BONNIE RAITT - Slipstream (Release 10th April 2012 - Redwing Records)

"If you've got a good management team and you can find a good distributor and a great PR company, it works better than being at a label. If somebody's not working out, you can change it, which you can't always do on a label." - Bonnie Raitt

Slipstream is Bonnie Raitt’s 19^th album, most of which she produced in tandem with songwriter and producer Joe Henry released on her own label.  After personal upheaval she emerges with an album almost cathartic in documentating all the anguish and rumination that follows loss.  She says "I picked these songs so I could play them live, so I can have that [elegiac ballad] groove, or I could play a James Brown song."

Bonnie bounces back recharged from a long release seven year hiatus with Slipstream which features some cover tracks.  Gerry Rafferty’s Down the Line is treated to a little reggae twist.  The cover is a  Hammond B3 driven affair, it’s a brave soul that would attempt to trump the owner of this gem but she pulls it off with confidence and grace. Bob Dylan’s Million Miles from his  1997 Time out of Mind album is a low slung blues track.  Her full throated outpourings are perfect for these numbers.

You Can’t Fail me Now was written by Loudon Wainwright and Joe Henry and you can tell it was specifically written for Bonnie.  It is reminiscent of the iconic and  wonderful ‘I can’t Make you Love me’.  She closes the album with Standing in the Doorway – a fabulous  snare drum driven track that showcases her distinctive voice.  Finally, she closes off with God Only Knows – just Bonnie and a piano.

Low slung blues, raucous rock, skanking reggae - she can’t do any wrong really!

LUDDITES IN LOVE

ANALOG MAN – JOE WALSH

Decca – Release Date June 5^th 2012

 Analog Man is Joe Walsh’s first solo album since his 1992 release, ‘Songs for a Dying Planet’.  It’s an offering from the bass playing Eagle that doesn’t seem to stretch him in any direction from his current place of super-stardom as part of one of the greatest bands of all time.

Joe’s scratchy voice delivers a message about the digital age that we all find ourselves in.  Title track 'Analog Man' bemoans the lack of something interesting on the telly with 100 channels, awash with commercial and nothing decent on.  I would have to agree with him on this point.  Even Joe Walsh can’t find anything decent to watch on a Saturday night!

Old patterns die hard for Joe and you can hear his old hit ‘Life’s Been Good’ in almost every track on the album.  Joe’s a storyteller with a complete narrative in his lyrics.  'Lucky that Way' pulls no punches describing the way he perceives his fortunate lifestyle.  'Funk 50' has great instrumentation but Joe’s sense of fun sometimes oversteps the mark with the addition of a comedy voice.

Produced by Jeff Lynne and having brother-in-law Ringo Starr guest drum on this album is a hook he probably needs on this one.  He’s got a lot to say and this appears to be his avenue.  It has some good moments but all too formulaic at times.

DIGITAL DOWNLOADING -ITUNES

Get your music onto as many download sites as you can.

ITUNES

Probably the most well known download site. It's a little difficult to be accepted onto itunes but they are getting better about new artist submission. In our view - it's worth a shot.

http://www.apple.com/itunes/musicmarketing/

You'll be faced with this....

"Request to have your music added to the iTunes Music Store

Thanks for your interest in the iTunes Music Store.
Please use this form to tell us more about the types of music you have to offer. We are evaluating hundreds of applications, so it may take longer than we'd like to get back to you. But don't worry - we will review your application and contact you if we are interested in including your music in the iTunes Music Store. We will also keep your application on file for future reference, so there's no need to submit it more than once.
This inquiry is intended solely for use by persons who either own or control a catalog of sound recordings for digital distribution, or are an authorized representative of someone who does."

You have to fill out an online application form and then if accepted, you will be required to sign a contract.

PLANNING - Building your fanbase

Try to hold on to your contacts. If you have managed to reach a fan base then you have to start building this as much as you can.

Try and get a mailing list going. That way you can keep in touch with everyone and let them know if you're touring and have a new single/album.

Offer discounts to your mailing list subscribers. Think up a way of how your existing fanbase can get newcomers to sign up for an incentive but be careful about promising something you can't deliver. This will do you more harm than good.

Organise a competition.
Add a blog onto your website and update regularly.
Get your own "web team" together of people who will post up reviews on appropriate blogs & review sites.

We'll post up some sites to target soon....

PLANNING - Be clear about your aims

So you're sending out all the press packs physically and/or virtually but you need to ask yourselves what you want to achieve.

