Thorny Bleeder

Is Your Ambition Greater Than Your Ability?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-22T12:11:04-08:00

Do you ever get frustrated that your ambition is greater than your ability?

Does that song in your head sound far better than what you just recorded? Is the painting you envisioned far grander than the oil you just committed to canvas? Are you unable to communicate the thoughts in your mind into cohesive prose?

It happens to all of us.

What sets the good apart from the great is hard work, tenacity, perseverance and a determined focus on knowing that you will eventually get there.

But success doesn't come overnight. Nor should it. Success needs to be earned.

When you feel like you've hit the brick wall in your creativity and you feel that the hard work that's required to rock at your thing is too overwhelming … watch the video below.

You're not alone.

Anyone who has achieved anything has hit the same wall as you. But the difference is, they pressed through it. Will you?

As Steven Pressfield says, Do The Work.

The DIY Daily Podcast #67 - February 22, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-22T09:31:42-08:00

Today's Topic?
How An Average Person Becomes Famous: The Path from Ordinary to Extraordinary

This week's featured Song of the Week is from Pittsburgh's Broken Fences, with their beautiful and lush track, Wait.
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U2 and the Dangers of Stretching Your Brand | The Rock Star Branding Podcast #5

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-22T06:43:32-08:00

Our new weekly podcast series continues with our fifth episode. Hit 'play' and join us for another quick 10 min. episode as we dive deeper into artist branding lessons from none other than U2.

New episodes air every Wednesday in all of the usual spots. You'll be able to find it right here, but of course you'll also be able to find it on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, Thorny Bleeder, MichaelBrandvold.com and BrandLikeARockStar.com.

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The Twitter Trolls: How to Deal with Criticism Online

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-21T18:07:45-08:00

It's impossible to be liked by everyone. No matter what you say or do online you risk the potential of offending someone (or even just rubbing them the wrong way). But for a musician, writer, photographer or anyone in the creative arts it can get even worse. Your soul, your art, is on display… available for anyone to rip it to shreds.

Enter the world of The Haters. The Trolls. The Vociferous Nerds hiding in their parent's basement behind a bag of half-eaten cheese doodles, whose job is to make everyone they encounter online feel worthless.

The Twitter Troll has taken things to a whole new level. With the speed of delivering a text message your ego and self worth can be crushed by a simple tweet sent from someone completely unknown to you... and delivered publicly for the whole world to see.

New Speaking Engagements Announced in Brandon and Winnipeg

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-21T18:07:43-08:00

Do you live in Manitoba?

If so, I have two new speaking engagements that were just announced. You should come!

Here's the info:

The DIY Daily Podcast #66 - February 21, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-21T09:44:19-08:00

Today's Topic? Top Ten Lies Of The Music Industry

This week's featured Song of the Week is from Pittsburgh's Broken Fences, with their beautiful and lush track, Wait.
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The DIY Daily Podcast #65 - February 20, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-20T11:11:34-08:00

Today's Topic?
Stop screwing around and do the work to hone your own special form of genius, right now!

This week's featured Song of the Week is from Pittsburgh's Broken Fences, with their beautiful and lush track, Wait.
Follow @thornybleeder

The DIY Daily Podcast #64 - February 17, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-17T09:33:54-08:00

Today's Topic?

Committing to Your Passion… plus, 10 Good Reminders for Stressful Times.

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Ep. #46: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Discussion with CD Baby President Brian Felsen

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-17T08:52:36-08:00

This Week's Topic:

A discussion with the President of CD Baby (not to mention Host Baby and Book Baby) Brian Felsen. Click play below and listen in on what changes are happening with the world's number one indie music distributor, plus his thoughts on music marketing, and sync licensing via RumbleFish.

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New Speaking Engagement Announcement: Music BC's Career Development Series

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-16T17:22:14-08:00

Your Online Presence, Is It Working For You?

Hey guys, I'll be speaking in Vancouver for Music BC's Career Development Series - Your Online Presence on Saturday, March 3.

Click this link to see info on all of my fellow panelists, including someone from San Francisco who you might be familiar with since he was a recent guest on The Music Biz Weekly Podcast, Hisham Dahud from Fame House. And not to mention we'll also be joined by the illustrious Lana Gay from CBC Music as our panel moderator (so we don't get into fights about who has a higher Klout score).

The panel also features Richard Bailey from Frontside and Darren Yada from Rethink.

March 3, 2012
1-4pm
Tom Lee Music Hall
929 Granville St.
Vancouver, BC

1-4pm @ Tom Lee Music Hall

Admission is free for Music BC members or $25 for the general public.

For more information click here.

The DIY Daily Podcast #63 - February 16, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-16T11:17:16-08:00

Today's Topic? Be Remarkable! Push Past the Fear. Have Courage to be YOU.

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The DIY Daily Podcast #62 - February 15, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-15T09:46:33-08:00

Today's Topic? Be Remarkable!

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The Rock Star Branding Podcast #4 - The Importance of Dialogue With Your Fans

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-15T06:44:14-08:00

Our all-new weekly podcast series continues with our fourth episode. Hit 'play' and join us for another quick 10 min. episode as we dive deeper into aritst branding lessons from none other than U2.

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Free Download: Creative Digital Marketing for Musicians - a Live Presentation by Brian Thompson

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-14T17:01:28-08:00

I'm super happy to offer you a free download of the recording of a live speaking engagement I recently did in Toronto during Songposium 2012, put on by the amazing folks over at Songwriters Association of Canada.

What you're about to hear is a 66 minute live presentation on creative digital marketing for songwriters and musicians. Most of the presentation is centred around the following blog post of mine: Top 31 Ways to Suck at Social Media Marketing.

Click play in the player or enter your email address to receive a free download. If you can't see the player, then access it directly from this page.

*by entering your email address you'll be subscribed to The DIY Daily newsletter which I send every Monday - Friday. If you don't like it you can always unsubscribe… although, that's kinda' like kicking a puppy, so I wouldn't recommend doing that.

Thorny's Brian Thompson Discusses Marketing for Authors & Musicians on The Functional Nerds Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-14T12:09:52-08:00

In episode 090 of the Functional Nerds podcast, hosts Patrick Hester and John Anealio welcome back Gabrielle Gantz (book publicist) and welcome for the first time, Thorny Bleeder's Brian Thompson.

LISTEN HERE

The DIY Daily Podcast #61 - February 14, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-14T09:30:21-08:00

Today's Topic? Blogger Tips for Pinterest, and 12 Most Decisive Keys to LIVING Life.

This week's featured Song of the Week comes to us from Dollarqueen from Bruges, Belgium with their awesomely rocking' track, Plastic Girl.

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The DIY Daily Podcast #60 - February 13, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-13T10:14:37-08:00

Today's Topic? - 18 Ways To Inspire Everyone Around You

This week's featured Song of the Week comes to us from Dollarqueen from Bruges, Belgium with their awesomely rocking' track, Plastic Girl.

Follow @thornybleeder

Bloggers: Don't Lose Your Reader's Pinterest

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-12T18:26:20-08:00

With the insane popularity of Pinterest, bloggers need to put a laser focus on the images they use prior to publishing a new blog post.

On Pinterest, a person discovers new content (articles, blogs, books, music, videos and things to buy) by stumbling through intriguing pictures that other users post.

So if you don't have a compelling image, your new blog post will make a boring Pin. And a boring Pin is a lost opportunity to find new readers or fans.

The biggest mistake I see every new blogger make is not including an image in every post. A photo enhances your content, brings attention to your article and serves as a visual summary of the topic being discussed. With an optimized image strategy for each post you write, you're giving everyone a clear indicator of what to expect before they make the commitment to read it.

If Your Last Show Looked Like This...

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-10T20:56:54-08:00

…then you really need to sign up for The DIY Daily newsletter.

Sure… we've all been there. EVERY musician has been in this very circumstance before. But, does it have to be this way? Of course not. Well… not if you're any good at least.

If your last gig looked like this then don't just complain about it, do something. So… what can you do?

Start by subscribing to The DIY Daily newsletter. That's what it's there for, to help educate you with artist development, branding, social media, growing your fan base, direct-to-fan marketing and monetizing your music.

Don't let the horror of this type of situation continue.
Together… we can make a difference.
(yes, that was supposed to sound cheesy. Insert Sarah McLachlan and sad puppies here)

And the Winner of a Free Music Consultation is...

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-10T14:19:44-08:00

We had an amazing response to our first contest with The Music Biz Weekly Podcast, with close to fifty artist entries. Awesome.

But alas, there can only be one winner. So put your hands together and say …

Congratulations to
Barron S!

Not only will Barron have a free music and marketing consultation with myself and Michael Brandvold, but our call will also be recorded and aired as an upcoming episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast. We will also close the podcast featuring one of her very own songs… how's that for some added exposure?

We'll be recording our new episode in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for it being published soon. But until then, follow Barron online here:

www.barron-s.com
www.twitter.com/barronsmusic
www.facebook.com/barronsmusic

Submissions Close Feb. 15th - Let Your Voice Be Heard! Submit Your 10 Sec. Video Now

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-10T09:34:47-08:00

Video submissions are rolling in from all over the world…
and they're fucking amazing.

Entries close on February 15, so if you want to be a part of this amazing little project, you need to act now.

Curious what this is about? CLICK HERE

The DIY Daily Podcast #59 - February 10, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-10T09:34:45-08:00

Friday, February 10, 2012

Today's Topic? -> Horizontal Marketing vs. Vertical Marketing…AND… How to be Intentionally Happy.

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Ep. 45: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Two Guys Bullshitting About Music. The Clusterfuck Episode.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-10T06:30:15-08:00

Join Michael Brandvold and myself as we have an open half hour discussion on music, tech and marketing. No planned topics, just two guys bullshitting about music. Here's the clusterfuck episode.

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The DIY Daily Podcast #58 - February 9, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-09T10:16:19-08:00

Today's Topic? Finding Inspiration: 6 Inspiring Tips for Creative People

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See the New Lyric Video for Art Of Dying's Sorry

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-08T12:56:58-08:00

Watch the official lyric video for Sorry, the new single off Art Of Dying's new album Vices and Virtues. Get the album now right here.

To celebrate the release, Art Of Dying wants YOU to change your profile pic on Facebook, Twitter and anywhere else you can think of, to a shot of YOU holding up an image that says “SORRY”. Don't we all need to say it to someone? We’ll pick the best ones and feature them.

Here's Jonny's profile pic:

The DIY Daily Podcast #57 - February 8, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-08T10:17:17-08:00

Today's Topic?
4 Reasons Why Happiness Is Not For Wimps
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The Rock Star Branding Podcast #3 - The Importance of Visual Identity

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-08T07:33:19-08:00

Our all-new weekly podcast series continues with our third episode. Hit 'play' and join us for another quick 10 min. episode as we dive deeper into branding lessons that artists can learn from AC/DC, Disturbed, Boston and Steve Jobs.
Follow @thornybleeder

New episodes will air every Wednesday in all of the usual spots. You'll be able to find it right here on Thorny Bleeder, but of course you'll also be able to find it on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, The DIY Daily, MichaelBrandvold.com and BrandLikeARockStar.com.

How to Promote Your Music on Facebook

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-08T15:28:44-08:00

If you weren't able to join us for the free live webinar on Mon, Feb. 6… then this is the next best thing.

For only $4.97 you can buy the 75 min. music marketing video tutorial webinar, hosted by Brian Thompson and Michael Brandvold, which teaches you in depth tips and tricks on how to use Facebook to promote your music.

To get the most out of Facebook and the myriad of opportunities it offers you in growing your fan base, you need to have a thorough understanding of how the platform is used and have a clear and concise strategy.

This webinar does that for you.

The Music Biz Weekly Marketing Webinar Presents: How To Use Facebook To Promote Your Music

View more presentations from Michael Brandvold

Still unsure? Take a look at the free slideshow below. This is the exact document we used for the outline to our presentation. Download it. It's yours for free. Take a flip through it and get a clear understanding of the topics we cover.

Cool.
Ya' ready to do clear the clouds circling your head over how to get your music heard on Facebook?

How to Promote Your Music
on Facebook: only $4.97

The DIY Daily Podcast #56 - February 7, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-07T10:26:39-08:00

Today's Topic?
How the Third Wave of Media Is Transforming Marketing Content

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The DIY Daily Podcast #55 - February 6, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-06T11:12:40-08:00

Today's Topic?

What's Holding You Back? Grab The Wheel and Drive!

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Indie DIY Artist Tip: Outsource Your Music Video

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-03T20:53:09-08:00

I was browsing the music thread on Reddit and stumbled upon Drew Smith, an independent artist from Hamilton, Ontario. What caught my eye was the following headline, which had me incredibly intrigued:

So my brother outsourced his new music video to Bangalore, India. This is what he got back.

Was I intrigued? Big time.

Was the video going to be a lesson in what not to do? Was it going to become a viral sensation because it was so awful?

OR… was the end product something he could become incredibly proud of?

See for yourself:

Waging War Against Monotony and Mediocrity

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-03T15:02:55-08:00

After I wrote yesterday's article on lessons for success from KISS's Paul Stanley, I had a couple of tweets back and forth with his interviewer, Lee Hawkins (who also happens to be a musician himself) from the Wall Street Journal.

This morning Lee sent me another new interview which he thought I might be interested in with Cee-Lo Green, star judge of NBC's hit show 'The Voice' and the man behind such smash hits as Crazy and Fuck You!

Both interviews feature honest, straight-up talk on the business of music and current industry trends. Once again, there are some great takeaways for not only fellow musicians, but also for anyone living and pursuing a creative life.

These sound-bytes are as relevant to an entrepreneur as they are to any artist:

The DIY Daily Podcast #54 - February 3, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-03T10:44:02-08:00

Today's Topic?
The Key to Success? The Law of Commonality.
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How To Not Suck | Ep. 44: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-02T20:06:16-08:00

This Week's Topic? How To Not Suck
Making your music matter online, from social media reviews to songwriting.

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The Key to Success? The Law of Commonality.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-02T16:00:39-08:00

Unlike some people I know, KISS has never been one of my favourite bands. Although admittedly when I was kid, yes… I definitely had a little KISS-phase (insert air band here). My brief love affair with them was mostly due to them releasing a couple of major new albums (Lick It Up and its follow Animalize) right at the same time as when I was discovering "heavy metal".

But aside from those couple of years, their music really didn't do much for me.

However, I've always respected the band's tenacity and perseverance in the music business. They've never given up, they've always stayed true to who they were, and they always delivered the goods to their diehard fans. Their unparalleled success, in both music and business, is a testament to their keen understanding of marketing and branding.

I just finished watching an intriguing new interview Paul Stanley did with the Wall Street Journal where he made some though provoking comments. I just had to share them with you. The most notable take aways in the interview were Paul's thoughts on his key to success and his philosophy on career longevity.

Words of wisdom from someone who has led a very long and successful career pursuing his creativity and life passions:

The DIY Daily Podcast #53 - February 2, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-02T10:16:20-08:00

Today's Topic? Hmm, Maybe You Ought To Finish That Thing.

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The DIY Daily Podcast #52 - February 1, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-01T09:58:39-08:00

Today's Topic?
Why you must stop dreaming and take a flying leap, right now.

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The Rock Star Branding Podcast #2 - More Lessons From AC/DC: Living Up To Fan Expectations

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-01T06:16:18-08:00

Our all-new weekly podcast series continues with our second episode. Hit 'play' and join us for another quick 10 min. episode as we dive deeper into branding lessons musicians can learn from AC/DC.

New episodes will air every Wednesday in all of the usual spots. You'll be able to find it right here on Thorny Bleeder, but of course you'll also be able to find it on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, The DIY Daily, MichaelBrandvold.com and BrandLikeARockStar.com.

Creative Digital Marketing For Songwriters

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-31T18:20:12-08:00

Here's a free download of a slideshow presentation I prepared for my speaking engagement at Songposium 2012 in Toronto last week.

Creative Digital Marketing for Musicians & Songwriters

View more presentations from Brian Thompson

The slides are a summary of the main "talking points" I was intending to use for my presentation… but unfortunately I ran out of time since I was having far too much fun going over this: Top 31 Ways to Suck at Social Media Marketing.

Regardless, many of the slides are represented by blogs I've already written and posted here on Thorny Bleeder. So if a certain slide intrigues you just do a quick search for it and you'll find more info.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA): Explained (VIDEO)

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-31T18:20:08-08:00

I just stumbled upon this video and needed to share it. Regardless of SOPA(Stop Online Piracy Act) being squashed, our Internet freedoms and online culture continue to be threatened… globally.

ACTA has been secretly in the works for quite some time now, behind closed doors. Watch this for more info:

Info from the video description:
ACTA is one more offensive against the sharing of culture on the Internet. ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is an agreement secretly negotiated by a small "club" of like-minded countries (39 countries, including the 27 of the European Union, the United States, Japan, etc). Negotiated instead of being democratically debated, ACTA bypasses parliaments and international organizations to dictate a repressive logic dictated by the entertainment industries.

