Aux Records

Three bags are heavier than one

2009-03-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

After a long night watching the SU basketball team beat UCONN in 6 overtimes, I made my way to the Convention Center to pick up my bag. The SXSW bag is filled with swag and with the registration, you also get an industry directory. Because I'm here in Austin for Film, Interactive and Music, I just figured it'd be one bag, three directories. Nope. There are three swag filled bags. I'll get to the content of all of them later (if you need to see it now, I suggest looking through flickr as there are already people documenting the contents) and will just use them as resistance training while I bounce from room to room here. My first session is in a couple hours and it's all based on web design. "Everything You Know About Web Design Is Wrong:" is where I'll be looking to pick up a few tips for the Aux site. I have a feeling it's more of an art design panel than a functional design talk but I hope it includes both. Off to see if the trade show is open...

Beer Trucks & BBQ

2009-03-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

I wandered down 6th Street today and the bars and clubs are stocking up for the coming week. Beer trucks lined the streets and the cool weather kept the kegs cool as they were wheeled down the street. The outdoor stages were going up today and it looks like most of the stage sponsors made the call to be sure each tent had sides to keep the body heat near the stage. The cold kept the crowds off the street but registration opens tomorrow so there is no escaping the weather as the Film and Interactive Conferences begin.

After 6th Street, I took in the experience at Stubb's. I was told that it is the place in town to get BBQ and I missed it on my last Austin trip. I opted for the all-you-can-eat selection off the menu and I packed in two plates as my only meal of the day. It was tasty but Dinosaur still wins in a head-to-head battle.

Now I'm getting some SU work done before the SU basketball game tonight. I'm staying in and getting some rest for the week ahead.

Rainy and 45

2009-03-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

I made it to Austin after an uneventful flight. I feel a buzz about this town days before the conference registration even opens. It could be me but there seems to be a lot of action going on already I'm currently grabbing some bar food in the hotel lobby awaiting the Syracuse basketball game and there are plenty of tech conversations going on. I'll just sit tonight out and start planning my playlist for iRock this Sunday. I'd love to dive in but I have a few twitter conversations going and I need to get some food. As much as I love the Doritos Munchie Mix on JetBlue it is not enough to fill me up. Right on cue, my food just got here and there is 15 minutes left in the ND/WVU game. Time to eat and get ready for 'cuse hoops.

T5

2009-03-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

I should just move my office to Terminal 5 at JFK. The touch screen food selection, laptop counters and plenty of access to power make this an ideal space to work. I did a lot with The Brilliant Light advance CDs today. I also just got word about a plane from LGA experiencing "uncontained engine failure" and landing here at JFK. I'm not in the mood for uncontained engine failure on my flight.

Off to Austin

2009-03-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to the trip to Austin for quite some time. I booked the trip ages ago and I leave in a few hours. About 9 hours to be more precise. I had really hoped to pull together a Syracuse Showcase but in the end that did not work out. I'll try again next year...maybe the third time really is the charm. Even without the showcase there is a lot to accomplish on this trip. If you haven't followed Aux that closely, you might not know that it is one of three positions that I hold. I do the bulk of the work at the label (and only recently was able to add one member to the payroll part-time). I'm also a full-time college professor at Syracuse University. I'm on the air at KRock as well.

While in Austin, I've got lots of SU grading (it's spring break on campus) and a few classes to teach online next week that need to be finalized. I'm also there because I have two students attending the conference. Furthermore, I'm on the lookout for internships for our students this summer. That's a full schedule right there. As far as the students attending, it's the first time we've had SU students from my program travel this far and spend this much time at a conference. I'm excited for them to experience all that is South By. For me, this trip comes just days after I attended the Billboard Music & Money conference in New York City. I'll be in Austin for 13 days. All told, I'll have been away from Syracuse for 16 days from March 4 - 23. I'm on tour or so it feels.

I'll also be connecting with a few bands for the radio show and hope to sprinkle some Aux work in there as well. I've got two records coming out on April 18 and have some last minute (literally) details on those releases to work out. I'm really looking to start to license some of the music to TV/film and attending the SXSW Film conference will hopefully open up a few doors.

For the duration of the trip I hope to write about the experience without editing myself. If you pour through the archives you can read about the 2007 trip. It'll be a different experience this time. It's longer and I've got more to do while in town. Last time I experienced the music conference and I knew very few people. This time, I'm reconnecting with people I haven't seen in a couple years, meeting people in person whom I've only emailed or called and I'll be out building my network. That means more time at the parties since that's where the real networking happens...

I'll try to get some rest tonight but for some reason this trip has me a bit on edge. Maybe it was the kids begging me to stay. Maybe it's the impending office move (again) once I return. It might be the volume of clothes, computer gear, audio gear and grading that I'm hauling. It could be a million things but one thing is for sure, I'm off to Texas in the morning.

Arson Is For Lovers

2008-12-19T22:48:00.000-08:00

Merit's new album Arson Is For Lovers is up for free download at gomeritgo.com. Grab yours after you check out their new video.

Honor Bright on...Cash Cab?

2008-12-17T21:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a little look at some Honor Bright videos including h*b versions of Cash Cab and MTV Cribs. Scroll through the videos to find them.

Make-A-Wish & Triple CD Release

2008-12-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

This Friday, SubCat Studios is hosting a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at The Westcott in Syracuse. The event is also a triple CD Release show for Mat Burke, The Action! and Rocko Dorsey. If you are in CNY looking for a way to spend your Friday night, this is where you should be. I'll be there (feel free to pass off demos and/or get a drink with me).

Mark Bialczak of the Post-Standard wrote a story on the show the other day. If you are outside of the area or just missed it, you can find the story here.

Build Hearts From Stars - Your Reviews

2008-12-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

I am looking for people who own the original version of Build Hearts From Stars or who bought the DELUXE EDITION of the disk that we just released last week. If you have the record, I want your review of it. Drop it here, drop it in a comment or better yet, drop by iTunes and leave your review of the record there. You can click here to go there or click the button.

If you are a member of eMusic you can leave a review there as well. This link will take you there.

If you don't have the record yet, the deluxe edition is repackaged in an eco-wallet with 4 page insert and two 2 new acoustic tracks. You can pick one up from the Aux Records Webstore (http://www.auxrecords.bigcartel.com). In a few days, it will finally hit Interpunk, Smartpunk, Amazon, CD Baby, and other online stores. If you want to go to a record store, Sound Garden has it in Syracuse. We are working on other stores so if you have a nice little independent CD store in your town, drop me the name and I'll work on getting it there. iTunes and eMusic have it as well.

I'm looking forward to reading your iTunes/eMusic comments.

-Ulf

More music on facebook?

2008-10-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

With the big MySpace Music push you knew it was only time before facebook pushed back for a stronger music presence. I hope ReverbNation is in the mix.

We had these talks weeks ago in one of my SU classes and this is the first I've seen published about it online.

