklee, I got a job in the jazz department at Tower Records. This was before iPods, before MySpace, and at a time when people were still asking what we had on cassette….

I was in the audience for John Mayer’s interview at last week’s ASCAP Expo in Los Angeles. And in his follow-up post, he challenges folks to respond, repost, and continue a conversation (in more than 140…

Anytime you give a track away, people should be buying it — and the currency of choice is an email address. Second to that, let them pay with a tweet, by becoming a Facebook fan, or creating a post about your music. Any of those currencies may actually be more valuable than the 99 cents they may (or may not!) want to spend.

While I spend plenty on iTunes and AmazonMP3, there’s something to be said for the experience of seeking music out in the store, looking at the cover art, and waiting ’til you get it home to open, listen, and savor the music.

To Whom It May Concern: I’m Scott Feldman — no, not that Scott Feldman, another one.  I live in Boston, and I’m a Red Sox fan.   As you might imagine, being a Sox fan is…

Reprinted with permission by Bob Lefsetz. Read more at www.lefsetz.com Every Sunday morning my father went to Sam’s. Well, first it was Max’s, then he and his partner had a fight and it became Sam’s. What…

I spent last week at SXSW. And with all the chaos going on in Austin, I wasn’t able to pay attention to the political wrangling going on in DC. It was nice to be disconnected from…

…and they’re singing “Vehicle” 🙂 The best-est part of working in radio was being able to play amazingly topical music. Specifically, March 15th meant the one time we got to play “Vehicle” by the Ides of…

In the process of creating some marketing collateral, I received the following piece of advice: “Don’t let grammar stand in your way.” I understand the concept — saying what you want is often more important than…

According to SoundScan, the top 10 albums in 2009 sold a total of 21 million copies, and the top 10 tracks totaled 36 million paid downloads. But the top 10 albums in 1999 totaled 55 million in sales. Even with digital track sales factored in, those top sellers fell by more than 50%…

I spent a good portion of last week delivering guest lectures to the “Creative Promotion in New Media” classes at Berklee. For the class, I offered up some slides which helped explain both what marketing is…

During my own time at Berklee, I took advantage of everything I could. As a piano player, I spent most of my time playing Hammond B3. While I didn’t plant on being the next John Medeski, I welcomed the opportunity to play an instrument I’d like never own on my own.

Here’s the rub: no one knows what to do, no one dares risk giving a definitive opinion, and everyone thinks that the major labels are out to get us. No, really. That’s what’s going on here. Gotta love the music industry!

Also an apparent golfer, North Korean state media reports that Kim routinely shoots three or four holes-in-one per round…

I’m so glad you’re planning ahead. You see, lots of people tend to wait ’til the last minute. And at that point, I end up getting coffee mugs and gift cards. Not that those aren’t nice,…

Internet-only broadcasters will soon be on equal footing with their FM brethren. In order to be successful, the quality of what’s being broadcast on the Internet needs to equal or exceed what the big guys are coming up with. Here then, from my experience, 10 Commandments for successful Internet broadcasting…

So as Ian and I discussed the state of the industry, its cast of characters, and what kind of artists should be using Topspin (or Nimbit … or Bandcamp … or Audiolife … ), it all became re-enforced by what I saw on the tv last night: style over substance, instant over earned, easy over challenging.

Sometimes the best laid plans of musicians and men often go awry. As a music industry veteran (and still under 40 years old!), I’ve seen lots of artists and companies emerge with huge plans to revolutionize…

We’ve been conditioned to vote for change. Even when that change is actually reverting back from the change we voted ourselves out of just two years ago. Sometimes irony is indeed quite ironic.

OK, maybe stripper isn’t exactly the right word. I think “dancer” is the preferred terminology. Either way, I spent a couple weeks in southern Florida, and the cast of characters I encountered were a unique bunch….

