D.I.Y.

Hypebot Readers: Get Your FREE 140-Character Pitch Written By A Music PR Veteran

image from www.google.comTomorrow (Friday August 17th), musicians who tweet their band URL to @PitchNinja will get back a made-for-Twitter 140-character pitch created by the14 year music PR veteran who founded StoryAmp. @PitchNinja will review all websites, biographies, and streams submitted and write up tweets you can use when pitching the press. DETAILS:

image from www.google.comStoryAmp is a relatively new web platform that helps connect artists and labels with music journalists. This Twitter action – sponsored in conjunction with Hypebot – is taking place in celebration of the opening of SXSW's Panel Picker voting period. And, yes, @PitchNinja has submitted a panel for consideration.

WANT TO BE INTERVIEWED AT SXSW?

Actually, it's not a panel; it's a live interview of an artist to be chosen from Twitter activity who will be interviewed before a live audience demonstrating @PitchNinja's unique approach to developing a compelling press story. Read about the panel here (http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/1804) and if it gets voted in, maybe you'ss also be the artist who is interviewed at SXSW and gets a free press release written up.

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46 Comments

  1. Hi Dmitri – in response to the PitchNinja Questionnaire:
    1 – I am influenced by a lot of styles/artists and really still trying to define my own so think I’m fairly eclectic.
    Folk tend to get hooked by “She loves Sushi” but that’s more of a fun song than representative.
    I have this and a few songs on http://www.soundcloud.com/paulgilbody
    2 – I have a new album almost ready but of the songs that are released I’m pleased with “Quicksand”. It’s on the soundcloud page.  I’m proud of the music and the lyrics.  Musically I don’t think it’s derivative.  Lyrically it conjurs a mood, has nice imagery but is ambiguous enough for the listener to fill in their own meaning.
    Folk have said that “Best Friend” is my best song.  It’s very simple but apparently it’s moved a few people which is nice to hear as it’s an important song for me.
    3 – supporting Nick Harper was pretty magical – had a good chat with him & he gave me some good ‘mentor’ advice.  Lovely bloke.  I play double-bass for Alex Cornish and he also gives me the support slots for his UK tours awhich is great exposure even if it means endless late nights sleeping 3 to a Travel Lodge room and 6am starts!  Other than that I tend to play Food Festivals and get paid in wine…
    4 – I’ve been compared to Jason Mraz and lyrically I suppose “She Loves Sushi” has that laid back conversational style and rhythmic half-sung, half-rapped meter but I only got turned onto him after several people asked if he was an influence.  I’ve grown up listening to a lot of funk and rock as well as acoustica so I like to think there is some Prince, Hendrix, James Brown, John Martyn in there.   I was particularly inspired by Page & Plant’s “No Quarter” album which is probably responsible for my song “200 Miles” which is about the Kashmir vallley and has that faux-eastern sound.  I love eastern melodies and rhythms – particularly cross-over music via artists such as Israeli jazz double-bassist Avishai Cohen.
    5 – I was told my songs are pilososphical and I love ancient history.  One song “Sweet Sisyphus” is inspired by the greek myth but is about not giving up on your dreams.  Another “Magnets Have Souls” is a quote from Thales (the first recorded philosopher) but is about two people sharing a path in life through some kind of pre-destiny.
    I’m a believer in following your heart as we only have one life – but this is conflicted by the (ubiquitous) fear of failure and inner lack of confidence.  That said, I have just quit my full-time job to pursue a music career and this was partly inspired by the likes of Tim Ferris (author of the 4-hour work week) who lives an extraordinary life by pursuing his passions 100%
    I’m also inspired by Alex Cornish and KT Tunstall in a non-musical (and musical) sense as having worked with both of them, I have seen the results of their single-minded determination, self-belief and relentless work-ethic.  This helps me work harder.
    6 – No one thing really.  Quite proud of my discography to date though. http://www.paulgilbody.com/discography
    7 – My solo shows are known for my use of a looper which I use to lay down beat-boxing drum loops (as in “She Loves Sushi”).  I even sing backwards in one song and use the looper to reverse what I’ve sung into something the listener can hopefully(!) understand.   People always talk about the beat-boxing and the looping.  It’s great to have noteworthy gimmicks but I hope it doesn’t overshadow the songwriting.
    8 – was proud of being described by a punter as “a dirty John Martyn / Jamiroquai cross-breed”
    Also “an acoustic soul version of Incubus”
    9 – I’ve heard John Martyn comparisons a few times but I think that only really applies to a couple of the finger-style guitar songs.
    Thanks! Paul