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2008/10/facebook-mulls.html

The Westcott

2008-09-17T18:07:00.001-07:00

Syracuse has been missing a mid-sized venue for awhile. The Lost Horizon opened back up recently helping to fill the void. This Sunday The Westcott opens providing another mid-sized venue. I took my tour of the place on Tuesday and found that THIS SUNDAY they are opening the space up. As part of the opening Merit was asked to play. The doors for the show are at 3 pm and they will be on around 5:30 or so. I don't know if there is a cover but if there is I'm sure it will be nominal.

The Westcott was an old cinema that was gutted. It reminds me of Showplace Theater in Buffalo. This space holds 700. They will do all ages shows (and some 21+ with the bar open). It's also within walking distance of Syracuse University. Come check the place out. It's nice to have another spot in town for bands.

Before you hit up The Westcott (524 Westcott Street, Syracuse, NY) you can check out the Westcott cultural fair. I'm going up to check out White Picket Fence live. I have yet to catch one of their shows so I'm stoked to see them. They play right before The Westcott opens somewhere right along Westcott Street. If you see me out and about feel free to come say hi or catch me at the show.

-Ulf

Fazeshift Interview

2008-08-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Fazeshift talks music

Some Aux Press

2008-08-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Honor Bright at tonight's Chiefs game: http://www.syracuse.com/today/index.ssf/2008/08/honor_bright_at_alliance_bank.html

Ulf quoted in Fair coverage:
http://blog.syracuse.com/entertainment/2008/08/music_notebook_12.html

To Write Love On Her Arms

2008-08-19T21:35:00.001-07:00

I'm breaking away from band plugging and sharing good news to share something that troubled me today. I wrote a short letter to CNN.com tonight. I'm posting it here to share my thoughts with you in the (very likely) event that CNN will not cover this topic.

Here is my letter sent not more than 5 minutes ago:

"Today Carousel Mall hosted its latest public suicide. There have ben several people who have jumped to their death from the upper levels at the mall in Syracuse, NY. I have been fortunate enough to have not witnessed any of these events firsthand, though today was almost the first.

After a day of preparing for classes that begin next week at Syracuse University, I was on my way home. With the area construction I found myself on a detour near the mall so I stopped into the post office in the mall at about 6:15 or 6:30 pm. Down the corridor and one level below me was the end of a journey that began 21 years ago and 6 stories above. That journey ended minutes before I walked into the mall.

What disturbs me more than the public suicide is the limited media coverage this event is receiving. Most coverage is in the form of user comments on the story at Syracuse.com, though the credibility of these sources is weak at best.

I know there is evidence that reporting of suicide through media outlets leads to increased suicide rates and for that reason these stories fail to make it past the gatekeeper at the newspaper/tv station. I feel that today's tragedy offers CNN the opportunity to shed some light on public suicide and suicide prevention.

Carousel Mall is not the only mall to witness these events as the Mall of America has had several as well. This is an issue readers worldwide need to be exposed to.

It is also an opportunity to showcase the organizations like To Write Love On Her Arms (www.twloha.com) that use music and musicians to put people in need, in contact with trained professionals.

I urge you to follow this story.

Thank you for reading and thank you for caring."

Today haunts me and I did not see it happen. I'm up at 1:30, can't sleep and thinking of the event and the friends that I've lost to suicide. I'm off to write to TWLOHA to see if I can offer them some space at my stage of the NYS Fair.

Pics From The Inner Harbor

2008-08-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

I took a few hundred pictures at h*b's show at the Inner Harbor in Syracuse today and dropped a few on facebook. The show was for the 30th Anniversary of Soundcheck hosted by Dave Frisina (www.myspace.com/thebestrockaround ). A big THANKS to Dave for supporting CNY bands for 3 decades.

If you are on facebook, find the pics here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2212584&id=5512022&ref=mf

If you need to friend me to see them, I'm at:

Honor Bright's TRL performance

2008-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Honor Bright on MTV's TRL - Wednesday, July 30

2008-07-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited about this one. Honor Bright will be performing live on MTV's flagship show TRL. It all goes down tomorrow, Wednesday, July 30. They are self-releasing their new EP "If This Was A Movie" this weekend and with their date on Warped Tour last Thursday, it's been a big week. So tune in and see h*b tomorrow at 3:00 pm EST.

Here is the info from MTV:

TRL's newest segment called "On Your Radar" takes a look at some of the most popular unsigned artists online and gives them an opportunity to showcase their talents on live television. Our viewers are discovering new music and talent all over the internet... way before the artists get noticed by the record labels. With the rise of recent stars such as Colbie Caillat, Cassie, Sara Bareilles, and Soulja Boy (all discovered online), we began our own search for popular unsigned artists who our fans have been raving about. "On Your Radar" will hopefully give these artists some well-deserved exposure on their quest for stardom.

Building the Catalog

2008-07-21T19:42:00.001-07:00

We've been super busy lately. Merit has new music. Honor Bright has new music. Fazeshift has new music. That's three brand new releases (EPs or CDs) with two coming in August and September. As we gear up for the releases, we are doing a series of promo CDs for the bands. If you have followed the label for any length of time you saw our catalog grow slowly. One, maybe two releases a year. With the promos we're releasing, we're going to almost double our catalog in less than half a year.

Here's what's coming up:

AUX 011 - Honor Bright - Build Hearts From Stars (Reissue) (coming August 2008)
AUX 012 - Fazeshift - The Everyday Broken Heart (coming September 2008)
AUX 013 - Merit - Arson Is For Lovers (coming fall 2008)
AUX 014 - Merit - Arson Sampler (July 2008)
AUX 015 - Aux Records Warped Tour Sampler (July 2008)
AUX 016 - Honor Bright - Warped Sampler (July 2008)

If you run into us, ask for your copy. If you are not from NY or won't be at Warped Tour in Buffalo and want a sampler, send us a letter, draw us a picture or drop a postcard in the mail and say hi. Let us know what sampler you'd like and we will fill your mailbox. This offer is valid until all the disks are gone. That could be in a week or a year. We'll see...

Either way, you'll need to pony up 42 cents for a letter. We're doing this one the old fashioned way. Reach out to us at:

Aux Records
PO Box 35304
Syracuse, NY 13235

Once we run out of disks I'll update this blog to let you know.

I'm on the road with half of Merit for Tuesday and Wednesday and then with Honor Bright on Thursday for Warped Tour. More posts soon.

Follow what I do on Twitter. Sign up at www.twitter.com/auxrecords

-Ulf

Twitter

2008-07-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

If you haven't started following Aux Records on Twitter, sign up now to get updates on what I'm doing at the label. Your updates come as text messages or in a news feed on the site. www.twitter.com/auxrecords

Honor Bright, back to the studio

2008-07-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Honor Bright is going back into the studio to finish the production on their new EP If This Was A Movie. That's out August 1 so be prepared with your $$$ in hand or come to the release shows and get a copy. You should also prep for the reissue of Build Hearts From Stars. I just got the two bonus tracks and they are killer. I won't give away what they are just yet but rest assured, you will love them more than your siblings, parents and that cute puppy you saw this week. Art changes are happening soon and then we'll announce the exact release date. It's in August.