“It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment…”

First broadcast on Swedish TV back on 12/31/80, it’s still played every New Year’s Eve all over Sweden…

Bringing The Party Back To The People… Despite the 2000’s being soaked with celebrity deaths, unwanted wars, cowboy presidents, and the bankruptcy of the U.S.A., there was an rebirth of music as power, public praise and…

Frank Costanza: “Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there…

I use Facebook, MySpace, Last.fm, MOG, HypeMachine, LaLa, and a few other music discovery/listening sites. They’re all good for a whole bunch of different reasons. And I was rather surprised when, of all places, I got…

There are times when the obvious, simple answer is the best one. And as a big fan of the “a ha!” moment, this cartoon makes absolute, total perfect sense….

I just checked the “This Day in History” section of my local (online) newspaper. Two interesting birthdays today: Rodney Bingenheimer and Alan Freed. Both, in their own way, revolutionized radio; they made it into something bigger…

No, not that guy. The other, older one. Born on this day in 1911, Spike would’ve been 98 years old today. An original comic and rebel, Spike is the credited with the original recording of (the…

Here’s the thing. I’m not that old. I’m far from 40, and I continually decline the chance to dine anyplace offering an early bird special. I like to go places, do things, and I refuse to…

As I watch my partners and competitors engage in battles of marketing will, I’m amused by the way they turn the super strategic, high level actions into their own raison d’etre. The belief seems to be…

It was great taking a little breather for Thanksgiving. The day to day monotony of work and stress and daily life becomes wonderfully ameliorated (there’s a word…) simply by stepping back and relaxing. During this little…

This is a song about Alice …

In the wide, wide world of marketing, there’re all kinds of opinions being tossed around. And everyone is an expert.  I’ve noticed that the folks with the least to say consistently spend the most time saying…

Sometimes I wonder if I read too much stuff. Quite often I’ll hear something cool, but it’s gone 5 minutes later. And instead I end up saying things like “I read somewhere that … ” or…

Words are powerful; they connote feelings, opinions, and facts. The right word, at the right time, can do so much. Unfortuntely, there are multiple phrases which have become far too ubiquitous in our daily discourse, and…

“I’ll do for you now, for you nice people here, a protest song. A protest song is defined as something, as a song you don’t hear on the radio. And they’ll say you don’t hear it…

Last night I took a loft tour. Everyone living in a lovely loft community opened their doors to show off what they’ve done with their space. It was a lot of brick, a bit of granite,…

Odds are you didn’t read a newspaper this morning. In fact, newspaper readership is down roughly 20% this year alone. Daily circulation of American newspapers peaked in 1984 and dropped 13% to 55.2 million copies by…

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special was a Halloween-themed television special starring Paul Lynde whose first (and only) broadcast was October 29, 1976 on ABC. It featured guest stars Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the…

A confession: I like random words. Somehow, as we take our daily conversation down to 140 character tweets and colorful abbreviations (wtf!) we lose track of the power and majesty of choosing the exact, right word….

Like many music industry types, I read the Lefsetz Letter. And again, like many, I often think old Bob is just a cranky, washed-up, old-school record label type guy. Case in point: he recently shredded a…

Gone for nearly a decade, The Rat(hskellar) in Kenmore Square (Boston) was the dingy, local launchpad for all kinds of bands. A couple of note: The Police, The Talking Heads, and the Ramones. Take a little…

The inner-office debate over the value and potential cost of music continues to rage on. But in the course of discussion, one particular point seems to hold the key to the argument: when is a product…

So, previously I talked about respecting your users. In essence, the bombardment of advertising messages, and overall noise on the web is astounding. Again, while everything thinks they’re a genius, and entitled to share their musings…

There was a rather heated discussion yesterday between two individuals: 1.  A brilliant marketing mind with years of experience in the music industry (me…) 2.  A co-op student toiling partially under the whim and wisdom of…

Respectivize. What? Huh? I’m tired of incentivizing the userbase, and I’m beginning to think that it doesn’t work. Instead, it’s time to focus on respect rather than incentives. In the long run, respect goes a lot…