Do you want to be signed by a label?
Are you simply promoting your CD?
Do you want to raise your profile?
Do you just ultimately want to sell more albums/tracks?

Who are you targeting

Your actions need to correspond to your aims and you need to think through your campaign in order for your to achieve your goals. Some strategic and creative thinking is called for in any successful PR campaign. Think about who you are targeting from the above list:-

- a Label
- Fans of your genre of music and beyond
- The public in general
- Your fans and potential fans via bricks & mortar stores and virtual downloading sites.

How can you get their attention

- gigs/plays on radio/word of mouth via MySpace etc./ reviews
- Get all info you can out there on your websites; on the networking sites.
- Think about a hook or promotion that gives your campaign extra appeal
- Search for the most suitable download sites for your music; work towards a favourable distribution deal for physical assets in stores.

The key to success is to follow a strategy towards your goals!

PLANNING - Do your research!

Wildly sending out samplers and press releases is a waste of your time, money and effort. If your sound and your genre is similar to a successful band/artist then look at where they are being featured with a view to following a similar path for yourselves.

- Note down what you sent
- The date you sent it
- Who your targeted

Make sure you get the right person before you even think about sending it anywhere.
EMAIL - Don't send Mp3 tracks by email unless you've pre-arranged with a journalist to do so. It clogs their inbox and makes them cranky! Send an invite to listen with a url.

POST - Some journalist still prefer to receive a physical asset in the form of a CD. Don't get their name wrong and don't pester incessantly for results. Follow- up, by all means but let the journalist know you plan to do this at least once.

BASICS - Photographs

Photos should be professional standard. Be mindful of print reviews and articles that will require high quality, clear photographs without too many colour filters.

If you are putting together Packs with your press release and bio, sticker the back of your photo with the band/artist name and contact number.

Provide a choice of photos if you can.

BASICS - Biography

Your bio is really your background info providing the journalist with some additional copy.

You need to document your journey to where you are now.
This is where you can tell your "how you all met" stories.
List all your musical achievements.
Talk about your musical style, instruments, tracks.
Cover your releases chronologically and give as much info as possible.

BASICS - Press Release

We can't stress enough how important it is to get the basics right when starting your public relations or promotional campaigns. It seems trite to be discussing things like spelling and layout for your promotional materials but it does matter!

PRESS RELEASE

Keep it short.
Get to the point in the first sentence!
Don't try smart comments - stick to the facts!
DON'T have any spelling errors
Use double spacing
Remember to put your contact number on there at the beginning and the end
Start with your main point, move to essential info and finish with background info
Don't make it any longer than 2 pages





SAMPLE:


CONTACT........ on ............


PRESS RELEASE – May 2006

AVERAGE WHITE BAND SET TO TOUR UK MAY/JUNE 2006

PRESS RELEASE – May 2006

AVERAGE WHITE BAND SET TO TOUR UK MAY/JUNE 2006

The funk and soul outfit, Average White Band have confirmed 13 concerts dates in the UK.

Flying in from dates in Dubai, they kick off the UK section of their World Tour at The Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, working their way through four nights at London’s Jazz Café, finally culminating the British dates with a gig in Glenrothes, Scotland.

The 45 date World Tour, beginning in United Arab Emirates and ending in Seattle Washington, stretches from May to November 2006. The band plan to release their 18th album during this current tour. This will be a live CD and is scheduled for release Summer 2006.

With a career spanning 33 years Average White Band consider themselves ‘soul survivors’ with tracks featured in dozens of movies and adverts. Their distinctive sound has been sampled by music’s most prestigious hip-hop and rap artists including Public Enemy, Ice T and Janet Jackson.

They are currently enjoying a resurgence of interest in the soul and funk style that propelled them into the stratosphere of success to stand with such contemporaries such as Earth Wind and Fire, Gap Band, Tower of Power and Kool & the Gang.

UK TOUR DATES
20/5/06 Kendal Cumbria Brewery Arts Centre
21/5/06 Sheffield The Boardwalk
23/5/06 Cambridge The Junction
24/5/06 Norwich The Waterfront
25/5/06 Bristol Fleece
26/5/06 Exeter Phoenix
28/5/06 London Jazz Café
29/5/06 London Jazz Café
30/5/06 London Jazz Café
31/5/06 London Jazz Café
2/6/06 Edinburgh Liquid Room
3/6/06 Aberdeen Lemon Tree
4/6/06 Glenrothes Rothes Halls

CONTACT ................... on .........................