  2. A couple of responses by Vacant Windows to PitchNinja’s questionnaire :
    2. If you had one song that is your greatest musical or lyrical achievement, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why are you proud of it?
    I guess right now, Astral Lights would be my favorite. It has a balance and simplicity that makes it really easy on the ears. We have a tendency to keep layering tracks when we’re looking for song direction, and I’m not sure this is a good thing. Astral Lights was one of those songs that kind of wrote itself. We didn’t have to get sonically over ambitious with it. Check it out here:http://vacantwindows.bandcamp.com/track/astral-lights
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band?
    We have played with some known acts such as Rooney, The English Beat, etc.. while in other bands, and I can’t really say these experiences lived up to expectations. I guess I’m still looking for that pivotal magical moment. Vacant Windows is the first project that is more of a self fulfilling endeavor for me. The first time we aren’t laboring to make ourselves known through a grueling live tour schedule or trying to live up to a preconceived image. Maybe the magic will happen when we least suspect it, but if it doesn’t I’m having fun regardless. Its finally just about making music.

  3. Hey Dmitri, here are my responses. Thanks for this!
    Danny Sherwood:
    1. “When My Ship Comes In” is the title track to the EP I released in June. You can stream/download it for free at http://www.dannysherwood.com . It’s a story song, interweaving the lives of two people falling in love, falling apart. The lyrical form draws from folk, the harmony more from jazz. It’s about stepping into the character’s shoes and understanding them emotionally, while getting pulled along through this story.
    2. “Flowers of Happiness” (also available free at http://www.dannysherwood.com), was my first song sung wholly from a girl’s perspective. It draws on my own experience/emotion too of course, but the character is not me. It’s a song that can make people cry, which means a lot to me. If I can make the listener really feel what I was feeling, what I wanted to put across, then I’m proud of my work.
    4. Tom Waits ballads are a massive influence on me. He gets people, and he makes you feel it too. And his jazz and blues songwriting style has so much range, and fits his lyrical style so well. He is also a pianist and bass-baritone, so we share some sound without trying! My piano is style is drawn from a range of places. There are pianists I love like Tori Amos or Ben Folds, and I draw something from each of them, although I wouldn’t say I sound like them. I love the simplicity and beauty of Regina Spektor’s playing, I aspire to that.
    5. People. All my songs/stories are about people. Friends, lovers, partners, anyone I can share something deep enough with to really feel. It’s from these relationships that music comes for me.
    7. I have been playing solo, vocals and a piano, for years now. I really like putting songs right in the foreground. I have recently started playing with a cellist, which has a lovely voice-like tone that fits really well.
    8/9. I tend to get compared to other guys with voices in my range. Tom Waits and Nick Cave (also singer-songwriters) are probably the main two – a great compliment! Also Ian Curtis, Johnny Cash … I agree I have a low voice, but the style is a bit different. Then it’s always hard to find great comparisons. I’m sometimes seen as more folky, sometimes more blues or jazz. Definitely a singer-songwriter.

  4. Great job on this Q&A, Paul! This makes a huge difference for a publicist (or even a journalist) when you give good stuff to chew on. Here is the pitch I tweeted for Paul:
    Beatbox-driven, half-sung foodporn & looped acoustic guitars augment mythically inspired songs of @paulgilbody, “a dirty John Martyn” #140pn
    By the way, everyone, Paul was able to answer the questions well, but if you cannot answer an interviewers questions, it is OK to re-direct the conversation. You can talk about stuff that has NOTHING to do with the questions, but gives the interviewer insights into what makes you tick, what inspires you, who you are, how you make music or just address life in general. Most interviewers are interested in writing something interesting and are OK for musicians to flow in a different direction.

  5. Hey Sam, I am going to push you a bit to make sure I get closer to a useful pitch. Can you answer any of these:
    4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different? Please make this answer about musical and/or lyrical style and technique only.
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation?
    8. How do your fans describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
    9. How do people who do not know your genre and hear you for the first time describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?