Reprinted from the New York Times – 10/11/09 Broken trust, men misbehaving, women trying to recover — these sound like themes pulled from a Carly Simon song. Maybe from all of Carly Simon’s songs. But this…

Last Friday, I had the extreme pleasure of being a dinner guest at Boston’s Oak Room. It’s a steakhouse in the classic tradition that fusses over every detail, serves the highest quality cuisine, and charges its…

Today would’ve been John Lennon’s 69th birthday…

Just days after my 21st birthday, I found out that I’d be starting an internship in radio. And along with learning a lot of outdated skills (does anyone broadcast/record/edit on 1/4 inch tape?), I learned one…

I’ve worked with multiple startups. They’re exciting, and the potential for growth, opportunity, and massive fame and fortune is always dangling right in front of you and (usually…) just out of reach. Success, therefore, becomes infinitely…

In retrospect, not working for WBCN is a huge regret. That’s not to say I turned down the opportunity (who would?), but a variety of twists and turns, ended up with me starting at WZLX 3…

Reprinted from http://www.rwonline.com/article/77120 Managers might be forgiven for leaping at the smallest good news, but the phrase “slight recovery” jumps out of the latest revenue forecast for the U.S. commercial radio business. More immediately, the research…

The public is a fickle lover. One minute, it’s a blissful romance, and in the next you’re a loathed, lambasted lothario clamoring for acceptance from those who understand you. Alliteration aside, the public has the power…

Everyone reaches their own version of a breaking point. It’s the moment when the incalculable doom of your current situation demands you to do something. Divorce attorneys are experts at exploiting that point in marriages, and…

Today, for the first time ever, we have a guest post. It’s exciting, innovative, and much easier than writing my own post. Anyway … today’s guest blogger is web strategist Jeremiah Owyang.  Smart guy, very smart guy…

A friend of mine writes a blog on his area of expertise. He writes a lot, and is (perhaps) better than I am in SEO and SMO practices. In fact, he’s making a pretty solid living…

Reprinted from CNN Vera Lynn, who made her name entertaining troops in World War II after recording her first song 70 years ago, has become the oldest living artist to have a number one album. The…

Over the last few days, I’ve been wondering about what we say. Admittedly that’s a wide, open-ended type statement. But think about how you say what you say. Do you actually take the time to choose…

Judging from this week’s media hype, 9/09/09 is the next coming of the Beatles. The folks at Harmonix are releasing RockBand: Beatles Edition, and all things Beatle are flooding the market. I just got back from…

It’s Labor Day Weekend, so I’m taking to the high seas and/or Boston Harbor for a day of sailing. And, naturally, that involves creating the playlist for the day’s activities. Here’s what I’ve got so far….

I was poking around on Craigslist this morning, and alongside a sweet deal on a Rhodes, I noticed that roughly 60% of the marketing job listings were for internships. None of which offered pay, temp-to-perm opportunities,…

I’ve been watching a few scenarios unfold from the sidelines. Without being directly involved, it’s fascinating to sit back and watch people tick. In particular, I’m amazed to see how people present themselves. Quite often, they…

Here’s the deal – short and sweet. The Hector Fund is shooting for a panel at SXSW. You can vote for us! All’s you gotta do is click the little button, give ’em your email address*,…

Lots of folks will tell you how to do things. In fact, everyone probably prides themselves on being an expert on something. I’d rather spin things a little bit and tell you what NOT to do….

