The Ultimate Indie Bundle

I've been looking through the Indie Bible the last several weeks and I am realizing that this is perhaps one of the most valuable resources a serious musician can have on hand. You may even remember the very first Indie Bible that came out years ago in bookstores across the US. I remember secretly wanting one, because deep down, I wanted to play music for a living and I knew that this book could help me do that. Well now, 14 editions later, The Indie Bible is still doing the same thing, as it evolves with our ever-changing music industry, only now they have what is called The Indie Bundle. I was even surprised to find my blog in it, as well as tons of listings that I had no idea even existed. Whoever runs their research department must not get much sleep. The Indie Bundle is essentially the Indie Bible E-Book, The Indie Bible Online and The Indie Venue Bible.  So, exactly what is The Indie Bundle?

In The Indie Bible, you will find resources like:

• 2500 magazines and music blogs that will review your music
• 3100 radio stations that welcome independent music
• 1800 labels and distributors that will help you to sell your music
• 1000 promotion, marketing, management, PR and publicity services
• 400 sites where you can upload your band's MP3s or videos
• 190 articles from industry pros that will help you understand the music business better in areas of marketing, contracts, touring, social media, getting airplay, copyright law, how to approach radio hosts and music editors and much more...

• And these numbers are constantly changing (increasing) as they discover new resources.

• The Indie Bible Online has the same benefits the Indie Bible does, but you can export the data into your own database. It also delivers user-friendly search options as well as hundreds of additional listings, that are updated daily. I also found it to be much faster than the E-Book because it allowed me to specifically find what I wanted using drop down menus.

In The Venue Bible, you will find:

• 7 venue directories that have 32,000 live music venues (churches, colleges, coffee shops, theaters, etc.)... as well as 3,500 booking agents in the US and Canada that cover just about all genres. This allows you to plan your tour locally, regionally or nationally. The Indie Venue Bible is in E-Book (Adobe .pdf) format and is updated daily that way you don't waste any time. 

I have personally gone through much of The Indie Bundle and I can tell you that you won't see it all in one sitting. I mean, there is so much to go through. These guys have put together a classic! And so, I am promoting this as a serious resource for serious musicians. If you want to have all these things that I've written about, then you should look into signing up for the free trial and see for yourself. And right now, they are offering all of it for $59.95, when it is usually $340 if all the directories are bought separately. Here is a link on how to get started.

ULTIMATE INDIE BUNDLE PAGE

Tim Lambesis - Murder For Hire

Tim Lambesis used to be a pretty cool dude in one of the best Christian metal bands around, As I Lay Dying. What happened? If you haven't already seen it plastered all over the news outlets lately, on Tuesday, Tim was arrested for plotting to have his wife murdered. A friend of mine who loved As I Lay Dying called me tonight with the news, and honestly, it was hard to believe, but not so hard to understand when you see the direction that Tim was going in his life. As I Lay Dying was one of my favorite bands and the reason that I ever got into today's modern screamo-type metal. I grew up with metal where they actually tried to be understood clearly, and so it was really hard for me to stomach the new metal, but somehow As I Lay Dying broke me in. Over time, I found An Ocean Between Us to be a perfect record, and ultimately led me to buy most of their early catalog. But lets go back to the purpose of this post. Why would a man that apparently gave his heart to Christ turn into a murderer that wanted to end his wife's life?
What caused it?

I think it was a slow, subtle fade.

I remember when their record The Powerless Rise came out. I did what I usually always do with a CD and went to the credits. I wanted to see who they'd thanked and various other information. I saw them thanking the Lord nowhere in there. I tried to rationalize in my mind thinking that well, some people don't need to publicly proclaim thanks to the Lord... Maybe they just did it silently. But, somewhere deep inside, I knew that was wrong and I knew that they were fading. I didn't listen to that album anymore. I said, maybe I'll catch the next one. You see, the whole idea for me, is to not let myself be a part of that potential fade.... If they made a record while fading, then I sure don't want any of that on me.