Fazeshift Tour this September

2008-07-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Fazeshift is booking an East Coast Tour this September in support of The Everyday Broken Heart and we're helping to hook it up. If you are looking to put on a show this September OR simply want Fazeshift to come to your area, drop us a note, a comment or email ulf@auxrecords.com and we'll do our best to set something up.

Merit Gets Some National Press Exposure

2008-07-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

ReverbNation.com has had their 200,000th band sign up and as that happened, they launched an international PR campaign. Part of the campaign was focused on Merit. Merit was one of the first couple hundred bands on the site and it was great to see RN ask the band to be a part of the campaign.

Studio Update from Merit

2008-07-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post from Merit's blog:

Friday, July 04, 2008
....

Nada Dude
Current mood: accomplished

We are half way through recording our newest endeavor at Nada Studios....and so far everything is sounding amazing!!!! The studio is sweet and we've met some great new friends. We are almost finished recording guitars, the bass and drums are sounding hella good, can't wait for you guys and gals to hear it.

Happy fourth!!

8:52 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Welcome Fazeshift

2008-07-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

We're expanding yet again with the addition of Fazeshift. I've known these guys for at least 3 years and watched the band's progress over this time. They are one of the hardest working bands that I've come across and I'm excited to announce that we'll be releasing their next album. Look out for The Everyday Broken Heart this September. In the meantime, we have a sampler of the EP in our music player. Feel free to download it and share it with friends, You can also hear "The Ghost of my Good Side" on their page (myspace.com/fazeshift) or in the player below.

Look for these guys to hit the road in support of this EP this fall.

Merit starts recording today

2008-06-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Merit is now in the studio with John Naclerio (Nada Studios). He's worked with some big names like My Chemical Romance, The Ataris and Brand New and I expect the new EP to be just as amazing as the bands he's worked with before. Merit should be in the studio to July 9 and then Honor Bright rolls in to finish the recording process for their new EP.

I'm psyched to see two of the Aux bands over at Nada!

Honor Bright - Build Hearts From Stars COMING THIS AUGUST

2008-06-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

We are excited at how the summer is shaping up. One of the things that excites us is being able to reissue Honor Bright's last CD Build Hearts From Stars. It is a disk that we'll be adding a couple bonus tracks to so look out for that in August. Honor Bright will also have a new EP coming out in August so if you are in CNY or up for a road trip, come out to the release shows. They are:

August 1 - Syracuse - The Lost Horizon
August 2 - Auburn - Polish Falcons
August 3 - Oneida - The Kallet

Be sure to come out ready to add your voice to the gang vocals at the shows. Here is a taste from the new EP and from BHFS.

Honor Bright photo of the day

2008-06-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

Honor Bright was the subject of the photo of the day over at Syracuse.com

check it out

http://blog.syracuse.com/photooftheday/2008/06/emerging_artists.html

2 SAMMY Nominations

2008-05-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

We are honored and excited to have both of our 2007 releases up for Syracuse Area Music Awards this year. Caleb Micah "Come Home" and Anorexic Beauty Queen Presents Michael
Watson "Mistakes adn All" were both nominated in the Best Pop category.

You can catch the SAMMY Awards in downtown Syracuse on Friday, June 6 from 7:00 - 9:30 pm at The Taste of Syracuse. Check out
all of the other nominees at http://www.syracuseareamusic.com.

New Design

2008-05-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

We launched a new layout over at auxrecords.com. Check it out.

SubCat Emerging Artist Stage

2008-04-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

We've finally got our lineup for the SubCat Emerging Artist Stage.

Friday, June 6, 2008

12:00 – 12:25 p - Caleb Micah
12:30 – 12:55 pm - Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers
1:00 – 1:45 pm - Steve Wolf & Blues Express
2:00 – 2:45 pm - Chris Lizzi
3:00 – 3:45 pm - The Barrigar Brothers
4:00 – 4:45 pm - Kh’ Mi
5:00 – 5:45 pm - Caesar Fadari
6:00 – 6:45 pm - The Action
7:00 – 7:45 pm - Mat Burke
8:00 – 8:45 pm - Huela
9:00 – 9:45 pm - Mike Brindisi & The New York Rock
10:00 – 11:00 pm - Torment The Vein

Saturday, June 7, 2008

12:00 – 12:25 pm - Pirate CNY Contest Winner
12:40 – 1:05 pm - The Andrea Doria
1:20 – 1:45 pm - Vapor Aevum
2:00 – 2:25 pm - Fairway
2:40 – 3:05 pm - Fazeshift
3:20 – 3:45 pm - HondoMesa and Midnight Mike
4:00 – 4:45 pm - 3rd & Main
5:00 – 5:45 pm - Grey Tide
6:00 – 6:45 pm - The Icon And The Axe
7:00 – 7:45 pm - Honor Bright
8:00 – 8:45 pm - Anorexic Beauty Queen
9:00 – 9:45 pm - Rocko Dorsey
10:00 – 11:00 pm - Merit

Find the artists online at:
3rd & Main – www.3rdandmain.com
The Action – www.myspace.com/bandtheaction
The Andrea Doria – www.myspace.com/theandreadoria
Anorexic Beauty Queen – www.myspace.com/anorexicbeautyqueen
The Barrigar Brothers - www.myspace.com/thebarrigarbrothers
Caesar Fadari – www.caesarfadari.com
Caleb Micah – www.myspace.com/calebmicah
Chris Lizzi – www.chrislizzi.com
Fairway – www.myspace.com/fairwaymusic
Fazeshift – www.myspace.com/fazeshift
Grey Tide – www.myspace.com/greytide
HondoMesa and Midnight Mike – www.hondomesarecords.com
Honor Bright – www.honorbright.net
Huela – www.myspace.com/huelamusic
The Icon And The Axe – www.myspace.com/theiconandtheaxe
Jeffrey Pepper Rogers – www.jeffreypepperrodgers.com
Kh'Mi – www.myspace.com/khmi
Mat Burke – www.myspace.com/matburke
Merit – www.gomeritgo.com
Mike Brindisi & The New York Rock – www.thenewyorkrock.com
Rocko Dorsey – www.myspace.com/rockodorsey
Steve Wolf & Blues Express – no website
Torment The Vein – www.tormentthevein.com
Vapor Aevum – www.myspace.com/vaporaevum

coding

2008-04-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

I spent most of today coding a new website for Aux. I have a love-hate relationship with coding. It is always nice to redesign a page but turning the idea into reality is another story.

Look for the launch of the new site by Friday.

Merit & EVE6

2008-04-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

Merit plays with EVE6 in Binghamton in a couple weeks. Check out the TV commercial for the show and get your tickets soon. This one is selling out.

