B&R Music Podcast 26: Streaming Royalties 101 with Charles Alexander
The one and only Charles Alexander joined us to talk us through how artists get paid through streaming, how to use streaming and other tools to grow your fan base, and what the Music Modernization Act means for artists and songwriters when it takes effect this year. Charles is the founder of label services and music marketing companies, Systemic and Outside The Box Music. He’s been an in-demand speaker at events and conferences like South by Southwest, Music Biz, CD Baby DIY and the Americana Music Festival and an adjunct professor at MTSU in its recording industry program. With a resume like that, it’s no wonder he was able to give us so much great info on this episode, and we were thrilled and honored to have him on. A LOT of great nuggets of wisdom in this one!
Charles was an absolute joy to talk to. In addition to all the great info he gave us about the mechanics of streaming royalties, he also used his experience in artist management and music marketing to explain the mindset that bands should have on how to build their audience and how to use streaming to their advantage.
Playlists are not a marketing plan. A marketing plan is a marketing plan. Listen to this episode and learn how to actually position yourself to build your audience once you get people to check out your music.
B&R Music Podcast 25: Hey Jubal, Beer Me That Vinyl!
Current New Mexico volunteer fireman and frontman of the band Jubal, Taylor Kress joins us to talk about their newly pressed special edition burgundy 180g vinyl for their album 'County Ball.' It's the very first record on our very own Beer Me That Vinyl label! We talk a lot about the album, what the band has been up to this year, what it's like having band members living in different states, and of course, Taylor's chickens.
Pick up your copy of County Ball here: Born & Raised Store
Recording this episode was a ton of fun. It was friends catching up. You can tell while listening that at times, we totally forgot that it was an interview with the purpose of promoting a record, and we can live with that. It may make it more fun to listen to, but for those who were more interested in just hearing about County Ball than about Taylor’s new highway patrolman mustache, we try to offset that by inserting more audio clips from the album.
Our Favorite Tracks From Knoxville Artists In 2020
We’ll spare you the intro where we’re like “2020 was a tough year, but yada yada yada whatever whatever.” No more of that. We’re looking forward… That is, after one last look back. The truth is, the Knoxville music community came up with some pretty good releases over the last year. As this city so often does, we made the best with what we had.
Posted below is a playlist full of some of our favorite songs from Knoxville artists in 2020, but it’s not finished yet. If you have any suggestions, hit us up on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and comment your picks.
B&R Music Podcast 24: Spotify Wrapped And The Business of Streaming
It’s that time of year again. Millions of Spotify users are showing their friends the year-end review of their own listening habits in well-designed sharable snippets. In this episode, we’ll talk about the power of a word-of-mouth generating marketing tool like Spotify Wrapped. As all of those stories are being shared, this is also the time of year in which many like to remind people that Spotify’s payment structure for artists is not great. The second half of this episode digs into why that is and what, if anything, can artists be doing to work toward changing it.
Also on this episode, Garrett and Kent talk a little about their own Spotify Wrapped(s) for 2020 and how playing in a nostalgia-based cover band completely wrecked their playlists.
photo by fletcher burkhardt
B&R Music Podcast 23: Dolly Parton Is The Best Of Us
In an increasingly divided and polarized country, public figures who are nearly universally loved are an increasingly rare thing. Is it her philanthropy? Is it her angelic singing voice? Is it her down-to-earth personality? Many have posited that it's her natural aversion to 'getting political', but is that even the case? On this episode we discuss what's to love about Dolly, and trust us there is a lot. We also chronicle Dolly using her voice on political issues and lay out how she's able to do so without alienating significant chunks of her fan base. It may just be that she's a more skilled politician than anyone who holds public office...
On the heels of the news that Dolly donated a million dollars to Vanderbilt University that directly funded research projects that led to the Moderna COVID vaccine, Parton praise is all over the place. Dolly being lauded for her good will is a pretty common occurrence, whether it’s for raising money for the Gatlinburg wild fire relief, her Imagination Library organization, or any number of philanthropic initiatives.