  6. Hi Dmitri!
    Just Tweeted you from @DanHylton, but here’s a response to your first three questions (so I don’t fill up this comment section too quickly!)
    1. If you had one song of yours that encapsulated who you are as an artist/band, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why does it encapsulate you? “Green Colored Eyes.” My calling card, I am beginning to discover, is “emotional honesty” and this song really, really comes from the heart. Very proud of the lyrics, which celebrate my relationship with my wife, and the arrangment, which is multi-textured & featuring a few strategic harmonies, is very distinctly “me.” Can be heard here: http://soundcloud.com/dan-hylton/green-colored-eyes
    2. If you had one song that is your greatest musical or lyrical achievement, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why are you proud of it? “Boy,” because I was a bit daunted about tackling something with such dynamic transformation (gentle at the beginning, building to a wall of intensity near the end) in the studio. I felt like everything was going to have to come together just right, and it did! Can be heard here: http://soundcloud.com/dan-hylton/boy
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band? The fact that I’m a musician at all. I don’t have a dad who was a jazz pianist, and I wasn’t discovered in a church choir at the age of 6. I’m just a guy who discovered in college that he was inexplicably, and undeniably driven to (and able to!) create original music. Most people learn to play instruments by listening to their favorite music and emulating it. But that thought never entered my darkest dreams when I first pickedup the guitar. Never considered that I could play something *someone else* had written! It was all about the writing of songs. Songs with two chords when I only know two chords. Songs with three chords when I learned a new one, and so on. I had it in me.
    Thanks so much for the attention and the pitch!
    Dan Hylton

  7. Thanks Dmitri!
    2. If you had one song that is your greatest musical or lyrical achievement, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why are you proud of it?
    “Love Again” because it features our simple, mass appealing, yet genuine riff/rock style. LISTEN HERE: http://bit.ly/listen-plus-free-ep
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band?
    Our lead singer’s Dad passed away on New Years Day of 2011 (before we started the band).
    He left Dustin (Grenade’s singer) a red Gibson acoustic guitar that he played for 1000s of gigs and wrote tons of songs on.
    Dustin wrote all of the songs on GG’s new EP (and about 15 more) on that guitar, sometimes three in one sitting.

    Full story here: http://bit.ly/gg-story
    4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different?
    The rock sensibility of the Foo Fighters and the organic sound, simplicity and emotion of Lenny Kravitz.
    Excited to see what you come up with!
    Levi

  8. 4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different? Please make this answer about musical and/or lyrical style and technique only.
    Musically speaking, right now I’m really into Twin Shadow. The guy puts together some amazing sounds, and I feel like he’s putting a new spin on the genre. He adds something soulful. As a vocalist and a guy who does most of his instrumental composion with a midi keyboard in front of a computer, I’m always dabbling with sound, looking for the right ingredients to create a backdrop for the next song. When I listen to accomplished artists such as Twin Shadow, Washed Out, Neon Indian, etc.. I often find myself wondering what combination of synths, modulators, and/or otherworldly incantations they put together to make that sound. It often blows my mind.
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation?
    As tacky as it might sound, non-musically, I pull a lot of influence from my father. Growing up, my dad had a goal to publish a book. I spent a good portion of my childhood watching my role model religiously come home from his 9-5 job, sit down at his computer, and write for a solid few hours, every day, no matter what. Several published books (and more than a few years) later, I’ve learned that rarely does a good thing just fall into your lap. If you want it, you have to work at it. I try to adopt that work ethic with my music.

  9. Thanks so much again 🙂 @PitchNinja
    Responses from “Snuhgie” Stocks http://www.snuhgie.com to @PitchNinja’s Questionnaire.
    1. A Song called “Today” you can hear it on Youtube: http://youtu.be/7avPKehhOjw (start time on video 5:51). The song is about my daily attitude, position and outlook on life along with my work ethics.
    2. I have yet to release my greatest musical or lyrical achievement but I’m proud of my single “It’s True” I’m proud of it because when I go out and sing it in some venues people respond to it well and sing along with me.
    3. The funniest thing that happens to me when I perform is my odd and infectious dancing. My band members and back ground vocalist always laugh at me but in the same instance start dancing themselves.
    4. I’m greatly influenced by Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire & Donald Fagan… I’m similar to Stevie in my sound chord structure and lyrical content… Music about love life. Earth Wind & Fire… It’s the energy, performance and presentation. Donald Fagan (Steely Dan)… It’s the sound of perfect harmonies and perfection in musical situations.
    5. Steve Jobs… Mac’s are life to me now!
    6. I have one song out (It’s True) and I’m happy to have it out there… It’s my only contribution currently.
    7. The Fender Rhodes, live horns (I play saxophone) and skilled musicians playing acoustic instruments will always be essential to my sounds.
    8. My fans say my music is smooth. I’ve heard some say inspiring and soulful. I agree with soulful smooth and inspiring because those are true descriptive and present elements in my music but I aim for timeless 🙂
    9. Most say it’s funky and mellow. I never disagree with a listener because they’ve given me their ears.

