A place to keep all my music journalism questions

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1. So, every issue of my monthly high school paper, I interview someone with an upcoming show in town (past issues: O.A.R., Tech N9Ne, Little Big Town). I need to get the next one before Jan. 28.

I originally was going to try and get either Of Montreal or Camera Obscura, but I realized that Of Montreal had an album coming out soon, so they'd be busy. I also figured out that no one knows/cares about Camera Obscura (well, some do but not enough to justify wasting their time). I was going to interview a cool local artist who is starting a weekly dance party and do that 'put your ipod on random and comment on what comes up' feature. I thought it'd be a fun read. So, today, a local venue announced that Ben Kweller is playing on Feb. 10. Should I stick with the local dj or go for Kweller? I'm trying to avoid covering the same genre twice, and all of the O.A.R. fans i know love BK...So, what say ILM?

Expect more stupid, drawn-out questions from me in the future (I'll keep them in this thread, though!).

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:22 (nineteen years ago)

You're annoying.

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:27 (nineteen years ago)

who, of the two, do you think will have more interesting stuff to talk about? I would imagine that there isn't much pressure from yr editors to get the bigger name—but what in heck do I know? I could be wrong— so I would say go for the one for whom you have the most enthusiasm.

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:31 (nineteen years ago)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b361/tapestore/oopd.jpg

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:32 (nineteen years ago)

Well, everyone else will be pushing me into interviewing Kweller, who I really don't care about (I used to in 2002, though). Nearly everyone on staff loves O.A.R., Jack Johnson, John Mayer, etc., though. I really don't think anyone will care about the DJ thing, unfortunately, but I think it will be more interesting to read the ipod thing as opposed to a regular Q&A.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:35 (nineteen years ago)

My move would be go for Kweller now and you can come back at the DJ next month with the "on the rise" angle vs. the "just starting" angle.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:40 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, actually, I'd say Hoosten's right. The shit hasn't even happened yet, so you can use that as an excuse to hold off on it - see if it actually happens and if it goes anywhere.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:50 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, Kweller is a) definitely happening and b) won't be happening next month. Go for that. And then you can go to the first DJ thing and write about what it was like as well as talking to the guy who runs it.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:55 (nineteen years ago)

I also think you're mainly using this thread as an excuse to say "I'm only in high school and look at all the cool bands I interview." But I forgive you, because you are in high school.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 9 January 2007 23:56 (nineteen years ago)

and you interview cool bands.

― yours fondly, harshaw. (mrgn), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:08 (nineteen years ago)

OAR are a cool band? is it opposite day or something?

go with the DJ. ben kweller was 'cool' exactly when you thought he was. ignore the other people on your staff.

― the table is the table (treesessplode), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:11 (nineteen years ago)

Plus, you're talking about stuff you were into in 2002 when you are currently in high school. No way when I was in high school was I ever saying, "I was into that in 1979, man." We just didn't talk that way. I'm not even sure I knew what year it was most of the time.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:13 (nineteen years ago)

i agree with trees, this is probably the least pretentious "hey over here!" thread in a while

― friday on the porch (lfam), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:16 (nineteen years ago)

if you keep at writing about music long enough, Tape Store, you too may find opportunities to be completely condescending to someone for no good reason. Why, its almost a default setting for music critics—even ones that don't post at this nerdy message board— and any number of misanthropes who like records and lists more than they like people.

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:19 (nineteen years ago)

I also think you're mainly using this thread as an excuse to say "I'm only in high school and look at all the cool bands I interview." But I forgive you, because you are in high school.

-- A-ron Hubbard (Hurtingchie...), January 9th, 2007.

lol if I had known about ILM in high school I would have been even more insufferable than I am now.

Srsly though TapeStore I was in yr position back in hs (nursing dreams of making it a career [still am]), and let me second Veronica in encouraging you to persevere despite the bad noise in here (and wherever else you encounter it).

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:23 (nineteen years ago)

lol if I had known about ILM in high school I would have been even more insufferable than I am now.

doubt it

('lol')

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:31 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.apostropher.com/blog/img/pot-kettle.jpg

― jimn (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.swc-parkevents.com/Orlando-Believe/images/temp-main-believe.jpg
xpost

aaaand i'm done.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:33 (nineteen years ago)

i'm not trying to be a dick here about the OAR thing. i just hadn't even HEARD anything about OAR since i was a freshman in high school, which was...in 1999. jesus fucking christ.

anyway, do what you need to, but i still say you should go with the DJ. people at your high school and on your staff newspaper can read a ben kweller interview anywhere, and it's not like he's mick fucking jagger or anything. the DJ night thing could become a nice cool night in your area or whatever, tho-- isn;t that more important than interviewing some guy who is sort of an also-ran?

― the table is the table (treesessplode), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 00:48 (nineteen years ago)

I also think you're mainly using this thread as an excuse to say "I'm only in high school and look at all the cool bands I interview." But I forgive you, because you are in high school.

