CD Competition enters the final stage

 

Prominent Believers speak their mind!

 

We know it ain’t over yet, but the SellaBand Presents... Part 2 competition is now reaching its final stage. A little less than one week to go, and we will frame the ranking of ‘Chart2’ at 12 o’clock, Noon, precisely, Central European Time (that’s 11AM in the London, 6AM in New York and 10PM in Sydney). The Top 10 as it is at exactly that moment, will be featured on the next SellaBand compilation CD (see here for details). Last week we asked a number of artists why they thought their music should be included on this album, this week we turn to the Believers and ask some of them if they may have an ace up their sleeve to get their favourite artist a much coveted spot on the final Top 10...

 

Empire of One - (Trail):

 

Why should Trail be included on the next SellaBand Presents... Part2 CD?

“Trail is one of the most consistently good bands I have ever heard. They have posted a lot of songs in their time here and ALL of those songs develop a following. What this tells me is that they have a really good chance of bringing in new fans from the promotional CD.”

Are you saving some extra money to help Trail get there? 

“Trail has a lot of fans here, and I know all of us will do what we can to keep them on the cd. If a few extra parts sold is all it takes, I'm prepared to work nights and weekends to make that happen. I’m a Believer…”

 

Walter M – (So what):

 

Why should So what be included on the next SellaBand CD?

“There are several reasons why So what should be included on this CD. The first, and most important one: they make great rock music, catchy tunes that stay in your head. But there is more. I think they will be the youngest band in age on that CD (aw, how lovely). They are the fastest growing band here on SellaBand (keep in mind they reached 5k in 40 days) and will give good publicity to SellaBand when they win the competition to open Koniginnenach in The Hague.”

Are you saving some money to help them get there?

“I hope it’s not up to me to bring them there :) I have invested quite a lot to help them and I’m impressed with the names and numbers of believers they have. So I spent my money as soon as it is available...”

 

Wwaoouuh – (T-ka)

 

Why should T-Ka be included on the next SellaBand CD?

“Because T-ka's sensual voice will promote Sellaband perfectly.”

Are you saving some extra money to help her get there?

“A lot of last minute changes might happen during the last week in the top 10 and there are right now 13 artists who gathered more than 2000$. I think some Believers wait for the last moment to support their favourite artist. As far as I'm concerned, I will be more than present for T-ka again this week...”

 

Martin Nicholas – (Tiffany Gow)

 

Why should Tiffany Gow be included on the next SellaBand CD?

“Tiffany should definitely be on the SellaBand CD, I’ve been hooked since I first found her profile! Every song is 100% Tiffany all sung from the heart, Tiffany works extremely hard on SellaBand and her enthusiasm and generosity to Believers should be an example to all (check out the offers on Tiffany's profile )Forget Diamonds, everyone should have a Tiffany wooden spoon !! Let’s get some rockage on the CD :) Tiffany ROCKS!!!”

Are you saving some extra money to help her get there?

“I have some funds put aside to help get Tiffany reach the CD :) How much?,now that would be telling!”

 

Lucretia - (Vegas Dragons):

 

Why should Vegas Dragons be included on the next SellaBand CD?

"I think I could take up the whole Tribune just answering this question, there are so many reasons I've encountered in the months since Vegas Dragons signed up, but I'll try to be as brief as possible. Vegas Dragons' CEO Brian Taylor goes above and beyond the call of duty and to me is the heart and soul of what Sellaband is all about. I think you're going to struggle to find an artist I know is going to work as hard for their Believers as Vegas Dragons. The number of hours Brian spends every day sending and replying to messages, his overwhelming generosity to both artists and Believers alike and his obvious commitment to both his craft and Sellaband itself are just a few of the reasons why Vegas Dragons should be on that CD. Not only do Vegas Dragons deserve to be there for all the effort Brian has been putting in, they have great music as well. I know that getting on the CD means the world to Brian, and if he is prepared to do all that he does for us Believers, shouldn't we be prepared to do all we can for him too?"

Are you saving some money to help VD get there?

"A lot can happen in the next week and I'm supporting quite a few artists involved in that fight for the CD. Inevitably there are going to be some who will not get onto it and although I'd love to see Vegas Dragons on there, at the end of the day I'm going to be realistic based on what happens over the next week. This competition is a bit like a poker game - it doesn't pay to reveal your full hand too early. So maybe I do have some more money laying around for Vegas Dragons, maybe I have some more money for someone else, or maybe I'm just bluffing - you'll just have to wait and see!"

 

Lovejoy - (Wetwerks):

 

Why should Wetwerks be included on the next SellaBand CD?

"Not only are they the hardest rocking band on this platform, their whole approach oozes intelligence, professionalism and style. They are a showcase example of the great talent that is out there but had no voice until SellaBand came onto the scene. Normally the Big American Rock thing is not my cup of tea, but Wetwerks just took me by surprise and I just know that if their music is included on this compilation, more and more people will follow suit."

 

Are you saving some money to help Wetwerks get there?