  10. Hey Danny, here is what I went with:
    Deep baritone storyteller @danny_sherwood soulfully paints friends & lost loves across piano jazz harmonies in original folk songs #140pn
    But I am open to feedback on this one; whether it represents you, whether it represents you WELL? Trying to give the reader just enough info to decide to dig deeper and give it a listen. In this case, I think they are getting a good overview/snapshot… but if I had more time I might look for something profound to throw into the mix.

  11. hi dimitri…
    fatbwoi
    Q1 – “Forces” http://fatbwoi.bandcamp.com/track/forces an upbeat groove with complex narrative vocal, proper thang-shakin music and always fun to close the set with…
    Q2 – either “Can You Hear Me Now?!” from the live set, http://fatbwoi.bandcamp.com/album/can-you-hear-me-now, the vocals on the verse are quite dynamic, whilst the chorus has a proper ‘gonzo folk’ quality to it… the lyrics are dark, especially the second verse… a lot of the artists i work with really like that one, and i guess its nice when its not all about the chicken one…
    or
    possibly “The Patient”, http://fatbwoi.bandcamp.com/track/the-patient the result of studio-experiments i’ve been engaging in… i used to produce electronic music, and have been exploring the wider possibilities of fatbwoi as a songwriter… (in the beck/tom vek genre-surfing mode) – it throws up some interesting stuff, and plans are afoot to deliver an alternative fatbwoi live show soon…
    Q3 – getting body-slammed by a mermaid, no really… http://youtu.be/YohQsWS_XKI
    Q6 – uhm, probably “I’m Going To Nando’s” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/4421104 (which is also a good answer for Q1)… because its a simple catchy, almost anthemic tune, which has developed a keen following… i always open my live sets with it, and it does a good job of grabbing the audience’s attention
    Q8 – quirky upbeat acoustic pop (generally), amongst friends quirky is the typically accepted term with kooky being a step too far… i generally disagree with the notion that my music is comedy, sure there are funny moments, but an awful lot of it is extremely dark material… just told from my point of view
    Q9 – “off the wall” is a common phrase, with catchy, frenetic and funny close behind.

  12. Hi Dan,
    At the moment I’m stumped so am going to need some more info. Would you be up for answering:
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation?
    9. How do people who do not know your genre and hear you for the first time describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?

  13. Hi Pitch Ninja we are Music Box Dynamo.
    1.
    Golden State – The first song we played togehter. Streaming on http://www.MusicBoxDynamo.com – Though we have grown since it’s inception, lyrically its not rubbish, it goes deeper than people expected. Features guitar solos. Its a generally fun song.
    2.
    A song called Bones. It is not recorded yet, but its a intracate song like Inception with clever word play. Runner up Golden State, as mentioned above.
    3.
    Only one voice of the band here… but the time the lead singer stopped a live show mid-song, jumped off the stage and proposed to his (now) wife.
    4.
    Pearl Jam – For the guitar solos. Paul McCartney for bass lines. Foo Fighters for rhythm. Soundgarden/coldplay for vocals. This is how our newer material comes off to people, our sound is in the process of evolving into something very concrete. We differ from them given all of the other influences and creativity that comes into play.
    5.
    Neil deGrasse Tyson – By by educating ones self and not being affriad to talk about space and where we actually stand as people. (sometimes).
    Walt Disney, JJ Abrams may influence the way our brains construct stories.
    6.
    It took us over a year to record our first EP “HERE IT IS!” which we released just 2 weeks ago, and now it is on Spotify, iTunes, google etc. And it is VERY exciting. If you want to check it out you can have it here (Use password: musicboxphilly for the zip)
    http://musicboxdynamo.com/DigitalDL/HereItIs.html
    7.
    Vocals – We use a VoiceLive2, which adds creative harmonies to the live shows. You can hear it on the track “The Traveler”.
    Drums – A cowbell.
    8.
    This is where we always run into trouble. Granted our live shows now in our second year have become louder tighter and a little darker. People have always had a hard time, since we play Alt Rock, Pop, Blues, and sometimes Folk. Latley we have got Coldplay & Soundgarden, which we like… so we will stick with that.
    9. About the same as #8. Have been linked to Tom Petty as well. Dont nessesscarily agree, but will take the complement.
    Thank You
    Like us, we can always use the likes and ears!
    http://www.facebook.com/MusicBoxDynamo

