You can now buy Wes Sp8’s Please EP on CD Baby and iTunes. Check it out at the links below.

On CD Baby:

On iTunes:

Quarter one of 2008 has come to an end. I met every goal I set out on, specifically getting Radical Notion off the ground. I feel RN has covered a lot of ground in a short time, but that it is only a drop in the bucket when thinking about the road ahead. That’s a great feeling to me, because if I’m excited about what has happened so far, what lies ahead is going to be unbelievable. The most exciting part of it all, is that I could not have met any single goal without you. That means you responded positively, and I thank you tremendously for that.

So far in 2008 Radical Notion and our artists have made a presence on the web, made some appearances on the radio, thrown some awesome parties, and released two EPs-all of which you participated in, and contributed to the success of. Just as the calendar ticks over to the next phase of ‘08, I’m happy to say that the next chapter in the beginning of Radical Notion is already being written.

I’m excited about two new websites within the umbrella of the RN family:

• The Radical Notion Digital Store
• Street Corner Champs Official Site

The Radical Notion Digital Store is our new online store where we will offer all of our media content straight from our hands to yours. Our first release through the store is Street Corner Champs’ debut self titled EP. The EP comes as a download in three different versions. All of which are totally uninhibited by the control of any DRM. We even offer a version for free. The Radical Notion Digital Store is just another way we can connect with you. It allows us to cut out any middle man, and offer everything we do in a way that is convenient for you. Having our own method of distribution keeps anyone from putting a barrier of price, availability, DRM, communication or any other control point between us and you. We look forward to releasing more media through this store in the near future, the way you want it. [www.radicalnotion.net/store]

Street Corner Champs’ Official Site is going to serve as the central hub for all information, news and entertainment for the band. We plan on constantly updating the content of the site, and adding new features regularly. Make sure you stay up to date with this site, because you don’t want to miss out on anything. We may make exclusive announcements, run special promotions, or make limited releases through this website. [www.streetcornerchamps.com]

I can’t wait for what is next at Radical Notion. This is the best time of my life because everything I have desired to do is becoming a reality. We are sitting at the drawing board right now brainstorming our plans for our next move. We are in full throttle, inspired, and working hard to continue what we started. I hope to see you at all the parties that are going to happen throughout the rest of the year.

Together We Create Emotion…

So yesterday was April 1st. Duh… Oh well what can I say, I was caught at a vulnerable moment.

[http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/04/lefsetz-apple-b.html]

But at least it’s a reality in my world because The Radical Notion Digital Store is all set to go live tomorrow. And that is not a joke. March was a very long month, and April started hard, but we’re very excited to be releasing Street Corner Champs debut Self Titled EP, and doing it as a download only. It is the second release ever for Radical Notion (independent media).

Due to certain circumstances we didn’t have a chance to promote Street Corner Champs’ EP Download Party very much at all, but here are some details:

• The party is tomorrow nite at The 5 Spot in East Nashville
• We are launching Street Corner Champs’ website, as well as The Radical Notion Digital Store
• The lineup includes Wes Sp8
• Vovo may not be able to make it
• Cost is $5

Hope to see you tomorrow nite…

My business partner just informed me. Read this immediately!
[http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2008/04/01/apple-buys-universal]

I do not have a post prepared today. This month has been pretty intense. I’m in a crunch to get a few projects completed in the next couple of days, and I’m a bit stressed as it comes down to the wire. On top of that some unexpected circumstances in the personal life of a friend came up that is requiring my attention. Please excuse my absence.

As always, thanks for reading my blog.

*The Wes Sp8 EP Release Party and CD is FREE*
This Friday, March 28th, will be Wes Sp8’s EP Release Party to celebrate the release of his debut, Please EP. The party will be at The 12 South Tap Room in Nashville, TN with O’ Don Piano playing first (Josh Hood, Wes Sp8’s drummer). There is no cost to get in, and the first 50 people who show up get a free copy of Please EP. You don’t want to miss this show (unless you hate free stuff). Come be a part of the community that Wes Sp8, myself, Jonathan Harms, Radical Notion and others are building in 2008. We put the value in the guest’s experience.

Get directions to The 12 South Tap Room here: [www.12southtaproom.com/contact.html]

One more thing…
Thanks for reading my blog, and taking an interest in what I do. If you live in Nashville I’m going to do a special promotion of Please EP for you. It’s going to end on Friday, or once the first 10 people act-whichever comes first. Come by the Radical Notion office (my apartment) any time between now and Friday to say hello and get your FREE, pre-party copy of Please EP.

Well I left out a point. In my haste to get my previous post published and then run out the door, I forgot to call your attention to something specific David Armano says in his video. I wanted to tell you to pay attention about 3/4 the way in when David says, “learn by doing.” This struck a chord with me because I am often preaching that sermon. You read about it all day long. You can have all the text book knowledge on any given topic in the world. But you don’t really have a clue what you are doing until you get your hands dirty. It gives you perspective…

Why do I spend so much time talking about marketing/promotional ideas when my blog is supposed to be about music production? Well possibly the main reason is because I’m really interested in the subject, especially internet marketing/promotion. I get really excited about the opportunities the internet creates every day.

The bigger picture is because I believe that if you are starting out as a producer or engineer, it is important to know how to market yourself in today’s music industry. Learning the trade of recording is the obvious stuff to know. Learning how to market and promote yourself is, on the other hand, kind of grey. If you want to become a great producer or engineer, of course you will want to develop the skill of capturing music perfectly. But do you think of yourself as a business? Do you know how to manage that business?

But what if you are in the music industry because you are employed by someone else? Perhaps you are the house engineer at a recording studio. Do you still need to think of yourself as a business when you already are employed by one? Absolutely. I have held staff positions at recording studios myself, and I have the inside perspective on what it means to be “employed” by someone in the music industry. The music industry requires you to be a self-starter. It takes a person who has an entrepreneurial mind set.

I believe that in 2008 this entrepreneurial mind set has actually leaked into pretty much every industry. In the 21st century, getting paid means being an entrepreneur and being on the internet.

This morning I came across a new (to me) marketing blog called Logic + Emotion run by a guy named David Armano [darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion]. The only reason I found it was because I recently signed up for Twitter. One of my longtime friends from high school found me on Twitter, and when I took a look at his list of people he follows, I found David. Not to get off topic, but this proves social media works (perhaps I should talk about that in future post). Anyway, the whole point of this post was to leave you with a video on David’s blog that inspired me.

Follow Up
Hope you enjoyed/got inspired by/learned from David’s video. I want to read your opinions. How do you see blogs and the internet playing a role in the future of the music industry? Leave your comments.

Hope you wore green. Drink responsibly tonite. Have fun…

Photo by colros. Protected by Creative Commons Attribution License

Seth Godin wrote a blog post today that is titled “Opportunity of a lifetime.” It sums up in a small paragraph exactly why I think it is the perfect time to get into the music industry. Read it here [sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/03/opportunity-of.html]

I’m not going to be here on Monday. We’re crunching to get everything ready for two big shows. The Wes Sp8 EP release show on 3.28.08; and Street Corner Champs EP Download Party/Website Launch on 4.3.08. Stay tuned for the details…