ACTA would impose new criminal sanctions forcing Internet actors to monitor and censor online communications. It is thus a major threat to freedom of expression online and creates legal uncertainty for Internet companies. In the name of trademarks and patents, it would also hamper access to generic medicines in poor countries.

When Internet Censorship Wins: A Taste Of The Future

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-02-01T06:16:24-08:00

Before The Movie Begins
stolen from The New Yorker. don't sue me bro.

" src="http://www.thornybleeder.com/index_files/120206_r21824_p233.jpeg" width="233" height="110" />

Please note that the use of any recording equipment to capture this film is strictly forbidden, including: camcorders, cameras, cell phones, charcoal, ink, paint (oil or water-based), and the human brain. On leaving the theatre, you will be assaulted by baseball-bat-wielding ushers, who will pummel your skull until you forget what you have seen.

The DIY Daily Podcast #51 - January 31, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-31T09:18:30-08:00

Today's Topic?
How To Make The Most Of The Mundane

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Hisham Dahud Talks About Music Marketing With BitTorrent | Ep. 43: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-26T20:02:38-08:00

Join Michael Brandvold and myself, Brian Thompson, for this week's 37min. episode.

This week we're joined by special guest Hisham Dahud (music industry journalist for Hypebot and digital marketer with Fame House). We get down and dirty and have a very in depth discussion about the recent and very successful campaign that electronic artist Pretty Lights did in partnership with BitTorrent.

Hit play below and share your thoughts with us in the comments. Or of course you can always send us a tweet or leave us a comment on Facebook too. Whichever you choose... share share share!

I Want YOU To Be The Star In My New Crowdsourced Video

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-26T12:21:46-08:00

So I decided to make a little "testimonial" video. It's not going to be anything fancy, just a short little thing for people to get a vibe for what I'm doing.

And I want YOU to be the star of the video.
That's right… I'm crowdsourcing baby!

So… if I've possibly taught you some cool new things, or if I've helped you in some way, or simplified your daily routine, or inspired you or motivated you somehow, then send me a brief 10-30 second video message with your testimonial.

And it doesn't matter whether you're a present or past client, a fellow tweeter, a happy facebooker, a blog reader, a quote lover, a newsletter diehard or a podcast fan. It doesn't matter… I just want to see your smiling face and hear what you have to say!

So go ahead and hit the record button. Right now. Seriously. If you wait and say you'll do it later… we both know it won't happen.

So turn on your camera (or use your iPhone), say a few short words (no longer than 30 seconds) and then send the file using the form that's right here in this blog post.

On February 15 I'll edit the clips together and air the video we made together right here on this page.

This will be fun!
I can't wait to see what you come up with.

—Brian Thompson

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The DIY Daily Podcast #50 - January 26, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-26T10:08:41-08:00

Today's Topic?
10 Commandments for a Good Life

The DIY Daily Podcast #49 - January 25, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-25T14:14:43-08:00

Today's Topic?
12 Guaranteed Outcomes of Having Photography as a Hobby

The Rock Star Branding Podcast Ep. #1 - Lessons From AC/DC: Meeting Your Fan's Expectations

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-25T05:40:11-08:00

Woohoo! Here it is gang, the debut episode of yet another podcast series! Welcome to…

The Music Biz Weekly Presents… The Rock Star Branding Podcast
with your hosts Brian Thompson, Michael Brandvold and author Steve Jones.

Today's Topic?
Lessons From AC/DC: Meeting Your Fan's Expectations

This all-new weekly podcast series will air every Wednesday in all of the usual spots. You'll be able to find it right here on Thorny Bleeder, but of course you'll also be able to find it on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, The DIY Daily, MichaelBrandvold.com and BrandLikeARockStar.com.

Follow @thornybleeder

The DIY Daily Podcast #48 - January 24, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-24T09:30:17-08:00

Today's Topic?

The New Music Economy: Demand = Value
+
How To Get Motivated RIGHT NOW!

The New Music Economy: Demand = Value

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-23T18:33:11-08:00

The New Music Economy
Demand = Value

If there's no demand, there's no value.

If you create demand you create an opportunity for monetization.

Without demand, your music is essentially worthless to the public, regardless of what you paid to record and produce it.

Encourage an open environment of sharing around your music.
Sharing creates new fans.
Fans create demand.

Monetize!

The DIY Daily Podcast #47 - January 23, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-23T10:01:40-08:00

Today's Topic?
In Discussion, my new controversial blog post:

I Don't Want To Own Music, I Just Want To Listen To Music.

FREE Webinar Announcement: How To Use Facebook To Promote Your Music

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-22T13:13:42-08:00

Michael Brandvold and I are excited to announce the next Music Biz Weekly Music Marketing Webinar. This is going to be another great event for everyone, especially considering the topic: How To Use Facebook To Promote Your Music!

Oh… did I mention that it's free? Here's the deets:

When:
February 6, 2012
6pm–7:30pm PST

Cost to Attend Live Webinar:
Free

Recorded Video After the Event:
$5.00

I Don't Want To Own Music, I Want To Listen To Music.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-21T17:09:29-08:00

"Culture is the sum of all the forms of art, of love, and of thought, which, in the coarse or centuries, have enabled man to be less enslaved”

—Andre Malraux

An editorial by Brian Thompson.

The DIY Daily Podcast #46 - January 20, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-20T10:17:05-08:00

Today's Topic?
Tips On How To Regain Perspective

Contest! Enter To Win A Free Music Consultation

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-20T07:14:11-08:00

The Music Biz Weekly Podcast is having its first ever contest. We want to have one of YOU, our listeners, to be a special guest on an upcoming episode of our podcast.

This is an amazing opportunity for you to ask two experienced music marketers any questions you have on the music biz, branding, marketing, or social media. This is essentially a free consultation with both Brian Thompson and Michael Brandvold… except this will be recorded and made available for the entire world to hear!

After our 45min. podcast with YOU is complete, we'll end the podcast featuring one of YOUR recorded songs. This is an amazing opportunity for you to showcase your music to the world!

Entry is simple!

This Is The Type Of Art SOPA Would Kill

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-19T17:36:09-08:00

The Internet as we know it is under serious threat. What's being sold to Congress and the American public as a piece of legislation that will "put an end to piracy", is in actuality Government sponsored censorship (not unlike Internet in China).

To be clear… unauthorized sharing (copying) of content found online could not only have your website taken down without due process, but it could also land you in jail.

For example, if you were to post a version of you performing a Michael Jackson song on YouTube, you could not only have your account removed but you could also face up to five years in prison. That's one more year than the man who killed the man Michael Jackson himself. For singing a song without first acquiring a license to do so.

That Tumblr or Pinterest page of yours where you repost someone else's photo or cartoon or image?
SOPA would kill that.

That song you downloaded and posted on your blog to share with friends and readers?
SOPA would kill that.

But beyond trying to kill the culture of sharing (which is something humans have always done), it will also kill the creation of new art altogether. Any piece of music or art that uses a mashup or a collaboration of existing pieces, without proper consent from the original creators, would be illegal and punishable.

The Stop Online Piracy Act is a misguided solutions to a misunderstood problem. For more information on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), click here.

To give you a taste of the types of beautiful music that would cease to exist if SOPA were passed… I present to you the following mashup videos created by Pogomix (illegally of course).

This Is The Type Of Art SOPA Would Kill:

Upular (Pixar Remix)

Info:
Video for the track 'Upular', composed using chords, bass notes and vocal samples from the Disney Pixar film 'Up'.

*see more examples by clicking Read More below*

New Series Announced: The Rock Star Branding Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-19T14:34:21-08:00

I'm excited to finally let you guys in on something that's been in the works ever since Michael Brandvold and I recorded Episode 34 of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast with our special guest, author Steve Jones.

We had such a great time recording that podcast and had such a tremendous response from it that we decided to do some brainstorming to see what else we could possibly do together. Well, it quickly dawned on us… why spoil a good thing? Let's do more podcasts together!

And so… a new series was born:

The Music Biz Weekly Presents… The Rock Star Branding Podcast
with your hosts Brian Thompson, Michael Brandvold and Steve Jones.

This all-new weekly podcast series will air every Wednesday in all of the usual spots, with the debut episode airing on Wednesday, January 25. You'll be able to find it right here on Thorny Bleeder, but of course you'll also be able to find it on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, The DIY Daily, MichaelBrandvold.com and BrandLikeARockStar.com.

The DIY Daily Podcast #45 - January 19, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-19T09:06:10-08:00

Today's Topic?
Oppose SOPA… and Mantras For Business Success!

SOPA Hopes To Censor The Internet + Marketing On Pinterest | Ep. 42: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-20T07:14:14-08:00

Join Michael Brandvold and myself, Brian Thompson, for this week's 33min. episode.

This week we bullshit about various music and marketing topics such as thepending American legislation to censor the internet under the guise of killing piracy (SOPA and PIPA), plus more thoughts on using Facebook and Pinterest to market your music.

Hit Play and share your thoughts with us in the comments below! Or of course you can always send us a tweet or leave us a comment on Facebook too. Whichever you choose... share share share!

The DIY Daily Podcast #44 - January 18, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-18T09:25:50-08:00

Today's Topic
How To Become Creatively Unstuck

The DIY Daily Podcast #43 - January 17, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-17T10:11:09-08:00

Today's Topic?
5 No-BS Ways to Become Awesome in 5 Minutes

The DIY Daily Podcast #42 - January 16, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-16T10:17:07-08:00

Today's Topic?

"As You Evolve, So Should The Things That Describe You"
(OR... How I Just Invented the Term: Idea Development Engineer)

As You Evolve, So Should The Things That Describe You

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-15T12:50:35-08:00

When people ask what it is that I do, I sometimes feel my response is a bit muddled and not as focussed as it should be.

When I do branding consultations I tell clients they need to have a clear and well crafted elevator pitch that accurately conveys the message of who they are and what they're all about.

Your elevator pitch needs to be the essence of you, distilled down into a carefully concocted piece of prose. And If you're not happy with it, then you need to refine it. It needs to evolve, in tandem with you.

And so it dawned on me that I needed to heed my own advice.

The DIY Daily Podcast #41 - January 13, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-13T10:43:37-08:00

Today's Topic?
Choose To Be Awesome!

Van Halen, Facebook Subscriptions & Spin Magazine Twitter Album Reviews | Ep. 41: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-13T07:45:04-08:00

Join Michael Brandvold and myself, Brian Thompson, for this weeks 42min. episode as we bullshit about various music and marketing topics such as Van Halen, Facebook Subscriptions, MOG and Spin Magazine Tweets Album Reviews.

The DIY Daily Podcast #40 - January 12, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-12T10:17:00-08:00

Today's Topic?
The Complete Guide to Snapping the @#$% Out of It!

The DIY Daily Podcast #39 - January 11, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-11T09:41:50-08:00

Today's Topic:

Answering The Question, "When Are You Going To Grown Up?"

The DIY Daily Podcast #38 - January 10, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-10T10:40:47-08:00

Today's Topic?
"Learn To Let Things Go & Move On!"

Flow Chart: Should You Quit Your Band?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-07T15:05:45-08:00

Need help deciding if your band is still worth your precious time?

Here's a flow chart courtesy of Guitar Squid for you to follow and see if perhaps it's time for you to move on…

The DIY Daily Podcast #37 - January 9, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-09T10:36:00-08:00

Today's topic?
3 Steps To Great Self-Esteem

How To Maximize Your Merch Sales At Venues

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-07T11:37:25-08:00

Guest Post by Skip Taylor
for SaskMusic's
"The Session".
Reprinted with permission.

Things have changed drastically in the music business in the last 10 years. Physical CD sales have continued to spiral downwards and musicians have been forced to adapt and become smarter at how they handle all areas of their business to survive. More and more, merch sales have become a larger part of the average independent artist’s overall revenue plan.

Merchandise sales has become an area of great innovation and increased efficiency for those artists trying to maximize revenue. As the industry has gone through great transitions, many different business models have emerged. In this article I am going to be discussing some general “best practices,” but depending on your business model they may or may not be right for you. Ultimately, you will have to decide what is right for you and your business.

Two Guys Bullshitting About Music | Ep. 40: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-06T07:34:28-08:00

Join Michael Brandvold and myself, Brian Thompson, for a 40min. episode as we bullshit about various music marketing topics such as listening to the social web for mentions of your brand, social media etiquette, how to pitch your music to people in the industry, plus a new option for you to get your music onto streaming music sites such as Spotify, Rdio, and MOG.

The DIY Daily Podcast #36 - January 6, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-06T10:12:08-08:00

Today's topic?
How To Get Past Limiting Beliefs!

Buy Your Tix Now: Songposium in Toronto, Halifax & Winnipeg

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-05T17:56:25-08:00

January 28 is quickly approaching and that's the day I'll be speaking on Digital Marketing at Songposium 2012 in Toronto. The event is also being live streamed to Halifax and Winnipeg, so if you're a musician in any of these areas I hope you'll take advantage of this amazing day of information.

BUY TICKETS HERE:
Toronto
Halifax
Winnipeg

The DIY Daily Podcast #35 - January 5, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-05T09:54:33-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #34 - January 4, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-04T09:48:51-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #33 - January 3, 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2012-01-03T08:51:35-08:00

2012 Music Marketing Trends & Predictions | Ep. 39: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-30T12:14:23-08:00

This is our final episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast for 2011, Episode #39! Thanks so much for listening everyone, it's been an amazing first year for this podcast.

Click play below to listen to our end-of-the-year discussion on Music Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2012, inspired by this blog post from Bob Baker.

From myself and co-host Michael Brandvold… Happy New Year and all the best for 2012!
—Brian Thompson

The DIY Daily Podcast #32 - December 30, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-30T09:11:07-08:00

Special Podcast Guest Announcement: Brian Solis

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-22T18:20:36-08:00

Join us here on Friday, December 30th on The Music Biz Weekly Podcast where we'll be joined by a very special guest, Brian Solis.

Brian Solis is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging media on business, marketing, publishing, and culture.

His new book, The End Of Business As Usual, looks at the changing consumer landscape, its impact on business & what companies can do to adapt & lead. Solis' previous book,Engage, is regarded as the industry reference guide to build and measure success in the social web.

Briansolis.com is one the world's most read and linked to business and marketing blogs in the world.

Do not miss this incredible end-of-the-year episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast.

Top 20 Thorny Bleeder Marketing Advice Blog Posts for 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-29T14:56:06-08:00

Here's a year-end roundup of the Top 20 Music Marketing Articles I published this year, all of them original and exclusive content to Thorny Bleeder. These are listed in order of the number of views each blog post had, thanks to my Google Analytics data.

1. Change Your Thoughts. Change Your Mind. Change Your Life.

2. Danger! Do Not Use! Words To Avoid In Your Band Bio

3. 8 Ways To Get 100 Visitors A Day To Your Website

4. Here's Why the Number of Facebook 'Likes' Don't Matter

5. Top 10 Ways How To Feel Miserable As An Artist

The DIY Daily Podcast #31 - December 29, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-29T14:56:02-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #30 - December 28, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-28T10:05:47-08:00

Todays topic?
30 Challenges for 30 Days of Growth

Video: How to Use WordPress for Your Website

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-27T11:50:23-08:00

The recorded video of our WordPress Webinar is now available for only $5.

The Music Biz Weekly Music Marketing Webinar:
How to Use WordPress for Your Website

* How to install WordPress on your server.
* What hosting companies offer the best support for WordPress.
* What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
* Proper configuration on your WordPress install.
* How To Install A Theme (and how that process differs between .org and .com).
* How to enhance your WordPress site with plugins. Which plugins are must have.
* How to setup WordPress to work with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
* How to format and write effective posts.
* How to do basic, but effective, Search Engine Optimization.
* How to add a email list and configure it to promote your music.
* How to run a contest on a WordPress site.
* How To Create A Music Page for Your Site.

The DIY Daily Podcast #28 - December 23, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-23T09:30:55-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #29 - December 27, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-27T08:28:35-08:00

What's More Important, a Facebook Like Or an Email Address? | Ep. 38: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-22T17:27:05-08:00

Join Michael Brandvold and myself as we discuss the differences, advantages and disadvantages between an artist collecting an email address in exchange from a fan for a Free Download versus collecting a Facebook 'Like' on their Fan Page.

There's lots to consider with your digital strategy when releasing new media to your fans. Hit Play below and get our take on the subject.

What do YOU think?

The DIY Daily Podcast #27 - December 22, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-22T09:40:20-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #26 - December 21, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-21T09:36:45-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #25 - December 20, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-20T08:33:11-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #24 - December 19, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-19T10:00:16-08:00

Our Favourite Episodes 0f 2011 | Ep. 37: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-16T09:19:00-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #23 - December 16, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-16T09:18:57-08:00

How Do You Grow Your Fan Base? It's Not Rocket Science.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-15T21:19:26-08:00

Let's be honest here folks, the music biz is not rocket science.