Eve 6 at Magic City

We revived the Auxcast

2008-04-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

We went a couple years between podcasts but have started them back up. They are short. They feature music and Aux news. Feel free to subscribe here:

Gramophones, phonographs and the summer ahead

2008-04-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

So if you are just a casual reader of what I post you might not have the full back-story on this one so I'll recap things a bit. I run Aux. A record label that I started in 2003 that's still going strong today. I also teach college and had a full load this semester - 4 classes of about 100 students total. It was an awesome semester of advertising so far (2 weeks left) and as it winds down I get to prep for the summer and fall. I finish up at Syracuse University in early May and get the opportunity to go back to running Aux full-time for the summer. It's always been full-time but that meant 40 hours of teaching classes/grading and another 40+ of label work. Now I get to do the label exclusively for several months, perhaps longer. We're moving to an even bigger office just about a year after we moved to our current location. We're on the verge of adding another band and have a couple stages to run at events that will touch over 1 million people. I might get to tour, hit Warped Tour, Cornerstone and finish my book while on the road. If I do, that million might just become 1.5 or 2...

That all leads up to the fall. I just had the chance to interview for a pretty amazing music business teaching position. If I get it, I finally have the opportunity to use the PhD and label experience in one setting. I'll hear about it in a few weeks either way. As part of the interview I had the opportunity to explore part of the school's audio archives. If you've never heard a gramophone, phonograph or any other early music player in person, it's one of the experiences you must have. I had heard recordings but nothing in person. Hearing this old wooden machine pump out a song via a steel needle running along the wax cylinder or record gave me a little thrill. It's a much more exciting experience than today's new players. I've had 7 ipods and this 100+ year old box was more fun than initially firing up those ipods. Sure it's not portable and can only play 2 minutes at a time but it was awesome. I think I'll need to release a record for one of the bands sometime soon. It also gave me a few ideas for production tricks in the studio if I can get my hands on one.

So this was a long post to say:
1) Look for big releases and events from Aux this summer
2) If you are in an active band that has recently recorded and are on a label, I might need you for another chapter in my book. Get in touch.
3) Tour. Even a week or so would be great. Bringing Jonas would be even better. That might be Cornerstone since he wants to meet up with Flyleaf and The Almost.
4) The records that your great grandparents heard owned.
5) New office. Come visit once the move is finished. I'll let you know.

-Ulf

Tonight Was Epic

2008-04-12T01:47:00.000-07:00

I just got home from the Anorexic Beauty Queen show and if you missed it, you missed something special. It was the first show since the original ABQ lineup reunited and it was loud, slightly angry and had an intensity that I've never seen the band have. Epic is the best way to describe it. Mike delivered vocal lines drawn from the depths and pumped guitar riffs through two cabs, Jake thrashed around and delivered a bass line you could feel in your chest and Nick could quite possibly be the hardest hitting drummer ever. He blasted through both sides of his snare leaving it mangled, dented, and by the end of the set, only the kick drum survived. Give it a few days and you might find some video on the Jerk Magazine website or youtube.

Epic.

I want to do some touring with them and do this every night. Let's make it happen.

-Ulf

ABQ at DecoyMusic

2008-04-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

We’ve got an ad running over at DecoyMusic.com for Anorexic Beauty Queen. It’s to the right of an ad from Tooth & Nail for Showbread’s latest 2 releases - Anorexia and Nervosa... Both ads caught my eye...

Check it out at decoymusic.com/

Say Anything That You Want

2008-04-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

It’s been too long since I checked in but I’ve been finishing up a project that should land the record label in a number of national publications. It’s something that a few of you have coaxed out of me via IM but for the most part, it will be a big reveal. I’m just about done with things so hopefully I can announce it Friday. I’m not blogging about it to give the teaser but rather to force me to finish it. Maybe I’ll put in another late night to make it happen.

I’ve got a ton of new/recent/rediscovered music to make it through. One band I need to plug is One Star Story. Their EP was officially released today but it hit itunes a few weeks back and it’s had a ton of play on the ipod. I’m hoping to get them to come through the area at some point this summer. They are hitting the road with some friends - Another Day Late (they used to call Ithaca home). ADL made the trip to Cali, got signed and now can stop "home" when they tour through NY.

You should drop a few bucks on One Star Story’s latest The Empty Room as well as ADL’s newest EP News Said It’s Raining In New York. As far as their tour, only a few dates have been announced and they are out west but it should be a 30-date tour so most of the country will get to see them. If you miss it, you can always play the EPs back-to-back to get your fix.

ABQ & Cornerstone

2008-03-25T16:06:00.000-07:00

It’s been awhile since Anorexic Beauty Queen has been out with the full band. If you check the calendar, you see that there is a date coming up that has the original ABQ lineup. They are primed and ready to go do a few more shows this summer.

One summer date I want to see ABQ play is Cornerstone. This music fest of 20,000+ is in Illinois and runs from June 30 - July 5. You can help get ABQ on stage. It’s an online voting contest through the Cornerstone website but unlike most festivals where you have one winner, this one has 16. So far there are a couple hundred bands in the running so the odds of making it are not too bad. Fifteen bands play the "New Band Showcase" Stage. The top vote getter plays the mainstage on Wednesday, July 2 alongside Disciple, Family Force 5, Skillet and Flyleaf.

If you give them a vote and send me an email, I’ll direct you to a site where you can download "This Little Light" for free as a little thank you.

You need to register on Cornerstone’s website in order to vote and can only vote for a band one time per band. Once you vote, send me a message and I’ll drop you the link to download the album.

Click the banner to get to the Cornerstone website so you can vote for Anorexic Beauty Queen.

Taste of Syracuse - LOOKING FOR BANDS

2008-03-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

SubCat Studios and Aux Records are teaming up again to bring you the SubCat Emerging Artist Stage at the 2008 Taste of Syracuse. This stage offers up-and-coming bands of all styles the opportunity to showcase their music for all of CNY.

Members of SubCat Studios and Aux Records will select 22 artists to perform at this year's event and are now accepting submissions for performance slots. Download the submission form from http://www.auxrecords.com/tasteofsyracuse and mail it along with your music, bio and a photo to:

SubCat Studio
PO Box 367
Skaneateles, NY 13152

Submissions will be accepted via mail until Friday, April 4, 2008.

Last year the SubCat Emerging Artists Stage hosted 23 local artists including Native American Music Award winner Corn-Bred and former SAMMY winner Merit.

The Taste of Syracuse, owned and operated by Galaxy Communications, takes place 11:00 am to 11:00 pm on Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7, 2008 in downtown Syracuse. The event is free to attend and pairs live music with close to 100 food vendors from in and around Syracuse. For more information visit www.tasteofsyracuse.com.

Merit - Laser Eyes

2008-02-24T17:52:00.000-08:00

A little clip that Brenna did...