That walking the walk gives her credibility when she uses her voice on social issues. There’s a prevailing notion that Dolly Parton is an apolitical figure, partly fueled by Parton herself. However, she has a history of being outspoken on several topics that career politicians need to lean on polls and focus groups for their market-tested messaging. She may never endorse a specific candidate or weigh in on the hotly contested topic of the day, and she’s certainly not going to spend time on Twitter arguing with handles like @jeff9029382347 about conspiracy theories. Although, she does know how to use her platform to fight for equality. That is what we wanted to examine on this podcast. How does a music icon, a country music icon at that, navigate these things and remain a beloved figure from people of all ideologies.
B&R Music Podcast 22: Imagining The Return of Live Music
In this episode of the B&R Music Podcast, we talk about what the live music landscape looks like going into 2021. How long will it be until things are fully back to normal? Will there ever be such a thing as fully back to normal? What will the transition period of integrating shows back into our lives look like? How tenable are all the alternative concert ideas that we've seen in 2020 in a post-COVID world? We'll answer all these questions and more with as much optimism as possible!
We actually had to record this episode twice. The first attempt was a real bummer. In what was supposed to be a fun exercise of getting in the headspace of imagining a world where live music is coming back, we only made ourselves sad at how bleak everything looked. BUT! After that sad-boy mope fest, we took some time off, and by the time we regrouped to give it another attempt we got a few pieces of big news that could potentially have some real cause for optimism!
This is also the first episode in which we’ve taken listener comments and questions to help lead the discussion, and we got some great input. Thanks to everyone who took the time to give a thoughtful response.
B&R Original Video: Kelsi Walker - All Experts
Kelsi Walker joined us in the B&R Studio to share her new song “All Experts.” It’s a beautiful, culturally relevant song, and we are thrilled to be able to share it with you.
“I feel like we are just in a sea of opinions constantly, and that a lot of those opinions are very rigid. And I think that for movement to exist, for change to exist, and for relationships to get better there needs to be a general openness. We have to be open and receptive of the idea that we have things to learn from other people and seeing what’s going on around us.”
If you’d like to hear more from Kelsi, you can check out her Spotify by clicking the button below. If you’d like to keep up with kelsi, you can follow her on Instagram here.
B&R Original Video: Grady Milligan - "Saboteur" Live at the B&R Studios
We at Born & Raised love us some Grady Milligan! We’ve gotten the opportunity to work with him a lot over the past year in a lot of creative ways, because music promoters working with artists during the pandemic always has to be a little outside the norm. We had the privilege of filming a few songs with him at our (very short-lived) studio right before it flooded and we had to tear everything down. :/
Grady’s an all-around great dude, singer/songwriter, podcaster, gentleman, and scholar. If you want to hear more from him, you can subscribe to his Patreon.
B&R Music Podcast 21: Brian Christopher Clay - Bringing Jazz To The Cradle Of Country Music
Jazz? Jazz. Here? In East Tennessee?? If you didn’t have a keen ear, or if you just haven’t been out and about to see live music in a long time (like just about all of us) it could be easy to miss that we have some incredible jazz players right here in Knoxville. One such player and a great facilitator of the jazz scene is Brian Christopher Clay. We had the honor of talking to him and getting to know his backstory, and it did not disappoint.
The one and only Brian Clay joins the B&R Pod to talk about something we very rarely get the chance to talk about: Jazz. But more importantly we get to know Brian as he shares stories from his life and career in music that's taken him from Atlanta to (briefly) the midwest, and then right here to Knoxville. We also get some insight to how he used his Jazzspirations brand to help foster a vibrant Jazz scene right smack in the cradle of country music.
B&R Music Podcast 20: Thrift Store Cowboys - Beer Me That Vinyl
This month’s Beer Me That Vinyl record is an absolute beauty. 12" vinyl copy of the 10th anniversary edition of Thrift Store Cowboys’ Lay Low While Crawling or Creeping. The cover is a letterpresse by the band. Only 50 copies were pressed. The songs, carefully and masterfully produced by Craig Schumacher (Calexico, Iron & Wine) are earthy, gritty, and poetic and have a surprising delicacy and intricacy with catchy refrains/
This album features Colt Miller, Amanda Shires, Todd Pertll, Daniel Fluitt, Clint Miller & Kris Killingsworth.