This is a column by Al Kooper for EQ Magazine back in 2001. I wanna start off by saying I chose the music business back in 1958 to express myself and to make a living. I’ve…

We’re moving the blog and site toward a new, snazzy design. ‘Til then, things’ll look a little odd… Hang in there, all will be well soon. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming already…

Last night, I was watching the Red Sox lose to the Texas Rangers. Sad, really. In fact, I’d go as far as to call it tragic. I’m a massive Sox fan. I’ve been going to games…

When I sit down with potential clients and companies, I almost never go in with a set agenda. It’s impossible to have a “one size fits all” style proposal or product. And I make a point,…

I just got off the phone with a recruiter. His client is looking for a Director of Marketing who understands SMO. His test, in determining whose candidacy deserves to move forward, is to simply ask them…

I’m not sure why I find this so amusing, but …. For those of you interested in playing “The Crunge” by Led Zeppelin, here’s how to count it out (courtesy of our friends at Wikipedia, so…

Normally, I don’t like to spotlight my own projects on here. In a way, tooting my own horn seems to obliterate any sense of credibility gained. That being said, I watched The Hector Fund in action….

Jerry Garcia – Born 8/1/42 …

Here’re a few thoughts on classic rock tunes if they had (truly) been written by my brethren – the Chosen People: 1. Dirty Deeds Done for a Very Reasonable Price – AC/DC 2. Stairway to Brisket…

66 years old today … That’s right, 66.

No less than 8 different people called to let me know that WBCN was going off the air. In a move calculated on a P&L sheet and nowhere else, one of Rock’s flagship stations (41 years…

I keep tabs on former consulting clients. It’s always valuable to know what folks’re up to, how they’re doing, and if there’s the possibility for future advice or work. In a previous entry, “The Good Guy…

Karl Malden died. He was 97. Capping a string of celebrity and “celebrity” deaths, his probably won’t go as noticed as others. But he reminded me, in an instant, of a catchphrase which has become totally…

Watch it all, but pay attention to the absolute hysteria at 3:44. Has anything in music been the same since? The clip is from “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” Thought of as the greatest performance of…

“The two saddest words in the English language are: “What party?” –Carrie Fisher

Springsteen played Bonnaroo. McCartney played Coachella. Elton recorded a track with Timbaland. Somewhere, somehow the lines are becoming blurred. Speaking of McCartney, let’s not forget that Rockband – Beatles Edition comes out on 9/9/09. Can a…

Every now and then you see a brilliant piece of marketing. It gives one pause, and makes you wonder – why didn’t I think of that!? Here is such a piece… Now that we’ve elected Barack…

Last night I trekked down to the Comcast Center to see Phish. Admittedly, I’m only a passing Phish phan, but the ticket was offered, seemed like phun, and off (oph?) I went. In my own defense,…

“My thing is I always make a couple of bucks less than whomever the highest-paid guys is. You can’t eat the whole pie. If you eat all the pie, you’ll get fat, choke, and die. If…

Growing up, I was a nice, Jewish boy. Hebrew School three days per week, youth group activities on the weekend, and a Bar Mitzvah that pulled out every stop. I had, no exaggeration, memorized the Erev…

A lot of folks rely on they. The mighty they seem to know everything about everything but manage to remain nameless. They say you should pee on a jellyfish sting to stop the pain and reduce…

Time and again, I get clients who feel that they need to have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Further, they explain, they need viral marketing in order to be successful. What amazes me, continually,…

I love my iPhone. I really do. As a piece of design, it’s flawless. Technologically speaking, it’s light years ahead of my (former) Blackberry, and it’s just plain fun to use. Not since I was about…

Dom Deluise – 1933-2009

Bea Arthur 1922 – 2009 From Maude… From Mame… From The Golden Girls… From History of the World, Part I

The other day I watched a couple Berklee students perform an impressive cover of “Alone Again (Naturally)” by Gilbert O’Sullivan. Gilbert is essentially a 3-hit wonder (that’s 2 more than most!) from the early ’70s. “Alone…

“I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means ‘put down’…” –Bob Newhart

Tom Lehrer! Born 4/9/28 … The Vatican Rag The Masochism Tango I Got It From Agnes

As a general rule, I try to keep this blog on post, relevant, and focused. But every now and then something so utterly unexpected happens that it jars you out of your normal routine and makes…

A few years ago, I worked with a program director named Buzz Knight. Buzz and I never really saw eye to eye on much, but I was always impressed with the results his team managed to…

