The Mountain Goats Witness a “Murder at the 18th Street Garage”
The Mountain Goats don’t need me to tell you that they have a new album, Jenny From Thebes, out October 27. The need is in me. I have to tell somebody Jenny is back. In her prior appearances in the Mountain Goats catalogue, Jenny is a vanishing figure. Even in the song named for her, […]
Social Media for Musicians: A 2023 Hot Take
A couple weeks ago, I promised you that I’d “offer my two cents on whether you really need to be on social media to make it as an artist.” I’m a man of my word when I remember to be. So, as promised, here are my two cents on whether you need to be on […]
The Artist’s Struggle
I always feel a little bit anxious when I sit down to write. Weird, right? I mean, I’ve been writing consistently every week for three years. And it’s not even that big of a deal, you know? Most of our readers probably see this post, consider it for thirteen seconds, then move on and never […]
Alena Ciera Dazzles on “Change Your Mind”
Alena Ciera is an incredible guitarist, songwriter and singer in the Washington, D.C. area – and her most recent single “Change Your Mind” is a pop delight. She played guitar on Broadway in David Byrne’s American Utopia. If you haven’t yet seen the Spike Lee movie of that production, you’re missing an amazing, uplifting performance. […]
Inspiration and Imitation
Inspiration is a beat-up word – people can’t decide whether it’s the origin of artistic creativity, or a mythic state invented to give people an excuse not to work at art. I like it, though, as a word for the breath you take in when something makes you gasp. I take that gasp as a […]
“Your Side Of Town” Is About The Wrong Side Of Town
Punk rock goes to raw places that usually just tend to fester in the dark, and it shines a light on them. There is something about punk rock, including 80’s style synth-driven punk rock like that of The Killers, that gets supremely honest and cuts through politically correct “you can’t say that” with a “that’s […]
“Yes Maybe No” by Telephone Friends
The introduction to “Yes Maybe No,” by Telephone Friends, is a mix of wind instruments and light synthesizer sounds that don’t reappear in the rest of the song. It reminds me of my college days, sitting in the hallway between practice rooms, hearing a variety of instruments playing a variety of songs, and enjoying the […]
What Is Music Production?
Here’s what the term means in 2023.
TikTok vs YouTube in 2023 (For Musicians)
Recently, YouTube has been pushing its Shorts, trying to attract younger audiences. At the same time, TikTok has increased the maximum video length, introduced a live streaming option and a built-in shopping service, all of which YouTube has had for a while. The Chinese-owned company is also testing its new service called TikTok Music (guess […]
TikTok for Musicians: 2023 Guide
Here’s our quick guide to make the short-form video platform work for you.
