Competition Craze


10 Bands, only 1 can win...


Competitions on SellaBand create excitement, that's for sure. And this one, with the Grand Prize nothing less than a trip to Amsterdam to perform at SellaBration '08 really kicked our community in motion. We have registered thousands of votes since the start of the competition, and with almost seven full days to go things are heating up even more...


We invited all participating artists to promote themselves in the Tribune. Here are the 2 questions we asked them to answer:

1. Are you ready for SellaBration?
2. Why should it be you?

Kane Sole:

 

1. "Hell yeah I'm ready for it! I just brought a 'Ready For It' meter on ebay (reasonably priced too) and my scored went off the gauge!"

2. "What better way to ease into an evening of music than with some fine acoustic tunes??
Well..that...and the fact that my 'Ready For It' meter also has a 'How Much Do You Want It' function, and am pleased to report I scored 'more than the other guys'. I am happy to lend the other contestants my meter....after the competition."

Kontrust:

 

1. "We're already overdue for reaching 50k here on SAB, so we're definitely ready for SellaBration 08 :)"


2. "Apart from us finally wanting to meet all our believers and friends from the netherlands as well as the other artists appearing at SellaBration, we simply can promise this: We're gonna rock Amsterdam and make SellaBration an unforgettable event!"

Laïxa:


1. "We're more than ready! Over the last couple of years we've played a number of important festivals and concerts, not only in France, but also in Spain and the UK. For this summer, we've put together a brand new live set featuring songs from our new album, with... well, lets call it a compelling visual element! Believers can now listen to a live track on my profile recorded by Radio France Bleu from a one hour set we played for them at the end of last year."

2. "Well, firstly because we're not only a red-hot live act, but have the right music and experience to really get that room warmed up. Secondly, because we can bring a much needed sense of internationalism to what will otherwise be an English language event. An opening Artist singing in French sends a strong message to artists, believers and, most importantly, potential new believers about SAB being a truly global company open to all languages and cultures, and not just English speakers. And finally... well just listen to the music and make your own mind up!"


Lucia Iman:

 

1. "I cannot wait. The line up is extraordinary and I will be listening and watching attentively from near or far. Hopefully from very near, though."

2. "Isn't it obvious? I have been on SellaBand forever and deserve to be there. Just kidding. Not really. No, for real though...I am honored to be one of the candidates to play at Sellabration '08, all the artist have great talent. What I have shown is that paired with the talent and passion, I have perseverance and I AM a live performer, I shine on stage. This would be a golden opportunity to show the sellaband community what I'm made of, that I can deliver and will deliver, and when I make that 50K mark, I'm going to make an exceptional album. A bonus is that I could be joining forces with some of my fellow sellaband friends on stage, which would be the ultra cherry on the cake. Wish me luck!"

MDATA:

 

1. "MOTHERF$*@K YES, We have broken our little piggy banks and bought four Milk/flame spewing strap-on dildos (yes we did it years before Rammenstein, they are copycat fudge packers) for our set. We are thinking "MASSIVE STAGE INVASION LUSTYPOPFUNK" and maybe a bit of tar and a few feathers. MDATA is a fecking religion people so GET TO CHURCH and let the LUSTYPOPFUNK message be heard."

2. "Because we kill live, that's it folks.....pic a vid, find someone who has seen us live and ask them, our gigs speak for themselves. We know how to put on a show and over 80 dates in the last 2 years speaks volumes. We are a professional, bit mad, tried and tested funk rock outfit WHO WILL MOST DEFINITELY FLOAT YOUR BOAT LIVE.
Anyway, all the other bands will be skinned and in my freezer by the deadline date, hahahaaaaa, evil cackle, click click BOOM, "Curse you uncle Ben, the brakes are dead......ahhhhhhhhhh ho ho ho cackle etc."

Radius:

 

1. "Absolutely, we are ready!"


2. "Radius is much more than only a pleasure for your ears, beside of a very divers and dynamic show we are able to give you the full concept of a rock band. From bittersweet melodies to driven rock and dance grooves. You will feel the energy and you will see the passion of 3 guys giving everything on stage. Well….maybe even 4 people, we might surprise you! Or some dancers or an orchestra……it's up to YOU......then we can work it out. We would like to do something special. We have a very good "live" reputation and people say we sound even better live than on record. We are not only playing for ourselves on stage, but will try to embrace you and will make this party "together". Interaction is the keyword for a Radiusshow and this is the ultimate opportunity to become one. You have to hear it, you have to see it, you have to feel it! So now let's vote for it!"

Snelle Fellas:

 

1. "Yikes, NO, we're not, so if you wish to see us fail live in front of you, then vote for us! Kidding, of course we are ready. Still vote for us please!"

2. "Yeah, why us? Because if we play, people never walk away. They always want more of us, even more than we can give! If you want to get funked up, right from the start of SellaBration '08, we are the ones for you. Besides that, it all fits our current natural growth: from the farmer's shack around the corner, through Groningen's notorious Jazz Café De Spieghel, straight onto Paradiso Amsterdam in front of all of you honeybees."

