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Ben Elliot
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12/27/2007 11:41:17 AM
---- Updated 12/27/2007 12:02:30 PM
Your New Years Resolution - Listen to more of other peoples music & get more people listening to you
I don't know if its just me but I often find that I am spending so much time trying to get people to listen to my music, that I havn't listened to anyone elses in a while. I know this is rubbish of me and if everyone did the same it would render sites like IAC useless. And we dont want that....
As a solution to this I would like to propose everyones new years resolution should be to listen to 10 new bands or artists at IAC each week, and if you like it, make sure you let them know. Forget about the record deal, the money and the groupies, as far as I am concerned, one of the most rewarding things in music is if someone sends me a quick message saying 'I like the new song' or 'loving your music'. Im guilty of not doing it for songs/bands that I like, and its something I should do more often.
Its only fair that we allow everyone the chance to tempt all us listeners to their IAC page and I recommend every band/artist reading this add a comment to this post to so we can be aware of your music. The twist however is that I dont want anyone posting the usual subjective non sensical rubbish such as 'thick swirling orchestral textures with a big rock sound on a swing groove.' Thats from the blurb on my page and even I dont know what it means so I can't imagine its tempting anyone else into having a listen. My suggestion is as follows:
- List 5 bands that you like and you think have influenced you
- Have a look at the other posts and if someone has posted in their list of 5 bands someone that you like... have a listen
- Once you have listened, make sure you comment to let the artist know your thoughts.
I'll start, I hope many will follow, and I hope this post will help you to find new music you like and for new listeners to find you.
Much Love
Ben
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Ben Elliot
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12/27/2007 11:44:03 AM
Influences and Favourites of Ben Elliot
- Silverchair
- The Dissociatives
- Danny Elfman
- The Divine Comedy
- Panic At The Disco
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Hop On Pop
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12/27/2007 12:05:56 PM
Excellent idea for a thread, Ben!
And, while I do listen to a lot of IAC (other artists), I also find myself going back to the same 5 or 6 that I always listen to.
So, in the spirit of this thread:
List 5 bands that you like and you think have influenced you
1. The Kinks
2. Nick Lowe
3. Guided By Voices
4. Television
5. Gram Parsons
Probably 5 or 6 more that I can list, too. But, the original post said 5, so here it is.
And Ben, I like Danny Elfman, so I will be checking out your music soon and reporting back.
Thanks for this excellent thread.
Todd
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Ben Elliot
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12/27/2007 12:12:29 PM
Excellent work, glad to see the ball is rolling. I might add if you have more than 5 influences feel free to put them down. I have also realised that the post could open up 'signed' bands to others. I like the Kinks ( so expect a reciprical 'checking out' from my self ) but I havnt heard of some of the other bands in your list so will track them down aswell...
Ben
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Hop On Pop
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12/27/2007 12:14:38 PM
Okay... more influences:
Hank Williams
Tom Zé
Judas Priest
Hüsker Dü
Daniel Johnston
My Bloody Valentine
And, I can keep going all day, but I'll stop here because otherwise, it's just not fair.
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Hop On Pop
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12/27/2007 12:21:58 PM
Now, Ben... commentary on your tunes:
Very nice stuff.
Expertly produced, very well written modern pop.
Favorite (to this point; you have a lot of songs) is "And You Are?".
It's a boppy, poppy little dark pop tune that sounds so much happier than it is. I suppose you could say the same for "4 Days...", but there's just something about the former that makes me bop my head a little harder.
Good piano/keys, and a nice, subtle use of very well-arranged backing vocals.
Extremely well-produced. Kinda the opposite of my band's raggedy production. But the "slickness" takes nothing away from the tunes.
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Ben Elliot
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12/27/2007 12:30:04 PM
My thoughts on Hop on Pop
I think your sound works really well with the music. Anything too polished and youll lose some of the the bouncy spirit in you more upbeat songs. Some of the key and chord changes seem really unexpected but in a really good way. you think you know where the song is going but your wrong... it sounds better.
Ben
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Bat Lenny
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12/27/2007 1:18:53 PM
This is a good idea, Ben. I go out on searches for new (at least new to me) artists every one in a while. I'm about due for another one. I keep bringing up a keyword search function, hoping the programmers will latch onto it.