We were fortunate enough to get Daniel and Kris (aka Tugboat) on the podcast to talk about the music on and the making of this record, their growth as a band over the years, and all about Lubbock, where the band got its start.
Lubbock, TX is evidently a place that is unlike anywhere else in the country, and Dan and Tugboat from Thrift Store Cowboys have the stories to prove it. On 'Lay Low While Crawling or Creeping' Thrift Store set out to score the soundtrack of West Texas, and the result of that was in incredible record and a bag full of amazing behind-the-scenes stories from the making of it. We get into allll of that and more on this podcast, and had a blast doing it. We're pairing this super cool 10th anniversary edition of the album pressed on sleek red vinyl with the Bed of Nails from Hi-Wire Brewing. So put on yer boots, enjoy this podcast, and pick yourself up a copy!
B&R Music Podcast 19: Mike Frede From Last Days of Autumn Brewing
Mike Frede, el jefe from Last Days of Autumn Brewing sat down with us along with Zack Roskop of Knox Brew Tours for this Beer Me That Vinyl Episode of the B&R Music Podcast. It was a ton of fun to talk to Mike and learn about the history or Last Days as well as all of the connections it has to music. All of the beers they brew, food they make, and events they put on have a certain level of love and charm baked in, and hearing him tell the stories behind it all was a blast. If you listen to this podcast, it will make you want to come in and hang out at Last Days. Guaranteed.
We caught Mike on a Wednesday morning before he took off for a daycation kayaking trip. Something about pouring a few Last Days beers from a pitcher at 10am on a weekday morning just felt right.
You can still pick up a copy of Gamenight’s album Buddro on BeerMeThatVinyl.com.
If you want to learn more about Last Days of Autumn Brewing, you can check out LastDaysOfAutumn.com.
B&R Music Podcast 18: Gamenight - Beer Me That Vinyl
This month's Beer Me That Vinyl is one we've been excited about for a long time. Fifteen-year veterans of Knoxville's music scene Gamenight is pairing their latest album 'Buddro' with Last Days of Autumn's Panda Magic APA. This record is amazing and the perfect addition to any vinyl collection. Josh and Brandon Manis (aka the Bash Brothers) joined us on the podcast to talk about their band, this album, and a bunch of other great stories along the way. Also, Sisqo's "Thong Song" factored heavily into this episode somehow.
Right before recording this podcast, we took Josh and Brandon upstairs to Last Days of Autumn and let them pick the beer to pair with this record. It’s very fitting that they chose Panda Magic, not only because it’s super smooth like their record, but also because we just happened to have a panda costume on hand in our office/studio. So if you don’t trust us, take it from your trusted neighborhood panda. You want this record.
To purchase this record and/or the Abridged gift card, visit beermethatvinyl.com
To learn about and hear more Guy Marshall, you can visit their website at gamenight.bandcamp.com
B&R Music Podcast 17: Building A Fanbase and a Little Songwriting Talk with Erick Baker
How do you go from playing gigs at bars a couple days a week to selling out theaters? Spoiler alert: the answer is hard work, having great songs, and getting your music in front of audiences... a lot. But the good news is, it doesn't have to seem scary or daunting. Erick Baker joined us to talk about how he got there and the lessons he learned along the way, and there are so many great pieces of wisdom in this conversation for musicians at every level!
This was such a great episode, and we’re so excited for everyone to hear it. It’s packed with wisdom from a guy who has a few decades of experience in the music industry. Erick took us through his progression from his early days of playing bars on the strip to getting bigger and bigger opportunities (like opening for John Legend!!!) to touring with legends (other than John lol) to packing his own headlining concerts. And what’s great about it is that it wasn’t through any gimmicks, industry hacks, or secret sauces; just putting in the time writing good songs, connecting with audiences, and making the most of opportunities when they came his way.
If you want to check out more of Erick Baker, you can hear and purchase his music, including his new record Morning Light, on his website.
B&R Music Podcast 16: Beer Me That Vinyl with Aaron and Zach from Abridged Beer Company
On the part 2 of this month's Beer Me That Vinyl, Garrett and Zack Roskop of Knox Brew Tours sat down with Aaron Freeman and Zach Young from Abridged Beer Company to talk about their beer, music, and a whole lot more!