Spellbox:

 

1. "Spellbox is ALWAYS ready to ROCK. That's what we do. It's what we were born to do. Look at the scars of ROCK that grace our bodies like a twisted map of the universe. We sleep with our instruments. We had them surgically connected to our arms. We are Rock-borgs! We were created to ROCK!!!"


2. "Because more than any other band, Spellbox knows how to deliver a power-house live show. We will show the world how a true ROCK & ROLL band should conduct their bodies while in the spotlight. We will drink barrels of Tequila (The National Spellbox beverage) We will throw wild sex parties in our hotel room AND backstage! We will get lots of tattoos while in Amsterdam. We will trash our hotel room. No one will be safe from the chaos we will spread. And we will do all of this without missing a note! Our performance will be legendary! The Paradiso stage will be bloody, and covered in sweat and mascara when we leave it. And that's the way Rock & Roll should be. We will channel the spirits of the Rock Gods ACDC and The Rolling Stones. And the people will know that we are the Greatest band in 7 solar systems. Not to mention, we have more matching letters in SPELLBOX that are also in SELLABAND than any other band. coincidence? We think not!"

Sunsoma:

 

1. "READY? Sunsoma has been ready since before the womb!!!"

2. "Sunsoma is a passion filled, energetic band, oozing with raw talent. We write creative songs that touch the soul. There is no sound like us."


Wetwerks:

 

1. "You mean, are we ready to play for one of the coolest parties at one of the best venues in the world? Absolutely! We would be honored at the chance."


2. "Because perhaps you were thinking the opening set for Sellabration '08 should rock? (and we tend to do that on occasion :)  Plus we'd actually get to meet you all..."

This competition is by no means a done deal, nothing has been decided yet. Some competing artists (including the top positions) are only a handful of votes away from each other. So every vote counts! The competition will close at noon on Tuesday, July 1. The winner will be contacted immediately for a comment in the Tribune of that same day. And again, Amsterdam in August will be looming for the winner, this is the chance to perform at SellaBration '08...


 Tribune chatroom

You can chat about this weeks tribune here

 

 

Born on the 14th of July


T-ka releases album on French national holiday


How appropriate: July 14, the famous national holiday in France, sees the release of the SellaBand album by T-ka. It is called "And maybe a tree will rise out of me" and will be released on Monday, July 14, 2008. The long awaited listening session will also take place on this memorable date.


T-ka, one of three French '50K' artists on SellaBand, is proud to share the tracklisting and artwork of her album with the SellaBand community. Recorded in Los Angeles, California, under the guidance of Sylvia Massy (who worked with Prince, Tool and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to name but a few), the following songs will be on "And maybe a tree will rise out of me":

1. And maybe a tree will rise out of me
2. 5 in the morning
3. Flyin'
4. On the other side of the ocean
5. Will you
6. Muszic
7. Dolores
8. Midnight City
9. I will never replace
10. Terror (featuring Ambytionz Chyldren)

Of course we invited the artist to write a few comments, so here are T-ka's own remarks:
"Embarking in recording my first album has been a longer journey than I ever thought it would be. A very interesting one. I've learnt a lot on how to create an album with Sylvia and the musicians and all the staff at RadioStar Studios. I've also learnt a lot after I went back... And I'm sure I will go on learning after the album is released.


I am really proud with the result u are going to be able to listen & see very soon... U will have songs that were on my self-produced album (and that made u first believe in me) re-recorded and new songs that I hope u will like as well.  U will also see the video of the song I'm the most proud of on this album on the Limited Edition: "And maybe a tree will rise out of me". It's my very personal ode to life and its continuing renewal.

All the lyrics are in the booklet so that u can learn them by heart for Sellabration' 08. U'll be tested on site lol. I'm kidding. I will sign all the copies u want me to sign while there. Don't hesitate to come and talk to me before or after the gig. I'm so thankful that u made it all happen so again thank u!!!

While I'm still there, doing announcements, I'm looking for gigs & distributors (or a licence deal) to promote this album all over the world so please feel free to contact me if u've got anything in mind or know anybody who could help.  And if u've got ideas to promote the album in ur country, please let me know... U can also check out my brand new website: www.t-ka.fr
Thank U again my believers! I can't wait for u to listen to the album and tell me what u think...

T-ka"

 

 Q + A: Laudanum

 

So far we haven’t seen many successful Belgian artists on SellaBand. A bit strange perhaps, because our neighbors have a very rich musical and cultural tradition and their sounds can travel very well. Enter Laudanum, who are more than ready to fulfill the promise on SellaBand...

 

 

Who are Laudanum? 

“Three guys writing and recording songs, willing to share all of their revenues with their believers. Hope this catches your attention J (o.k., you can skip to question 8 if you really must L). But first the extremely boring part: us. Patrick Vrancken: drums and bass; Stefan De Cauwer: electric guitars; Stefan Saenen (Naf): keyboards, acoustic guitars and vocals. We live in Antwerp, Belgium.” 

You have been with us since September of last year. How do you like it so far?