If you follow The International Dude Of Leisure's 3 Rules Of Success, there's not much else left to say… other than this:

1. Write some fucking songs.

2. Play some fucking shows.

3. Record some fucking songs.

4. Talk to fucking fans.

5. Make some cool fucking shit to sell.

6. Goto 1.

This is where it all starts and ends.
Other than that, everything else is just in the details.

The DIY Daily Podcast #22 - December 15, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-15T09:30:45-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #21 - December 14, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-14T11:37:28-08:00

Soar Above The Clouds! Be An All-Encompassing Entertainment Brand

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-14T09:37:10-08:00

It's tough out there folks. There's definitely no shortage of bands out there, and they're all competing for the same attention and airplay and fans that you are. If you want to make a serious dent in this biz, you really need to soar above the rest - in everything you do.

Your songs have to rock harder. You have to make people dance more intensely, cry longer, think deeper and love more passionately.

Sure, one or two great songs can give you a taste of success, but beyond that you're going to need something more long term to keep your career on track. To keep people interested, to stay fresh, to keep people talking and spreading the word about you... you need something that goes above and beyond what everyone else is doing.

So aside your music, what else are you doing to rise above the noise of the cluttered music scene? Here's an idea, you need to think of yourself as an all-encompassing entertainment brand, right from the beginning.

The DIY Daily Podcast #20 - December 13, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-13T08:24:56-08:00

The Compelling And Powerful Power Of Confidence

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-13T06:04:33-08:00

I've seen oodles of bands perform over the years in dark and dingy small clubs to soft seat theatres to hockey arenas. I've seen some of the world's best and quite possibly the worst. I've also worked one-on-one with countless musicians and aside from sheer musical talent, one of the things that separates the good from the great is confidence.

When I think of bands without confidence, I think of shoegazers for example. You know, those bands who stand on stage and simply stare at their feet, too shy to truly connect with the audience. Too nervous to even look up and be 'present', for fear of being judged.

The DIY Daily Podcast #19 - December 12, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-12T08:27:47-08:00

Bob Baker Explains The 3 E's Of Content Marketing | Ep. 36: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-09T10:35:08-08:00

Today's guest on The Music Biz Weekly Podcast is none other than music marketing master Bob Baker, otherwise known as Mr. Buzz Factor.

Join myself, Michael Brandvold and Bob Baker for a fantastic 45min. roundtable discussion as we dive into Bob's 3 E's of Content Marketing: Educate, Entertain and Enlighten.

Not sure what the hell I mean by that? Well then click Play to find out!

Follow Bob online here:
Facebook | Twitter | The Buzz Factor Website

The DIY Daily Podcast #18 - December 9, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-09T08:12:22-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #17 - December 8, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-08T09:11:25-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #16 - December 7, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-07T08:22:02-08:00

Be Concise.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-06T12:14:42-08:00

Whatever it is you create, keep it as short and to the point as possible.

Don't waste words, don't waste notes. Be economic. This includes songs, intros, solos, blog posts, comments, bios, essays, books, video messages... whatever.

Be careful not to cut a thought or emotion short, but don't over-think it either. It's a fine line that's easy to cross.

Be concise and efficient. It brings focus to your message.

Don't make the same mistake Metallica continues to make. Just because you think a riff is groovy or fun to play, it doesn't mean your fans want to hear you play the same damn thing over and over for 18 minutes.

To quote Shakespeare, "Brevity is the soul of wit".

I hope this wasn't too long.

—Brian Thompson

The DIY Daily Podcast #15 - December 6, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-06T08:55:50-08:00

The International Dude Of Leisure's 3 Rules of Success

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-05T16:39:22-08:00

The following three rules were inspired by a conversation I recently had over pints with International Dude of Leisure, Jay Deachman (professional drummer, Theory Of A Deadman, Default, Loverboy). He trusted me with the job to expand on all of the details for you, but only if I gave him proper attribution for the brilliant simplicity of his three-point plan to success.

Drummers, eh? Always wanting credit for something as simple as counting to three.

The DIY Daily Podcast #14 - December 5, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-05T09:18:46-08:00

More from Branding Like A Rock Star + Wordpress | Ep. 35: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-02T12:52:21-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #13 - December 2, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-02T08:58:11-08:00

Don't Let Your Past Dictate Your Future

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-01T18:24:59-08:00

Don't let the memory of a past experience hold you back or prevent you from trying again.

Everyone experiences failures. It's a part of life.

The important thing is to learn from the things that didn't work out for you. Take a step back from your failed attempts and try to remove your emotions from the situation. I realize how hard this is, but try to look at things from analytically.

If the same thing were to happen to someone else, what advice would you give them? When you take a subjective look at the situation, be honest with yourself and ask, Why? What was missing? What could have been done differently?

The DIY Daily Podcast #12 - December 1, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-12-01T09:18:16-08:00

Change Your Thoughts. Change Your Mind. Change Your Life.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-30T21:11:02-08:00

A lot of musicians are nerds.
There. I said it.

Or should I say… were nerds. Their exterior may have a new shine to it now; calm, cool and collected. But on the inside, well that's a different story.

Let's face it, many of us became musicians to try and break free from those nerdy chains that bound us. We were introspective, overly shy and awkward kids, not quite knowing our place. But then we found something we loved, music. We embraced a niche that suited our passions, latched on to it and poured everything we had into truly being a part of it.

The DIY Daily Podcast #11 - November 30, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-30T08:29:25-08:00

Sharing Causes Sharing

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-30T13:21:48-08:00

—Dalai Lama" src="http://www.thornybleeder.com/index_files/share_knowledge.jpg" width="338" height="236" />

I received a really great email this morning that I just had to share with you. It's from someone who I've never spoken to before or have even heard from on Twitter or Facebook, yet apparently I've had an impact on him and his band.

And you know what? That's just a whole bunch of awesome. It's messages like this that make all of the countless hours I pour into my websites, blogs, podcasts and social media profiles worth it.

Here's the message I received:

Yeah Yeah, I Know You Can Sing. But Where's Your Other Voice?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-29T19:58:19-08:00

Did my title confuse you a bit? Good. Hopefully it intrigued you to read a little further. And even if you can't sing, this is written for anyone pursuing their passions and looking to find an audience.

The word Voice isn't used exclusively to describe the sound your face makes when you open that hole in your head. Voice is also used in a literary sense to describe a writer's style. It's used to convey an author's attitude, personality, and character.

So back to my opening statement. Yes, I know you can sing. But where's your other voice?

The internet's a big place you know. Is your voice only being heard through your music (or the product pictures you have displayed on your website)? The internet is made up of much more than just mp3's you know. So in order to take full advantage of what the online world and its community has to offer, you also have to write. Words.

Scary, huh? I know.

The DIY Daily Podcast #10 - November 29, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-29T12:37:39-08:00

People Don't Wait In A Digital Queue

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-28T17:07:02-08:00

Pre-Releases. Advance listening. Singles going to radio a month before they're available. Video premieres before the music can be purchased.

Why do labels and bands still do this? Is it out of old habit? Or lack of marketing creativity?

Seriously though, who are we kidding?

People don't wait in a queue on release day any more. And more importantly, digital lineups don't exist.

The DIY Daily Podcast #9 - November 28, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-28T09:10:56-08:00

Danger! Do Not Use! Words To Avoid In Your Band Bio

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-27T16:51:01-08:00

Words & Phrases I Never Want To Read
In An Artist Bio Ever, Ever Again:

molten
unique
brilliant
must-hear
hailing from
buzz worthy
one of a kind
forged in the...
fusing together
up and coming
critically acclaimed
eagerly anticipated
destined for success
fuses blank with blank

I think you get the idea, right? Please tell me you do.
Please?

Learn Facebook Page Insights: Training Course & Manual

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-25T12:55:19-08:00

If you take your social media marketing and fan engagement seriously, then you no doubt want to make the most of the metrics and data that Facebook has available to you.

But let's be honest, most people click on the Page Insights link on their Fan Page and get freaked out. Arghh! Too many numbers! Too many graphs! What the hell does it all mean?

Don't worry, I'm here to help. Page Insights are meant to help you optimize your Page publishing strategy on Facebook. And to help you make sense of it all, I've discovered a brand new interactive learning course that will show you how to use this valuable data that Facebook is sharing with us.

To launch the training course, make sure any pop-up blockers on your web browser are disabled. When you click the button, the course will open in a new window.

In addition to the interactive course above, there's also a new PDF manual from Facebook for Page Insights as well, download it below.

Facebook Page Insights: Product Guide For Facebook Page Owners
Download the Manual Here

The DIY Daily Podcast #7: November 24, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-24T09:15:03-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #5: November 22, 201

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-22T09:14:36-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #6: November 23, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-23T09:16:25-08:00

The DIY Daily Podcast #8: November 25, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-25T09:18:46-08:00

8 Steps To Get Your Band Noticed

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-24T12:31:36-08:00

This is a guest post written by Marty Zylstra
from the Vancouver band Sweetheart.

Recently Sweetheart independently released an EP titled "XOXOX". Over the past few months we've been sending CDs out to press, getting college radio play, and local/regional commercial radio spins.

Using this experience I have distilled a "code" of how to promote yourself as an indie band locally/regionally into this simple formula:

New Webinar: How To Use Wordpress For Your Band's Website

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-22T13:01:03-08:00

Michael Brandvold & Brian Thompson, hosts of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast are proud to announce the next of their new Live Webinar Sessions where we’ll be teaching music marketing techniques and hands-on instruction for artists to grow their audience and get their music heard.

This next Music Biz Weekly Webinar is titled:

How to Use WordPress for Your Band’s Website
and will happen on December 15, 2011 at 6pm PST.

We’ll be covering the following topics:

Conditioning Your Fans And Their Expectations

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-21T22:07:17-08:00

Bands & Brands:

Condition your fans' expectations. Reinforce your brand.

Consider these three things regarding your online behaviour: content regularity, content quality and content frequency.

If you mindfully act upon these three things dependably and reliably, you will condition your fans to return to your website on a regular basis to consume more content (pictures, videos, art, infographics, music, podcasts, advice, blogs, thoughts, poems… you name it).

A fan that consumes more content from you, and has a happy emotional response from it, has a stronger emotional attachment to your product, your art, your brand… you.

A strong emotional attachment is what creates a life long fan… or better yet, a loyal customer and brand evangelist.

It's really not that hard.
So… why aren't you posting and creating regular content?

The DIY Daily Podcast #4: November 21, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-21T09:19:32-08:00

A Tribute To Randy Ponzio, A Quest Poetic

For The People: A Tribute to Randy Ponzio, A Quest Poetic

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-20T13:53:40-08:00

It's with great sadness that I have to write this. A friend and brother in music, Randy Ponzio has been found dead in Vancouver.

I didn't know Randy for very long, or very well for that matter. We met in the summer after one of his performances. We had mutual respect for each other, both of us chasing our passions and living a truly DIY life to its fullest.

Randy went missing on November 15th, 2011. Yet earlier that very morning, the things Randy stood for were never more evident than on a couple of short comments he left on my Facebook profile. As you can see, his positivity and love was infectious; an all too rare commodity in this world.

The DIY Daily: Inspire. Educate. Motivate.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-16T13:14:13-08:00

What started as a simple newsletter in January 2011 has now evolved into a full-fledged website. And it's all thanks to the amazing feedback, support and encouragement that I receive from all of my readers!

So as of today, The DIY Daily now has its very own web site and finally, an online archive. And with the new site I hope to continue pursuing my new mission statement for this new venture of mine: Educate. Inspire. Motivate.

Want to know the story behind The DIY Daily?

The DIY Podcast #3: November 17, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-17T08:33:02-08:00

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE: The DIY Daily.com

The DIY Daily Podcast #2: November 16, 2011

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-16T08:29:44-08:00

Pssst… check out the soft launch of my brand new website, The DIY Daily.com!

Introducing… The DIY Daily Podcast, Episode #1

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-15T10:23:08-08:00

Welcome to the spontaneously recorded Episode #1which marks the beginning of... ? Well, the beginning of something which is clearly yet to be defined.

This is my all-new daily podcast which I plan to publish every weekday morning and will serve as a companion piece to The DIY Daily newsletter.

This is something I've thought about for quite some time, but have been putting off… simply due to it being a little out of my comfort zone. No cohost. Just me, sitting here at my computer talking to no one, yet pretending the world is listening. Would I have enough to talk about?

I could have kept on thinking about it and delaying it forever, but I just had to launch the damn thing it and get rolling.

Life beings at the end of your comfort zone.

This is clearly a work in progress, but I invite you to join me every morning and we'll figure it out together. Cool?

And for the record, yes… I will tone down my fake radio voice for tomorrow's episode.

Listen on the player below or directly Soundcloud here.

I'm a Featured Speaker at Songposium 2012

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-10T11:51:25-08:00

This just in: I'll be a featured speaker at the annual Songposium in Toronto on Saturday, January 28th, an event put on by the Songwriters Association of Canada.

Songposium is a one-day intensive seminar for aspiring and emerging songwriters. This year, Sonsposium will be held in Toronto and streamed to Winnipeg and Halifax in association with Manitoba Music and Music Nova Scotia. Hear from some of the foremost international talent in the music industry as they share their experience and knowledge to help you get your songs heard. This is also a great opportunity to network with songwriters in your area.

Brand Like A Rockstar! Ep. 34: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-17T12:59:57-08:00

This week's guest is best-selling author Steve Jones, whose newly released book Brand Like A Rock Star is racing up the Amazon book charts. Join Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson for an incredibly insightful discussion on marketing, branding and what people can learn from the careers of successful musicians.

For nearly 30 years, Steve Jones has worked in the music industry in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean. He's had a front row seat to the rise (and sometimes fall) of some of rock & roll's biggest. Combining his two passions, music and business, Steve takes the lessons learned from the greatest acts in rock history and applies them directly to your business.

Build a business as consistent as AC/DC and as surprising as KISS. Create fans as dedicated as Jimmy Buffett and The Grateful Dead. Be as passionate as U2 and as focused as Bob Marley.
Brand Like A Rock Star reveals the core marketing and branding strategies behind the success of the world's greatest bands and uses them to make your business rich and famous.

Check out Steve and Brand Like A Rock Star here:
http://brandlikearockstar.com

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE: The DIY Daily.com

The Future of Music With Radio Legend Alan Cross - Ep. 33: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-10T23:19:19-08:00

For decades music fans across Canada have trusted our guest on today's podcast to keep them up to date on the very latest in new music.

Alan Cross is a Canadian radio broadcaster and a music writer… and admitted professional musical geek. He started in radio in 1980 and moved on to become Program Director at The Edge in Toronto, then the Senior Program Director for Corus Interactive and then Head Curator for Explore Music. His radio show The Ongoing History of New Music debuted in February 1993 and since then it’s… well, it's taken on a life of its own. There have been over 690 one-hour episodes... making it the longest-running music documentary in Canada and one of the longest in North America—if not the world!

Alan also has a weekly national column in the Metro newspaper and most recently has not only started a brand new radio show, The Secret History of Rock (Astral Radio), but he's also become the new voice of Aux.tv.

So click play and join us music nerds as we chat about music, technology and the shifting tides in the entertainment industry.

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here, listen to it on Soundcloud here, or use the player below.

Here's Why the Number of Facebook 'Likes' Don't Matter

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-10T11:51:28-08:00

It's easy to think that the quantity of followers on a social network are important. After all, many of us are still ingrained with the standards of old-media advertising where you amass the largest audience possible and then throw a message out to them, hoping it sticks to at least a few.

But the days of mass advertising are long over for small brands. In the worlds of social media, quality trumps quantity. If you aren't engaging with fans on your Page, Facebook will simply filter you out of their status streams.

Did you hear that? If you aren't effectively connecting with your fans, they will no longer see your posts. This is thanks to Facebook's behind-the-scenes algorithm (called Edgerank) which filters and manages your stream from being a complete mess of garbage you don't care to see.

So if you ignore your page and don't give your fans content to participate with, these people you worked so hard to acquire will be lost to you.

I've compiled a few examples to showcase why the quality of both your fans is more important than the number of your 'Likes'. To better illustrate this point I've created a simple formula to compare a few Pages with:

'Likes' ÷ 'Talking About This' = Fan Page Comparison Ratio

Are Musicians Still Delusional About Getting Signed? - Ep. 32: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-04T13:47:22-07:00

We've chatted about this before… but we're talking about it again.

Why? Because it's a fact that 75% of artists still want to get signed by a major label, despite the fact that the majority of artists never see any money from these relationships and they often get dropped after only a couple of years, leaving them with nothing… not even the ownership of their album masters.

