Music Business Advice - You & Your Music Costume
Hello to ALL Bands / Groups / Musicians / Rappers / Singers / Song Writers as well as just plain FANS of Original Unsigned & Indie Music !!
Let us see what Halloween "Tricks" or "Treats" we can find together in the Original Music Reviews grab bag this week : Here are couple of CDs without COPYRIGHTS. Damn, we can't even listen to them, let alone share them with you. Please, Please, Please send in your music on a CD format only AND your songs must have COPYRIGHTS on them.
Let's see what else is in here.... a rock hard gummybear from last year. I think that I chipped my tooth (my medical insurance is worse off today than it was three years ago, so I will have to pull it out myself).
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| Which one is Charlie Sheen ? |
Being yourself and being different is a good thing. Different is why we here at OriginalMusicReviews.BlogSpot.com Love ORIGINAL MUSIC !! We enjoy listening to something that is different and not the same old crap being played 50 spins a day on the terrestrial radio. We enjoy hearing or seeing live the creativity of an unsigned or indie musician or singer. We enjoy the musician or singer taking a chance to sound different in an attempt to entertain us, as long as they do it as themselves.
Here is why we bring this up this week... Original Music Reviews has received another bunch of singers, rappers, and bands who want to sound like their music hero. Please Stop it !! Dressing up like a Prince (or the artist formally known as Prince) just because you love Prince's music, may be a good Halloween costume, but it is not a good music business idea to get signed onto a major recording contract.
We refuse to mention names but, we have listened to a few CDs this week by a bunch of bands / groups / musicians / rappers /singers who sound just too much like an already existing successful music artist. We understand the imitation is a form of flattery but why would you want to do that ?? Who would want to listen to an imitation, when they can listen to the real one. Plus the "original" is always the better one. Think about drinks. What if you have a formula to make cola. World wide, there are 2 major brands plus another 30 - 40 others. Most consumers would not try your brand because they already drink their brand. If you invented a new "original" flavor, you may just get some people to try it. You may just become more successful just because it is different.
What if you were to take an already existing formula and just "tweak" it a little tiny bit ? Let's say that you change a ingredient in a drink or the words to a song. The drink's flavor can taste similar but they are never the same. This is also true with music. When you change the words, it is not the same song. Create your own brand (sound) of music and don't be a "lite" one. Does the same brand name drink with the word "diet" or "lite" in front of the name ever taste the same as the real thing ?? Does nonfat milk taste the same as whole milk ?? Does anyone care if Weird Al Yankovic does a come back tour ? The answer is no, No, and HELL TO THE NO !!
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| Weird Al Yankovic photo by Kristine Slipson |
It is true that other successful Original Artists have recorded a cover or two over their career. But usually (except for Weird Al) you know about their music career by itself not just a cover song. If you choose to do this as an Original Artist, do the song with YOUR own style, twist, or attitude. In 1968 Otis Redding recorded "Hard to Handle" then the Black Crowes did their version. Otis Redding's is more of a Soul full version compaired to the Black Crowes rock'n 1990 take on it. "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" by the Eurythmics, featuring song bird Anne Lennox 's sweet vocals, was changed into a dark freakish nightmare on purpose by Marilyn Manson in their version. One of the most successful examples of being an original artist and doing a cover song in their style is Van Halen 's cover of the Kinks "You really got me." Van Halen took a pretty good song and pumped it up with energy and added their own flair to update the song. (Bonus Live VAN HALEN Here) We are sure that you can think of many more examples, especially with sampling in Hip - Hop, today. We just didn't want to go to the Vanilla Ice use of Queen & David Bowie's "Under Pressure."
One example on how to write an Original song correctly by using a vibe of an already existing brand or style is Maroon 5 latest hit "Moves Like Jagger". They sing about Mick Jagger and borrow his attitude and flavor (especially in the video) but create their own music that doesn't sound like Jagger. Notice the images and references in the song & video toward Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. They are done in a playful TONGUE and cheek way (Pun intended). This is done in the opposite way of Weird Al Yankovic style. Maroon 5 wrote an original tune and used a couple of words and images from Mick Jagger.
Writing a pure piece of original music is a huge challenge. Writers & Performers can not help but borrow from one source or another to feed a song. Four/four time is same beat in one song as it will be in another. How many songs have "love" or "you" in them ? TONS. There is nothing you can do to prevent using some of the same words or using the same beat or using the same instruments others will use to record a "hit" song or musical body. What you can do is add your own twist. Be creative and create. Change things up to write something you have never heard before. Fight the urge to mimic your favorite musician or singer. Do not write & perform music that sounds like them, write & perform music that sounds like YOU. It sure is a challenge but self gratification is one of the greatest things !!
Riddle me this, Batman : An Original Artist or Band is someone who writes and performs their own music. A Tribute Artist or Band is someone that performs in the same way their favorite music artist will perform. Here is the question of the week for all of you peeps & creeps : What should we call the hybrid of an "original" song writer or performer who copies the exact same style or sound from their favorite music artist ??? (a HACK is Too Easy of an answer)
It is scary how many great musicians, rappers, and singers (and we might be talking about YOU) fall into this trap. It is dead end. Doing this will murder your career. It is easier for you to bob for apples with a Hockey Goalie's Mask on or carve a jack-o-lantern with your eye lash (Please do NOT try either at home). If you are a musician, rapper, singer, or song writer be artistic, be creative, be ORIGINAL !! If you are a rapper and you like Lil Wayne, do yourself a favor and try not to do his style or flow. You can't be him. If you are a fan of the band Tool, stay away from sounding like them if you want to find success in the music business. Otherwise, go and get every single tattoo that your musical hero wears and be in a Tribute Band or learn all of the other songs being played on the radio and be in a Cover Band. Always remember, Cover Bands aren't original, Cover Bands Suck !!  |
| The REAL Lil Wayne (and it's NOT you) |
If you are in a Tribute Band or a Cover Band (Wedding Bands are EXEMPT) and we have offended you ... GOOD !! Don't be Afraid. Take this time to look into yourself and decide of you want to continue to be like everyone else or if you want to create something musically special and Original.
-Alex & K2-
http://OriginalMusicReviews.BlogSpot.com
ORIGINAL MUSIC REVIEWS
P.O. BOX 495
LEVITTOWN, PA USA 19058
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