December 17, 2011 Off

VibeDeck: music shop + social media tool

By unemployee in GEEKING OUT

I recently discovered Vibedeck, a new tool that is much like bandcamp accept its utilizing the Soundcloud API to connect your account and all your uploaded music. For artists that can’t bear to upload their tracks or create/manage another account on another music website, this is a great time savor as most serious artists use Soundcloud to store and share their music, (especially remixes). You can also share your music in exchange for a tweet about the album (not sure if thats a fare deal but great for one song, in this case, I just put half of the songs from our album) and also share for a facebook ‘like’. Having something liked doesn’t go as far as actually having your band page ‘liked’ but I don’t think FB API allows you to do that sort of thing unfortunately. Their embeddable widget could use some work (nothing compares to Soundcloud’s). Overall, the user interface is easy to use and its a rather high quality web based tooled compared to many of the music shops popping up everyday that all pretty much do the same thing. You could technically retire your bandcamp page, and use Vibe Deck instead.

Currently you keep 100% of sales on Vibedeck. Bandcamp just rolled out their profit sharing plan which means they are monetizing. Until the site reaches critical mass, you’ll get to keep all the money, so its good to start using the tool in the early stages of its launch.

December 14, 2011 Off

Table of Truth’s music episode with My M.O.

By unemployee in GEEKING OUT

Dion and I chatted with the hysterical dudes over at The Table of Truth about the future of music as well as how making our full length album on our own almost killed us. Spotify gets a little too much love in this clip but the connection is undeniable when you go to your band’s facebook page and can see who is actually listening to your music. The exposure is powerful. Early in the episode we did touch on Spotify’s shitty payouts and what is infamously referred to as the Lady Gaga rate ($167 for 1 million plays). Listen to the full podcast episode here!

Tags: My M.O.

December 2, 2011 Off

SoundCloud’s new HTML 5 music player

By unemployee in GEEKING OUT

Every once in a while I totally geek out on music sites that use cutting edge interfaces and I just have to say, SoundCloud continues to impress me. The Berlin based website has one of the best interfaces for uploading, sharing and managing music and recently released their HTML 5 music player. Though Bandcamp is also my second favorite website (especially for poor musicians, you have to pay like 30 euros for unlimited downloads etc on SoundCloud), Bandcamp’s embedded music player is not nearly as robust and still uses Flash. (The websites have totally different use cases, other than their music players.) Flash is a dying technology thanks to the iPad/iPhone and the fact that HTML 5 is an in-browser standard that completely renders Flash useless anyway. Eventually Bandcamp is going to have to follow suite with their music player, (as any geek would know its super easy to update HTML and NOT easy to update Flash code).

Check out their new music player and embed away!

October 26, 2011 Off

We are Aliens Party at Lit Lounge Nov 11th

By unemployee in ELECTRO, events, HIP HOP, INDIETRONIC, R&B

Its an auspicious day for three Brooklyn artists that mix psychedelic soul, hip-hop and dance music to come together to kick off their ‘We Are Aliens’ party at Lit Lounge!

Friday 11.11.11.

Featuring Kesed, Johnny Voltik & My M.O.
with DJ Massive G

@ Lit Lounge NYC
93 2nd Ave, East Village NY, NY

$6/21 & up

BOOK THE PARTY IN YOUR CITY!
www.unemployablenyc.com/wearealiens

Tags: johnny voltik, kesed, massiv g, My M.O.

October 18, 2011 Off

Occupy the World

By unemployee in ELECTRO, PUNK, R&B

In the spirit of Occupy Wall Street’s movement for global change, download My M.O.- ‘Paper Chase’ free, a song about America’s bad habits and corporations unchecked obession with the almighty dollar. Written several years ago, the song predicted the mess we are in now.

On a related note, people always ask about the name “Unemployable”. Its kind of funny when you first think about it, but if you really want to get deep about it: the name partially stems from the fact that true artists are revolutionaries that refuse to be brainwashed into believing what politicians and the media tell us is the correct way to live your life, making it difficult to work a typical office job, ie artists tend to be “unemployable”. Music is in it self hardly an industry that gainfully employs anyone anymore. Most “industries” in general are heading that way. If we want to make a living for ourselves, we have to start our own movements and revolutions. Especially in art/music. Who wants to sign a band that has no following?

I recently watched the Tribe Called Quest documentary. Afterwards we starting talking about when hip-hop turned gangster and materialistic. Tribe was about afro-centricity, funky clothes, fun witty lyrics and soulful beats. Though I love Wu-tang, I have to hand it to them (and NWA) they pretty much changed hip-hop for the worse.

This typical Houston rap style cover art flips the concept of the paper chase. Its not us being on the paper chase, its the corporations/banks on the paper chase for your hard earned money. We are caught up in a nasty cycle and we’ve got to face up to it. Which is why I want to give props to the Occupy Wall Street movement for inspiring the world and reminding us that we can do better! Its time we got our priorities straight. Lets invest in new infrastructures, better schools, the arts and science and not wait until rolling blackouts, polluted water, air, and violence completely take over the planet.

Tags: My M.O., Occupy Wall Street

October 6, 2011 Off

Gil Scott-Heron tribute

By unemployee in 70'S ERA, FUNK, RARE GROOVE

We created a cover of the classic Gil Scott-Heron song, “Ain’t no such thing as a Superman”. Production and remix by HNH, features Dee Teague’s powerful vocals (from a woman’s perspective).