Join Michael Brandvold and I as we kick off our discussion around a recent email to Bob Lefsetz that was sent to him by Matt Murphy, The Jazz Lawyer.

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast oniTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 32: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Are Musicians Still Delusional About Getting Signed? by Thorny Bleeder

As always I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, join in on the discussion below...

Conversations As Moments Of Conversion

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-11-01T09:30:17-07:00

Bands and brands, this is for you.

The Power of Networking and Engaging in Conversations

Everyone is telling you to step-up your use of social media to connect with fans and to reach them where they congregate, online. Yet many of you don't. You still post nothing but a steady stream of spammy type status updates such as: Listen To This! Buy My CD! Order Now! Like My Page! We're Awesome, Tell Your Friends!

Be honest, when you see postings like this appear in your social stream, how do you react? You don't. You tune them out.

Messages like that are nothing but advertising... and no one likes to be advertised to. Trust me, you won't get anywhere using that type of approach.

Will Apple's Ping Get The Push?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-31T12:37:53-07:00

Now that Apple has launched iCloud, I wonder if they'll ever make a serious revitalized push with their fledgling social network for music, Ping?

I think they need to make it web based and to focus on Twitter/Facebook integration and use it to supplement those networks, rather than compete with them.

Apple also needs to make iTunes a web-based player. With the new iTunes Match, they could very easily make it your new central, one-stop web-based music player, available anywhere and on any device, similar to what Rdio and Spotify are now offering music fans.

Apple needs a better music strategy than what has currently been presented. It just seems so scattered and unfocussed. I've been having a great discussion on this topic over on my Google+ profile, here's a couple of key comments:

"The problem with Ping is that it doesn't do anything new. It's a semi-social network that does nothing new or better (or even prettier)."
- Amy Plachta

"In addition, its a shame artists can't embed little music store widgets on their website, allowing their fans to purchase directly from iTunes without leaving their site. You're right, they need a new, web-based strategy badly."
- MaryLiz Bender

So what do YOU think... Will Apple's Ping Get The Push?

Rejection Is Not A Four Letter Word

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-28T14:07:03-07:00

By Skip Taylor for SaskMusic's "The Session", www.saskmusic.org. Reprinted with permission.

We have all faced rejection at some point in our lives. Some rejections are certainly more painful than others. Most rejections, however, do not have to be the end of the story. An initial rejection by someone or something can, if handled correctly, lead to an opportunity. Rejection can also be a great opportunity for us to learn about ourselves. In my 15 years as a promotion rep for a major label, I faced rejection every day. Every time I went into a radio station it was my job to push for airplay on our tracks until the station said no. If they were playing four tracks it was my job to ask about the fifth track. If they were playing all five tracks it was my job to try and get rotation bumps. My job was not complete until all adds and rotation bumps were exhausted and the station ultimately said “No”. Over time I developed some strategies that helped me disarm rejection and turn rejection into acceptance. While I use a radio analogy here, these concepts can be used in any business area.

Songwriting Tips From Heart's Multi-Platinum Co-Writer Sue Ennis - Ep. 31: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-28T11:56:03-07:00

On today's episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast we are joined by a very special guest, Sue Ennis.

Sue Ennis is a nationally recognized songwriter, best known for her work with the platinum-selling Seattle rock band Heart.

Sue has co-written over 50 songs with Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart with over 30 million records sold. She has earned 10 gold, 4 platinum, 1 triple platinum and 1 quintuple platinum album.

Sue is a band member of The Lovemongers, a Music Producer, a Vocal/Performance Coach, teaches songwriting workshops, and is President of the Board of Governors, Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Recording Academy (NARAS).

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Join us in an amazing discussion with this phenomenally creative and successful artist!
Ep. 31: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Songwriting Tips From Heart's Co-Writer Sue Ennis by Thorny Bleeder

As always I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, join in on the discussion below...

Social Media Updates from Klout, Bandcamp and Chime.in - Ep. 30: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-19T13:19:18-07:00

This week's podcast is a couple of days early since I'm flying up North to Whitehorse, Yukon tomorrow to speak at the BreakOut West Festival, which is a part of the Western Canadian Music Awards.

Today's discussion is a digital media 2.0 update centred around a few different topics. We talk about how co-host Michael Brandvold is featured as a Klout Star this week on Klout's website, and we also chat about a newly discovered feature from Bandcamp, their brand new Facebook music player app for a band's fan page.

For independent bands out there, this is HUGE. Read all about it here. No lie… it took me 90 seconds to install it.

And lastly, we discuss a brand new social media network that was just launched yesterday called Chime.in. I've only spent a day on it, but I'm already a big fan.

Sign up to Chime.in and check it out! And don't forget to follow me, here's my profile: http://chime.in/user/thornybleeder

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 30: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Social Media Updates from Klout, Bandcamp and Chime.in by Thorny Bleeder

Kyle Bylin from Billboard on Social Charts & Geo-Social Mobile Music Apps

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-14T11:45:47-07:00

Hot off the press! Here's Episode 29 of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast, featuring myself, Brian Thompson, and my co-host Michael Brandvold.

We're joined today with special guest Kyle Bylin, Social/Streaming Chart Manager at Billboard. Kyle is also the former Editor of Hypebot.com and Music Think Tank.

This is a really intriguing and thought provoking discussion on the future of music, social music charts, mobile music apps and where things are headed with music discovery.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on today's podcast, please join the discussion and leave your thoughts in the comments below. Go on… do it!

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 29: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Kyle Bylin from Billboard on Social Charts & Mobile Music by Thorny Bleeder

Brian Thompson Joins Music BC's Board of Directors

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-12T15:49:56-07:00

I'm happy to announce that I have been voted onto the Board of Directors for MusicBC. It happened last night at the Annual General Meeting with a full house in attendance. I'm honoured to have received the necessary votes to have a chair on the board.

I'm a tireless advocate for the music community, artist development and DIY career education… and Music BC does an amazing amount of selfless work for arts and culture in British Columbia. This is a perfect fit. I'm excited to sit down with the rest of the board members and play an active role in our Province's amazing future in music!

What is Music BC?

A Tribute to Steve Jobs - Ep. 28: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-12T12:16:27-07:00

The recent passing of Steve Jobs was an event that impacted both Michael and I considerably, so we decided to do a special edition of our podcast in tribute to the man who not only inspired both of us, but changed many industries simultaneously.

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 28: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Tribute to Steve Jobs by Thorny Bleeder

Be Personal. Name Names.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-07T11:29:01-07:00

Do you realize how special it is for a fan to have their name mentioned in a tweet, on a Facebook post or in a YouTube video? Or how about a shout-out on your blog?

Recognize your fans for being the awesome supporters that they are.

Not only will it make someone's week incredibly special, it will deepen the connection they have with you, further enabling the possibility of creating a lifelong fan.

This is a painless and priceless thing to do and it will undoubtedly set you apart from everyone else...

Make a difference. Make your fans smile! Be personal. Name names.

(photo taken from Art Of Dying's fan submitted photos on their Facebook page)

The True Meaning of DIY. Be Your Own Boss. - Ep. 27: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-06T23:12:12-07:00

The title of this week's podcast says it all...

DIY = Being Self Reliant

Listen the podcast below for our 30 minute discussion on things you should consider as you prepare to do things on your own in the world of indie music marketing and promotion.

Despite what the term DIY implies, you don't need to do it all yourself… but you do need to remain in control and to find the right people to help support your goals.

Be smart, build yourself a quality support team.

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.
Ep. 27: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - The True Meaning of DIY. Be Your Own Boss. by Thorny Bleeder

Steve Jobs. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-06T19:03:28-07:00

Steve Jobs
February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011

Thank you Steve... you've inspired us beyond measure. Your passion, your vision, your leadership, your tenacity, your perserverance… your products.

I can think of nothing better to share than the following two videos as we remember and celebrate one of the most important figures of our time.

Here's a 1997 version of a commercial which never aired featuring Steve Jobs narrating the first Think Different commercial, Here's to the Crazy Ones (Richard Dreyfuss ended up doing the voiceover for the spot that aired).

This next video is the "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." address Steve delivered in 2005 at Stanford University, which I'm sure many of you have already seen. It's a must-see.

Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life's setbacks -- including death itself -- at the university's 114th Commencement on June 12, 2005.

Transcript of Steve Jobs' address here.

Staying Relevant and Keeping in the Public Eye

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-10-04T10:50:39-07:00

Frequency and consistency is everything in today's connected world.

Most brands (and bands) find it a constant struggle to remain relevant and current to their customers and fans. But the truth is, it really isn't that difficult. In fact, it's easier than ever before.

What happened yesterday is old news. It's all about real time. It's about right now.

What's happening right now on Twitter? What's happening right now with my friends on Facebook's status ticker? What new music was leaked or just released this morning? What are today's blogs saying about that show last night? What's this week's unexpected viral video sensation?

All of these questions that we seek out in our day to day lives are based in the present. The now. The current and the happening.

Are you playing this game? Are you providing your connected audience with content for them to engage with on a regular basis?

It's not difficult, but it does take a concentrated effort and a focus to create a routine for your online marketing plan.

Let's make it really simple for you. Start with the following two basic concepts and then increase the two key modifiers (frequency and consistency) as you become more comfortable with your new social media marketing efforts.

1. Do something Small (at the very least) once a week.
This can be a blog post, a video blog, sharing a new photo, a gig, an interview...

2. Do something Big once a month.
This can be a live performance video, a free download of an acoustic cover tune or a new song or demo, a contest, a big event, new merch, new cross-promotions with other brands, bands, or charities, a live and interactive streaming video Q&A session. The only limit is your creativity.

You create your own story. Don't let your book remain unwritten.

Create content and engageable actions on a regular basis to give your audience something to chew on and to talk about.Social Media is word of mouth. If you're not giving people something to talk about, you're just simply not in the game.

-- Brian Thompson

Bob Cramer CEO of Nimbit Offers Direct-to-Fan Advice - Ep. 26: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-30T11:47:44-07:00

Today's guest on The Music Biz Weekly Podcast is Bob Cramer, CEO of Nimbit.

Nimbit creates solutions for independent musicians and independent record labels around the Direct-to-Fan Music Business Model. Direct-to-Fan gives musicians control over their music, fans, business and careers.

Nimbit artists use an online dashboard to see and manage their music business. This includes sales information, fan information, marketing promotions and results, storefront results, central product catalog (e.g., digital and physical music, merchandise, eTickets), central content management (e.g., band profile and gigs). This allows products and content to be entered once then viewed and changed in one place.

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 26: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Bob Cramer CEO of Nimbit Offers Direct-to-Fan Advice by Thorny Bleeder

*sorry for the crummy audio from my end of Skype on this podcast. For some reason my iMac's mic kicked in instead of the really good external mic I always use. Dammit.

10 Career Tips From Hank Moody & Californication

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-29T13:16:44-07:00

I don't watch much TV, but Showtime's Californication is undoubtedly one of my favourite shows from the past decade. It's honest, hilarious and it truthfully captures the life of tormented yet creative artist.

The show's central character Hank Moody, portrayed by David Duchovny, is an erratic but esteemed writer who frequently becomes embroiled in bizarre, and in some cases, scandalous situations. Yet he's highly successful and everyone loves him, or loves to hate him.

Hank's a messed up guy, yet I still think there's a lot we can learn from his straight forward, no-bullshit attitude towards life.

So here's what I came up with:

Marketing via Targeted Connections

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-28T12:02:10-07:00

I don't care what industry you're in, but the quantity of your followers means nothing compared to the quality of your followers.

And by followers, I mean your Facebook Friends, your Twitter Followers, those who have you in a Google+ Circle, and your email subscribers… amongst many others.

Here's a quote I recently heard while listening to the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast with Mitch Joel (sorry, I can't recall which episode it was):

If you don't surround yourself with people who have the potential to care about you and care what you're doing, you're wasting your time, you're wasting your effort and wasting your potential. You have to find these people in a mindful and systematic way.

Truth. Keep this in mind, as this also pertains to who you bring into your inner circle as a part of your team.

So whatever you do, don't just focus your online social media efforts on quantity of connections. Instead, focus your efforts on building a true network of quality fans and influencers.

Don't know how? For starters, put Twitter Search to work for you. I recently did an 84 min. webinar on this exact topic (How to Use Twitter to Promote Your Music). Click here to purchase it for only $5, using the following discount code: mbww050.

What methods do you use to connect with potential fans and industry insiders who matter most to you?

Engage Your Audience. But what the hell does that mean?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-27T12:48:23-07:00

Do you constantly hear people tell you to "Engage Your Audience" when it comes to social media?

I see and hear those words everywhere. And admittedly, I almost always use those same words myself when consulting with clients.

Engage Your Audience.

Its become one of the most overused phrases in online marketing. Yet despite its overuse it remains the most succinct way to summarize the concept of how to successfully market your brand (or band) using social media.

But how many of you actually understand what this marketing lingo actually means? To help you out I've brainstormed 15 Tips on how you can put the word Engage to use in your everyday social media status updates.

Click the Read More link to see my Top 15 Tips…

Music Industry Showcase Tips for Artists - Ep. 25: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-22T11:30:32-07:00

In this week's episode Michael Brandvold and I have an open discussion about how an artist or band can make the most of an industry showcase. Both of us have participated in many different panels over the years, with Michael most recently being on a panel earlier this week at the Driven conference in Atlanta.

Whether your showcase is in front of a panel of judges, A&R reps, music industry executives, or just in front of an audience of tastemakers at a conference… we have some straight forward and simple advice to share with you.

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 25: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Music Industry Showcase Tips for Artists by Thorny Bleeder

Video Premiere: Art of Dying Party and Play Hard on 'Get Thru This'

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-21T10:57:18-07:00

Art Of Dying just premiered the new official new video for Get Thru This today on Noisecreep.

Here's what Noisecreep had to say about it, republished as it originally appears here...

Foo Fighters Vs. Westboro Baptist Church

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-18T12:21:21-07:00

This is fucking brilliant.

On Aug. 30th, 2011 Westboro Baptist Church called for a picket of the Foo Fighters show in Kansas City. Well, Dave Grohl and Co. had a little something up their sleeves as a rebuke to their religious hate-speak.

And to you bands and artists out there, remember that blog post I made a few days ago? Looking for Success? 10 Ways To Go Beyond the Usual. This is the shit I'm talking about folks…

Success In The Music Industry

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-16T11:16:12-07:00

I've heard the name, but knew nothing about him. But after reading the most recent Lefsetz Letter (from Bob Lefsetz) titled Howard Bloom - Success in Music Industry, I was beyond intrigued about this former music industry publicist, Howard Bloom.

Howard Bloom is an American author. Born June 25, 1943 in Buffalo, New York, he was a publicist in the 1970s and 1980s for singers and bands such as Prince, Billy Joel, and Styx. In 1988 he became disabled with chronic fatigue syndrome. Since then he has published three books on human evolution and group behaviour, The Genius of the Beast, The Global Brain and The Lucifer Principle, which are informed by his ideas about what underlies the success of major rock and roll artists.

These books generalize and extend his ideas about what makes rock and roll artists successful to human nature. According to him: "Everything from the wolf-pack behaviour of music business executives to the lemming-like conduct of hypocritical journalists helped shape my insights" and that "The real magic of rock happens at a concert, where if the performers are successful, individuals ... merge in a pulse of common emotion ... This consolidation mirrors the force that create much of both human good and evil".

Turn off the TV. Hit pause on your music… and watch the video below, it's 6 minutes well spent. There are so many incredible quotes from Howard in this short little video, including:

"There is no such thing as being a genius. Every single day you have to deliver things in wondrous ways to the best of your minimal abilities."

"The trick is persistence… once you get a sense of what you want to do, do it with all your strength and all your might and do it every day…"

What take-aways did you get from this video?

Is Social Media a Silver Bullet to Success?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-16T11:13:03-07:00

No.
There is no silver bullet, no single solution to success in music, the arts, or entrepreneurial startups. But... there is a very well known and proven path.

In marketing, it's referred to as the Sales Funnel, which is as described as simply as this:

Awareness
Connection
Commerce

Now, if we parlay that into Music Marketing Direct-to-Fan terms, here's a formula for you to consider, made popular by technology blog Techdirt here:

CwF + RtB = $$$

defined as: connect with fans + reason to buy = sales
(read more about this formula here)

While social media won't guarantee your success, if it's used smartly and creatively it will begin to illuminate the path to awareness with your target audience. What you do with that connection is up to you.

And that's where it all begins...

Social Media Week Vancouver: Music Is Social. Are You?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-12T16:59:36-07:00

I'll be hosting a very special Arts Mashup during Social Media Week, and it's totally free too. Here's the details on the session, I hope to see you there!