Like most of us, Bat Lenny has so many influences that to name 5 could just as easily throw someone off our track as attract them. But here goes:
David Bowie
Genesis (with Gabriel)
XTC
Pink Floyd
Talking Heads
Boy it's hard to stop there. I don't think we sound much like any of them, at least not intentionally. You can probably tell how old we are though.
So I'm off to search...
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Hop On Pop
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12/27/2007 2:00:09 PM
Bat Lenny:
How come you didn't list Moody Blues or Procul Harem?
This is the real deal. This ain't some NEO-psychadelic stuff. Listen to this and you will be transported back to the 60's and early 70's. You must use period instruments and amps, don't you? Just too authentic!
And, I hear the XTC, too. Only it's more like The Dukes Of Stratosphear project. And just as authentic, as I stated above.
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The Man With No Band
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12/27/2007 2:08:06 PM
I try to listen to at least one new Artist here at IAC everyday and usually more ... I can't think of any reason to go anywhere else ...
My influences used to be Neil Young, Bob Dylan and such Artist ... but now my influences all come from here ...
1. Roy Muniz
2. J. Patrick Sharpe
3. John Miles
4. J.D. Gravis
5. Hugh Hamilton
... and many, many more
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Spank Momma
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12/27/2007 2:55:37 PM
Pretty much every time I sign in I play some new uploads on the front page, I often find a new cool artist and sometimes not. Everyone has their own idea of what is good music. Did Hop on Pop list Daniel Johnston? Wow 3 years ago I would have thought you lost your marbles. Today I think different. I think I used to be very shallow as a listener, going for all the great voices and guitarists. Now I can see true beauty in the obscure or blatantly raw. Talent comes in many shapes and sizes. Peace
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Hop On Pop
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12/27/2007 2:59:15 PM
I have a lot of people that think that I'm as nutty as Danny for my love of his music. I always point those people to the (many) cover versions of his tunes that are out there, to help them get past the voice and really get to why I love him -- the songwriting.
Of course, I have come to love his voice now, too. But then, I've been listening to him for some 15 years.
And I am happy that you have come to appreciate DJ. The documentary about him is pretty amazing.
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Bat Lenny
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12/27/2007 4:52:40 PM
Hey Todd - Thanks for the comments! Moody Blues and Procol Harem could both easily be in that list if it were a list of 7. I just picked up In Search of the Lost Chord for the first time on CD (of course I have the vinyl) last weekend after working on Life Inside (our latest release) because it reminded me so much of it. It's all in the Mellotron! And yeah, The Dukes died far too young in that tragic kitchen accident.
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RedRobin
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12/28/2007 7:16:12 AM
The problem I find is that the MySpace (Music) structure makes it so much easier to check out other musicians and comment. Also the audience is much wider and not just other musicians who are understandably more interested in just promoting their own music anyway.
I wish that IAC had more to offer in this respect - I want to like IAC more than I do!
Who do I listen to the most?
AinjelEmme
Under
Latafat Ali Khan
But where do I listen to them? Where it's so much easier to do so - MySpace unfortunately.
[and will I get an instant email notification of other comments posted here?]
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The Man With No Band
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12/28/2007 9:14:11 AM
"The problem I find is that the MySpace (Music) structure makes it so much easier to check out other musicians and comment."
huh.............?????????????????????????????????????? ....
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Stegor
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12/28/2007 9:34:26 AM
I guess it's all in what you're used to. Bat Lenny has a MySpace page and I never even look at it. I get email notifications that someone wants to be my friend or someone commented and I go check it out and it's someone who couldn't possibly be interested, they're just collecting friends. They're also usually other artists only interested in promoting themselves. Once you know your way around here it's so much better than MySpace. And you don't keep getting those annoying emails that someone made a comment!
There are people here that are listeners, but the reality is just about everyone who loves indie music is an indie musician themselves. I love that.
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Ben Elliot
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12/28/2007 3:18:38 PM
Myspace has its uses and I think its mandatory to have an account if you are musician. Ive found most music industry types who have been interested in me have asked what my myspace address is rather than my website address, which to me seems strange.