Fireworks

2008-01-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

Merit posted a video from their practice space for their new song Fireworks. You find it over at youtube: http://youtube.com/watch?v=SBzzwhYm-PI or watch it below.

Road Test

2008-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

This Friday, one time ABQ bassist Isaac Deitz will host the theatrical premiere of Road Test, a documentary he shot about a band (Fazeshift) on their first tour. I had an early chance to check the film out and it's one that any musician or music fan will want to see. I should be at the premiere on Friday. Here are the details:

Road Test
Friday, January 4th, 2008
Doors at 7:00 pm, $8 ticket
The Redhouse
201 South West St.
Syracuse, NY 13202
Watch the trailer below.

Anorexic Beauty Queen presents Michael Watson

2007-12-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

The disk is out now and can be purchased in the Aux store, Snocap store and at Soundgarden in Syracuse, NY. It will be on iTunes and at CDBaby soon.

A gift to you

2007-12-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

It's the holidays and it's time for your present for being good this year. You have from now until December 31 to go download Anorexic Beauty Queen's last full length CD, This Little Light, for free from ReverbNation. You'll get to hear the studio version of Soon I Promise, a track that is also on Mike Watson's live solo CD which comes out 12-25. Go go download the songs now at www.reverbnation.com/anorexicbeautyqueen.

Happy Holidays

Michael Watson

2007-12-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

We're excited to be only a couple weeks away from our next release! Michael Watson (of Anorexic Beauty Queen) will release his first live, solo disk. If you were at the November edition of the Artists As Artists series, you heard the recording. It will primarily be a digital release (first through Snocap then iTunes), though we'll do a short run of CD-Rs that we package for anyone who wants to pick up a disk instead of a download. Each packaged disk will be slightly different so what you get will be unique.

The music will be for sale starting on Tuesday, December 25. Check out a few of the songs from the release at ReverbNation.com/MichaelWatson.

A. Sidenote, Esquire

2007-11-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

This blog was supposed to be more than a newsfeed for Aux but in recent months it's become just that. This entry has less to do with Aux and a little more to do with some of the work I'm doing right now. The point where Aux ends and Ulf begins can be debated later.

One thing I enjoy in knowledge. I like to learn more about the creative process in music on all levels. Sure, I'm part of it all with Aux. My dissertation was about the influence on music content at indie record labels. I also just picked up Phil Ramone's book Making Records, The Scenes Behind The Music to read other perspectives on recording.

I love content. I love how it comes from an idea to the rough song to what is ultimately recorded. I wish more bands would share the progression of their music. Sometimes more raw tracks recorded without a click and vocals with slight timing errors show the true character of a song. Not everything needs to be a radio song. This holds true in today's media landscape more than ever.

I bring up creation of content because I also love the protection of content. I could go on about copyright and licensing, delve into performing rights societies and then talk about the way things are changing. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a lawyer but I spent a ton of time working with media law classes while in grad school and have kept up on things as a hobby and for the label's benefit. I know enough to offer advice and tonight I'm doing just that. I'm advising a group on where they stand on legal ground in a few areas. It's fun for me and it should be the easiest $300 per hour the lawyer that eventually works with them ever makes.

Perhaps I will get the J.D. one day. Dr. Ulf Oesterle, Esquire?

I'll just stick with Ulf...

Do Things Look Any Better?

2007-11-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

Right now, The Pilot Lies' debut Do Things Look Any Better? is up in its entirety over at Reverbnation.com/thepilotlies. The disk has been out for over a year but if you're new to Aux, chances are the music is new to you.

Give it a listen while you start your online shopping for the holidays. It is Black Friday after all...

Snocap

2007-11-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

We finally worked out the bugs in the Snocap store so you can now buy entire releases as mp3s. Full lengths are $7.99, EPs $4.99 and Merit's sampler for $0.99. You can still get single tracks from iTunes but albums will be cheaper if you get them from Snocap. Visit the merch page and check it out.

Ulf at ReverbNation

2007-11-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

ReverbNation posted a new video where bands and labels had the chance to share all that they love about the site. I made the video for a second or two. Check it out on the RN homepage.

On The Rise

2007-11-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

Merit is part of MTVs's On The Rise. The more votes they get, the higher they end up on the MTV2 charts. In about 2 days, they made it to level 2 (of 3) on the site. If you're the voting type and want to support the band, head over to Merit's page at MTV2 (http://mtv2ontherise.com?em=014740).

New video of caleb micah

2007-11-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to pull some video off tape and get it on youtube. I've got a lot more to get to but added two from caleb micah last night.

caleb micah - the living are here

caleb micah - the republic of heaven

caleb micah on itunes

2007-11-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

caleb micah "come home" just hit iTunes.

New Merit Demos

2007-10-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

Merit posted two new demos over at ReverbNation. Listen to them here.

Artists As Artists / caleb micah / ReverbNation

2007-10-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

ReverbNation started a section for record labels. We'll be using the site for our listserve. Feel free to drop by and add your name to the list at http://www.reverbnation.com/label/auxrecords.

caleb micah's disk can now be picked up at http://cdbaby.com/cd/calebmicah.

Buy your tickets now for Corn-Bred and Larry Hoyt
at the first Artists As Artists. Get them online at www.theredhouse.org.

In Rainbows

2007-10-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this is old news to you but Radiohead is releasing their next album In Rainbows through their website as a download. Not only is it a download but music fans can pick their own price for the album. It can be free. It could be $25. If you love them maybe you'll drop $100 on it. What's it worth to you? the downloads are out October 10. The actual CD ships in December if you decide you want that.

This idea of users picking their own price isn't new. Jonah Matranga, an artist whom I have tremendous respect for, has been doing it for ages. His music isn't usually free but he gives you the option of a sliding scale. I've also thought about doing it with some of the music I've released. I know, as a fan, I value some albums more than others... I've paid more for others too - including more for Jonah's work.

This idea of making the music free or super cheap is a little strange coming at it from the perspective of a business. Like most businesses I look at the numbers before I release an album. How many copies do we need to sell to break even? How many promo copies do we need? Ads? Maybe. If music fans pick a price for the art/product we can throw all of the markerting classes out. We'll have no way of truly seeing if the release is viable (economically). Sure, with downloads you can exclude the packaging costs. Distro still requires bandwidth, a nominal charge. All digital can work in those cases with national/international acts. Radiohead is established and they can pack a stadium and sell tens of thousands of dollars in merch a night. Prince can, and has, done it too. They don't need CD sales to survive. Independent emerging artists typically need the CDs to sell while on the road. They are not getting big guarantees from clubs. They want to play, sell a few disks to fill the van with gas and make it to the next city. If there is money left over they will eat. They can't usually do it as a digital release.

So why not take this pricing concept to the next level? Again, it's not new, but what if shows were either sliding scale or free? I bet more people would go. I bet more people would spend a little on merch. With more people coming out, the venue could sell more - beer, soda, popcorn, whatever - and we know most clubs are making the money on concessions anyway. Indie bands could move some more merch benefiting them and their labels. If I started doing regular free or sliding scale shows would you spend more on band swag to support the bands? Or would you just catch a free show?