"Well, in the SellaBand Believers pond, I am but a small fish. I reckon these boys to be way too smart to be banking on my contributions, but they do have my moral support and yes, I might just add a last minute dollar or two to their account. But then again, I'd love to do the same for Vegas Dragons too..."

 

Send me an angel...


 

It was a bit of a last minute thing, when we were approached by Dutch news show Eén Vandaag for a special feature on SellaBand. The special connection we try to establish between artists and their fans, was the angle for their report. And special it was, when our very own Pim and three Dutch Believers traveled to Paris this Saturday, to meet Clémence at her parents’ house. The rising French star treated her guests with a special performance of three songs and a copious French lunch. Here are some pictures of this special day (thank you, Whaley), and of course we asked the lucky Believers to comment on the event:

 

Monique: “It was overwhelming, very impressive! I have never seen and heard an angel sing before, now I have! Soon the world will too!!!”


Whaley: “I'm still smiling all day because I keep thinking about the great weekend I had. We got to meet Pim, Clémence and her family, but best of all it felt like we are together as a team, or a family, not just consumers being fed by an industry that decides what you should like!”


Tjalling: “Hereby I would like to thank you for the wonderful day I had, with Monique and Whaley, last Saturday. It was an experience I will not forget for the rest of my life. The film crew at the beginning of the day  was a bit awkward but as the day rolled on we all got used to it. The moment we met Clémence was as well an awkward moment, but as we got into the conversation it felt like any other situation in daily life. It was nice that we could ask anything we wanted and that there were no limitations to the questions we had. I can imagine that this isn't possible if you meet an international star. The private concert was special as well and it confirmed the fact that Clémence has a beautiful voice. I am totally convinced that Clémence will become a very big star and I will buy more Parts if I can. I decided to stay in Paris with a friend of mine. The next day I contacted T-Ka and met her in her apartment. It was really good to meet the artist I first believed in on Sellaband and it was a very warm meeting. Her friend was there as well and we spoke English and French to communicate. To see an artist work so hard to achieve recognition is inspiring, and the idea that one weekend had changed my perspective on the music industry was truly a special experience. Thanks for this opportunity, and I hope that more believers will follow our path.”

 



Q + A   So What

 

“We are small boys with big dreams”

 

SellaBand should be an all ages movement. Needless to say we were more than pleased when three 18 year old gents, collectively known as So what, joined our program. And we were even more delighted to see them do so well. It took them less than 6 weeks to get to page 2 of our search engine. Their ambition? To become the next big thing. Nothing more, nothing less...

 

Tell us a bit more about So what?

“So What is a Dutch Pop/Rock trio who started three years ago. All of us are around 18 years old. All of us are still at school, so sometimes it’s hard to combine the music with school. And although we know that school should be more important, sometimes So what takes the lead and you may see skip school, this makes some teachers a bit angry. We make Pop Rock music, very basic but also very happy. In our hometown Denhaag (The Hague) we’ve played most of the major venues. On top of playing in a band together, the three of us are best friends. We are together almost every day. It is impossible to imagine life without So what. There is no better feeling in the world than making a good show. If you see that the crowd enjoys your music, you feel on the top of the world. It is as addictive as SellaBand...

When we first got together in 2003 we decided to add something special to our performances, from then on you would only see is in 3 black suits on stage. It ads a special flavour to the act. Last month we released our first EP and had an excellent gig. The crowd went crazy. The EP was recorded a while ago, and we designed the cover ourselves. After this presentation things went faster and faster. We’ve got on the radio and got some good reviews on major music websites here in Holland.

 

We were even selected for one of the most important music competitions in our country. ‘De K’nach verkiezing’ is a competition between 4 bands, we play at three different stages in The Hague, and we’ll  be recording a single, chosen by the audience. On the internet you can vote for us. If we win we’ll play on Queen’s Night an important festival in The Hague. This gig can be a good promotion for us and SellaBand. Please visit our profile for details. Making music is the most fun thing to do, so we sure want to continue with this, the rest of our lives.”

 

You are one of the youngest bands on SAB. What made three 18 year old guys join SAB?

“We read about this website in a newspaper, and we immediately checked it out. We noticed that it’s not only a brilliant concept (no really, you have to admit these guys are very clever) but there is a really good atmosphere as well. All the messages on Believers pages, an unofficial forum and a lot of good bands. It is a real community. But we missed the young Pop bands online. Our hometown is full of good and young bands but on SAB we could only find a few. So we decided to join SAB, and it turned out to be a good decision.  We remember the first Believer, that was just a great feeling. We where on the top of the world. Then Walter M came in. He really helped us to the top, he promotes us in every way he can. Luckily we’ve got to meet him during our CD presentation. You have to check his own made website: www.imasellabandaddict.com.”

 

You are from The Hague. Explain to all non-Dutch Believers why this is the number one rock 'n roll city in NL?