Music Is Social. Are You?
How to Use Social Media to Elevate Your Career as an Artist

PLEASE REGISTER HERE

Join Brian Thompson (leading music biz blogger, music industry consultant, artist manager) from Thorny Bleeder and Chris Brandt (Music Business Professor) from Nimbus School of Recording Arts in a three hour session dedicated to helping artists understand the world of social media and how to leverage it to create new fans and business opportunities in the arts.

Friday, September 23
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
ING Café (466 Howe St., Vancouver, BC)
FREE

Looking for Success? 10 Ways To Go Beyond The Usual.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-12T10:17:11-07:00

1 Dare to be different.
2 Create a stir.
3 Stand out from the crowd.
4 Get people talking.
5 Be consistent.
6 Be real. Be transparent.
7 Be patient and let people discover you on their own.
8 Have some Wow factor!
9 Connect with fans.
10 Pull people in. Don't push.

'Amazing' will spread on its own… but only if you let it happen naturally.

If you focus on pulling people into your world one at a time, rather than cramming your content (a product, a message, a sales pitch) down people's throats, you will find yourself going from gaining ten new fans at a time, to hundreds at a time... to literally thousands.

~ Brian Thompson

A Plan to Focus on Fan Relationships. Ep. 24 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-09T12:10:51-07:00

Today's podcast is all about the importance of fan relationships. Without fans, your music will simply fall on deaf ears and you'll have no chance of a career in music.

Michael Brandvold and I talk about the importance of having a long term plan and a band philosophy which everyone agrees with and which can be a unifying theme behind everything you do.

The idea for today's discussion popped up after seeing the following article on Hypebot. Check it out:
Rich Holtzman, Manager Of Portugal. The Man On How Social Media Built & Saved The Band

You can subscribe to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast on iTunes here… or listen to it on Soundcloud here or using the player below.

Ep. 24: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - A Plan to Focus on Fan Relationships by Thorny Bleeder

And as a thanks to you, the dedicated listeners of our podcast, we'd like to pass on a special discount for our recent webinar.

Just use the following coupon code - mbww050 - and you can receive our 84min. hands-on video tutorial entitled How To Use Twitter to Promote Your Music for only $5.

That's a 50% savings from our regular price. Only 5 bucks to learn how some advanced Twitter techniques to gain new fans and promote your music? Sweet.

Download the 84 minute hands-on video tutorial here.

Grace Under Pressure: Persistence & Perseverance

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-08T15:32:00-07:00

Actress Shirley MacLaine realized at a young age that if she wasn't selected for a role that she auditioned for, it simply wasn't her time yet… it was someone else's. She accepted that if she didn't get a part, it was because she wasn't prepared enough.

She didn't let it get her down. She didn't give up. Instead, she became even more relentlessly focussed on her goals with a renewed energy to keep working at her craft.

Keep the dream people. Never stop improving yourself. Keep your goals in sight and your time will come. But... you have to be ready for it first.

~ Brian Thompson

Top Barriers Limiting You From Your Dream Job

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-07T13:28:44-07:00

If you're a regular reader & viewer of my blogs, video blogs and podcasts you'll know that I frequently compare the pursuit of a career of an artist to that of being an entrepreneur.

In my daily scouring of the net to share articles with you in The DIY Daily newsletter, I stumbled upon this fantastic article and just had to share it with you.

What do you think? What's holding you back from accomplishing your dreams? Chances are… it's you. We are often the biggest obstacles to achieving our own goals.

Ok, here it is…

Released Today: New Album from Billy the Kid & the Southside Boys on iTunes, Amazon & Spotify

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-06T09:37:01-07:00

The new album from Billy the Kid & the Southside Boys, Ours, is officially released today on iTunes, Amazon and the popular streaming music site Spotify.

And of course the album is also available on Billy's website as either a digital download, a CD or on Vinyl. She also has a bunch of different merch + album bundles available as well, check them out here.

If you haven't seen this iPhone-shot video yet, check it out, it's for one of my favourite songs from the new album, Us Broken Hearts.

See Billy LIVE on tour this month…

US Tour Dates: Summer 2011

Booking Gigs and How to be Prepared: Ep. 23 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-02T12:39:17-07:00

The title says it all.

In a band and unsure how to go about booking shows or how to approach putting a tour together? Then you need to listen to today's new podcast.

Listen to it on Soundcloud here or just click play on the player below.

What hurdles have you faced while booking shows?
Share your experiences and knowledge using the comments below!

Ep. 23: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast- Booking Gigs and How to be Prepared by Thorny Bleeder

How to Use Twitter to Promote Your Music (free download)

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-09-01T13:48:40-07:00

How to Use Twitter to Promote Your Music

View more presentations from Brian Thompson

Here's a free download of the slideshow that accompanied last night's Music Marketing Webinar that Michael Brandvold and I presented on behalf of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast.

Did you miss the live webinar?

Download the 84 minute hands-on video tutorial here for only $9.99.

so, you want to buy me a beer eh?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-28T12:46:00-07:00

i've had a number of people on twitter and facebook recently say they'd like to buy me a beer as a thank-you for all of the valuable info and music i share every day. that's totally cool of you guys, thanks.

well, why not then?

so i decided to take you up on your generous offer… just use the donate button below to quench my thirst and say thanks.

you guys rock.

Punk Band Releases Tribute to Billy the Kid

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-28T12:45:10-07:00

The Lucky Ones, a punk band from St. Catharines, Ontario (home to Alexisonfire, City and Colour) have just released a new song they wrote as a tribute to singer/songwriter Billy the Kid. How cool is that?

The song is written to, for, and about Billy the Kid… and if you know anything about this indie DIY girl's history, you'll agree that the lyrics are simply awesome.

Listen to the song below:

BILLY THE KID by wearetheluckyones

In related news, another tribute to Billy recently via a vegetarian hemp burger

named after her in Ottawa at the Baja Burger Shack (Voted Ottawa's Best Burger), the Billy Burger!

"Inspired by Singer/Songwriter Billy Pettinger", the Billy Burgers are made with southwestern black bean n' roasted chile, triple lentil n' curry, great greek quinoa caesar, asian bbq, sesame Thai and jamming Jamaican jerk. yum!

Not only do they sound out-of-this-world delicious, but 50 cents from every burger sold goes to support The Lost Youth Music Society. Now that's a class act.

Billy the Kid and The Lost Cause continue to inspire… what more could an artist ask for?

Download the new album from Billy the Kid for free below.

New Music Video Shot Entirely on the iPhone Ashleigh Eymann - Footwork

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-26T11:56:34-07:00

I recently started working with an amazing new client who I just have to share with you guys, Ashleigh Eymann (pronounced "eeman").

Ashleigh Eymann is a soul singin, rap slingin' independent and collaborative artist and one of the fortunate PEAK Performance Project Top 20 finalists for 2011, a $100,000 year artist-search contest put on by Vancouver's 100.5 The Peak FM.

Dare I say… look out Nelly Furtado? I don't think I'm far off the mark with this one. This an extremely talented new artist that we can expect to see some big things from in the near future.

Ashleigh just released a brand new music video for the funky track Footwork, filmed entirely on her iPhone. Check it out below.

Visit Ashleigh on Facebook here, on Twitter here and on her website here (new site coming soon).

Paul Myers Discusses Content Creation in the Digital Market Ep. 22 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-26T11:56:36-07:00

Today's podcast is a hilarious, engaging and informative discussion with Paul Myers on content creation in the digital market.

Paul has tons of experience in many different content types from music, book publishing, journalism, writing, broadcasting… you name it, he's done it. He's also a digital native and is involved online with both his music blog and twitter account, so he has a great sense of how to leverage the power of the internet to propel his content.

Ep. 22: The Music Biz Weekly - Paul Myers Discusses Content Creation in the Digital Market by Thorny Bleeder

NEW Intro for The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-24T10:10:43-07:00

Check out our kick ass new intro for The Music Biz Weekly Podcast... how killer is this?
Many thanks to Bill Young Productions for the great job! http://promo.concerts.com

Tune in this Friday, August 26 for our next episode with special guest Paul Myers!

NEW Intro for The Music Biz Weekly Podcast by Thorny Bleeder

Ep. 21 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Jonny from Art Of Dying Talks About Connecting With Fans And Social Networking

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-19T13:51:44-07:00

Today's podcast is an exclusive discussion with one of my closest friends, Jonny Hetherington, lead singer for the hard rock band Art Of Dying.

Our discussion centres on how Jonny and Art Of Dying use social media to stay connected with their fans and what drives them to stay so dedicated and passionate to their use of new media. We also get the no-bullshit inside-scoop on what it's really like for a band signed to a major label with digital marketing.

Art Of Dying had a Top 10 song earlier this year with the hard rocking track Die Trying. Their latest single Get Thru This is featured on the Transformers 3 Soundtrack and the band is now touring through America on the Uproar Tour along with Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine, Escape The Fate, Sevendust, Black Tide and Hell Or Highwater.

Ep. 21 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast: Art Of Dying Talks About Social Networking by Thorny Bleeder

Special Offer To Our Podcast Listeners!
Use "mbwp025" for a 25% discount on our upcoming Music Marketing Webinar on August 31, How To Use Twitter To Promote Your Music.

What it's Really Like to Work in a Music Store

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-17T09:40:44-07:00

Some of you may have seen these before, they're not new… but damn, they're just too funny not to share!

There's 5 videos in total, so click on the Read More link to see the rest of them...

New Bundles Available from Billy the Kid

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-22T14:26:08-07:00

Get it Now

See even more bundles by clicking Read More below…

Dream Theater Keyboardist, Guest On Next Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-06T15:34:02-07:00

We just confirmed some very exciting news...

Our special guest on the next episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcastis Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

We'll be talking about how he connects with fans using social media,

in particular his success with sites such as YouTube and Twitter. We'll also be touching on Dream Theater's drummer audition video series, their highly anticipated upcoming album "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" due out this September and their North American Tour.

Tune in to http://www.thornybleeder.com this coming Friday, August 12thand join myself and cohost Michael Brandvold for what's going to be an amazing new episode.

The podcast will be posted immediately after it's recorded and should be online around 12:30-1pm PST.

Sharing is Caring. Billy the Kid's New Album... for Free.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-11T13:16:12-07:00

it's time to give back.
so here it is... this is Ours.
go ahead and share this with your friends and family too.

and if you have a blog, it'd be cool if you could post these little thingies on your site for your readers to enjoy as well...

listen to the entire album here:

download a free copy of the album here:

Visit Billy online and say thanks:
Blog/Website
Twitter
Facebook

Ep. 20 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater Talks Fan Engagement

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-12T13:26:51-07:00

We have an amazing conversation to share with you for Episode 20, a candid conversation with Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater about fan engagement, social media, music marketing, technology, and his favourite iPhone and iPAd apps.

This is a must listen episode…

The Music Biz Weekly, a weekly podcast co-hosted by Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson. Each week we discuss the latest events in the music business and music marketing events and techniques.

Tune in every Friday for the latest episode.

Episode 20 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast: Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater Talks Fan Engagement by Thorny Bleeder

Special Offer To Our Podcast Listeners!
Use "mbwp025" for a 25% discount on our upcoming Music Marketing Webinar, How To Use Twitter To Promote Your Music.

Free Song #9

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-10T10:35:51-07:00

This week's free download is Girl Don't You Fall For My Man from Billy the Kid's new album, Ours.

Listen to the song below and download a 320kbs mp3 using the box to the right.

Order your copy of a CD, Vinyl or Digital Download here:
www.billythekidonline.com

The Transcendental Magic Of Live Music

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-10T10:45:48-07:00

The following is a guest post from my very good friend Chris Brandt, Music Business Instructor at Nimbus School of Recording Arts.

It's a beautiful piece that captures the essence and beauty of live music, the transcendental magic that happens in brief moments when watching a brilliant artist get lost in song. This piece was inspired after attending a theatre performance by Adele at The Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver on August 9, 2011.

Music Marketing Webinar: How To Use Twitter To Promote Your Music

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-08T15:24:22-07:00

Wednesday, August 31, 2011
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Pacific Time)
$49 USD

Michael Brandvold & Brian Thompson, hosts of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast are proud to announce the first of their new Live Webinar Sessions where we'll be teaching music marketing techniques and hands-on instruction for artists to grow their audience and get their music heard.

This Music Biz Weekly Webinar is titled:
"How to Easily use Twitter to Promote Your Music"

We'll be covering the following topics:

- How to setup and customize your Twitter profile
- How to get more followers targeted to your unique musical style
- How to monitor what is being said about you online
- How to talk and engage with your fans
- How to create and find new opportunities in the music industry

Additional topics could be added as time permits.

Our goal is to make sure you leave this webinar with hands-on action items which you can put into use immediately. We'll have also have an open question period at the end of the session.

Kevin Schallie from Columbia Performs Acoustic Version of Setting Sun

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-08T13:17:15-07:00

Our good friends over at Nimbus School of Recording Arts are presenting a series of 20 different videos from local Vancouver artists performing their favourite acoustic cover songs.

Nimbus was founded by legendary producers Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper) and GCGarth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers) with Kevin Williams (Hot Sole Music), having drawn upon their extensive experience and multi-platinum successes to create some of the most progressive Sound Recording, Music Production, Music Business, and Artist Development programs in the world.

Here's Kevin Schallie, singer/songwriter for the band Columbia, with his version of "Setting Sun" by the Chemical Brothers and Noel Gallagher.

New DIY Resource: Thorny Bleeder Trending Topics

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-08T13:17:17-07:00

Let's face it, a huge chunk of you readers probably aren't on Twitter. That makes me sad… but I'll get over it.

There's also plenty of you that haven't subscribed to my daily newsletter, The DIY Daily. That makes me sad too. But hey, you can still sign up any time you want for free right here.

My goal is to provide as much valuable content as possible for you on a daily basis regarding music marketing, social media, DIY tips, indie advice, digital music news and entrepreneurial motivation. So if you're not following either of the above resources, you're missing out on some serious shit that can help your career.

But that's ok, I have a new solution for you!

And it's thanks to a new website called Twylah. Every day this new page of mine auto-magically updates itself based on the popularity of the web links that I tweet out every single day.

If I send out a news story that no one cares about, you won't see it. If it's super popular, it'll be front and centre so you don't miss it. This new webpage an amazing summary of all my Twitter posts… and you don't even have to be a Twitter user to enjoy it.

Check it out below and add this site to your daily online reading:

Visit & Bookmark our Trending Topics page here:
http://www.twylah.com/thornybleeder

Episode 19 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Email Marketing for Musicians

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-05T14:01:21-07:00

The title says it all… today's podcast touches on Email Marketing for Musicians.

Click the Soundcloud widget to listen to it right here, or listen directly on Soundcloud itself here.

Follow us on Twitter:
@michaelsb
@thornybleeder

Follow us on Google+:
http://gplus.to/brandvold
http://gplus.to/thornybleeder

This Podcast is Available on iTunes and at:
http://www.thornybleeder.com
http://www.michaelbrandvold.com

Facebook: The Musician's Playbook

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-05T14:07:33-07:00

Facebook has recently published an incredibly useful tool for everyone in the music industry, an official handbook for how to market your music on the world's number one social media networking site.

But be prepared, this isn't a short read.

It's an in depth 40 page document detailing the ins and outs of everything you'll need to know. It not only teaches you hot to pimp out your fan page, but it also shares valuable insight on how to maximize fan engagement and interaction… which is what everyone's #1 goal should be.

I've embedded the document below, but if you need to see the direct source you can find the document on Scribd here.

Musician's Playbook

8 Ways To Get 100 Visitors A Day To Your Website

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-03T12:24:53-07:00

I received a tweet yesterday from fellow music marketer Chris Rockett from Promote Your Music, asking if I'd like to participate in a mutli-blogger guest post he's putting together for his website.

He had one question to ask and wanted a reply that was around 200 words long. So without skipping a beat I quickly cranked out the following email and fired it off to him.

Stay tuned to Promote Your Music for Chris's complete post with more tips on this topic from other music marketing bloggers.

Question:
What is the fastest way to get 100 targeted fans per day visiting your website on a consistent basis, without using paid traffic?

My Answer:

Innovate. Dare To Be Different.

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-02T09:23:42-07:00

How to Succeed in Life:

1. Dare to be different.
2. Be passionate.
3. Be curious.
4. Be creative in everything you do.
5. Innovate.
6. Deconstruct the old, build something new.
7. Be the disruptive change in a boring industry.
8. Change the game.
9. Don't play by the rules.
10. Stand apart from the crowd.

...Get Noticed!

Billy the Kid Releases Free Song #8, Plus 2 New Music Videos

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-08-02T09:25:11-07:00

New music video for Diamonds.

Directed by Douglas Thomson.
http://www.directordouglas.com
visit http://www.billythekidonline.com to download this song.

Free Song #8 - Back In The Sand

Episode 18 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Introduction to Google+ for Musicians

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-29T13:17:35-07:00

The Music Biz Weekly, a weekly podcast co-hosted by Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson. Each week Michael and Brian discuss the latest events in the music business and music marketing events and techniques. Tune in every Friday for the latest episode.