If I am honest I would find it hard to compare IAC and myspace directly as they designed for different types of people. Myspace is all about letting people know about you, whereas IAC is more about letting other people know about everyone else..... if that makes any sense. I write and post recordings on myspace all the time but rarely get the comments and plays that I do on IAC. I think the target is just too broad. As for the comment from Red Robin about whether you get notified about a post or comment on IAC, you shouldnt need to. Whenever I post anything on here I feel it important and relevant enough to check back each time I come online.
All that a side, I have had a listen to the montage track on your page and I really like it. Its not the kind of stuff I would normally listen to but the production is spot on ( which it needs to be for this type of music ) and although a lot of it is ambient and atmospheric, there is enough to keep my attention throughout. Ironically enough I think your music is much better suited to IAC as it will be much better appreciated by the seasoned and experience musicians here. The 'listen to me cos Im the best' kids of myspace may prove to be a tougher crowd .
Ben
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Chris Hance
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12/28/2007 6:03:13 PM
No disrespect Ben, but I'll cut my wrists before I join MySpace...
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Ben Elliot
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12/29/2007 6:23:08 AM
None taken, it has its uses, but its not for everyone.
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RedRobin
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12/29/2007 7:44:09 PM
Hi Ben,
I think your post about MySpace is very objective and true. However, I'm a member of a number of internet forums (over 19,000 posts on one high performance car forum) and I rely on emailed notification - I don't really have time to keep trying to find where I posted something to see if there's a response (as I did to come back here) - I don't even always remember!
Rightly or wrongly, so far I've had much more positive response to my music on MySpace than here. It's easy to filter out the 'listen to me cos i'm the best' kids. IAC and MySpace are quite different but I find myself more drawn towards MySpace - It's somehow more vibrant and the site structure is so much easier to navigate. I'm not saying that one is better than the other - It's probably more about individual preferences. I once gave up on MySpace but went back and don't visit here so much.
Perhaps I'll make the effort to explore here.
Whereas I am grateful for your comment on my medley Either Side Of Now, it has been recorded, mixed and mastered by very established professionals and so of course "the production is spot on". I'd prefer that anyone simply enjoyed my music rather than only "seasoned and experienced musicians" - That's the feeling here - IAC only has other musicians here and doesn't result in more sales.
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Bruce Boyd
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12/29/2007 8:19:14 PM
"If I am honest I would find it hard to compare IAC and myspace directly as they designed for different types of people. Myspace is all about letting people know about you, whereas IAC is more about letting other people know about everyone else..... if that makes any sense."
Yeah I guess a rough simile between MySpace and IAC would be the difference between doing a concert gig and a private function - you can't possibly meet all the people at a concert (and probably wouldn't want to meet some of them), whereas at a private function you can have a chat to a lot of the people there. Likewise a lot of faceless strangers pass through your MySpace page (if you look at the difference between your hits and comments) but IAC has this "Community" function (the best of both forums and blogs in my opinion) where you get to chat with whoever you want.
Having said that, one of my tunes went ballistic here on IAC back last May and is still getting 2000+ plays per month (far more than on MySpace) - and I have NO IDEA who's listening to it!
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Ben Elliot
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12/30/2007 6:35:58 AM
RedRobin,
I think you make excellent points. At the end of the day, you should be using the online facilities that are best suited to you. There is no logical reason to do othewise.
I've only been doing to online promotion thing for a couple of years now, and at 24 years old Im hoping I have a good few years ahead of me and I still have a lot to learn. I find threads such as this one really useful in terms of others experience.
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Spank Momma
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12/30/2007 9:07:37 AM
Butt I don't think many people here want to put a thong on and bend way over the couch and slyly look over and smile. Less they got a guitar strapped on too.
Bwahahahahah
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RedRobin
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12/30/2007 10:25:04 AM
Hi Ben,
In the cold light of day (I was feeling a little spikey last night), your posts encourage me to make it a new year's resolution to put more into IAC. I really enjoyed making my Station playlist and made a point of including honest opinons with each selected song - I haven't visited it for months!! I think it's probably a good way of promoting other member's music as well as slyly including the odd track of one's own!
Your comment about not usually listening to my kind of music but still finding your interest held, is actually a great comment! Thanks - It's appreciated.
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Stegor
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12/31/2007 1:22:53 PM
Thanks, Larree. Can't deny influences from your list either, though I always went more for the British Psych than West Coast. One of my all time favorite guitar solos is McGuinn's in Eight Miles High though. I just love how sloppy and weird it is.
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