I'd love to hear your feedback.

Rock show at The Redhouse

2007-09-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

Tonight there was one. caleb micah and Honor Bright played their sets live on the radio for TK99's Soundcheck and both sets were excellent. It was my first time seeing Honor Bright and they came full force with 5 vocals (yes the drummer sings too). caleb micah did an acoustic set, my first time seeing him do that. I've seen him play solo with an electric guitar, with a full backing band and with only one other guitar. The acoustic set should round it out...unless he decides to bring in more for the full band shows.

I'm starting to do more shows at The Redhouse and in just over a week I've got my first of the fall there. Monday night rock shows don't happen much and when they do, typically they are audition nights for future gigs. Not this show!

Warped tour vets Blameshift headline the night. Don't know 'em yet? They just released a CD produced by the guys who produced Coheed & Cambria. They hail from Long Island and come from a scene that has pumped out some of today's biggest rock acts. AP had them as one of the country's best unsigned bands (August '07 issue). Oh, and their singer is an SU alum. I had them play with Merit a couple years ago and I am excited that they are coming back through Syracuse. They are seriously one of the hardest working bands on the road today.

On the "No Haircut Tour II" with Blameshift is Waiting For A Miracle from Burlington, VT. Their pop-rock landed them a deal on Hotfoot Records. Local Syracuse heroes Fazeshift bring their powerpop to the show. These guys have slugged it out at shows through CNY and never disappoint.

The show is at The Redhouse - a stop on the SU connective corridor bus route - across from the SU Warehouse in Armory Square. I'll be doing much more there in the future. If you are in CNY, this is a show that you don't want to miss. (Well, most of the shows I do you don't want to miss because I try to bring at least one band through that might not normally schedule a stop in Syracuse.) If you are a rock fan, I think you'll really be into this show.

The show is ALL AGES and $6 at the door. Doors at 6:30 pm, show at 7:00 pm.

Come support if you can.

caleb micah - come home OUT NOW

2007-09-04T19:24:00.001-07:00

You can get your own copy of caleb micah - come home from the Aux Store (www.auxrecords.com/merch.htm). Six tracks, six bucks plus free shipping. It's not in stores or on iTunes yet so be one of the first to pick up the disk.

You can also get one at the CD RELEASE SHOW on Sunday, September 9 at the Redhouse (201 S. West Street, Syracuse, NY 13202). Be there before 9 because that's when the music starts.

If you missed Saturday's show, here is the living are here from caleb micah.

throw more DOTS

2007-08-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I just got a new music player for caleb micah's new disk (that will be out really soon). Feel free to spread this around, post it on your blog, myspace, website or drop in on someone else's page. Just click share for the code.

Check out caleb micah at ReverbNation

(If you are reading this feed through facebook, go to http://auxrecords.blogspot.com)

shows, shows, shows

2007-08-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

It's time for some live music. Aux is putting on two shows that you will not want to miss. It's a weekend of rock. On Friday, August 31, Merit, Anorexic Beauty Queen (Mike Watson solo), Ashley Sloggett and Lost For Words will play at Funk N Waffles. This all ages show is $5 and starts at 10pm.

Saturday, September 1 Aux presents Long Since Forgotten's CD Release Show at The New Renaissance Theater. Also appearing is the most recent Aux addition, caleb micah, as well as Hello Earth and Vapor Aevum. Doors are at 6:00 pm and tickets are $6.

Show #2

2007-08-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was the second show at The New Renaissance Theater. If shows continue to go off like that one things will be good. It was a 3 band bill with The Brilliant Light & Rob Stewart from Syracuse and Arrah and the Ferns from Muncie, IN. Every band came to play and it was a super-fun show, especially for a Wednesday night.

I like the 3-band bill. It's just enough music and relatively easy production-wise. It's also an opportunity to do a show for cheap (last night there was only a $3 cover). If you could pick the bands for a 3-band show, what would your lineup be?

The New Renaissance Theater

2007-07-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

There is a part of me that has always wanted to own a rock club. I like bringing in bands to play and have been a part of live events for about 12 years now. I've been a part of shows that were for crowds of less than 20 at community centers all the way up to a packed house at the Carrier Dome. Every show excited me (and finding champagne for Ray Charles at the dome is a story I still tell) and the start of The New Renaissance Theater has me stoked even more.

I am one of the two people helping to run the place, but after one show the response has been amazing. Promoters and bands have been in touch with Maarten and I non-stop. There really is no venue like this in Syracuse. As more shows are announced, I'll post flyers, music and other show-related things. The venue holds around 350 people and is all ages.

Our first show was originally For The Horizon, Anorexic Beauty Queen, Wagner, Fazeshift and Scratch but we had a surprise appearance from caleb micah as well.

The Taste of Syr

2007-06-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

For 48 hours Aux was right in the face of about 80,000 people at the 2007 Taste of Syracuse. Subcat Studios and Aux Records presented the Emerging Artists Stage this year. We had 23 bands over two days, 90 degree heat and a huge turnout for the stage. I've got pictures up at Myspace, Facebook and ReverbNation. It was a great start to summer.

The interview on KVUE

2007-03-19T06:49:00.001-07:00

Get the link at youtube.com/auxrecords

SXSW Day 4 & Return Trip to Syracuse

2007-03-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

As Saturday came around I was back at the convention center but more importantly back at Emos bouncing from stage to stage. I met back up with Eric, who runs supergnarly.com
and is doing merch for Circa Survive on their tour. He is from CNY and when I passed along a disk the other day at Spiros he immediately recognized it as Merit's. I had run out of my quota of The Pilot Lies and Anorexic Beauty Queen disks Thursday, so I brought extra copies on Saturday for him. I found it interesting that we are from the same area and the first time our paths cross is halfway across the country. Eric is writing a tour blog at tipmeplease.com so check in on how things go on the road in the big bus with Circa Survive.

So I'll only plug a few bands I caught Saturday. Deerhunter - killer show with dead on vocals. I also caught a bit of Spitalfield playing acoustic.

I ended up trying to catch an early flight home because of weather and work - both of which were going down in Syracuse. I missed the last flight by minutes so decided to just camp out at the airport for my regularly scheduled flight at about 7:00 am on Saturday. While there, I was interviewed as part of a SXSW travel piece by KVUE. The package was broadcast Saturday night but I got a copy of it that I'll post soon. It's on their site as I write this but I'm sure it's going offline soon.

While I spent the night in the terminal, I redesigned the entire Aux Records website. I hope to launch it this week. Much cleaner. More style. I want to test it's functionality before going live though.

I'm home for a couple days before going back on the road to San Diego late this week and NYC early next week. I don't miss the airports but I sure as hell miss Austin. I'll be back next year for sure but don't count out another trip before then. To everyone I crossed paths with, thanks for the memories, let's make more.