On part one of this month’s BMTV, we talked to Guy Marshall about their album The Love We’ve Made Together and Otherwise. The beer that we’ve paired with that record is Abridged’s Lady Danger Dolly Pop. Lady Danger is part of a series of fruited sour goses, and unfortunately, that one is already gone. BUT whenever you decide to venture to Abridged there will be a different version of the Dolly Pop available, and they’re all incredibly vivid fruited sour goses that are bursting with flavor. We highly highly recommend picking up a pint or a crowler of whichever Dolly Pop is on tap at Abridged, because they’re all superb.
B&R Music Podcast 15: Beer Me That Vinyl with Guy Marshall
Adam and Sarrenna McNulty of Guy Marshall joined us to talk about their latest record 'The Love We've Made Together And Otherwise', and what a conversation it was! We go deeeeep on this one and were treated to great stories and insights behind the songwriting, production, and album art for the album. Touching on topics like love, religion, personal introspection, and so many other aspects that color the creation of this record, we now have a greatly strengthened appreciation for it. While listening to this episode, if you've already heard, you'll love it more. If you haven't, you'll want to listen immediately.
This month, the bundle comes with a copy of the album and an option to add a gift card to the brewery where you can pick up the Lady Danger Dollypop at your leisure. Records and gift cards will be mailed to you.
“The harmonies by the couple bring to mind another tumultuous duo: Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, and the exquisite dance their voices do is just as gorgeous. Backed by longtime guitarist Eric Griffin, who helped the couple establish the band in the beginning, along with rhythm section Travis Bigwood and Zach Gilleran (as well as guitarist Joshua Manis), the pair has built a country record that’s both mournful and beguiling. With steel guitar and loping rhythms, the band (along with producer Will Carter) paints deepwoods backdrops against which the lyrics resonate with all of the sorrow and breathtaking beauty of a loon’s cry across a midnight lake.”
We’re doing something new starting with this month’s beer and vinyl pairing. We’re splitting up the podcasts in to two separate episode. On this one we only talk to Guy Marshall about the album. On the next one, we’ll talk to Aaron Freeman of Abridged to allow enough time to talk more about their beer and more about music. That one will be up soon, so be on the lookout!
B&R Music Podcast 14 - Getting Started With Vinyl with Garreth Spinn
Garreth Spinn joins us to talk about things you need to know when getting into vinyl collecting like setting up your turntable, cleaning and maintaining records, different ways to categorize, crate digging, etc.. Also, we get on a few tangents of general music nerdery like music docs, band beefs, and more. It's a super fun episode whether you're a vinyl person or not.
If you want to add some great local records to your collection, you can check out our growing selection from Knoxville artists on the Born & Raised Store.
B&R Music Podcast 13 - Talent Buying With Rebecca Neely of AC Entertainment
Rebecca Neely of AC Entertainment / Live Nation jumps on the podcast to talk about booking talent for The Mill & Mine, The Signal in Chattanooga, and The Orange Peel in Asheville. She shares some of her process and her successes, and we do a little reminiscing on the growth of live music in Knoxville through the 90s and 2000s.
We had a blast starting this episode by strolling down memory lane of Knoxville’s live music scene, talking about things like Sundown in the City. We wanted to add a few videos from old Sundowns for nostalgia purposes. Good times, man.
Talent buying can be an exciting gig in the music industry. There’s an art and a science behind it with an element of curation that requires an ear to the ground while also keeping an eye on what the available data is saying. The club level is especially interesting, because the possibility of booking an act on the cusp of megastardom is always present. Rebecca had some great stories in this episode including booking Lizzo in a Nashville club just before she started headlining festivals and packing arenas.
Tips For Taking Care of Your Vinyl Collection
A vinyl collection is a sacred possession for most. You will spend your lifetime building it, so it’s best to make sure it lasts. That’s why proper care and cleaning is imperative. Here are some quick tips to keep your records sounding great.
Clean them routinely.
Dust, hair, and other particles can build up on records relatively easily. As the stylus drags through the grooves, the particles of dust can build up, and the friction between the stylus and dust can damage your record. Also, a good cleaning will help with the hiss and popping. If you don’t clean them properly, you can actually damage them more, so be sure to buy the proper cleaning supplies for records and follow directions. Your t-shirt or towel is not a record cleaner. (Looking at you, Kent.) You can find a couple of suggestions below.