“There are three kinds of pianists: Jewish pianists, homosexual pianists, and bad pianists” –Vladimir Horowitz

…Elton John. Born 62 years ago today! Bennie and the Jets – Edinburgh, 1976 Border Song – London, 1970 This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore – London, 2001

I spent nearly 2 weeks writing this post.  At every turn, I questioned the wiseness, propriety, and basic common sense in putting forth these thoughts.  But the more I read, DM’ed toward, or otherwise got pointed…

The other day, I made a slightly expensive purchase. For the princely sum of $202.74 (including a supposed “convenience” charge), I now have a seat to see Elton John and Billy Joel at Gillette Stadium on…

The big news in Boston was the opening of the brand-new, super-duper House of Blues on Landsdowne St. Rising from the ashes of Avalon (formerly Venus de Milo which was formerly Metro which was formerly Citi…

As many have noted, the economy sucks. Money’s tight, and people can’t afford the simple luxuries in life, let alone the not-so-simple ones. It’s a fairly shiteous time for a great portion of America, and even…

Client: What time is it? Consultant: What time do you want it to be?

“If you’re at a party, and you see Michael Phelps smoking a bong, and your first thought isn’t ‘wow, I get to party with Michael Phelps’, and instead you take a picture and sell it to…

iPod might be the greatest thing to happen to music since ears. But my personal listening habits (and many others who I scientifically polled…), seem to evolve around listening to the same bunch of songs. Granted…

Back in ye olde days, I had a pretty sweet system. Bose speakers, Denon receiver and cd player, and the oh-so-pricey gold Monster Cables connecting everything together. I was a sophomore in high school, and I…

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the original Macintosh, the first personal computer to draw masses, introduce the mouse and incorporate a graphical user interface, relying on images instead of text. The Apple Inc. watershed product…

It has always amazed me that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease.” And while there are quieter, more deserving people in need of help or praise, there may in fact be more to gain by squeaking…

Elvis Presley – Born 1/8/35 David Bowie – Born 1/8/47

Now that we’re into a new year, and most people have already made and/or broken their resolutions, I wanted to address a l’il issue that bugs me. For those who know me, this isn’t the following:…

There’ve been a few posts floating around on various blogs about how to be successful in (today’s) music industry. But there have been far more posts bitching and moaning about the horrors of the industry. My…

Lately, as we march deeper into the nastiness of recession, I’ve seen those whom I consider good people become less than honorable. The fear of many things -mostly financial- has whittled away their sense of idealism,…

Lately, as we march deeper into the nastiness of recession, I’ve seen those whom I consider good people become less than honorable. The fear of many things -mostly financial- has whittled away their sense of idealism,…

Recently the nice folks at Hubspot actually came up with something useful. They offered a free webinar on “Marketing During a Recession.” For those of you who are unaware, the U.S. economy is going down faster…

Bruce sang that there were “57 channels and nothing on.” Back then, he wasn’t far off. But the good folks at Comcast have found a way to trump that by nearly ten-fold. Then, when the despair…

The music business is crazy, unpredictable, volatile, and often revolutionary. I understand that, and despite the insanity, I can’t think of another industry I’d be suited to work in. The happiest periods in my career came…

Every now and then, I wonder how/why companies make the decisions they do. A while back, I had interviewed with the folks at CampusCompare. Their concept was to allow students to input their own statistical info…

In an odd way, I think he did the right thing.  In the world of music, massaging the ego is usually lesson one. There is an eminent Russian conductor encamped at a private home in Brookline,…

While reading the paper this morning – and yes, it was an actual newspaper, not a website – I saw an article explaining that the major automakers were in desperate need of their own government bailout….