SXSW Days 2 + 3

2007-03-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday and today almost became one really long day. I started out going to the Shirts for a Cure show at Spiros where I was hoping to catch a few bands I haven't seen or hadn't experienced in awhile. Notable performances included Pierce The Veil (who will be releasing their album with one of my favorite labels, though nothing has been announced so I won't spill it), Against Me! and Bane. Between sets I met a ton of people since I was passing out disks from the label. Central Texas has now been introduced to ABQ, Merit and TPL.

Back to the SFAC show, Circa Survive stole the show. It was the first show of tour and their new music will make a huge impact. They played 2 or 3 from the new album which comes out in May. I got to chat with a few of the CS guys since it was the first show I have been at since my dissertation defense (I interviewed Anthony as part of the process) so it was nice to say thanks in person again. They play tomorrow and I plan on catching them one more time since they are on the road for awhile.

Yesterday, I also stopped in to see Ian Moore at the Fontana party and caught a few songs from Between The Trees.

Later on in the day I caught up with Stacey and Jason from DMR Booking in Syracuse. We started at the Dirty Dog on 6th where Jason and I did a little arm wrestling for the crowd. I believe there are a couple photos of me holding up well before eventually losing the match. If I can get my hands on them, I'll post them. We did a little bar hopping ending up at Buffalo Billiards for Bob Mould's set. Most people remember him from his days in Hüsker Dü. I've wanted to see him since getting his solo work back in my college radio days.

After breaking off from Stacey and Jason, I made my way back to check out a hip hop show at Spiros before turning in.

Today started early at the ReverbNation party. I met up with everyone that runs the site that has taken lots of my time. Elemeno P were the most impressive of the day, though Authority Zero held it down as well.

I managed to get in a couple sessions between the bands. I attended a session titled "Why Does Today's Music Sound Like S#!t?" I originally thought the panel would touch on more of the label gatekeeping function (related to my dissertation) than they did but they did deliver a ton of technical info that I can pass along during future recording. I also met up with Sandy Pearlman, a former industry worker turned academician. We talked shop for a few and I may see if he can make a trip to Syracuse University to address the music and media classes. He teaches a lot of music-based college courses.

From the SXSW hub I made it to the big free outdoor show where Ozomatli and Public Enemy. That's when I called it quits. Time for some rest before tomorrows sessions and shows. I fly back early Sunday morning and I hear it is snowing back in CNY. I don't think I've ever shoveled while having a sunburn. There is a first time for everything I guess...

SXSW Day 1

2007-03-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

I planned most of yesterday from 11-noon at the Verizon booth where you could download music and listen to it in these chairs with surround sound speakers built in. Of course I downloaded Merit tracks from "When We Fight" (the only Aux disk available right now) onto the phones that fed the speakers in the chairs so everyone there could check it out. I met up with a few people from Saddle Creek and Sure Fire PR at the sessions for indie labels, management and PR and also ran into half of The Scarlet Ending (Syracuse) at one of the sessions.

The Canadians hosted a big BBQ and had bands from across the country playing that. Malajube put on a hell of a show. Then off to 6th street for some food, tequila and more music.

It's 10:30 am on the start of day 2 so I need to get walking soon to make it back to the shows/conference. The Shirts For A Cure show featuring Circa Survive and Against Me is today. Doors are in an hour so I'm going to try to catch The Spill Canvas' acoustic set before hitting the conference.

If you don't know Shirts For A Cure, it's a great organization.

From their site (www.shirtsforacure.com):

The Syrentha J. Savio Endowment (SSE) was established by punk-rock photographer Mark Beemer in 2002. SSE provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford expensive breast cancer medicine and therapy. The Shirts For A Cure Project (SFAC) was launched by SSE to give voice to the social concerns of punk bands and their many fans as well as to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention.

When a band donates a shirt design to SFAC, the design becomes exclusive to SSE. We sell the shirt and use the proceeds to help women fighting breast cancer. If you would like to support our cause please take a moment to peruse the more then 90 shirts we offer. All shirts are printed on 100% pre-shrunk cotton unless otherwise stated. For a donation of $12 (plus shipping and handling) you will be helping someone who is in need as well as receiving an exclusive shirt from your favorite band.

SXSW Day 0

2007-03-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my travel day to Austin. The flights were uneventful with the exception of the delay at JFK. It wasn't long but the flight ahead of us took out a flock of birds upon takeoff so they had to clean the runway. I got to Texas around noon and got a tour of the city from a friend in town before going for some of the best tamales I've ever had. The city is clean, energetic and full of music with easily accessible venues everywhere. We'll see if the clean and energetic qualities remain after 1,400 (official) bands and thousands more attendees take the city on.

I had hoped to catch an interview with Chamillionaire followed by a short set at the Carver Museum but the massive rain kept me in. I got soaked walking to get my registration information (I'm staying a 30 minute walk from downtown) and wasn't going to go through that again. Let's hope the weather cooperates today.

I'm off to the sessions soon. I may write more tonight after the sessions and before the shows if I get online. If not, I'll check in tonight.

SXSW prep

2007-03-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

The trip to Austin is an annual journey for many of those in the music industry. I make my first trip this year and I leave for Texas on Tuesday. There is not enough time to try to plan out where I need to go, who I need to see and which of the showcases to attend. I know I need to be at the Chamillionaire kick off show. I'm scheduled to hit the ReverbNation and Syndicate parties. Friends from No Idea Records will be around. I'm also going to catch up with a few friends
from Syracuse that are going plus I'm planning on meeting a ton of new people. I don't know what my Internet access will be like there but if I can get online, I'll try to write or do a podcast each day of SXSW.

Only Revolutions

2007-01-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

I'm a fan of media but don't get to spend as much time with books as I'd like. I buy a lot of them but don't get to read all of them. Someday I will. Anyway, a couple years ago I picked up House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski after I heard that Anthony Green (Circa Survive) wrote a song based on the book. I checked out a copy at Barnes & Noble and the text was not written left to right but rather in columns, footnotes and in some cases just a word or two on a page. I had to buy it and I loved it. It required lots of attention to get through and follow the text/characters but it was well worth it.

I just picked up MZD's latest novel Only Revolutions and started that this weekend. It's another interactive book since the book takes the perspective of two different characters where one page is written normally and the other side upside down. To read the book, you read 8 pages starting from the "front" cover, flip the book over to start reading 8 pages from the at the "back." I use quotes because there is no true front or back. You go through the book alternating characters, flipping the book every 8 pages. It's an interesting way to read. I'd like more books like this.

Uniting CNY behind one band

2007-01-13T19:08:00.000-08:00

Playing at SXSW is a big opportunity for any band and Merit is in the running for a shot at playing the festival & conference this year. I'll be making my first trip to Austin and I'd love to be there to support Merit playing a show. I think all of Central New York would love to see one of their hometown bands play on a stage like this. I know a lot of people from outside CNY would like to see this happen as well.