This week we take on the hottest piece of tech and social media news there is, Google Plus, the exciting new social network that's only a month old.

Do you need to be on Google+?
Why should you be on this ultra-new network?
Do I need to invest a lot of time in it?
How can Google+ help me market my music?

Listen to the podcast below for all of the answers to these questions and more.
Episode 18 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast: Introduction to Google+ for Musicians by Thorny Bleeder

Follow us on Google+:
http://gplus.to/brandvold
http://gplus.to/thornybleeder

This Podcast is Available on iTunes and at:
http://www.thornybleeder.com
http://www.michaelbrandvold.com

Art Of Dying Interview on Rockline

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-27T12:00:24-07:00

Art Of Dying were guests on the legendary and nationally syndicated Rockline radio show this past Monday. This show has been on the air for 28 years and is a classic and trusted rock n' roll institution, hosted by the one and only Bob Coburn.

Missed the show?

Listen to an mp3 of the interview on the Rockline Archives here.

Columbia Prepares for Release of New Song & Video

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-27T12:15:03-07:00

Vancouver's brit-inspired rockers Columbia have been spending most of the year in some intensive songwriting sessions, gearing up for the recording of their second album.

But the whole recording process can be a lengthy one, so rather than wait many months to release something new, the band decided to jump into a friend's studio and crank out one of their favourite new songs as quickly as possible.

And that they did. One week later the song is not only finished and awaiting the mixing and mastering stage, but they've also filmed a video for it too.

So in prep for the new song, here's the lyrics for you, plus a little teaser for the new video we'll be premiering next week. If you've seen the band perform recently, then you might already be familiar with the new song, The Time.

Free Song #7 from Billy the Kid: Where We Are

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-27T12:15:00-07:00

Listen to the new song here, Where We Are:

A new week means a new free song from Billy the Kid! Download your free copy now using the little download box to the right. Can't see it? Visit www.billythekidonline.com.

If you're in Vancouver this weekend, Billy the Kid will be playing a free show at SHOREFest this Saturday, July 30, at 5pm, at the Kits Beach Stage (right beside the pool), along with Ryan McAllister, Prairie Dance Club, and more.

It's also the first night of the Celebration of Lights Fireworks Festival, so it's sure to be a great little party with tons of people buzzing around, see you there!

Here's a little slideshow Billy created to accompany this week's new song…

Episode 17 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast How To Promote AT Your Shows

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-22T16:30:51-07:00

Today's topic is all about promoting your concert while you are AT your concert.

As a performing artist, what you do offstage, while you're in the venue, is just as important as your performance itself. Stand out. Be recognizable. Be approachable. Do something special each night to make potential fans remember you and talk about you afterwards.

Listen the to podcast right here for a full 30mins. of many more suggestions and ideas on what you can do to make your gig a memorable one.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here. Join the discussion and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

If you can't see the embedded podcast player, click here to go to the podcast page directly on Soundcloud.
You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by clicking here.

Billy the Kid CD & Vinyl Pre-Orders Are Here!

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-21T23:50:23-07:00

The final mixes are complete. The masters are finished. The artwork has been signed off on and delivered to the printers. And… finally, after many many months of hard work and planning, the manufacturing of Ours has begun!

So to celebrate this momentous feel-good moment, we have officially launched Pre-Orders for both the CD and the oh-so-precious Vinyl of Ours, by Billy the Kid & the Southside Boys.

Visit the full store with many more items available here:
http://www.billythekidonline.com/store

Free Song #6 from Billy the Kid: Long Time Coming

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-19T20:34:11-07:00

I love Tuesdays. Ever since I was a kid Tuesday's have always meant new music, because of course that's when the record labels have always made their new releases available. So even though it's a whole new world out there in terms of music distribution, there's something to be said for tradition. I like the anticipation of it. Waiting for that special day when you finally get to hear that new audio treat you've been anxiously awaiting.

And today is one of those days. Listen to the new song here:

And download it for free here:

Every Tuesday Billy the Kid has been releasing a new song for free from her upcoming album, Ours, being released on September 13. And today's song is one of my favourites from the new album, Long Time Coming.

If your'e a fan of acoustic/roots singer/songwriters like Ryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young then you'll fall in love with these incredible new songs.

Grab your free copy of Long Time Coming below and leave a comment with your thoughts on this week's new song! Out of the first six freebies, which one is your favourite?

Can't see the free download widget above?
Visit www.billythekidonline.com.

Video Premiere: 'What's Left' by Late July

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-19T20:37:31-07:00

"What's Left" by Late July

Buy the tunes at www.latejuly.bandcamp.com
Directed by Nicole Simone
Shot by Nate Kogan
Edited by Adrian Vieni
Make Up & Styling by Alexandra Rotundo

"‪Doghearted" by Late July‬

The Music Biz Weekly Twitter Hashtag Event

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-18T11:08:54-07:00

Hashtag #mbwp

Join Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson from The Music Biz Weekly podcast this Wednesday July 20th at 5pm PST for their first Twitter Hashtag Event. Michael and Brian will be available to discuss the podcast, questions about past topics, past guests, ideas for future topics and guests. To join this twitter event log into Twitter and do a Search for the hashtag #mbwp and you will be able to follow all the discussions. If you have a question just tweet it with the hashtag #mbwp and it is automatically part of the event.

The Music Biz Weekly podcast has quickly grown to become a must-listen podcast for anyone interested in the music business and music marketing.

Sue Ennis, a teacher at Shoreline Community College near Seattle, recently made the podcast required listening and discussion for her music business class. Sue is also a well respected songwriter, her songs include such rock hits as Straight On, Even It Up and Dog and Butterfly. She has co-written over 65 songs for the rock band Heart.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here. Join the discussion and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

What NOT To Do When Marketing Your Band

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-16T11:41:35-07:00

There are many “don’ts” that people are unaware of when marketing to certain audiences. This blog focuses on marketing don’ts for musicians trying to promote their band throughout communities. Some individuals over promote, while others do not advertise enough. Be sure to follow these six steps, because if you don’t you may send current and potential fans away from supporting your music.

Episode 16 - The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Mobile Apps For Musicians

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-15T12:52:11-07:00

It's Friday! And that means another new episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast with Brian Thompson from Thorny Bleeder and Michael Brandvold from Michael Brandvold Marketing.

Todays topic is all about smart phones and the must-have mobile apps that can make a musician's life easier, more organized, and more connected to the social networks to help you market your music.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here. Join the discussion and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

If you can't see the embedded podcast player, click here to go to the podcast page directly on Soundcloud.
You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by clicking here.

Art Of Dying - Get Thru This (Official Lyric Video)

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-13T17:12:15-07:00

See the new official lyric video for Get Thru This from Art Of Dying's album "Vices and Virtues."
Get it at iTunes now: http://wbr.fm/rqRYcB.

Also on the new Transformers 3 soundtrack!

A Few More Thoughts On Google+

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-12T12:05:22-07:00

Good morning Google+ peoples.

This thing is a getting a ton of crazy buzz with many saying they're seeing far more engagement and link click-throughs than on Twitter or Facebook. But isn't that expected from a new service that is almost entirely populated with early adopters trying to stake their ground and make a presence?

Pundits are expecting Google+ will overtake Facebook, pointing towards a lack of spam and the ability to control your stream and privacy settings as one of the key indicators.

But in all honesty, almost everything I'm seeing on G+ is self-promotional. Won't it just be a matter of time before the content we see is identical to that which we've come to loathe on Facebook?

A couple of the most well known bloggers in the tech world are already stating they'll start using G+ as their new blogging platform. But is this really something that should replace a blog on your website? I'm thinking not. Even though it's a Google product, do we fully know and understand how our status updates will be indexed by Google Search yet?

Regardless, this is still a new and exciting platform us techies and web nerds need to jump on and experience to the fullest to truly understand its potential.

Free Song #5 from Billy the Kid: Alison

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-12T12:04:25-07:00

Listen to the new song and get your free download below:

Can't see the widgets above?
Click here to visit www.billythekidonline.com to get your free download.

Google+ Thorny Bleeder

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-10T15:19:21-07:00

I'm on the new Google+ social network now. Are you?

To be honest, I really don't know what to think of it yet. It's clearly in a Beta development stage with lots of bugs and some usability issues, not to mention no iPhone app yet (although apparently it's finished and they're just waiting for Apple to approve it for the App Store).

Hopefully it fairs better than Google's previous attempts with social media, ie. Google Wave and Google Buzz. But one positive thing is that a lot of people seem to really love it so far. I'm not 100% sold yet... but I'm still giving it a go regardless. Never say never!

So if you're on Google+ add me to one of your circles here: http://www.gplus.to/thornybleeder

And if you're not on it yet and you want an invitation, just leave your email address in the comments below or send me a direct message on Twitter and I'll send you an invite!

Billy the Kid Covers Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-09T13:53:00-07:00

CBC is on the hunt for the greatest undiscovered talent in the country to be a part of a major new music series "Cover Me Canada" on CBC Television, which premieres Sunday, September 18th at 9pm.

And just for the fun of it Billy the Kid decided to toss her hat in the ring. Here's her cover version of a classic Canadian by Gordon Lightfoot, Sundown.

Episode 15: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Interview with Tom McAlevey CEO of Radical.FM

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-08T12:44:51-07:00

We have a very special guest on today's episode of The Music Biz Weekly podcast, CEO Tom McAlevey from Radical.fm, an exciting new internet radio service that is getting tons of industry buzz.

Radical.FM combines user tailored music stations (like Pandora™ and Slacker™) with on-demand playlist functionality (like Rhapsody™ and Spotify™), and adds unique social networking and powerful personal broadcasting capabilities.

But there is so much more.
Truthfully, this could very well be a game changer in not only streaming and on demand music, but also in personalized radio DJ radio broadcasting, instantly giving every user a live voice to the world... with their very own radio station.

Listen to the entire podcast and judge for yourself all of the exciting features Radical.fm will soon be launching.

What do you think? Have you tried Radical yet? Join the discussion and let us know in the comments below!

If you can't see the embedded podcast player, click here to go to the podcast page directly on Soundcloud.
You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by clicking here.

Apple Applies For Controversial Patent

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-05T11:08:12-07:00

Ok, this isn't new news (it's a week old now), but the reason I'm posting this is because the CBC News segment that I was featured on has finally hit YouTube, which means I can finally embed the video for you to check out.

I had about a 15 minute interview for this segment, but only one sentence was kept. Such is the world of TV and short soundbites!

So here it is, from CBC News:

Apple has applied for a patent for technology that would block iPhone cameras from recording live concerts:

Book Your Very Own Living Room Concert

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-05T09:42:58-07:00

LIVE In Vancouver - This Thursday!
Billy The Kid is finally playing a show in Vancouver this week, it's been awhile huh?

The Biltmore Cabaret
Thursday, July 7
On Stage at 9pm sharp

I'd suggest getting there at 8pm though, just so you don't miss anything...

Ok, now here's the main event. Check this out:

Details:
- Flat fee of $500 (plus any travel and PA rental expenses, if required)
- You promote & market the show however you feel comfortable
- Celebrating an occasion? Perhaps it's free to all of your invited friends
- Want to make some extra cash? Promote the private show to your friends and sell tickets. YOU keep all of the proceeds.
- Billy will require complimentary room and board (food) for the night of the show

Click the 'Get It Now' button below and we'll be in touch asap to sort out all of the arrangements.

Episode 14: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast MySpace, Google+, Turntable.fm and Radical.fm

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-07-01T14:55:17-07:00

Welcome back to The Music Biz Weekly Podcast! We've had the last two weeks off while Michael was taking a vacation, but we're back at it and have lots to talk about.

In today's episode we talk about a new Apple patent for technology that allows venue operators to disable your iPhone's camera functions during live events, the sale of MySpace, the new social network that Google has launched (Google+), and two new internet-radio based startups, Turntable.fm and Radical.fm.

** Don't miss next week's podcast (episode 15), we'll be joined by the CEO and founder for Radical.fm, Thomas McAlevey.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here. Join the discussion and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Concert Posters and the Rise of Legal Rights

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-30T12:06:09-07:00

This is a special guest post from Martin Frascogna, Entertainment Attorney (www.frascognalaw.com).

Thanks for the amazing insight Martin!

Concert posters have long been the standard when promoting gigs. It’s simple, efficient, and people generally love seeing these unique pieces of art. In today’s DIY market coupled with fading music sales, artists are beginning to rely heavily upon poster design as an additional merchandise revenue stream but few realize concert posters/design pack a hefty legal punch. In short: Who owns the concert poster? The band that’s performing? The designers who designed the poster? Perhaps the venue that booked the artist? If you don’t think these issues are important, think again. Concert posters are quickly becoming the hottest piece of merchandise, not only for growing indie acts but major artist as well. Indie bands with limited edition numbered prints have been able to sell good designs for $100, therefore banking more on posters than CD sales. Take an established group with a vintage concert poster back from the 60’s and it may sell for $10,000+. I can’t touch upon the global issues concerning concert posters due to the enormity of the content, nor will I address all the legal implications in detail, however I do suggest using the information below as a solid foundation, a brief flicker of insight into the multitude of issues that can quickly snowball out of control.

Use of concert posters have traditionally worked as follows: A music venue and/or promoter books a band and subsequently hires an artist to design a concert poster surrounding the performance. The band provides the venue/promoter with photography and logos who in return passes the information off to the poster designer. With new technology new methods are used. Now it may be common for a band to design a concert poster and later provide the poster to certain venues showcasing the venue logo/information. Others may hire poster designers who design, print, and distribute the poster. Regardless, every scenario identified consist of three major legal components, often ignored, which (especially in today’s music market) inevitable come back to bite someone in the ass. When these components are combined two questions emerge: who owns the poster and who owns the poster design? In order to touch upon these questions, let’s review the three legal components and how they’re used.

Free Song Of The Week: Goodbye, California

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-30T09:38:32-07:00

It’s Week #3 of the all-new Free Song promotion from Billy The Kid… and this week’s new free download is Goodbye, California.

Be the first to listen and download your Free MP3 using the box to the right.

Can't see the download widget? Got to www.billythekidonline.com to get your free download.

Enjoy!
See you next week for Freebie #4…

Free Song #2 from Billy the Kid: Us Broken Hearts

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-21T00:35:17-07:00

It's Week #2 of new free music from Billy the Kid. This week's never-before-heard freebie is Us Broken Hearts, from the forthcoming album titled Ours (due in September).

Not only do we have a free high quality mp3 for you (see the little widget to the right), we also have a new video to accompany it that Billy filmed on her iPhone during her recent trip to Europe. This is an exclusive world-wide premiere folks...

Billy the Kid's DIY iPhone Music Video
Us Broken Hearts

Please share the new above video and download widget with your friends... sharing is caring :)

First Listen: New Song From TV Heart Attack

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-17T10:38:59-07:00

Check out the new TV Heart Attack promo video below for their upcoming show in Vancouver at Venue, Thursday July 28 (join the Facebook event page here).

The song featured in this clip brand new and never before heard. The song is 'Like You Want To' (this is a rough mix, unmixed and unmastered) from the upcoming TVHA release Post Traumatic Love.

Billy the Kid Releasing 12 New Songs For Free One a Week For Just One Week Each

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-13T11:34:20-07:00

The wait is over. After months of raising cash via a very unique album pre-order campaign, Billy The Kid's new fan-funded album is finished.

Well, kind of. We don't have any physical copies yet, you'll have to wait until September for that... but we do have the digital files!

The final mixes and masters for the appropriately titled album, Ours, just rolled in last week. And without skipping a beat we're releasing the very first song today as a free download. But don't hesitate, this free download is only available for one week. Next week this offer will be removed and replaced with yet another new song for a free download. And it too will only be available for one week.

We're going to keep doing this every week for the next 12 weeks. And when all 12 of the songs have been given away... the physical packages will then be released to the world on www.billythekidonline.com.

Download the song from the widget right here and share the link with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Share the love, this freebie will only last for one week!

Oh yeah, don't forget to visit's website www.billythekidonline.com.... it's brand new and fully pimped out for this exciting new chapter in her career!

Episode 13: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Apple's iCloud

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-09T11:59:46-07:00

Check out this week's podcast as Brian and Michael discuss the big news that come out from Apple this week. Not only did they announce their much anticipated iCloud, but they also surprised people with their iTunes Match service. On top of that, they also announced the latest versions of both their mobile and computer operating systems, iOS 5 and Mac OSX Lion. Both of which solidify Apple's place at the industry leader and innovator.

For more info on the full set of iCloud features, click here. For more information on iTunes in the Cloud, click here.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Thanks for listening,
~ Brian Thompson

Columbia Helps Raise Over $3500 For MS Society

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-06T15:01:02-07:00

This just in! So proud of my boys in Columbia for helping out with this amazing cause...