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s drummer Mitch Mitchell was found dead in a downtown Portland hotel Wednesday. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s office said 62-year-old Mitch Mitchell likely died of natural causes. His body…

Most of what I blog about pertains to the music industry, and how I interact with it. Over the last few days, with the election at the forefront of everything, I started to realize that where…

Recently, a company operating in the music discovery space laid off about 1/3 of its team. Their reasoning was that since the economy is going downhill faster than a greased bowling ball, there’s gotta be some…

After realizing that I hadn’t taken a “real” vacation of any sort in over 2 years, I thought it was time to get away — even just for a weekend. An invitation from a relative to…

Yesterday, I was invited to attend an extra-special songwriting clinic at Berklee. The guest-lecturer was an alum named John Mayer. Maybe you’ve heard of him? We were classmates together for one very brief class, in one…

As cool and hip as I claim to be, at core I’m still a geeky political nerd. I follow the elections, make damn sure I vote, and I even pay attention to state and local races….

As cool and hip as I claim to be, at core I’m still a geeky political nerd. I follow the elections, make damn sure I vote, and I even pay attention to state and local races….

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boston Rock Academy Debuts on North Shore Rock Band Instruction for Teens and Tweens WAKEFIELD, MA Monday, October 6, 2008 — Boston Rock Academy is ready to rock and seeks students in…

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Boston Rock Academy Debuts on North Shore Rock Band Instruction for Teens and Tweens WAKEFIELD, MA Monday, October 6, 2008 — Boston Rock Academy is ready to rock and seeks students in…

Today I took a pretty bold step even by my standards. After a gentle prodding from a former coworker, and after having had a series of insufferable bosses/VPs/CEOs, I acted on the best advice I’ve gotten…

Today I took a pretty bold step even by my standards. After a gentle prodding from a former coworker, and after having had a series of insufferable bosses/VPs/CEOs, I acted on the best advice I’ve gotten…

LONDON, England (AP) — Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65. Pink Floyd’s spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after…

LONDON, England (AP) — Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65. Pink Floyd’s spokesman Doug Wright, who is not related to the artist, said Wright died after…

OK, so this has been around for a bunch of years, but it’s still fascinating to listen to. Kasey Casem voiced American Top 40 for roughly 1,000 years. He was considered the consummate radio professional. Then…

OK, so this has been around for a bunch of years, but it’s still fascinating to listen to. Kasey Casem voiced American Top 40 for roughly 1,000 years. He was considered the consummate radio professional. Then…

Despite what others may tell you, I’m the eternal optimist. The glass is always half full, and anybody can become President of the United States if they study hard and eat their Wheaties. I prefer to…

Despite what others may tell you, I’m the eternal optimist. The glass is always half full, and anybody can become President of the United States if they study hard and eat their Wheaties. I prefer to…

I got a message the other day from one of my clients. I had submitted a marketing plan which met existing budget, staff, and timeline limitations. Admittedly, it wasn’t the most exciting and groundbreaking campaign, but…

I got a message the other day from one of my clients. I had submitted a marketing plan which met existing budget, staff, and timeline limitations. Admittedly, it wasn’t the most exciting and groundbreaking campaign, but…

Criticism, in its best and worst form lives on. The late, great Dorothy Parker wrote some of the finest, including: “This not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force”…

Criticism, in its best and worst form lives on. The late, great Dorothy Parker wrote some of the finest, including: “This not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force”…

Once a month I go out and buy some music. You know: in the store, CD in hand, and actually purchase items. While it’s a longer discussion, I really do like having a physical product and…

Today would have been Mae West’s 115th Birthday. Though, she would’ve passed for a young, err, 80? Mae’s Words of Wisdom A dame that knows the ropes isn’t likely to get tied up. A hard man…

I’ve noticed a growing trend in online music sites. They’re free, FREE, FREEEEEE for everyone, and they’re gonna make all kinds of money for artists. How is this possible, and if it’s such a great deal,…

Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American soul and funk singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, arranger, composer and actor. Hayes was one of the main creative forces behind southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served…

In my haste to race back into town yesterday, I didn’t notice the yellow “you need gas” light until it became a blinking yellow “you need gas NOW” light.” Looking for the nearest gas station, I…