  14. Hey Sam, that helped… a couple more ?s for you:
    – How do newcomers to your music describe your lyrics?
    – What do they say about your singer’s voice?

  15. 1. If you had one song of yours that encapsulated who you are as an artist/band, which one would it be? Love In Misery (http://www.nimbitmusic.com/patrickdecoste/) is a song about balance. In order to have love, you have to have misery. This song provides us with a soundtrack covering those emotions.
    2. If you had one song that is your greatest musical or lyrical achievement, which one would it be? Home (http://www.nimbitmusic.com/patrickdecoste/) has a profound affect on people – whether it brings them joy or takes them back – is what music is all about.
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band? The most compelling music event was playing in front of 50K people at Shea Stadium. It validated what I’ve been doing as an instrumental guitarist for the past decade.
    4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different? Eric Johnson & The Edge (U2) would be my biggest influences. Their techniques, tones, longevity and influence are immeasurable.
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation? My wife, my family and friends are always willing to listen and provide their feedback on my material before it is released.
    6. What is your greatest musical contribution to the world? I’m still working on trying to market instrumental guitar rock to the masses.
    7. What instruments, techniques, gadgets, funky old amps, or tricks help to define your sound as an artist/band? I have several foot pedals/ multi-fx units & guitars to help define my sound.
    8. How do your fans describe your music? I’ve been described as “U2 w/ Van Halen-esque soloing” which I agree with. Both artists are huge influences of mine.
    9. How do people who do not know your genre and hear you for the first time describe your music? I’m usually the “rock guy w/ no words” which couldn’t be more accurate.

  16. Hey Levi, the story of Dustin’s inherited guitar and the fact that you guys are springboarded from and springboarding this rock scene in Montana, stand out to me, so I went with:
    Crowdfunded band @goldengrenade puts Montana’s unexpected rock scene on the map w/ an inherited Gibson spurring a prolific output. #140pn

  17. Didn’t have as much time as I would like, but I gotta speed this up 😉
    Here’s what I dropped on the old Tweeter:
    Backed by Fender Rhodes & horns, @snuhgie sings his love of life w/ chords like Stevie Wonder & the energy of Earth, Wind & Fire #140pn

  18. I love it, Dmitri. As good as I think our About page is for fans, I still think we’re just too close to it to pick out what might be interesting or engaging for the average joe.
    This definitely helps me get a different perspective on how to frame things.
    Thanks for taking the time to do this!
    Levi

  19. Sure – hope this is helpful!
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation?
    My biggest NON-musical influences all the people in my life who’ve set up challenges for me to overcome. “Getting here from there” is a recurring theme in my lyrical inspiration, and it’s from the sweat and pain of finding my way past obstacles that the best stories, the best inspiration (both lyrically AND musicially), is derived.
    9. How do people who do not know your genre and hear you for the first time describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not? “Catchy” is a word I hear a lot, and I have no complaints about that! All the same, I pride myself in having music that is worthy of a deeper digging, with earnest, meaningful words and layers of instrumentation that have each been given tremdenous individual attention. I would never want to conflat the term “catchy” with the concept of “trite.”