Litterally sparked by a dream, Salmon Arm based alternative rock musician Aimie Laws, set forth the "Only Human" Rock for MS Tour on May 25th. Joined by Thorny Bleeder Recording artists Columbia, Vancouver hip hop artist Furthermore and long time friend Nicole Comis, along with tour manger Ben Stewart, the group held 9 events in British Columbia performing with the intentions to educate, promote and raise funds for the MS Society of Canada. Other supporting artists include Versus The Nothing, Shannon Beth Ireland, Immaculate, City of Sparks, Grim Hymn and the Horrors, Ashley Dempster, and Sasha Lewis.

Hitting the communities of Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby, Kamloops, Vancouver and Salmon Arm, the crew didn't really know what to expect. Finding a strong connection with fans and new friends along the way everyone involved found themselves humbled, listening to stories of how others are touched by the disease, regardless of age. Although the success in the tour is measured by the group more on the feedback and the educational factor than the amount of money raised, they have brought in a total of $3,645.57 for the charity itself.

Interest has been sparked in the possibility of doing the tour again in the future, hopefully building on its success and educating even more people and raising even more funds.

Episode 12: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Web Tools To Make You Stand Apart From The Crowd

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-06-02T14:07:58-07:00

Our 12th episode! Listen to Thorny Bleeder's Brian Thompson and Michael Brandvold from Michael Brandvold Marketing as they have an uncharted, unscripted, straight-talkin, no-BS chat.

For this podcast we had no preplanned topics at all, we just hit "record" and went for it!

We start off by talking about Lady Gaga's response to the Amazon 99 cent album promotion, and then we shoot off into a discussion about new web tools to help bands market their music and to stand out from the rest of the crowd. We chat about Soundcloud, Tumblr, Soundrain, Minno, VYou, and then close the episode with some tips on formatting your blog posts.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share your own tips and tricks with us!

20,000 Tweets By The Sea

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-31T14:40:23-07:00

This is a special broadcast in celebration of my 20,000th tweet!
I'm a nerd, I know.

But seriously though, I've had so much amazing success on Twitter that I felt I just had to do something special for this momentous little occasion.

So this is it. No cake. No presents. Just one big huge Thank-You to all of my amazing friends on Twitter! You guys rule. Seriously.

If you're wondering what the website is that you can vote on, that I mentioned in the video, here it is: http://urbancultureconference.com

And lastly... if you're wondering what that wicked blues tune is that's playing in the background, it's Ross Neilsen & The Sufferin' Bastards, "She Ain't You", featuring none other than the legendary Luther Dickinson on slide! Visit Ross online here: http://www.rossneilsen.com

Thanks for watching... peace!
Brian

How Do YOU Fit Into Culture?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-31T12:03:04-07:00

or
Content Marketing: Finding Your Niche

How Do You Fit Into Culture?

Not your band.
Not your music.
YOU.

The individual behind the music.

You are unique. You have individual tastes, interests, passions, and hobbies. Now... think for a moment. If you were to talk about a diverse subject matter on your blog (rather than just your music), and in your videos, in your photos, and in your tweets… you can attract an entirely new audience, which you never thought you could have access to.

People search the web to find answers to their questions. Perhaps YOU have the answer they're looking for! But they'll never find you if you don't blog about it. Or tweet it. Or make a video and post in on YouTube.

Examples:

1. Perhaps you like to cook.
Well... talk about it and share your knowledge and experiences!
Did you just whip up a batch of a killer homemade BBQ sauce? Share the recipe on your blog.

2. Are you an origami expert?
Blog about it! Create some instructional How-To YouTube videos (with your music playing in the background).

3. Do you have a pet hedgehog?
Cute always wins online.

This is Content Marketing.
This is Inbound Marketing.

This is how you enable potential fans to stumble upon your music... while they're searching for answers and info in Google Search.

Now that you've enabled fans to discover you... now it's time to turn the tables and for you to find them! If you want to enable fan-discovery, you need to search the web and dive into conversations surrounding the topics that interest you in your life. You’ll be amazed at who you meet and what they do!

Use Twitter Search.
Better yet, drill down the results even deeper by using: http://search.twitter.com
Use the extended search option to hyper-locate people discussing keywords surrounding your subject goal.

Search relevant Hashtags on Twitter, and then follow the key communicators on the topic… and talk to them! Create conversation and create a new relationship, that's what being Social is all about.

Use Google Blog Search. Use Technocrati Blog Search.
Find the blogs who specialize in these topics and start connecting with them!

Open yourself up to a whole new world. Be yourself, share yourself... and communicate with likeminded people! You'll be blown away at the results.
Trust me.

~ Brian Thompson

Brian Thompson: Most Influential Twitter User in Vancouver?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-31T12:03:00-07:00

I just noticed last night that I was nominated as Most Influential Twitter User at the Urban Culture Conference Awards in Vancouver!

Whoa.

Most of the nominations have been collecting votes for the past month, so I've got some massive catching up to do! It's a fan-voting process, one vote per person, and luckily there's no sign up or registration required.

If you follow me on Twitter and like the shit I post and share, it'd be wicked to have your support.

Let's show everyone how awesome the Thorny Bleeder community is!

Vote Here
Click on "Misc" then on "Twitter User"

PS - Thorny Bleeder is also nominated as Best Music Blog! So we'd love to have your vote for that category too :)

Follow Brian On Twitter Here!

Episode 11: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast How To Create An Event Around Your Album Release

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-27T10:16:21-07:00

In today's podcast Michael Brandvold and I chat about this week's Amazon promotion for the new Lady Gaga album where they sold her new digital release, one day only, for only 99 cents. We discuss some of the problems this promotion had, the history of music retailers doing this type of "loss-leader" event, and we close with some key take-away learnings which artists can use in developing their music career by injecting some exciting and creative promotions into the mix.

Want to hear more? Well you'll just have to click 'play' then won't you? :)

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here, Michael on Twitter here, Ian on Twitter here, and Topspin Media on Twitter here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share your own tips and tricks with us!

Thanks for listening,
~ Brian Thompson

Canada's Hardest Working Band: Ross Neilsen & The Sufferin' Bastards

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-31T12:02:55-07:00

Ross Neilsen and the Sufferin' Bastards don't stop. These Bastards define the blues.

MP3: Ross Neilsen & The Sufferin' Bastards
She Ain't You (featuring Luther Dickinson)

visit our Free Downloads page for free album downloads from Ross Neilsen

They're the epitome of the balls-to-the-wall work ethic and the tireless hustle that's needed to stand out from the rest of the crowd. And that they are. Just take a look at the following self-booked tour these Bastards are about to embark on.

Canada, do yourself a favour and catch this band live on one of the following dates! This is the real deal... an exciting, live, dirty blues rawk n' roll touring-machine!

2011 SUMMER TOUR DATES:

Episode 10: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast What Do Fans Want? Albums, Singles, or EPs?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-20T13:52:11-07:00

Here it is, our 10th Episode! Wow, time flies.

Well after two weeks of having some amazing guests (Ian Rogers from Topspin on Episode 8, J Sider from RootsMusic on Episode 9), this week's episode finds us back to just Michael and myself. Today's discussion begins with a reading from a recent article titled "Albums" (from April 28, 2011) in The Lefsetz Letters, written by Bob Lefsetz.

Check out Bob Lefsetz and The Lefsetz Letters. Read the "Albums" article here.

What begin on-topic with how music used to be released in the past, and how it should be released now, in the digital social age. But then we take a bit of a detour and discuss "brand monitoring" on social channels and across the web. Are you listening to what the internet is saying about you? If not, you need to. Anyways, listen to the podcast to learn more!

And many thanks listening everyone. If you enjoyed this episode and think you might have a friend who'll dig it, please share!

So, what do you think... Albums, Singles, or EPs? What's your choice?

~ Brian Thompson

A Modern Musicians Handbook - The Do's and Don'ts

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-20T13:52:07-07:00

This is a special guest post from contributor, Jeff Ojeda (Online Marketing, Graphic Designer for Chief Music Management).

I have decided to write another rant, but this time a more informative one. I figured now that I have some valuable experience under my belt, why not share some advice/lessons I have learned over the years in hopes to help the developing artists out. (If you are not a band, artist or someone in music - this will bore you).

Here is a bunch of info that I would have loved to hear first hand when I was my own artist/band playing shows, touring, spending $, etc...

DIY Tip - Sometimes I Work Better In The Dark

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-19T11:51:32-07:00

Life can be demanding. We all have our mandatory jobs and chores to the pay bills, but most of us also have our passion projects too. Too often, life gets in the way of spending some quality time to work on these goals.

You can find success, inspiration, and get some serious work done on these projects by simply changing your routine and/or the environment you do them in.

Every now and then I'll pull an all-nighter work session. I turn the lights out, close the blinds, turn on some non-distracting music (classical, mellow jazz, ambient, etc.)... and Focus!

It's amazing how much quality work you can crank out when there's no distractions. Its quiet, it's easier to get "in the zone", there's no emails coming in, there's no phone calls... there's no expectations.

It's just you and your work.

Now I'm not saying everyone should pull all-nighters, but you can find similar success with increased productivity by simplebeing in a different environment and having a different mind-set or approach to the task at hand.

Even something as simple as relocating to a coffee shop for a couple of hours with your laptop can equal 5 hours of work anywhere else!

Mix it up and stay inspired.

Thanks for watching :)
Brian Thompson

Heyo! We're Nominated For Best Music Blog

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-23T10:03:04-07:00

Yup yup, we've been nominated for another web award, this one comes from the Urban Culture Conference Awards for Best Music Blog. Sweet!

And like all similar web awards, the winner is determined via an online vote. But luckily, this isn't a "vote everyday" kind of thing. One vote per person, and that's all it takes!

So, here's my call to action for anyone reading this:

If you like all of the free music downloads we give away (here), if you like our free daily newsletter with digital music news, marketing tips and breaking social media news (here), if you enjoy the endless stream of informative tweets we share (here), then perhaps you could toss us a very quick vote as a thank-you! :)

VOTE HERE
(just click on Blog, then on Music)

The goal of the first annual Urban Culture Conference in Vancouver to bring together thousands of like-minded people for a weekend of music, entertainment, seminars, and events showcasing the city’s artistic and athletic talent.

It’s about sharing new experiences, learning about the current scenes, and opening up to new movements within urban culture.

Billy the Kid - Song Search 2011 Top 20 Finalist

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-18T15:36:07-07:00

I am soooo very happy to announce that Billy the Kid has been selected as a Top 20 Finalist in this year's Song Search, put on by Vancouver's Shore 104 FM!

The song that got her into the Top 20 shortlist is the stunning track, The Drugs (featuring the phenomenal Garth Hudson from The Band), featured to your left. Go ahead, hit play. You'll love it. And feel free to download it as well, there's a little button just waiting for you to click it. Oh yeah, it's free.

And here's a video of Billy playing the song live for Alan Cross and Explore Music:
\

Congrats to those who made it into the Top 20 Shortlist! One of these lucky artists will have the opportunity to open for Jim Cuddy and perform an intimate set to a sold-out room at SHOREfest Whistler. Keep your eyes on the Shore 104 news feed (or on Twitter here) to find out who that artist will be!

The winner of Song Search will receive a jumpstart prize pack valued over $20,000 which includes:

A fully mixed and mastered 4-song EP by Nimbus School of Recording Arts, Produced by Shawn Cole (Bend Sinister, Hannah Georgas)
A professionally produced Electronic Press Kit (EPK) by Insider Films
All expenses paid trip and artist showcase at Rifflandia 2011
Extensive airplay on Shore 104.3 FM
A $5000 gift certificate courtesy of Long & McQuade

In alphabetical order, here's the full Top 20:

1. Billy the Kid - "The Drugs"
2. BJ Block and Dawn Pemberton - "Just Be"
3. Freeflow - "Sunny Days"
4. Mark Irving - "Fool For You"
5. Ivory Sky - "Crazy Queen"
6. Jackie Treehorn - "Cruel"
7. Reid Jamieson - "Lost"
8. Steph Macpherson - "Summer Salute"
9. The Matinee - "Sweetwater"
10. Ryan McAllister - "This Black Heart"
11. Ryan McMahon and the Company Damn - "We Live Forever"
12. The Midnight Hours - "Invisible Prison"
13. Sheree Plett - "Old House"
14. Randy Ponzio of Quest Poetics - "For the People"
15. Portage and Main - "What Have I Done"
16. Prairie Dance Club - "Until They Put Me In The Ground"
17. Redbird - "Oh Please My Heart"
18. Ben Sigston - "More Than I Ever Did Know"
19. The Sumner Brothers - "You Will Find Me"
20. Watasun - "It's You"

Rockers Doing Good: The Rock 4 MS Tour

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-18T15:36:03-07:00

Columbia is getting ready to embark on a very special tour, along with Aimie Laws, to support Multiple Sclerosis, the Rock for MS Tour. All proceeds go to the MS Society.

May 25th – June 4th 2011
9 cities, 11 days
One Great Cause!

Columbia will be playing acoustically and will play many new songs from their upcoming album.

Tour Dates:
May 25 – Penticton @ Voodoo's (8pm)
May 26 – Kelowna @ Chapters Indigo in the Orchard Park Mall (3:30pm)
May 27 – Vernon @ Sneakers (8pm)
May 30 – Armstrong @ Pleasant Valley Senior Secondary School
May 31 – Enderby @ The Cliffs Cafe (8pm)
June 1 – Kamloops @ Pougue Mahones Pub (8pm)
June 2 – Vancouver @ Pinceton Pub (8pm)
June 3 – Kelowna @ The House (8pm)
June 4 – Salmon Arm @ Hideaway Pub (8pm)

Check out this special video blog from Columbia's Kevin and Richard, make sure you check out the bloopers at the end!

Episode 9: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Discussing Facebook Marketing with the CEO of RootMusic

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-13T13:08:25-07:00

Welcome to another not-to-miss episode for all of you music marketers! We have another amazing guest today, RootMusic's CEO and Founder, J. Sider.

RootMusic is a music startup based in San Francisco, California that makes the popular application BandPage, which is currently the number one entertainment application on Facebook with over 17 million users a month. BandPage launched in March 2010 and is an application that allows artists to create customized Fan Pages within Facebook. In August 2010, Billboard named RootMusic one of the "Top 10 Best Digital Media Startups".

The RootMusic BandPage Editor enables bands and musicians to easily create a professional-grade Facebook fan page via a simple and intuitive process. There have been over 200 articles written about BandPage, with TechCrunch saying that "RootMusic will probably be the service that changes the way Facebook looks when it comes to music."

BandPage provides the following features:

Music player
Video Streaming
Live Twitter Feeds
Touring Schedule
Integrated photos from Facebook
Downloadable Tracks
Biography and Contact Panes
Integrated Facebook Wall

On April 1, the company launched a "Plus" edition of the product, which is available for $1.99 a month. This option allows users to customize their colours, fonts and have a banner on the top of their page.

Episode 8: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Music Marketing w/ Ian Rogers, CEO Topspin Media

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-06T10:56:56-07:00

Thanks to the power of Twitter, we have a very special guest on this week's podcast, Ian Rogers, CEO of Topspin Media. We had an amazing discussion with Ian on social media,

music marketing, and of course the Topspin direct-to-fan marketing platform.

Topspin Media (also known as Topspin) is a technology company that provides e-commerce and marketing software & services for artists, their representatives, and their business partners. According to their website, their mission is to empower independent artists to build sustainable businesses, and to supply established artists, record labels, and managers with tools that allow them to operate in the modern music industry.

Topspin was founded in 2007 by Peter Gotcher (co-creator of ProTools) and Shamal Ranasinghe. In 2008, former Yahoo!Music General Manager Ian Rogers was named CEO of Topspin. The company initially engaged with a small number of clients on a one-on-one basis, gradually adding more artists and new features. In 2008, Topspin was named Indie Visionary of the Year by Billboard magazine. The company has had a notable presence at industry conferences such as MIDEM and South By Southwest.

Listen the podcast on Soundcloud here:

Topspin's software include the ability to create and customize an online store, engage in targeted email marketing, and promote art and media through a variety of widgets. Users are able to collect fan email addresses in exchange for a free download, create streaming media players, offer bundles of different products, and sell tickets & fan-club memberships. In 2010, Topspin launched a feature that allowed users to sell tickets with barcodes that could be printed at home and scanned with a custom iPhone app.

Topspin serves over three thousand artists including musicians, filmmakers, and authors. Notable clients include: David Byrne and Brian Eno, Paul McCartney, Linkin Park, Eminem, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, and Trent Reznor.

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here, Michael on Twitter here, Ian on Twitter here, and Topspin Media on Twitter here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share your own tips and tricks with us!