I work in marketing. It’s what I do. A long time ago, I realized that I’m pretty good at “reading” people, figuring out what motivates them, and being able to focus that understanding toward promoting a…

This morning, I had breakfast at a local diner. My brain doesn’t really move too fast in the morning, and the slow act of reading a newspaper, sipping my coffee, and having a couple eggs ‘n’…

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) — Zimbabwe’s troubled central bank introduced $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy. The bills officially come into circulation Monday, although they…

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Ben & Jerry’s has done it again: Hoping to honor rocker Elton John before his first-ever Vermont performance, Vermont’s crazy-cool confectioner has whipped up a flavor just for him — “Goodbye Yellow…

For your consideration, the following classic exchange: Unemployment Office Person: “Name and occupation?” Comicus: “Comicus, Stand-up Philosopher.” Unemployment Office Person: “A what?” Comicus: “A Stand-up Philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of daily life and produce anecdotes…

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – All four members of supergroup ABBA appeared together on Friday at the Swedish premiere of the film “Mamma Mia!”, delighting fans with their first public showing for years. Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid…

What better way to celebrate the birthday of America than by a clip featuring both excessive drinking -and- a great American. Below is a clip of one of America’s greatest filmmakers – Orson Welles. In his…

It’s a pretty simple concept, and one I alluded to before, good guys do things for good guys. Nothing more, nothing less. Somehow though, this basic tenet of doing business has become lost in the current…

About a month ago, I decided that it was time to test the independent waters. Instead of just going after another job, with another company, where invariably I was a mid-sized cog on the corporate wheel,…

There’s an old expression: “Those who can – do. Those who can’t – teach.” I’m not entirely sure how true it is, but I’m noticing a rather alarming trend. It seems like people used to want…

So the docs have given me permission (after nearly 4 weeks!) to go back to the gym. Whatever was supposed to heal in my shoulder has done so, and I’m headed up the road to test…

“I enjoy talking to you more than anybody else because I never feel I am giving myself away and so can admit to shady, dishonest, crawling, cowardly, unjust, arrogant, snobbish, lecherous, perverted and generally shameful feelings…

To paraphrase Mr Lennon, “I’m sick and tired of hearing things/From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics/All I want is the truth…” There are SO many companies trying to “help” musicians today, that’s just sickening. When you did…

Today is a day that Bostonians have been waiting 20 years for: Celtics/Lakers tickets go on sale for the 2008 NBA Finals. At 2 PM, fans everywhere queued up online, at ticket sellers, and on the…

“Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator…. You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” In this example, I was the lad. And…

So I’m at a bar in Adams Morgan. It’s a nice bar with good people, good music, and beer. My buddy says, “hey how ’bout some nachos?” I concur. Then he says, “do you like hot…

“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” –Groucho Marx

Last night, as I sat watching the Celtics crumble during the 4th quarter, I couldn’t help but wonder about the power of “home.” It’s pervasive across everything … The Celtics, 36-10 on the road all year,…

I have a love/hate relationship with the gym. Everyone does. For me though, it’s a personal test of my own impatience for both results and boredom. Rippling muscles don’t come overnight, and you can’t get your…

Yay for Radiohead! Yay for NIN! Yay for the millions of other people who gave their music away for free. Free is good, free is easy, free is … well, free. Wait a minute. Is it…

The big trend across music and people and seemingly life itself is “social networking sites.” You know, MySpace, Facebook, and a million others. The theory is that since you can’t meet, find, or keep friends in…

Yesterday evening, I went to an NFL game at [Big Corporate Sponsor] Stadium. Alongside the $8 beers, and the $7 hot dogs, I noticed that the music predates many of the attendees. This got me to…

It’s a great time to be old in the music industry. No really, it is. The Billboard Top 200 albums (week of 11/3/07) showcases a number of acts who are grandparents, eating early bird dinners, or…