  20. I think the bio on your website nails the press angles, so along with some comments you made here, I came up with:
    Musically quirky & lyrically dark, acoustic upbeat pop singer @thefatbwoi sings about chickens, spies, and zombies. #140pn

  21. Hi Dan, I swear that I am not trying to torture you, but there is not enough specificity in the material we have gathered here to come up with something that won’t sound cliche or meaningless. There isn’t any bio material on your website and a lot of your answers have been more general. The closest we get is with your answer about your song “Green Colored Eyes,” but even then it’s hard to develop a 140-character pitch based on the one song. I may have to come back to this once the dust settles as I’ve got a few dozen other artists to address 😉
    Check out the book: Made to Stick, which talks about how to make an idea sticky. They suggest that you can get ideas to stick by making them:
    S imple
    U nexpected
    C oncrete
    C redible
    E motional
    S tories
    More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_to_Stick

  22. 4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different? Please make this answer about musical and/or lyrical style and technique only.
    Biggest musical influences would be Panic! At The Disco, Skrillex, & The Dresden Dolls (As well as Amanda Palmer solo/GTO music).
    Each of these artists seem to be able to create music that can be melodic yet angsty, beautifully sweet and heart thumping at the same time.
    Another reason for my love of these artists is their wide range of genres and influences they manage to incorporate; panic with their unique blend of rock/electronic/folk, Skrillex brings the screech and grind of rock to electro, and The Dresden Dolls manage to create every kind of sonic atmosphere with just drums and piano whilst her more recent outfits have delved into alt rock and electronica.
    7. What instruments, techniques, gadgets, funky old amps, or tricks help to define your sound as an artist/band?
    Being introduced to music through learning piano I was brought up learning a lot about classical music and I think that shows through in my music in the form of full harmonies and clear-cut melodies. I always like to include piano in a lot of my music, even as just a few distant notes, and everything I do is written on the piano before putting it through a computer.
    I’m also a big fan of audio manipulation, recording an instrument live and then distorting it beyond recognition to create a completely new and original sound, splicing up vocals to create new melodies/rhythmic ostinatos.

  23. Guess what? I cheated and stole a space. Can you find it:
    Inspired by astrophysics & Coldplay, @MusicBoxDynamo rocks guitar like Pearl Jam, bass like McCartney, brings it to earth w/acoustics #140pn
    🙂
    Thanks for jumping into the Twitter mosh pit with us!

  24. Hi Dmitri, here is my response:
    1. I think it’s a song called ‘Gunah’ – you can listen to it at http://sifar.in/track/gunah – I think this encapsulates me as an artist because I believe that songwriting is all about discovering yourself as a person. The more you do it, more you realize who you are and that kind of discovery can often surprise you. Writing this song was one such major instance when I discovered a lot of things about myself and to some degree it helped me grow. Also from music point of view – I love making songs with rock soul but a bit of electro/ industrial arrangement ideas thrown in and this song has exactly that
    2. I’d say my song “Main Jaaonga” – I think it shows my maturity as a writer and composer, and it was a really tough subject to understand and write about (dealing with death of a loved one). Link: http://sifar.in/track/main-jaaonga
    3. During a performance, the bass part suddenly stops playing – I look to my bassist and he’s conveniently stopped playing to sign some autographs!
    4. I’d say my biggest music influences are Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails. Similarities are in song structures and to a smaller degree – topics. Sometimes i also tend to use sounds similar to NIN and guitar playing style similar to Nirvana. The biggest difference i guess is language! Most of my songs are in Hindi. Another difference is that I’m going for a more modern sound.
    5. Art. Biggest example would be Frank Miller: I love the whole Sin City series. I watched the movie first but really find the graphic novels amazing too. There’e certain inherent darkness with brutal honesty in those that I really relate with.
    6. Wow. I hope this doesn’t come across as douchey – I think so far my biggest contribution to music has been finding a way to make the language Hindi work in rock arrangements. It’s not a very malleable language.
    7. I love recording! Nothing fancy though but I used a single Laney lc30 amp for almost all guitar recordings. Once in a while with a RAT or Big Muff but mostly just the amp and I love the sound. Another lovely piece of gear used was a Thermionic Culture Rooster. Love it. I also did a lot of drums sample replacement.
    8. I would love to agree with most fans who define my band as a groundbreaking / genre defining rock album in hindi. some of the fan reviews can be read here: http://www.flipkart.com/1-music/product-reviews/ITMD3AYKHS4JHHNH?pid=AVMD392UAW3VBWJU
    9. I think the genre would be rock, but since it’s in another language – and a language in which rock music is almost never written, it’s interesting to see reactions from a regular rock fan. but thankfully, almost all have been positive (ranging from “interesting” to “addictive” type of comments) and well, i do agree with them 😉