I hate that it comes off that way. I only mentioned the high school part because I think it's important to note that I have a very limited, small audience. For all my future questions (this one, too), I also want people to keep in mind that the only people who read these things are teenagers.

And I don't think anyone should be impressed by the bands (good or bad) that i've interviewed. Anybody can set up an interview. Just make up a fake publication, write a professional email and there's a decent chance that you'll get an interview with a semi-big artist (well, unless we've had some really good luck). Also, if I am boasting, then I must give my co-reporter Olga some credit. She's cool. And Russian, too!

And thanks a lot Hoosteen (and everyone else, too) for the help and encouragement. And I thought I had decided to interview Kweller, but table's argument (high school kids can look at Spin or Rolling Stone for a BK interview)is pretty strong, especially since I doubt I'll be asking many amazing, unique questions. I have an interview request typed out, but I haven't sent it yet.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

ask Ben Kweller,"How does it feel"?

― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 01:58 (nineteen years ago)

ask Ben Kweller "Who the fuck are you?"

― Boom Dershowitz (noodle vague), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 02:56 (nineteen years ago)

everyone, ask yourself why people say things like this:

I also think you're mainly using this thread as an excuse to say "I'm only in high school and look at all the cool bands I interview."

no, he's asking because he wants advice.

― friday on the porch (lfam), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 03:22 (nineteen years ago)

and how is dismissing people as dick-wavers anything more than the same?

― friday on the porch (lfam), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 03:28 (nineteen years ago)

She's cool. And Russian, too!

Is she hot?

But seriously- go for whoever. Call OF Montreal's label. Before an album comes out it when they do press days, meaning a bunch of sitting aroudn talking on phones. if there's a spare 20 minutes inbtween rooling stone and newsweek, they might squeeze you in.

― Joshua Glazer (matthewcampari), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 09:10 (nineteen years ago)

I was just kidding around, T.S. Your shit-togetheredness is impressive. And I'm not just saying that because I'll probably be pitching you review ideas in a couple years.

― Mark (MarkR), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

god help us all if pfork is around in a few years.

― the table is the table (treesessplode), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

So, BK's press contact said 'no' within ten minutes of sending him an email. And I already tried Of Montreal, but I haven't heard back yet. My teacher now wants us to have the interview done within a week, so it'll have to be the DJ. Again, thanks for the advice.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

How about some advice on making them answer yes?

― blunt (blunt), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 23:05 (nineteen years ago)

Sure?

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 23:06 (nineteen years ago)

Oh a high school paper. Tough one then, maybe ilm can still help

― blunt (blunt), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 23:25 (nineteen years ago)

I think it was probably just a matter of timing. But thanks for offering.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Wednesday, 10 January 2007 23:31 (nineteen years ago)

Also, if you do the DJ thing, you shouldn't do the iPod article. Those type of front-of-book articles work best for people who've everyone's read about 100 times when editors just want to have a famous person's name in the paper/mag/website. Ask him about what niche he thinks hes filling for the community, what he expects to accomplish, why the town needs a dance party, etc.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 11 January 2007 00:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, I know that's unsolicited advice.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Thursday, 11 January 2007 00:54 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, both of these fell through, but we're actually inteviewing a member of this really cool punk marching band instead.

BORING NEW QUESTION: Ok, I've spent the past few hours trying to find TV on the Radio's press contact, and while I've created a good database of 20+ publicity companies along the way, I've yet to find the one that represents TVOTR. I've found a radio promotions group that handles them, though.
Does Interscope take care of their publicity needs? If so, do they have a number, because on my list of label numbers, I don't have Interscope. I can only find an email on their website, and it's a really generic-looking one.
(By the way, what would have been the best way to do this other than asking ILM?--in the past, I've found every act via Google, but I've had no luck today. And I thought that I could find an article with a TVOTR photograph that has a good credit, but that hasn't worked either.)

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Friday, 19 January 2007 05:56 (eighteen years ago)

try their myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/tvotr

can't you contact people that way? maybe not quickly.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:09 (eighteen years ago)

or you could send a flickr mail:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/junoswift/

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:13 (eighteen years ago)

or you could try contacting 4AD:

http://www.4ad.com/tvontheradio/

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:14 (eighteen years ago)

or you could e-mail one of your 20+ publicity/press contacts and ask them if they know who handles TOTR.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:16 (eighteen years ago)

maybe nobody handles them. they are radical, um, interscope artists, after all.

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:29 (eighteen years ago)

I think 4AD was the answer. I just realized that there was a 'press' option under the contact form. Duh! Thanks.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:31 (eighteen years ago)

You've, like, seen that "Almost Famous" movie, right? That kid didn't use ILM or have the Internet. All he had was Lester Bangs.

(See answer No. 13 for explanation of this post.)

― Mr Deeds (Mr Deeds), Friday, 19 January 2007 07:31 (eighteen years ago)

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