“Music is the most important thing there is in our lives, and because we live in the music city of Holland we are lucky. The Hague plays a major part in the Dutch pop music history. The Golden Earring and Shocking blue even had hit records in foreign countries. There are a lot of places in The Hague where you can learn to play music, and we got even more stages to perform. Because there are so many options to play, there are a lot of good bands. The competition is really killing, but that is a good thing.

If you’re about to take a trip to Holland, you sure have to get to Amsterdam. But it is even more important that you come over to our town. You’ll sure see some good bands, and a big change you’ve got to meet us. The Hague lives, smells and breaths music!”

 

Do you have any special tactics to reach the 50k?

“We are online as much as we can, so we try to stay in contact with every single Believer or artist that leaves a message at our profile. This has got us in trouble a few times, while we should’ve been working in the classroom we were checking the internet for new messages or checking the Charts. Teachers just don’t see the importance of music in our lives we think. Once in a while we try to upload new video’s and songs. Right now there is a relatively new video online. A sort of video clip of us playing the song a lot of Believers like; ’Keep on running’. But also it is important that we attract new Believers to the site. So we have made some Sowhat/SellaBand-flyers that we give to everyone we got to speak with. Of course we mention SellaBand as many times as possible in interviews with radio stations or websites.”

 

What are your ambitions?

“To become the next big thing and make history. This may sound a little naïve but you’ve got to have goals in your life. We are small boys with big dreams. But we also know that it can’t come all at once, so we take little steps to ‘world domination’. Let’s start with our own town and after that maybe our little country, who knows what comes next? But SellaBand is a great way to reach more and more people.”

 

Are there any other SellaBand acts you particularly like?

“There are so many great bands on SellaBand, and all the bands in the top 30 are fantastic, so it is hard to say which band we like the most. We like the music of Trail, Garlic and The Fakes a lot. Also we musn’t forget Vegas Dragons, without them (and especially Brian) SellaBand would be completely different. He really makes the community a happy place where every band feels accepted. And we have to admit that the three of us have a little crush on Clémence. But please don’t tell her. We are very shy you know...”

 

Why should people Believe in So What?

“The reason why people should believe in us in the first place is if he or she likes our music and ambitions. So maybe it’s a bit useless  to say that we will do the best we can(and more) to get to the top. And that we are totally determined to reach our goals. And to end this interview we’ll use a little cliché, that you only will understand if you’ve listened to our songs: We’ll keep on running, will you run with us?”


Adam’s Apples

 

Another month, another week and yet another new batch of great new music from all over the world.  Let’s start in Tokyo with Bonna and their sixties’ style “Secret Heart” before heading down deep in the heart of trailer trash USA for Rhoades D’Ablo and the Devil’s Right Hand whose boozy country punk boogie “Even Jesus (Can’t Keep Me Sober”) hits all the right spots. Back to The Netherlands for two teenage acts – BeRightBack with their Yardbirds style “You Make Me Sweaty” and singer/songwriter Tim Knol’s beautiful “Homeless”.  A last leap over to Portugal for the UK’s Dan McAlister and his soaring “Up On Air” before a final US visit for wonder band Wetwerks collaborator Matt Byers and his excellent “Driven”.


But to kick off our three Golden Apples of Distinction this week it’s off to Hamilton, New Zealand, the home of Lapser, whose name according to the band means “someone who lapses”. Well it certainly doesn’t look like anyone was lapsing when it came to the music – this is high quality rock that’s written, performed and produced with great skill and passion. “All A Dream” is immediately accessible and full of hooks and along with the heavier “Ten Dolls” and the acoustic “I Could Cry” features excellent vocal arrangements that really make this band stand out from their contemporaries. Their website is under construction and their myspace site doesn’t give much away, so more information is urgently needed. But this is a band to be reckoned with, and if they get their Sellaband act together they’ll do jut fine.


Next up this week are a trio from down in the South West of England from where many of the great navigators set out to conquer the world. It’s a little too early to suggest that Thieff are about to do just that, but the distinctive vocals of guitarist/singer James Lusby suggest they just might. Start listening with “Unchanged” which sounds like it could be a major hit – utterly contemporary and iconic. The other two songs here are no less strong or melodic and show different facets of the band’s writing ability. They claim to have 17 more songs of the same quality and if that’s true there’ll be  a hell of a good album to look forward to one day. Thieff may not be able to spell but they can certainly write!


And finally, a band that slipped through the net (hey, it does happen..) that deserves a belated bite of the apple. The Trouble About Me is a four piece from Reading - 50 miles down the M4 motorway west of London. The band keep things pretty straightforward and to the point musically and vocally but put a lot of energy and some great guitar tones into “Taken Too Far”. But it’s the song “Young Knives” that really captures the attention with its power pop drive and loping bass line. There’s not very much info on their page and their myspace site isn’t much more help (why not guys - these are your key free marketing tools!) but their music speaks volumes and I’ll bet their live gigs are a riot.


Contact me as always at Adam@sellaband.com where I’m interested in your thoughts, comments and suggestions.


So until next week Bands ‘n’ Believers ……..Adam Out!