Vinyl Cleaning Kit
Clean your stylus.
This might sound like a repeat of the first point, but the dust can get caught on the needle as well. Be sure to clean that off with a stylus brush. It will not only help your records, but the stylus will last longer as well. The kit above includes a stylus brush.
Handle your vinyl with care.
Your hands carry all sorts of dirt and oil almost all the time. Pressing your fingers into the grooves will definitely lead to problems down the road. Be sure to hold the vinyl by outside edges, and always be gentle with your records. If you do press your fingers into the grooves, be sure to clean the record.
Store your records vertically.
Never stack your vinyl on top of one another. The pressure from the weight of the records is sure to ruin them. Always stack them vertically. It’s also a much easier way to find the record you want. We can get into nerdy catalog methods in another post, but be sure to start with vertical storage. There are some suggestions below on inexpensive storage units. We also custom build storage units for friends and customers.
Concord Record Table
Always properly balance the tonearm.
Heavy tracking is sure to ruin your records quickly. Most turntables come with a recommended tracking weight. Tracking heavier will wear through records much faster and could also wear through your stylus quicker as well. Here’s a video to show how to properly set up your table.
Get rid of your cheap turntable.
This only applies to the cheap suitcase Crosley turntables. There is no intention of perpetuating the hipster snobby shaming of beginner set ups. All should be able to enjoy vinyl at any level. However, Crosley tables are known to have poorly calibrated, plastic arms that drag on the surface of vinyl. These heavy tracking arms combined with a ceramic cartridge, are guaranteed to destroy your records over time. If you want some tips on beginner tables, we have an article about that here:
These tips should help keep your vinyl in mint condition and keep you listening for years to come. Have thoughts or tips on how to help make your records last? Share them with us on the Beer Me That Vinyl community page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/569947647233663/
B&R Music Podcast 12: Beer With Zack Roskop Returns!
Beer with Zack returns for its third installment on the Born & Raised Music Podcast! We love talking to Zack about any and all of his questions about the music industry. Sharing an office with Knox Brew Tours, this series started from all of the conversations that we’ve had with him from our desks nerding out about the stuff behind the scenes of all the concerts, festivals, and records we all love.
On this episode, Zack asks us about hospitality and tech riders, publishing rights, and the growing trend of locking up cell phones at concerts. Feel free to send in your own questions about any and all things music at info@bornandraisedknox.com and we’ll cover it on the next Beer with Zack episode.
We also talked a bit about the super quirky Born & Raised / Knox Brew Tours collaboration called The Celebration Bus where we load up the bus with a PA system and bring the party to people’s front yards for birthdays, graduations, and anything else worth celebrating. You can learn more at KnoxBrewTours.com/celebrationbus.
Beginner's Guide to Buy Your First Vinyl Turntable
We at Born & Raised love collecting and listening to vinyl. The medium offers an active, communal listening experience that isn’t really found in streaming or other music media. The process of thumbing through your collection to find the perfect album to fit the day or the mood and dropping the needle to your favorite music provides a tactile involvement that is unique to vinyl records. In addition to the romanticism of the experience, vinyl also offers a higher quality audio experience than other lossy music formats like mp3s. The list of pros is much longer, but we can save that discussion for another time. Rather than preach to the converted, today we’re here to guide you through the ever-important first step in becoming a vinyl collector; choosing your first turntable.
Admittedly, when I first got into vinyl in college, approaching the experience was intimidating. Do I need to buy all the old classics first? Is there value in the records that I have already? Does my collection need to be stocked with super rare records to be cool? How do I know if a used vinyl is in good condition? Is some guy in tight jeans going to materialize in my living room and make fun of me if my turntable costs less than $500? I faced plenty of insecurities venturing into all of this.
A vinyl setup can seem complicated at first. It’s not as easy as plugging in your phone to an aux cable. There are multiple pieces involved to get a quality sound, and some of the language may be unfamiliar since it’s not commonly used.
