Vol 1, Conclusion: Breaking Down the Most Influential in the Music Biz

I’d like to start out by thanking all of you for taking the time to read my column weekly. I hope that amidst my many rantings about the music industry that you’ve managed to gather a tidbit of wisdom here or there.

Below I’ve compiled a list of artists who have made the industry what it is today by becoming leaders in revolutions of sounds, imagery and artistic movements. You’ll notice that very few contemporary artists have made the cut, and that is for one reason, and one reason only…Since the death of the grunge period in the late 90s, there remains a void in music history.

Everything you currently hear on the radio has been stolen from someone else - someone great from the past - and next to no artists, in the last ten years, have risen to the challenge to create something that can be considered “true art.”

So I leave you with this - if you truly aspire to become a musician - to offer this world music with meaning - art that makes a difference in people’s lives -- look up to these greats, gather inspiration from them, and start a revolution. Every serious songwriter should own at least one album from every artist on this list.

I would like to note that although many may consider my choice to exclude artists such as Elvis or Frank Sinatra, a crime, I do have good reason – neither of them ever wrote a song throughout their entire careers. This list is made to honour musicians who actually deserve the title, “artist.”

In no particular order…

1) Madonna: Her longstanding title as the most famous woman in music isn’t mere coincidence. She is the queen of reinvention and an icon in leading social trends.

2) Sex Pistols: The world’s first and only true punk band. It wasn’t about the talent, it was about the attitude.

3) AC/DC: Very rarely can a guitarist outshine his own lead singer, or for that matter, create nothing, but catchy songs.

4) Kiss: A band that has truly discovered the secret to branding and merchandising. Take a lesson from their savvy businessman Mr. Simmons.

5) Jimi Hendrix: A whole lotta blues, a whole lotta rock’n’roll and imagine most of his material was written on an acid trip.

6) Aerosmith: Steven Tyler is the iconoclast of what every lead singer should strive to be.

7) Bob Dylan: Amazing songwriter. His tracks will continue to be covered by other artists ‘til the end of time.

8) The Beatles: Talk about universal appeal. A band that not only possessed two uber-talented songwriters, but as well, was able to grow and redefine themselves with every album.

9) The Beach Boys: Sugary harmonies that any band would envy. Leaders in the ‘Surf Rock’ movement.

10) Buddy Holly: Who thought that ‘Nerd Rock’ would ever catch on?

11) The Smashing Pumpkins: Truly original melding of discordance with melody.

12) Nirvana: The voice of an angst-filled generation.

13) John Lennon: Was never afraid to speak his mind.

14) Chuck Berry: The true ‘King of Rock’n’Roll’.

15) James Brown: He isn’t called the ‘Godfather of Soul’ for nothing.

16) Michael Jackson: The first black artist to ever receive airplay on MTV. He had the moves, the style, the talent – the whole package.

17) David Bowie: A gender bending leader in ‘Glam Rock’. Again, a great example of an artist who possesses the ability to reinvent himself.

18) Black Sabbath: Like demons caught on vinyl. This band surely scared the shit out of your parents.

19) Marvin Gaye: Spoke out for what he believed in the most.

20) Neil Young: Couldn’t sing a note, but his songwriting is untouchable.

21) Ray Charles: Helped to break down racial barriers in music.

22) Little Richard: Way before his time.

23) Alanis Morissette: Gave women a whole new confidence in telling off their ex-boyfriends.

24) Queen: When Broadway met rock, and with a set of pipes like Freddie Mercury, it couldn’t have been a better combination.

25) Red Hot Chili Peppers: Their unique style of mixing funk, rap and rock has been imitated by many imposters.

26) System of a Down: Inventors of music for people with ADHD.

27) Bob Marley: Brought reggae to the mainstream.

28) Deep Purple: Wrote one of the simplest and most repetitive three chord riffs in history, but somehow managed to make it a hit single. That deserves props big time.

29) The Jackson Five: The world’s first boy band.

30) Janis Joplin: The ultra blues mama who wasn’t afraid to bare it all and I mean that in every sense.

31) Henry Rollins: Not just a musician, but an inspirational speaker. One of the smartest people in existence, hands down.

32) Joan Jett: The Queen of PunkRock.

33) The Pixies: Failing to achieve major mainstream success, this band still remains one of the most credited bands in history in terms of influencing other artists.

34) Alice Cooper: The precursor to our Marilyn Manson.

35) The BeeGees: Any men that can sing that high deserve to be on this list.

36) Steppenwolf: Creators of ‘Biker Rock’.

37) Rolling Stones: Great songwriting, but we much prefer when their material is covered by other artists. Sorry Mick.

38) Van Halen: Inventor of the guitar technique, “tapping.”

39) Eric Clapton: How many major bands was this guy seriously a part of?

40) Metallica: When metal went mainstream for all of us to enjoy.

41) Guns’N’Roses: Axel Rose and Slash? Enough said.

42) Led Zeppelin: Hold the record for the longest breakthrough single, “Stairway to Heaven.”

43) Bjork: Too damn weird to ignore.

44) Pantera: As evident by the recent demise of Dimebag, this band has had a major impact on underground music listeners everywhere without meriting any mainstream radio play what-so-ever.

45) Johnny Cash: The man in black who made country music cool.

46) Prince: The male equivalent to Madonna.

47) Heart: Our first glance at what dual female fronted action can deliver. Barracuda anyone?

48) Kraftwerk: Synth-pop artist extra-ordinaire: the precursor to industrial.