Over the next 5 weeks (until February 20) Merit will be in the running for a showcase spot at the ReverbNation event held Friday, March 16 on 6th Street at the Dirty Dog Bar. You can make this happen and for your efforts Aux Records will even give you a download of their CD for free. All you need to do is sign up to be a friend of the band at www.reverbnation.com/merit - it's that simple. You need an email address and a picture to upload for your profile, that's it.

Sign up.

Add your pic.

Download the album, plus Man On A String, Merit's single from their debut disk.

Then tell your friends to do the same.

Merit was featured on ReverbNation during December 2006. Now it's time to prove that they should be featured live at SXSW. They'll be making a 1,700 mile, 26 hour drive if they win this...all for a shot at playing music for 45 minutes. Let's make this happen.

This banner takes you to ReverbNation so you can sign up. Thanks!

Booking College

2006-12-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a ton of time getting things out to colleges for the spring semester. I think ABQ and The Pilot Lies could do really well on the college scene and Merit already has. Tonight is another Sunday night of stuffing envelopes for the morning mail drop. We'll see how many I get through.

I worked on the office today since I'll have more people helping me this winter and into spring. I may pick up a couple more computers since I only have two set workstations and a few laptops. This label has been growing slowly and it's interesting to watch the process and hear the quality of the demos coming in. Initially it was all really rough two-mics-in-a-room-recorded-on-a-4-track but now the demos are top of the line. I've had a few from overseas come in recently and this one band from Portugal was impressive. I won't name drop now, maybe soon though.

The Cup is Empty

2006-11-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like live music is dying in Syracuse. There are so many bands in this area that are doing big things and making great music (and I'm happy to be working with a few of them) but the venues are going belly up.

Club Tundra - closed.
Planet 505 - closed.
The Furnace - I haven't seen a show there in ages.

The most recent casualty is The Empty Cup. This venue occupies (or occupied) the space where Chucks' stage used to be in the 1990s. Hungry Charley's was a venue I frequented for the cheap Sunday matinee. Syracuse hardcore dominated the stages and I still wear the Downset shirt I got at their show with VOD and Stillsuit. It was my first time jumping on a stage to sing with a band. Sure there were 30 other people on stage but I got the mic, if for only one shout of "Empower" during the Downset performance. It was awesome. I digress...

The Empty Cup took the chance at making things work but on November 20 they close their doors. In fact, all shows leading up to the 20th, including mine, have been cancelled. The place was run by a guy who really gave a lot to the music community while the venue was open. Phil took chances to bring in bands from all over the US and abroad (as far as Israel I believe). I wish things would have worked out for everyone, especially him.

So thanks for giving it a shot Phil.

So I took a break for summer

2006-10-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

I guess I missed June, July, August and September. It wasn't because nothing happened but rather a lot happened. First off I needed the time to complete my dissertation and the defense of my work. That went very well and I have now finished off my doctorate. Finally! Now I can focus back on Aux.

Merit played the Warped Tour so that was another big summer event. Next year I want to spend the summer in an RV with my family in tow (bands and my wife & son) on the tour. It felt like home. In the 10 hours I spent at the Buffalo show I ran into a ton of friends from other bands playing, helped tear down the Smartpunk and Gritty In Pink Stage, got to cool off on the Fuse bus before Merit had thier first national interview and got to see a number of the sets from bands I have followed for years (and some that were new to me.)

Rather than got through the past four months any more I'm hoping to start this blog fresh. More current stuff since things happening here and now are more exciting anyway. I am back to doing shows and the first is in just about three weeks. Merit, Anorexic Beauty Queen, Long Since Forgotten and Another Day Late. It's quite possibly the biggest four CNY bands together for the first time on stage. I'm doing the show at The Empty Cup in Syracuse. This city has lost a number of places to play so I'm glad there is something on the SU hill. More on that show later...

What makes you national?

2006-05-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm well aware of the advertising & music content relationship within radio. Sure payola is illegal but it's still done and spin programs tread the line of legality. Jocks have no freedom to play what they want these days. Of course I'm talking commercial radio here (I have my own thoughts on college radio that I may share later). Certain commercial radio stations have the CDs I release and one station that has played my bands' music before now can not play the band because they are "not national" and the boss said they can only spin national bands.

I think music should stand up on its own against other music. The single should not be passed over because it was not released by a multinational corporation. A single should be passed up if it does not fit format. It should be skipped it the PD and MD are not into it. Who releases it should not play into it and it frustrates me and pisses me off that it does. What constitutes a national band anyway?

If it's only a CD being released by the Big 4 I'd say bullshit. Lots of indies have national acts. Starting with Victory Records on down to smaller indies like No Idea or Deep Elm - all can boast having national acts. So is it distribution? If your CDs are in stores everywhere does that matter? Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were legitimately national with no label. With online distribution you don't need the shelf space...

So is it touring? How much touring needs to be done to be considered a national act? Do you need to hit both coasts? What if you tour regionally but had radio airplay nationally? What if you toured all 50 states but had no radio play or media coverage. So what is a national band?

Are you then international if you play another country? Another continent?

What do you think are the defining points between a local/regional/national act? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Being a fan

2006-05-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

So I'm really just a big music fan at heart. I should most likely be writing a music blog similar to those in my daily reads section, since I could cover way more ground. Maybe I will write about lots of bands that are not part of Aux here. I guess it is too soon to tell but my guess is I will. For being a small label I get a lot of music sent to me and naturally you can expect some to filter through. But for today I have one of my own to talk about.

Merit.

I pretty much organized this label to help put out their first CD. They make music I like to hear and I think a lot of other people will too. They are not too indie and not too commercial and have a work ethic that never quits. Merit is working on a Canadian tour in July and hopefully a short stint on Warped Tour will follow in August. If you haven't done so already, get to know Merit.

Merit - Blue Bedroom

Music PR

2006-05-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the last class for my music public relations class that I developed for Syracuse University. I've wanted SU to have a class like this since I started classes there in 2000 as a Masters student. I wanted it even more in 2002 as a doctoral student. Now they have one. With sixteen future PR professionals now out of my class I hope I gave them a sense of what I do and what others do when promoting music. I know I did but i hope it sticks with them. I guess I can't describe what it was like to see the class end so I'll just end with this:

"Well here I am don't know how to say this
Only thing I know is awkward silence." -Saves The Day

My world of music

2006-04-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

With all of the places to leave your mark online I'm surprised that this page has not materialized until now. Sure I've got myspace, purevolume, my site, and my podcast site. I've got facebook. I'm on thetripwire but no place has an area to just talk music (well thetripwire is the closest with tagging). I plan on doing that here. Sometimes it'll be what's going on with my bands. Mostly I expect to talk about other bands. I love people who just like music for music. I'm one of those people. It's hard to seperate Ulf from Aux so I won't. I'm building my brand personaly and professionally because Ulf = Aux. I look forward to sharing.