Its nice to see that somehow you still have managed not to review the album i sent you but thats understandable you and i have switched places. I spend most of my day reviewing prospective artists who represent all types of genres and you review the things you think are worth putting forward in the public eye.
Great, glad to see you're helping others.
I love the concept but so far i keep seeing the same thing on your site each time i check back and hope to see a little bit more diversity on your site. Part of the reason why im thinking theres nothing going on is because you wont be gutsy be the first guy to put up something a hell of alot more innovative than whats on radio or the web. Im waiting for you to review a hip hop artist. I myself cant imagine why you dont.
First, there IS actually quite a diversity on the site. Even as far as a review for a comedy album. There's country, emo, rock, blues, punk, brit pop, etc. Yeah, there are no rap or hip-hop acts. Really, no-one has submitted anyting. The only hip-hop genre mailing I got was yours.
Ive read about these other bands and have put out bands like them in the past, but what i dont understand is how , a good deal of other people and of course me myself included, can't seem to get a break with you man. Im not the only urban act out there thats submitted material to you and before you were talking about LA area only etc etc...but people from my own state got reviewed and Im talkin NY state!
I never said "LA area only." In fact, I originally didn't intend to do reviews in the first place. I don't have a lot of spare time, and it's tough to get the site updated, doing reviews as well just takes a bunch more time. I've had to scale back to monthly updates (from weekly) as it is! If something crosses my nose that seems review-worthy, I'll put up a review. I don't care what genre, I don't care where they're from, etc.
Im not gonna continue to flood you with the other 17 acts my label represents if you wont even say you received the material the company sends you. Did you even give the cd a spin? Did you listen to a good 30 seconds of audio per track?
Yes, I did. I listen to everything I get. Only the very best will get posted reviews because I simply don't have time to review everything I get (NO 'zine does) and I won't post a review if I don't like a CD. Honestly, I'm not saying your CD was
bad, but it didn't stand out as much as some of the others. Hell, I would have posted a review anyway just to have a hiphop act if there was anything at all to suggest that it was a viable act. You say you're selling lots of discs? OK, maybe. Can't find it for sale online, so you must be doing it cottage-industry style. Other than that, I've come up completely blank in searches for any info on your stuff (more on this later/below).
Sorry.
When you couldnt find anybody to give you albums you asked this site about helping you out and dammit thats where im from, is this site.
Actually, I can't recall asking for "albums." I asked for leads for people to interview, ideas for articles, text, submissions, etc. I haven't had to ask for "albums" because I already get way too many.
And I sent you one of the last first pressings of the album that i had in my possession... yeah we ran out of covers and i sent you a facsimile...yeah we fired our photographer and i had to scramble for a flick to send you but damn! Thats the bizness!
Illacov,
What you sent me was not a "pressing." What you sent was an Imation CDR with NO label or info on it, a cracked thinline jewel case, and a 3"x3" photocopied track listing. Hardly a promo pack. Most artists/labels send an info sheet with the CD at the very least.
If you think what i sent you is garbage..then put up a link to my webpage on your site no audio hosting from you or anything like that and ask this forum if the Victors Circle album is garbage.
Indie Shout is about helping indie musicians. I don't see how this helps anyone.
You mentioned pay to play...is it coming to the point where we gotta pay you to review our stuff? I feel kind of shorted...I mean if the case is that I have to pay someone to review my albums then i believe ive left the indie realm on some levels. But all im really saying is that you have a great opportunity on your hands to do something first and you sittin on my LP like its an egg that wont hatch...I say give me a shot...Do i really have to bug you to get a review? Then fine I will..
Is Indie Shout the ONLY 'zine you've contacted? Geez! I can't even LIST the number of 'zines I sent my own personal CD to, and I haven't gotten much press. I've gotten some little local papers, etc., but almost ZILCH on the web. You can't let these things hurt your feelings. Like I said, I get LOADS of CDs and only have time to review so many.
Also, before I will post a review of a CDR, I would like to see some info on the the artist and, in your case, the label. I couldn't find ANYTHING online in any credible form. Does Mount Olympus Records not have a website? You mentioned one in your post, but I can't find one. Seriously. I couldn't use the info you sent me because, well, you didn't SEND any!
There's nothing wrong with running a label from your home. Loads of us do it. If you're going to call yourself a "CEO," though, you should, in my humble opinion, try to create more of an "executive presence" for yourself. Spend the twenty bucks or so it takes to register MountOlympusRecords.com (it's available according to the WHOIS I just checked). Buy a hundred-dollar two-megapixel digital camera and take some photos. Buy a decent printer and make some CD covers (you can buy printers that will print right on your CDR for under a hundred bucks now). Send your CD out in a padded envelope with lots of info (read the promo pack articles on Indie Shout). Send your CD/promo to SEVERAL ezines, etc. (if you use the media mail rate it won't be too expensive...takes ten days though). All this should be pocket change for a record company CEO, and it's not that much of an investment even to a young guy in New York trying to launch a record label.
Hopefully, you don't find this offensive. I'm really trying to be helpful here. I've just spent forty-five minutes of valuable recording time composing this response.
Oh, and by the way, there actually IS a website that claims to review everything sent in...
www.DemoUniverse.com. The backlog is about a year-and-a-half, though.
Christopher
editor@indieshout.com
If you got the picture its me the caramel colored guy in a doo rag with a whole bunch of me's in the background. I also really like the fact that you have "plenty" of pics of what the bands cds looked like...if those pictures are any representation you owe me an apology. (that's sarcasm by the way