  25. My apologies for making this so difficult! My brief bio:
    North Minneapolis alternative singer-songwriter Dan Hylton is a purveyor of the fine art of Craft Pop.
    With inspiration drawn from college rock songcraft of the mid 90s and harmony-laden, multitextured arrangements, the former 44 frontman’s approach is earnest and playful, catchy and evocative. He evokes a presence that is disarming and yet possesses a gravity of energy and emotion. Think Morrissey mixed with Wings. Or a slightly offbeat Swell Season.
    Hylton plays solo acoustic, in partnership with percussionists, and is now fronting newlyformed fourpiece, The Ghostrunners, in support of his summer 2012 release of his EP, The Secret of HIM.
    (longer bio & more detail available in my media kit: http://www.danhylton.com/files/MediaKit.pdf)

  26. Here are my answers (@dan_coyle on twitter) http://dancoyle.com Thanks for doing this!
    1. One of the newest songs I’ve written, “Back Around.” It can be heard as the top song at http://dancoyle.com/2 – I spend a ton of time touring throughout the year, year after year, and I’m constantly leaving people behind. This song is an effort to reach out to those people and ask them not to forget me while I’m gone.
    2. Same as #1. I’m proud of it because the imagery that is evoked from the song far surpasses anything that I’ve written previously. I think people connect with this song because of the pictures that flash in their mind while listening.
    3. I was interviewed on the CBS morning show in Kansas City the opening day of a festival I was playing at. Once people started to arrive they were coming up to me in droves asking for a photo with me, could I autograph a CD, etc. It was amazing and humbling.
    8. I seem to get a wide range: Cat Stevens, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake. Those are the usual comparisons. I understand each of them, the only one I dislike is the Jack Johnson comparison – I can’t stand that guy.
    Thanks again for doing this!

  27. @PitchNinja, again I thank you 🙂
    Answers from Kenny Wesley, The Soulful Nerd™
    Musician/Linguist (French & Spanish)
    http://www.kennywesley.com
    1. If you had one song of yours that encapsulated who you are as an artist/band, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why does it encapsulate you?
    I don’t think one song can encapsulate me. I’m too complex for that…
    2. If you had one song that is your greatest musical or lyrical achievement, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why are you proud of it?
    I love them all. One of my favorites would be “Won’t Let It Go”. It was featured on FOX’s so you think you can dance and i’m pretty proud of that. It has a timeless quality to it I think.
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band?
    Funniest: got groped once by an old lady when I went out into the crowd during a performance.
    4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different? Please make this answer about musical and/or lyrical style and technique only.
    Michael jackson, Sly Stone, Rachelle Ferrell, Seal, etc.
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation?
    Food, nature, books, and family. They’re all things that bring me great comfort and when I’m feeling zen all my creative juices flow quite nicely…
    6. What is your greatest musical contribution to the world? (No name-dropping or awards; just stuff you personally created or rendered.)
    I feel my art lyrically, sonically and visually connects with the nerds, and all folks who dare to be an individual.
    7. What instruments, techniques, gadgets, funky old amps, or tricks help to define your sound as an artist/band?
    I think that’s more a producer’s question… lol. But, there is a mixture of traditional acoustic instruments and electronic samples and virtual instruments.
    8. How do your fans describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
    Soulful, passionate, in-your-face. I concur! 🙂
    9. How do people who do not know your genre and hear you for the first time describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
    Fun, funky. I concur! 🙂

  28. The word that repeatedly arises in regards to both our lyrics and our singers voice is “emotional.” it’s not that we’re intentionally trying to be deep or melancholy, it just seems to be the result of our combined efforts. We’ve honestly tried to write an upbeat dancey piece but the result seemed contrived and just not us. Our singer’s voice has been compared with the likes of Cold Play and Bono, but that’s just people talking and he’ll never acknowledge any such similarity. I think he secretly hates it.