So I wanted to offer just some quick info to help others start their life-long addiction to vinyl collecting. While a set-up requires more than just a turntable, we are going to focus on that part of the signal chain, and we will walk through the others in subsequent posts. Understand this though, Your sound will only be as good as the weakest part of the audio signal chain. You can spend $5,000 on a turntable, but if you are listening to it with cheap speakers you got off wish.com, well that table won’t do you much good.
You don’t have to spend an entire paycheck for a good turntable. Save that paycheck for the records. There are plenty of great starter tables out there. Here are some quick steps to help you find the right turntable for you.
WARNING: If it looks like a suitcase, you probably should avoid it. Crosley and Victrola tables are super retro-looking and trendy at the moment and also incredibly affordable, but they can damage your vinyl over time. Pretty much every part of those tables from the cartridge to the arm are poorly designed and can scratch up your prized records. Just save your money and skip these.
Before starting your shopping, Outline features you are looking for.
Do you want to listen via bluetooth speakers? Do you want automatic buttons that drop the needle and return the arm after it’s done playing? What size do you want and how much space do you have? Do you want a USB out to record your albums? Outline these first before diving in.
The Basics
Know the basics of a table. Turntables are instruments, and the nicer tables can allow for some serious fine tuning. Know the basics so you know how involved you’d like to be.
Cartridge: This is the part that makes the sound work. The needle drags through the grooves on the vinyl and amplifies it to make the sound of the record.
Tonearm: This connects the cartridge to the table and tracks the needle through the grooves.
Direct Drive/Belt Drive: This is what spins the vinyl. Direct drives are great for DJs because they get to the proper speed quickly, but also could transfer vibrations more easily and lead to more unwanted noise. Belt drives are great for the listener looking to sit in their living room and listen.
Phono Preamp: Some tables come with preamps already in them. Vinyl has a lower signal output than most other formats. It requires an amp to bring it up to standard level or line level. My first table didn’t have a preamp on it, and I assumed something was broken. All it needed was something to bring it up to line level. Some tables have a preamp built into the table.
Platter: This is the mat that the vinyl sits on to spin.
Tracking Force: The amount of weight that the tonearm applies to the needle to track through the groove. Most tables and cartridges have recommended weights and some arms don’t allow the user to tune this part. The key here is to be sure to read directions and make sure you don’t track too heavy to avoid damaging your records. In most cases, the tracking force range falls between one and three grams. Beware that tables without counterweights can track heavy and still could damage your vinyl. Also, improperly balancing your counterweight can lead to heavy tracking and damaged vinyl.
Knowing the basic components of a table can help you decide what’s important to your personal experience. It’s okay to find a more hands-off table that allows you to get to listening quicker. The hunt for higher fidelity may catch you one day and you can make adjustments then. The journey of collecting vinyl can last a lifetime so there will be plenty of time to gradually upgrade your system as you learn more and crave a better listening experience.
Recommendations.
There are a few great starter tables listed below. Remember to find the table and set up that fits you and your listening habits best. There are plenty of tables out there and the ones below aren’t the only options, but we like them.
Audio-Technica AT-LP60
If mixing and matching all the different pieces of equipment sounds too complicated, this table is for you. Take out all the fuss and get to spinning immediately. It’s budget friendly and totally automatic. There is also a model with Bluetooth so you can hook up to bluetooth speakers. It sounds fine enough and gets you in the game fast. No counterweight on this table so just be conscious of how heavy it tracks.
Fluance RT81
This is the table we have here in the Born & Raised office. It’s a great place to start, because it has many features that are great for people who are new to vinyl, but it allows you to upgrade down the road. It sounds great, has some customizable options to fine tune your listening experience, but you can also get to listening quick. You have to manually queue records, which I personally love. If you want a start button, this isn’t for you.
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon
Want to go full-on nerd right out of the gate? Here is a great place to start. If you like to tinker and want to add more time to your set up in the name of fidelity, this might be worth checking out. It doesn’t have a phono preamp built in and doesn’t have a USB output. Speed changes have to be done manually. You will get more details from your records with this though. It also has a carbon-fiber tonearm which you usually only find in fancier tables.
Go out there and get a set-up and start crate digging!
Got ideas, thoughts or questions? Feel free to share with us on social media. We would love to hear from you!