Welcome To 2020

I'm not one for New Year Resolutions. If you can change, change now, no need to wait until the first of January. I am one for pontificating and has 2020 gets underway, the indications music wise are that it's got a lot of promise. As I compile the IDHAS Best Of 2019 over the weekend, that will signal the end of the year gone by. I'm not one for looking back and I do hope that we can get some change amongst Music players, writers and listeners.

I'd like to see the end of the dismissal of the download only album as not being a proper album. Of course it is, to suggest otherwise is ridiculous. If a reviewer reviews physical media only, that is all well and good, it is their choice. However if they dismiss download only releases as somehow not being legitimate releases, that is complete tosh. Like it or not, Digital is a format. You don't have to be able to put it on a shelf. You still own a download as much as some like to dismiss it.

I'd like to see Reviewers listen to the albums they review. Quality rather than quantity. Too many reviewers produce cut and pastes of PR Sheets. I know, because I get the same PR. The readers know because they see the same review virtually dozens of times. Listen to the whole album, not just the first three songs. I get lots of comments thanking me for listening and getting the album. I shouldn't get any, because surely all reviewers should listen to it. They may not get it, they may not be able to express themselves as well as others, but at least they listened to the album.

The other problem is writers who make every review a way to talk about themselves. They know who they are, you know who they are. Every review becomes a chance to talk about what they do, how good they are. That is not a review, that is an ego stroking exercise on behalf of yourself. OK We know what you were doing in 1982 now, we know what gigs you are organising this year, we can see the size of your music collection, but what about the music you are reviewing. What do you think of it? What else has the artist done? Where can we get it? You don't tell us, yet we know you were bullied at school or that people ignore you. Stop talking about yourself!

Finally, I'd like 2020 to be a celebration of the Ladies on the music scene. I thought long and hard about including my final point. I did not want to appear to be a Right On Liberal, although I probably am, nor to be condescending. But music is so male dominated that it is laughable. Guitar Pop or Rock may probably always be a largely male purchase. But amongst our scene there is such a dreadful "I Hear What You Say Love But....." attitude. I know Labels that are run jointly by a male and a female, it is always the male who is referred to or addressed.

I don't need to name the names of the female trailblazers, but if you look carefully they are here and they are fantastic at what they do, but they rarely get a mention. One I know seems to be involved in everything great that is coming out of her West Coast area. A label I know is largely run by the lady, yet she never gets a mention. In the UK, we have at least three fantastic female DJ's and I'm about to join a Radio Station that is female run. Some of the best writing that I read is composed by .............. yes you've guessed it.


That's my point of view put out there. Back to the music. Don't Touch that dial!


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I'll Make You Famous

It is often noted that the Indie scene is full of chancers, sadly the majority of these seem to come from Los Angeles. That's not me having a go at an area that I love, it's just plain matter of fact. You would be surprised for instance how many UK Internet Radio Stations are run from L.A. That may help explain some of the ridiculous Indie Charts that you see. You know the ones,  the ones you look at as a seasoned music scene watcher and have never heard of 36 of the 40 artists. You pay the pluggers, who own the chart compilers, who own the radio stations, who report back to you about all the airplay you've had on these stations. Strangely your 400 dollars doesn't equate to one extra sale.

Then there's the live scene where the norm and seemingly accepted way of doing business is bands not getting paid, not even being allowed to run a tip jar because it would make the promoter look bad. The artists are doing it for the exposure. Exposure Pounds again equate to nothing, more on that in a bit. There are even compilation CDs that charge you to appear on them whilst the organiser keeps all the funds without doing any marketing. But you have the exposure of course. Below is a spoof that we did of these Indie Charts a while ago. It is still relevant.

Next Year, I Don't Hear A Single expands. Whilst this is exciting, it is also scary. What has always been a hobby and has never took one penny for anything, now has to make a little money to cover for the every day real life work that I will have to cut down. That doesn't mean IDHAS will change in the way you know it. The Blog will remain as it always has been, free and a celebration of new music. It will do this solely via distribution, the label and outside PR work for other companies.

I Don't Hear A Single has grown beyond belief and as it has got known, I've had less of the Exposure emails. Largely because these companies have learned and it has got around that they get a load of grief back from me. However, because I have been involved in another area over the past couple of weeks and the Exposure Givers have returned big style. I'll quickly detail why.

I offered to help an artist who I much admire with some PR. There was method in my thought. It was a change for me to do something like this and in an area where I'm known more as a fan than a writer. I'm not mad on PR, it is very time consuming. I thought it would be a nice trial run for what 2020 could be like for me promoting IDHAS and it was. For the couple of days that I helped, I enjoyed the variety and we had some success. I was helped by some knowing me as a fan and others knowing of me vaguely as a writer in a different genre.

However since then, the Exposure Brigade have returned. Would I like to help them for errrr exposure? Can I help with contacts for a credit? Would I write a review for them? One chancer even suggested that he would give me credit on other sites for a small fee???????  I've found out today that the artist is getting similar exposure requests from "Artist Showcases". My top tips for anyone involved in this shark pool? What can you do for me? Why is it costing me money? Why am I not being paid? Do not pay out anything that you can get help with or do yourself for free.


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