“We’re addicted, hopelessly. Before we signed up, we were lazy, unexcitable musicians, just jamming around without a goal. But a few months of SellaBand turned us into song writing maniacs. It took us a while before we got orientated and started to let people know about us. But thanks to early believers, Talentscout and Walt, we became communicative, and the collaborations with Dreb of Sheet Metal and Casper of Caya really got us going. Checking this place is the first and last thing we do every day now. Our musical life is concentrated on SellaBand and this will always be our main base.”
What were your expectations when you joined?
“As for selling parts, our expectations were to reach 50K in 458 years. Until then, we just hoped to get a clear view on what people think about our songs and we expected to find some people who share our musical taste. We’ve all played live a lot (in bars, at small festivals, contests) and it’s fun most of the time. But you seldom get to talk with the audience. On SellaBand you learn more about what people think of you in a week than what a year of gigs can teach you.”

Do you hope to become the first Belgian act to reach 50K on SellaBand?

“That’s a very uninteresting goal. First of all, where you come from is insignificant in this community. Secondly, to reach that goal we’d have to compete with artists like moorlandt, whose music and personality we love, and that would be plain ugly. And thirdly, our music isn’t representative for the music scene in (our part of) the country anyway, so we don’t feel an urge to try and become some sort of ambassadors. On top of that, reaching 50K, as such, outshines any other goal attached to it.”

 

Is there more to Laudanum than 'just' the music?

“Could this question be rephrased as: Is Laudanum a real band? Do you have ambition to become big in the real world? Will you guys go on tour to sell the CD’s? We’ll talk about what we’ll become when we answer the final question. Here’s what’s more to Laudanum now:
We offer different items in return for your money right away. The three songs on our profile page are examples of that “strategy”. Two tracks are covers of favourite songs for 25 parts believers, and one is a personalized song for a 12 parts Believer. Since we started working this way, we sold 3K in a period of three months time. We enjoy collaborating (The Collaboration Project) and helping out any SellaBand artist who can use our assistance. Turning this into a strong community, is one of our main concerns. There’s a lot of know-how, talent and equipment at hand if we organize. And it’s the responsibility of the artists, not of  Sellaband, which is only the medium.”

You seem like a very creative bunch. What inspires you to be Laudanum?

“Music of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Monty Python, dreams, Star Trek, Ritchie Blackmore Oh my God - overexcited Tribune editor.), I Claudius, anxiety, Benny Hill, true love, the graveyard scene in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, vodka, youtube, Paul, Marco, MaryJo, Michael, Veblen, Casper, Maximus, …”

What kind of album do you plan to make with SellaBand?

“By the time we reach 50K, we’ll have at least 30 songs. Believers will help to select the most loved ones. We’ll invite other Sellaband artists to join in and work something out. The vocalists we are collaborating with now for instance (moorlandt, TELEPATHY, Annie Bacon,) would definitely be most welcome. No need to put musicians on a plane. Since we have a lot of recording experience, we’ll be able to record and process a lot at home; then we can use the expensive studio time for what really makes a difference.”

 

Why should people Believe in Laudanum?

“Here’s what’s more to Laudanum soon: We are going to sell our songs on every possible website. We will give all of our revenues to our Believers starting august 1st of this year. You’ll receive the percentage of income equal to the percentage of the 50K you have invested in us. So, if you have one Laudanum part, you get a 1/5000 part of the money we make. Believers will get screenshots of our earnings on the different sites each month. The last day of each month we count believers and calculate who gets what. Pay out is when we reach 50K, if you have left us by then, you loose your share. As we are at 3,4K now, that indeed means a big part of our revenues (93,2%) doesn’t get divided yet. But that money will be kept aside and will be divided among the believers as well when we reach 50K. During the “recording period” the deal doesn’t change. When the album is out, the deal will be about the recorded songs only. And the way the revenues are divided changes slightly, as 1/3 of the earnings on the recordings will go to Sellaband for a 2 year period. But we’ll add our 1/3 to the 1/3 owned by the believers. Two years after that, Sellaband looses its 1/3. From that day on, we keep 1/3 of the revenues on the 50K album for ourselves, and we give the believers the remaining 2/3 … forever. We keep providing you with screenshots, and pay out will be once a year. We’ll have to find a way to bind us to that promise legally. How will we promote our songs? (we take about a month to write and record a song) Every song gets its own web page (made by the indescribable Marco Galliano), and each one will have a different atmosphere to give the song an extra dimension. In time, every song will get its own video clip as well. We have the equipment, but it may take until 2009 before we start making them.
What about playing live? To promote songs on the Internet, we think it’s important to show you some live performances, and we will record live versions on camera, but we don’t believe in touring to sell the CD’s. Touring becomes interesting when you’re famous. We aren’t famous, so we can’t expect to sell more than five CD’s at each gig and we can’t expect to get more than one gig each month - which means we’d be well mummified by the time we’ve sold all the CD’s. More importantly, going on tour for real will keep us from writing and recording songs.
Quoting Mr. Spock: ‘Humans make illogical decisions’
Thanks so much Rose and Kristen.”