Volume 2, Issue #17

Willamena

You don’t get the reputation of being the hardest working act in Michigan by sitting on your bum. Kalamazoo based Willamena has been rocking the midwest since 1996 with their alt-country/rock stylings that have produced three independent albums including this year’s gem “Far from the Current.” Lucas Ross (lead vocals/guitar) and Chad Hendrickson (lead guitar/vocals) combine for a writing style that offers a fresh approach to classic roots rock by adding catchy hooks and are currently backed by bassist Chris Newman, keyboardist Dylan Naw and drummer Ted Mitchel. After releasing their first album "High Price To Pay" in 1997, Willamena gigged relentlessly and developed a huge following. Their efforts were rewarded as they were asked to open up for such acts as Fishbone, Big Brother and the Holding Company and Thought Industry. The band used the success of "High Price" and a vibrant live show to surpass over 140 acts and win Aris Hampers/ 101.3FM's Hometown Rock Search in October 2001. To keep momentum, they released "Ghost of July" early in 2002 and “Far from the Current" earlier this year to rave local reviews as the pursue a major label deal.

Five Questions for Willamena

1) Describe the music scene in the midwest right now?
“Everyone is doing there own thing. Bands range from heavy to roots. There’s no consistency, no particular style.”

2) What effects did winning that hometown rock search have on band a few years back?
"It made us feel validated and that we were on the right track. It also helped us gain some exposure. It was a real booster, but we didn’t let it go to our heads. We knew it was just one small step towards what we want to accomplish.”


3) You guys have opened for some exceptional bands in the past. What have you taken out of those experiences?
“Playing with bands like Fishbone and Big Brother and the Holding Company is extremely inspiring. You really learn just how hard you have to work to be a success.”

4) Tell us about your new record “Far From The Current”
“It’s kind of a lonely album meaning that’s what the band felt it was when we recorded it. We just didn’t feel that we fit in anywhere. We couldn’t be generalized into a specific genre. It’s basically about a persons outlook on life. A thinking record.”

5) What would you say are the bands major influences?
“We would say Neil Young, Tom Petty, Peter Buck, Genesis, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan amongst others.”

----Joseph Barracato

My First Handgun

Since forming a year-and-a-half ago, My First Handgun has been setting themselves up for a major record label deal with a nonstop schedule of shows as they continue to create their own buzz on the Boston rock circuit . M.F.H., whose name is not to be confused with the glorification of guns and violence, are planning to release their first EP early next year as an independent. Coming from a vast realm of musical styles Ron Arra Jr (vocals), Russ Cowen-(guitar), Alex Lynch (bass) and Michael Nashawaty (drumkit) deliver fresh, innovative rock that is complimented by an energetic live show. The band, who includes Fugazi and Black Sabbath as influences, are about to increase their buzz over the next few months with several big time gigs including one at O’Briens on New Year’s Eve. In March, they’ll have an opportunity to really make a name for themselves when they compete at the German Emergenza Festival at The Avalon for a trip to Germany and the chance for international exposure.

Five questions for My First Handgun

1) How did you guys come up with your group name?
“It’s a description of our sound. We’re not gun nuts or trying to promote guns.”

2) What’s the Boston music scene like these days?
“There use to be a lot of punk rock bands, but now it’s more of a metal/aggressive emo scene. We’re more of a rock band, using basic elements of rock with some yelling and jumping around.”

3) Speaking of jumping around, we heard your stage show is pretty wild. Tell us about it.
“We bring a lot of energy for our shows which includes a lot of jumping around. We’re normally on a bill with three other bands so we only get about 45 minutes to play and we make them count.”

4) Explain what your single “Anatomy Of A Fly” is about.
“The song has some strange vocals in it and the sounds reminded us of a fly. We love it because it goes all over the place musically. That song represents the direction we want to go in more than the others we’ve recorded. We jammed as much music as we could into a two-minute song.”

5) Three of your songs are available at download.com. How important has the internet been for you guys?
“Very. A few years ago people always wanted to see press kits and paperwork when you were trying to land a gig at their club. Now, people could care less about the paperwork, they just want to hear your music.”




----Joseph Barracato

Is Jay-Z Really Retired?

Aren’t you supposed to kick back and relax when you retire? Obviously, for Jay-Z that’s not the case. After dropping the “Black” album in November of last year, the Brooklyn lyricist announced his retirement from the rap game in the prime of his career. But he’s been far from inactive since his “decision.” Jay-Z, a.k.a Shawn Carter, has been touring hard for the past few months thrilling audiences with some legendary performances. His concert at Madison Square Garden in New York a few months back was the biggest rap event in the past five years and its memory will live on forever as it was recorded and made available on DVD.

His “Unfinished Business” album and mini-tour with R&B superstar R. Kelly was doing very well until the two parted ways on the road. Several flare-ups led Jay-Z to kick Kelly off the tour and fans weren’t too happy about missing out on half of the act. The tour had a few cancellations and is about to be wrapped up. This left Carter with some more free time he was supposed to be spending on a beach or his couch. Instead of resting, Carter hooked up with rap/metal stars Linkin Park and created a highly innovative album. Their collaboration “Jay-Z/Linkin Park: Collision Course" debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 this past week and the seemingly odd pairing of a multi platinum artists from the rap and rock worlds has taken an underground concept directly into the mainstream. The CD/DVD combo has sold over 368,000 copies in the U.S. alone and has displaced U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" from its perch on top.

The record/dvd set earns Jay-Z his second No. 1 on the chart this year following "Unfinished Business," which topped The Billboard 200 just last month. If “The Black Album” was released two months later, Jay-Z would have scored three No. 1 albums in one year. As of now, Carter boasts eight Billboard 200 chart-toppers and a U.S. sales total of 21 million.

And just in case he found himself with any spare time, Carter just excepted Def Jam’s offer to become their president and CEO at the start of next year. So much for retirement.


----Joseph Barracato

Q: What is an electronic press kit and do I need one?

-- Trey

Every artist should have some familiarity with the concept and objective of a press kit. This short, yet powerful promotion tool is used to summate a bands history, highlights and other news worthy material. Once it is completed, a hard copy of the press kit is circulated (faxed or mailed) to any and every publicity channel possible. An electronic press kit is exactly the same thing as a press kit with more flexibility and less costs.

In basic terms, an electronic press kit is a digital copy of your press kit that should include your music. The press kit can be saved various formats (including Microsoft Word, PDF and HTML) and emailed it to thousands of people with the click of one button. Take that a step further and build your own web page that includes photos and links to your music. Your now have a multimedia press kit that empowers your readers to become avid fans.

This is what makes an electronic press kit an awesome promotional tool!

--- Adam P.

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