Ross Neilsen Performs Live for Roots Music

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-05T12:17:30-07:00

See the original article in its entirety on Roots Music here, including three additional live performances:
http://www.rootsmusic.ca/2011/04/13/ross-neilsens-amazing-drive/

New Quartered Video: Eternity Below

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-05T12:17:25-07:00

Visit Quartered online here.

Billy the Kid Performs Live On BalconyTV

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-05T12:17:31-07:00

See the original article here:
http://www.balconytv.com/v/billy-the-kid/

And don't forget to pre-order Billy's upcoming new album titled "Ours" here: http://www.billythekidonline.com

DIY Tip - Under Sell & Over Deliver

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-05-04T10:45:12-07:00

I get solicited with a ton of new music from independent artists. And on the flipside of that, I've also sent out a slew of cold-call emails and press releases to industry people as well.

One of the main things I've learned from being on the receiving end of these messages, and from getting successful replies to the messages I've sent out, is that you need to NOT "over sell" your music or product.

If you rave and go on and on and on about how great you or your product is, I immediately call BS and delete the message, let alone listen to the music. And I know I'm not alone in this. When you receive hundreds and hundreds of weekly emails, it's just a natural part of the review and editing process.

So... if you want your message to be read, and for your links to be clicked and listened to or looked at, under sell... and over deliver! Intrigue me with a short little description. Be humble. Be honest. Give me an idea of what it is about, but please don't tell me it's the next-best-thing... nothing can ever live up to that hype. Nothing.

But if you create an air of intrigue and pull me in and I end up being blown away by it, you win! Nothing beats the feeling of having discovered something truly amazing... especially if you get the sense that the artist doesn't even realize how killer the music is.

So there you go. A quick little promo tip for you...

Under Sell & Over Deliver!

Thanks for watching :)
Brian Thompson

Episode 7: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast E-Commerce Solutions For Bands

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-29T13:25:50-07:00

Here we go folks, another edition of our weekly podcast featuring Brian Thompson from Thorny Bleeder and Michael Brandvold from Michael Brandvold Marketing.

This week's topic? E-Commerce Solutions for Bands.

We discuss everything from getting your music up on iTunes and the Amazon MP3 Store, in addition to options on how to handle your merchandise sales and email marketing campaigns.

What platforms are you using to sell your band's music and merch?

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share your own tips and tricks with us!

The Rebellion: Spring Tour

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-28T10:44:23-07:00

MP3: The Rebellion
Ocean Breeze

The Rebellion have just announced a Spring Tour of Western Canada, in preparation for their upcoming new album. Check out the first single from the new album above, Ocean Breeze... as heard on our free compilation download, Get Thorny 3.

THE REBELLION - 2011 TOUR
(with Sly Business)

May 12 - Canmore, AB - The Canmore Hotel
May 13 - Golden, BC - The Rock Water Bar & Grill
May 14 - Kelowna, BC - Doc Willoughby's
May 16 - Penticton, BC -Voodoo Lounge
May 17 - Vancouver, BC - The Media Club
MAY 18 - Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar
MAY 19 - Parksville, BC, Rod and Gun Pub
MAY 20 - Crofton, BC - Crofton Hotel
May 21-22 - Sombrio, BC - Beach Party
May 23 - Duncan, BC - Garage Showroom
May 24 - Tofino, BC – The Maquinna
May 26 - Banff, AB - The Devi's Gap
May 27 - Calgary, AB - The Shamrock
May 28 - Edmonton, AB - Filthy McNasty's (4pm-6pm)

http://www.therebellion.ca

Episode 6: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Cloud Music Vs. Subscription Music

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-22T11:55:00-07:00

Hey, it's Friday again! Sweet. And that means that we have another new episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast.

Today Brian and Michael discuss "The Cloud", what it is, and how some players in the new music industry hope to use as "the next big thing" to spur innovation and new revenues. On the flip side of these music storage lockers in the cloud are Subscription Music Services.

Listen to the podcast below to hear about the pros and cons of each service and to hear Brian and Michael's opinions.

Episode 6: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Cloud Music vs. Subscription Music by Thorny Bleeder

Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share your own tips and tricks with us!

Thanks for listening, see you again next week!
Brian

DIY Tip - Change Your Future!

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-22T11:51:04-07:00

Everything that happens to you today is a result of what you did yesterday, last month... 6 months ago. If you're not happy with where things are at in your world today, then make some changes and do things differently... it will change your future! Otherwise, if you keep doing things exactly as you have been, you'll be in the exact same spot six months or a year from now.

Change your future by making changes in your life Today!

DIY Tip - Personal Branding

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-15T15:43:38-07:00

Outside of (and in addition) to what you're already doing with your band, you should also consider your own personal branding and how it can complement and enhance your music's brand.

Do you write? Are you a photographer? A cartoonist? Are you a producer, film directors, music teacher, graphic artist, financial analysts, chef, yoga instructor, train collector, or kite enthusiast?

Diversify. Add these elements to your bio and discuss them in interviews. Blog about them on your band's website. Join niche forums on the internet dedicated to these creative pursuits and start new conversations with those communities.

Publicize and promote what you're doing... and your music will have a better chance of being found and stumbled upon by an entirely new community.

Thanks for watching,
Brian Thompson

Episode 5: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Social Media Etiquette

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-15T12:51:32-07:00

Here it is folks, this week's episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast, with your hosts Brian Thompson from Thorny Bleeder and Michael Brandvold from Michael Brandvold Marketing.

This week's discussion is about Social Media etiquette on Facebook and Twitter, along with some additional tips and tricks to help take you to the next level of engagement and interactivity with your followers and fans.

Episode 5 Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Social Media Etiquette by MichaelBrandvoldMarketing
Be sure to follow Brian on Twitter here and Michael on Twitter here.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and share your own tips and tricks with us!

Thanks for listening, see you again next week!
Brian

Episode 4: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Music Industry Still Blaming Napster

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-08T13:03:11-07:00

This week's episode of The Music Biz Weekly Podcast is a discussion spurned from the chart, pictured to the right, which was featured today on numerous websites including Mashable, Hypebot, and The Hollywood Reporter.

Listen to the podcast below and feel free to download a copy of the mp3 for your iPhone/iPod (by clicking on the little down arrow):
Episode 4: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Music Industry Still Blaming Napster With False Numbers by Thorny Bleeder

Below is the original article, appearing as it was published on Mashable:

According to the labels, record sales would have burgeoned if not for the existence of file-sharing site Napster. The labels’ optimistic forecast comes in the form of a chart included in a trial brief for their case against LimeWire.

The above chart was born out of a case brought by major labels like Sony Corp.’s Arista Records and Warner Music Group Corp.’s Atlantic Records against LimeWire. The trial is scheduled to begin May 2.

In the brief, the labels say:

“The evidence will demonstrate that there has been a $55 billion decline in record industry revenue over the last decade. Plaintiffs and Defendants disagree as to whether mass filesharing through peer-to-peer services has been the primary cause of this decline (Plaintiffs’ position), or just one of several causes (Defendants’ position). But even if LimeWire caused only a fraction of this decline, Plaintiffs’ damages would still be in the billions of dollars. Plaintiffs will offer evidence at trial demonstrating that far greater than a fraction of this harm was caused by LimeWire.”

What do you think of the labels’ position? Are Napster, LimeWire and Co. to blame for the declining music industry? Should the labels have embraced file-sharing earlier and adapted it to their own purposes? Let us know in the comments.

[via Mashable, via The Hollywood Reporter]
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, shulz

DIY Tip - Polish Before You Promote

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-07T12:04:25-07:00

Before you start promoting your music to industry professionals (agents, managers, labels, etc.) there's a few things you need to make sure if you have in order first.

- Have a website.

- Can I listen to your music somewhere other than MySpace? (Bandcamp, Soundcloud, etc.)

- Can I download free samples of your music?

- Make sure you have a Blog and have recent posts.

- Optimize your Facebook Page and have a music player installed on it (and make sure you're actually engaging with fans on FB regularly too).

- Be active on Twitter.

- Do you have video performance clips on YouTube?

You might only have one chance at connecting with an industry insider, make sure all of your ducks are in a row before you reach out to them! If your presentation is anything less than professional, they'll probably just walk away and ignore you.

Polish Before You Promote!

Late July: Exclusive Interview + Free Album Downloads

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-06T12:08:22-07:00

Hello faithful readers and newcomers alike... I have a new artist I'm excited to introduce to you to today, Late July (aka Nicole Simone)!

I just finished recording a little interview podcast with Nicole via Skype and I was planning on publishing this post next week, but dammit... I'm just too excited to get this incredible new music into your playlist that I decided to post it asap.

But wait, that's not it! I also just posted both albums from Late July on our Free Music page!
Whoa.

Yup, two more free album downloads!
Click here and download them, 100% free, no strings attached.

Ok, so now that you've downloaded her two albums... check out my interview with Late July below:

Thorny Bleeder Podcast with Late July

Listen Here:
MP3: Interview with Late July, aka Nicole Simone
(to save this mp3 to your desktop, right click and 'Save As')

If you love Late July's music as much as I do, please visit her on Bandcamp or iTunes and buy her album as a sign of support for this amazing independent artist.

Connect with Late July:
Website: http://miss.latejuly.ca
Bandcamp: http://latejuly.bandcamp.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissLateJuly
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/latejulymusic

New Video from Quartered: Nothing Without Love

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-05T10:24:31-07:00

This is a Quick glimpse into what goes into an average show for Quartered. Filmed, edited and produced by Charles Schrodt from Full.Speed.Ahead Productions.

Episode 3: The Music Biz Weekly Majority Of Bands Still Want To Get Signed

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-04-01T16:27:57-07:00

Welcome to the third episode of The Music Biz Weekly, a weekly podcast co-hosted by Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson.

We've been getting some amazing feedback, keep 'em coming! Send us your subject ideas for future episodes, thoughts on what we've discussed and any comments on how we can make the podcast better.

This week’s episode:
Majority Of Bands Still Want To Get Signed
In a recent survey conducted by ReverbNation and Digital Music News, over 75% of indie artists said that it was one of their goals to get signed to a record label. The exact percentage varied from genre to genre, including a high of 81% of hip hop artists wanting a deal, and a low of 63% of alternative artists wanting to get signed. See the poll here.

Episode 3: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Majority of Bands Still Want to Get Signed by Thorny Bleeder

DIY Tip: Where's The Wow?

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-31T14:16:31-07:00

Ok. Your album rocks. It's a modern day masterpiece. It's FULL of Wow. The Wow Factor is in full effect!

But… why are you having such a tough time to get people to talk about you? Where's the word of mouth? Where's the press and the blog buzz? Where's the fans freaking out about you on Facebook and Twitter? Where are the people at your gigs? And… where are the sales?

I'm willing to bet that you're lacking the Wow Factor in everything else you're doing. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you have to be different than everyone else, in everything you do. Add some Wow to your marketing and promotion, your graphics, photos, videos, blogs and tweets!

If you want to be the subject of people raving about you behind your back, make sure you're worth talking about… in everything you do. Add some Wow!

Featured Artist: The Rebellion

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-31T12:01:04-07:00

MP3: The Rebellion
Ocean Breeze

This week's featured artist from our Get Thorny 3 freebie download compilation (get it here) is our very own boys from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan... The Rebellion. The track you're listening to above is a brand new track for 2011 that is only available on Get Thorny 3... a Thorny Bleeder exclusive!

With influences like Muse, Coldplay, The Police, Jeff Buckley and Jimmy Hendrix, The Rebellion's music and anthemic spirit has allowed them to grow a solid fan base, grass roots style, by playing tons of shows and never taking no for an answer. Their 2010 Thorny Bleeder debut album titled Time received lots of buzz and attention, including hitting some music bloggers' Best of The Year lists.

Expect to hear a lot more from these guys in the coming months. A brand new album is now complete and ready to roll, with plans for a late Spring release. There will also be a new video or two, a new (old) tour bus, and lots of miles on the road as they take their show to as many towns and cities as possible. The band also recently finished recording a live performance broadcast for a CBC Radio special called The Cold Road (air date has yet to be announced).

2011 should be a breakout year for these boys. The Rebellion has only begun!

Episode 2: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-25T13:42:06-07:00

Welcome to the second episode of The Music Biz Weekly, a weekly podcast co-hosted by Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson. The first podcast was received with great comments and over 200 listens in the first week!

This week’s episode:
A Band’s Website & How A Band Should Blog
Episode 2: The Music Biz Weekly Podcast - Band Websites & Blogging by Thorny Bleeder

The Best Guitar Case EVER

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-24T23:26:41-07:00

Billy the Kid - These City Lights by Thorny Bleeder

This is the most insane guitar case I've ever seen. It's such an amazing piece of art. When you touch it and feel it, and examine its workmanship, it's stunning. Everything seems so organic and real with its layered textures.

This custom guitar case was built for Vancouver singer/songwriter Billy the Kid (Billy Pettinger) by The Funk Trunk Case Co. and was presented to her while on tour in Eastern Canada.

Continue reading to see more photos.

DIY Tip - Make Do With Less and Be More

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-24T10:19:13-07:00

Ok, first things first. This video was shot early in the morning after an insomnia-filled night, resulting in less than three hours sleep. So I made do with less. I look tired. My voice sounds a little scratchy. My eyes are watery... but I think I still got my point across in a record 49 seconds.

Today's DIY Tip is a quick little reminder of something we all know but rarely practice. By following this tiny little bit of advice you can learn more, do more... and accomplish more!

So this is it. Make do with less. Less TV, less video games, less pointless web surfing for pointless content, and perhaps for some people... even less sleep.

Instead, take those minutes and hours saved and do more reading, researching, learning, communicating, networking, marketing, promoting, practicing, creating... doing!

Make your life Rock. Get off the couch and just do it!

Thanks for watching!

DIY Tip: Passion, Persistance, Perseverance & Tenacity

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-23T15:57:09-07:00

Today's DIY Tip is a simple reminder of what history has proven to us time and time again:

Success = Passion + Persistance + Perseverance + Tenacity

If you have these ingredients and and personality traits, you are destined to succeed at whatever it is you set out to do in life.

I also talk a little about the new Art Of Dying album that was just released, Vices And Virtues, and the fundraising campaign that Billy the Kid has launched.

Thanks for watching!
Brian Thompson

Art Of Dying Releases New Album & Video Premiere

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-22T10:46:25-07:00

The wait is over!

Vices and Virtues the major label debut album from Art of Dying drenched in blood, sweat, tears and beers, is now available everywhere. Get it today in stores or buy it now at iTunes HERE! And get Die Trying for free this week at iTunes as the Single Of The Week here.

Lastly, We are proud to unveil the official video for Die Trying! Watch it below... now!

Featured Artist: Christopher Arruda

brian@thornybleeder.com — 2011-03-23T12:41:57-07:00

MP3: Christopher Arruda
Olympus At Noon

This week's featured artist from Get Thorny 3, our free download compilation available here, is Christopher Arruda.

Christopher Arruda came very close to never making music again.

Having spent his late teens and early twenties fronting popular rock band The Lady Esther and touring with ambitious post-rock outfit Open, Parachute!, the twenty-six year old artist spent a year and a half trying to live what he thought was a normal life. “I had a job, a girlfriend and a home. I’d given up on music because I’d never been able to succeed. I really thought I had all the ingredients to be happy and then all at once, I woke up and realized I’d become so afraid of failure that I’d stopped living at all.”

This revelation spawned an explosion of creativity. His debut record “God Hates a Coward” was recorded almost immediately in Victoria, B.C. over the summer of 2009. It was a personal statement for Arruda – a record about hope – about standing for something – about stepping over the edge and taking a chance. While the initial plan was to sell the record at a few local shows, the collection was so well received amongst his peers that a music video was shot for the title track in April 2010 followed by a tour of Western Canada. Christopher returned home to even more good news – he had been selected as one of the top 20 BC acts to participate in the prestigious Peak Performance Project put on by Vancouver’s 100.5 The Peak FM.

His momentum continues to build. By cementing a foundation in Western Canada and surrounding himself with like-minded individuals through the Peak Performance Project, he is an artist poised on the edge of finally reaching his full potential. His performances are bold and varied. One moment a boisterous shout and the next a soft whisper, he strives to connect with his audience through unbridled fervor and a captivating presence. The material also continues to pour forth – a collection of intimate and raw demos entitled The SWAIN EP was released September 5th 2010 to outstanding feedback. The SWAIN EP has already sold out of it’s limited pressing.

With success stacking up behind him, Christopher Arruda is the young Canadian artist to watch. “Find Someone, Build an Empire”, his second full length record is being written with plans to record in the summer of 2011. A national tour will follow. Christopher has been fortunate enough to share the stage with such artists as Thrice, Tegan and Sarah, Acres of Lions, Said the Whale, Hey Ocean!, Maurice, Protest the Hero and Theset.

Chris has a brand new recording available, the Swain EP is available for whatever price you want to pay at christopherarruda.bandcamp.com.