  29. In response the questionnaire…
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band?
    –Most Magical: Bookstore gig the week after George Harrison’s passing. We started “Here Comes The Sun,” and over the course of the next 3 minutes watched as every person in the bookstore gravitated to the stage. Nobody spoke…they just listened…it was so quiet. I haven’t felt anything like that since.
    8. How do your fans describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
    –“Obscure yet familiar” is probably our favorite quote from a fan. I’d agree with it. We try and choose songs that wouldn’t necessarily be front of mind, but when people hear them they instantly recognize them as songs that were part of their history.
    9. How do people who do not know your genre and hear you for the first time describe your music? Do you agree with them? Why or why not?
    –People hearing us for the first time tend to describe as a fun, very tight band with a great set list. New folks are also constantly asking us who the name of the original artist was for the songs we do. Many gigs at some point become an audience participation game with folks trying to come up with the original artist first.

  30. In response to your request. We are http://www.goodlookinganimals.com @glookinganimals. Thank you!
    1. This working demo encapsulates Good Looking Animals. It’s called How You Do It. We think it’s “us” because it’s singer-songwriter with an edge. It’s got a got a seductive, but rough and dirty sound. http://bit.ly/SFRpw0
    2. Same song. We like it because of the reasons above.
    3. Steve and I (Mike) have been songwriting partners for most of the last 13. The worst/saddest part of our journey was when we went our separate ways a few years ago because of the pressures of trying to figure out how we wanted to live our lives. 6 years later we both live in LA and are making the best music of our lives.
    4. Together, we are similar to Rob Thomas and Sting in some ways because of the busy-ness and phrasing of some of Steve’s melodies. We definitely use more simple orchestration than they do though, using acoustic guitar and piano to play simple melodies that complement the vocals.
    5. In general, we are inspired by people who separate themselves from the pack simply by going for their dreams, no matter how strange or impossible they seem. We just want to go for the gold!
    6. If it’s a gift, we’d have to say that it’s giving our friends and fans some fun lyrics and melodies to sing. But really, it’s been a gift back to us to hear people sing those words back to us. It’s the biggest thrill.
    7. We use acoustic guitar and piano a lot. There’s something magical about the combination about those two instruments, that when mixed with rocking drums, can make something magical.
    8. Our newest project is too new to have much of this feedback, 9. Also.

  31. Pitchninja
    @wescoas responses http://www.stylesdavisep.com
    1. If you had one song of yours that encapsulated who you are as an artist/band, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why does it encapsulate you?
    Cream of the Crop is what comes to mind, you can hear it on Amazon or Itunes. I’m most proud of it because at every point of life for me as an artist its a reminder of my present my past and my future. In a way it tempers the ups and downs of the music business for me.
    2. If you had one song that is your greatest musical or lyrical achievement, which one would it be? Where can I hear it? Why are you proud of it?
    3. What is the funniest, saddest, most magical, or most compelling thing that has happened to you as a performer/band? When I first started performing I was in a group and we performing at a festival, and I had one verse to do in the whole show. When my time came to do my verse the Soundman decided at that moment to redesign his set up and moved the cd player where the instrumental was playing and it began to skip, he continued to move it and it skipped several times causing me to lose being able to hear the musical cues. I was in front of a few thousand people and it was pretty embarrassing. When I got off stage a guy that is a legend on the West Coast came to me and gave me some words of encouragement and I had the opportunity to thank him about 5 years later through the wonders of myspace. So that overall was probably the saddest and most magical moment that comes to mind.
    4. Who are your biggest musical influences and how are you similar and how are you different? Please make this answer about musical and/or lyrical style and technique only. My biggest musical influence is Ice Cube, from a standpoint of writing he influenced me to make things visual in my words. If a person listening can visualize your words they can relate to it easier.
    5. Who are your biggest NON-musical influences and how do they influence your musical output/creation? Lew Wasserman is probably the defining point on how I was gonna approach music as a solo artist. I read his biography when I was first starting my solo career and it helped me to design my approach.
    6. What is your greatest musical contribution to the world? (No name-dropping or awards; just stuff you personally created or rendered.) The diversity in music that I have offered over the years is probably my greatest contribution. The amount of music that I’ve put in the world over a 3 year period is so diverse that I think it may not be appreciated but my goal was always to be able to give a different views of the world as a writer and also to reflect my experiences.

  32. Hey Ken, can you please comment here which Twitter handle and which artist URL this is in reference to? It looks like you are in at least one band and do solo stuff as well, and I want to get the right band. Thanks!

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