The Captain Midnight Band Interview with Music Without Labels & Beat-Play

The Captain Midnight thing started in Oxford, MS around 1992 as part of a theatrical rock band called “Cardinal Fluff”. The band was formed as a backlash to the “Grunge” movement, which was itself a backlash to the unending parade of “Hair Metal” bands coming out of L.A. in the late 80’s. Lots of lashing going on. We were writing suggestive lyrics and doing perverse things onstage, and in order to protect our parents’ professional careers, we adopted aliases. I became Captain Midnight during a wild, LSD-fueled vision quest.

When Cardinal Fluff folded in 1999, I moved to New Orleans and kept the Midnight persona intact. I became involved with some UNO Jazz students who were short a guitar player.  We developed into a Jazz-Rock-Hip-Hop-Jam band called “CRÖNK” and had some success. We were doing shows with guys like Galactic, Merl Saunders & Melvin Seals, as well as playing Jazz Fest, French Quarter Fest, doing some cool tours, etc. all within months of the bands inception.

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Solving the Digital Music Distribution Dilemma

The paid-download world of digital music is a tricky beast to tame.  Artists continue to struggle to generate revenue even though they can easily establish a distribution network via iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, CDbaby.com, and so on.   Here lies the problem. Digital distribution is fragmented among only a few big players. Consumers continue to remain loyal to their chosen distribution networks whether it be iTunes or a bitorrent site like Mininova.

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Jaway Album Review by Music Without Labels & Beat-Play

Jaway comes to the music industry with many things to say about the world around us. In doing so, he keeps the positive side of things with his faith in change for the better. The upbeat melodies and rhythms mix tastefully with his extraordinarily positive lyrics, which hold much power when understanding the man behind this genius. He brings very catchy music along with a learning experience that builds every time you listen to his album. 

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Great Footage of Mos Def Concert Last Week

Check it out! He had a sick opening act too called Soul Cannon, a hip hop band from Baltimore. Check out all of the footage including Talib Kweli and a behind the scenes vid of Mos rippin the drums before the show at www.MusicWithoutLabels.com !

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$50 iTunes Gift Card Giveaway

Independent artists face a multitude of challenges when deciding to release new material to the world. Chances are, another band with a similar sound has plans to enter the marketplace at the very same time. Social networks allow us to engage large numbers of potential fans, yet we often misuse them by force feeding mp3 links, and not providing any real incentive to listen or buy. One way to stand out from the crowd is to create a contest or giveaway around your lead single. 

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SICK HipHop Band, Soul Cannon, opened for Mos Def Last Week in Baltimore

MusicWithoutLabels.com was there to document the event. Check out the vid of Soul Cannon destroying the stage before Talib and Mos Def came to clean up. I like the last song on the vid the best but this lyricist ripped the whole performance and the band is a sick accentuation. Amazing time and all great performances. Check out all the footage at http://MusicWithoutLabels.com including a behind the scenes vid of Mos tearin up the drums before the show..I didn’t know he played the drums..

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Top 5 Behaviors that will help you make it in the music business

I’ve been working with a handful of people who are just starting out in music in the last few months.  With these people I am often  asked very broad music business questions that seem odd to me.  It always surprises me that someone wouldn’t ask me a targeted question but I’m often asked stuff like “How Can I Get a Record Deal” or “How do I get my music licensed?”  I guess the questions themselves aren’t that weird but I feel like people are waiting for overly simple responses.  I feel like most new musicians I speak with are expecting me to hand them a small piece of paper that says 1-900-RCRDEAL and to whisper “just dial and tell them I sent you.”  I picture getting a relieved and knowing look that just screams “I Knew it!”

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My Thoughts On Lily Allen's Thoughts On File Sharing

Updated on September 22, 2009 by Wayne Myers

Lily Allen’s thoughts on file sharing make for an interesting if mildly painful read. As a darling of the major label pop scene, she is naturally against it, but I’m not sure she’s really talking about music as such, hence the title of my silly cartoon on the subject. Talented as she may be, I believe she is very wrong about file sharing. Here’s why.

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MusicWithoutLabels.com Meets WXPN Pt 2

This time around we interviewed Bruce Warren, the Program Director for XPN in Philadelphia, one of the nation’s most widely acclaimed radio stations for the proliferation of independent artists. They were responsible for being the first to give artists like MIA and Kings of Leon a welcoming home on the radio. They continue to offer an array of amazing music everyday. Check out what Bruce has to say about how he selects the music for XPN and the nationally syndicated radio show, World Cafe Live, and hear his advice for up and coming artists.

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A Marketing Lesson From Kanye West

Twitter is already buzzing about Kanye West and his stunt at MTV’s Music Video Awards trying to upstage Taylor Swift. I don’t know if this is on purpose or not, but love it or hate it this was a genius marketing move on his part. See something that a lot of people forget in marketing (music marketing especially) is that alienating certain groups of people is a good thing. The good majority of Taylor Swift fans probably aren’t Kanye West fans. Therefore Kanye doing something to alienate her fans doesn’t really hurt him that much. The flipside is where the genius really comes into play. Kanye fans probably aren’t Taylor Swift fans, so what he did only encourages his fan base. When you proudly and publicly exclude a certain group of people who probably wouldn’t like your music in the first place, you energize the people who do. Americans thrive on controversey. We couldn’t stop talking about Britney shaving her head, or even Kanye’s most famous stunt so far saying “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” Love him or hate him, the man knows how to sell records and keep his fans energized.

MWL Meets WXPN in Philly - Exclusive Interview

Check out this new Interview with XPN General Manager Roger LaMay. Hear what XPN has to offer indie artists, get advice, and find out what the radio station that broke MIA into the mainstream scene is doing right! Stay tuned for our next interview with Bruce Warren, XPN’s PD, for more info about how XPN selects their artists and how you can get involved!

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Monetizing the Music: The Future of Physical

I can’t get enough of music!  Whether it be downloading, sharing, streaming, uploading,  re-mixing etc. etc. I find myself in a whirlwind of mass music consumption.  My music library has grown out of proportion to what I couldn’t possibly listen to in a month, a year, 2 years?  As a digital native, a member of Gen Y, and stereotypical music junkie, I can’t get enough of digital content, but of course I want it all for free.

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You & The Post Album Music Fan

Last week, Forrester Research released their report, “Music Release Windows: The Product Innovation That The Music Business Can’t Do Without” by Mark Mulligan. The report verifies the obvious, but makes some very valid points that are worth jotting down.

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Independent Artist, Jaway, speaks to MusicWithoutLabels about the Industry.

Give us some background. Where are you from originally, where are you now, how did you get there?

I’m from Liberia, West Africa, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles, California for the last six years. 

I fled from a very bloody and destructive civil war to make a better life for myself and to help my family.  

It’s kind of funny—I never intended to pursue a career in music even though I grew up singing in a church choir. In fact, my mom still directs that choir. 

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