49) Tom Petty: Who doesn’t know the lyrics to “Free Falling?”

50) The White Stripes: Simplistic, but in just the right way.

51) Pink Floyd: Until you’ve watched Wizard of Oz while listening to “The Dark Side of the Moon”, you will not be able to understand their significance.

52) Abba: A great example of gender equality and cross-over success.

53) The Who: Creators of the first rock opera, “Tommy.”

54) Muddy Waters: Haunting, soulful, and real.

And finally…
55) Cher: For having the most farewell tours the world has ever seen. We appreciate her persistence, but she should really learn to give credence to Neil Young’s words, “It’s better to burn out, than fade away.”

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 1, Issue 17: Getting Signed: More than Putting Pen to Paper

A good friend of mine once told me a story about how his arrogant youth led to the moment in which he permanently jeopardized his music career. Believing that his act had reached its pinnacle and could not improve upon “perfection,” he haphazardly organized a showcase event where his band was to demonstrate its abilities to all of the leading Canadian record labels. Fast forward about ten years from this showcase, his band remains unsigned by a major label, and additionally, has undergone several lineup and image changes in an attempt to re-emerge in the industry. The moral behind this story is to explain to all of you “overly anxious to-get-signed musicians” out there that you will only get one chance. So, in the words of Jack Sparrow I suggest that you, “wait for the opportune moment.”

Despite all of this, my friend has still managed to do well for himself on an independent level, but when he sat me down to tell me this story, his voice took a stern tone and I knew that he did not want to see me making the same mistake that he did.

From this story, along with the many horrific tales that I’ve been told about young eager bands getting royally screwed from their first record deals, I’ve learned that taking your time to educate yourself about the various options is essential for survival. I highly suggest NOT signing the first proposal that comes your way. If a record label really wants you on their roster, they’ll be willing to negotiate to suit your needs. However, if you appear too anxious to close the deal, you will likely find yourself in a situation in which they’ve taken advantage of you. Get a lawyer, get everything on paper, and only commit to a contract that you feel is mutually fair. I don’t suggest signing a 10-album deal right off the bat, as it is difficult to predict a band’s longevity and you don’t want to find yourself paying off your record label for the rest of your life because your bandmates weren’t in it for the long run.

Aside from all of the precautionary advice, in terms of approaching labels for roster consideration, there are some things you need to know. As previously mentioned, record labels receive countless artist submissions on a weekly basis. Therefore, if you decide to take the standard route of mailing out press kits to your desired labels, you need to make your band stick out from the rest, and I’m not talking just music here. Professionalism, and stylish packaging will go a long way. A growing cutting-edge European trend is to construct interactive DVD press kits; instead of inserting paper copies of your band’s bio, touring engagements, press write-ups and notable accomplishments into a standard folder and mailing it off.

An interactive press kit will include all of the aforementioned typical contents, but will also give bands a major advantage. By including live footage, personal interviews and band member biographies, an interactive press kit allows record labels to truly get a sense of a band’s personality and marketability.

If you do chose to undertake the standard snail-mail route, you better have a lot of patience. It can take anywhere from two months to a year for your material to get reviewed, and remember that labels will only contact you if they are interested in learning more about your act. Be sure to direct your package to a specific person or at the least, the A&R department to ensure that it does not get lost in the mail. I recommend following up with the specified label representative a few months after issuing the press kit to ensure that it was received and to inquire as to whether or not they’ve had the opportunity to review your material.

Along the same lines, another increasing trend is the solicitation of online electronic press kits (EPKs) through popular sites such as http://www.sonicbids.com/. Although these press kits are a great way to organize your band’s accomplishments and are accessible worldwide (which cuts down significantly on mailing costs), I have found their use to be more successful among bookers and festival coordinators, as opposed to record labels.

The last and (in my opinion) most effective way to appeal to record labels is to either take part in a showcase event such as Canadian Music Week (CMW) or South by Southeast (SXSE) or to host a showcase event of your own in a industry-directed city like Toronto, New York or LA.

With events such as CMW or SXSE, it is easy to get lost amongst the other 500 competing for the attention of the industry bigwigs. I recommend sending out personalized invites to your labels of choice at least a month in advance, trying to generate pre and post media coverage for your appearance and promoting your show as much as possible to ensure a strong turnout. There would be nothing more devastating than playing one of these events with record execs on-site and no crowd to play to.

In terms of hosting your own label showcase, again an act needs to promote, promote, promote. On any given night in Toronto, NYC, or LA, there are hundreds of events vying for the public’s attention, and you will need to make yours intriguing and something to remember. Ensure that you have provided a guest-list outlining all of the record label representatives you have invited, as you do NOT want to make them pay to see your performance.

Record execs often do not reveal their identity at these sorts of events, but rather contact you afterwards to inform you of their attendance, so your band must be on its best behaviour treating everyone in a professional manner. After your event, send out thank-you notes to all of your invited representatives (even those who did not make an appearance) for the opportunity to showcase your act for their roster consideration. If you are unsuccessful in your attempt to get scouts to come to your event, my only suggestion is to keep trying. Persistence does get recognized in this industry.

Take Joan Jett, for example. The record labels all agreed that she had talent, but no one would sign her because of her hard image and pushing the envelope style. She established her own label, BlackHeart Records, and sold her first albums out of the trunk of her car. She currently remains signed to her own label, and just this past year headlined Warped Tour. If they didn’t want her as she was, she didn’t want them either. Take a lesson from Ms. Jett, she’s not called the “Queen of Punk Rock” for nothing.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/