So, that is where I slowly starting separating myself from them, but I hoped they would get better. But then later on, the worst happened. I saw that they had covered Slayer on their 10th anniversary tribute album Decas. Now, I knew Slayer pretty good, having grown up in the 80's and 90's in metal. They were one of my favorite bands. But, that was a different time for me. A time, when I ignorantly followed satan and didn't know the Lord. To me, Slayer permeated evil. They sang about death, murder, hell and satan. In fact, listening to their music as kids, made us want to do evil. If you don't know about Slayer, just Google their album covers, but don't listen to their music. You'll get the picture just off the album covers alone. So, when I saw that AILD had gone that far, I went ahead and asked Tim Lambesis via Twitter why he would cover Slayer. His answer was strange. He said, "Some of their lyrics I don't agree with, but on this song (War Ensemble) I didn't mind."

So, today I am surprised, saddened and more aware than ever about the power of music. It's no secret that satan was a musician and still is. He uses it because it's a universal language. And it's not just metal. I heard one member of the satanic church (it might have even been Anton LaVey, the founder) say that Frank Sinatra's song "My Way" was one of the most satanic songs of the century. My stepfather Kenny quoted it better than anyone I have ever heard when he said that,

     "Words and thoughts are seeds. Combined with music, they're a powerful force. They may seem very small and insignificant, but can grow into a great influence in our hearts and lives and may possibly govern our future actions as their influence grows."

My purpose in writing this is to encourage my readers to understand the power of music and be careful with what music you listen to and allow to influence your thinking. After all, this is why I started this blog so many years ago. I am not saying that listening to Slayer is the SOLE cause of his actions, but what I am saying is that musicians at that level, or any level, need to set up boundaries, set up accountability partners and most of all, stay so close to Jesus that a piece of paper couldn't fit in between you both. If Jesus asks you to walk away from music, then like David Morrisson (For Today) did, do it. All satan needs is a slight crack to crawl in through, and then once he is in, will wreak total hell in your life. I once heard that some peoples lives are for warnings and some are for examples. Let your life be an example, but learn from those that are warnings. God Bless. Peace.

Hear 2 Heal

This morning I was going through my list of reviews and I finally got to Eliot Sloan's interactive performing arts project called "Hear 2 Heal". You may remember Eliot from being the founder and lead singer of the platinum-selling band, "Blessid Union Of Souls". Well, Hear 2 Heal involves him going into schools and helping the students to create their own performing arts adventure to the music of his band, and then playing that experience out on their school stage to friends and family. Quoting from his website,

"This will give the students an opportunity to be heard and address their issues through the music of Blessid Union and their media of choice (choir/band/theater/AV/dance...), and then heal through the process of expression and opening lines of communication."



I honestly felt moved when I learned about what he was doing. He seems like a caring person that really does want to help kids, and we all know that kids really need good mentors early in their lives, especially during their high school years. I encourage you to get your schools involved and learn more about what Eliot is doing. And please watch this video because it helped me understand it better.

FACEBOOK PAGE

YOUTUBE PAGE



 

Redruth - Origins

I want to make mention of a band today called Redruth. They are one of the great many Australian bands that are putting out awesome music these days. In fact, I was so thrilled that I tapped into that scene, that for a while, that's the scene I was searching through fairly exclusively. December of last year, they put out a new album called "Origins", and it has well-produced music on it that has a nice edge to it. If you ever got into Depeche Mode or the new wave music in the late 80's, then you will really like this band.

Their music has a nice drivin' beat and sound to it, and has a "fresh breath of air" vibe to it that leaves you feeling good. Oh, and these guys are sold out to Jesus, so you won't be lacking there. By far, Redruth is a band that you should have in your collection.

Band Page

Redruth YouTube

Redruth Facebook Page

To Leave A Trace

Every now and then I will come across a band that sets itself apart from the pack. Today, I heard a band from Ukraine called "To Leave A Trace". What I liked most about their song Aokigahara was the total and complete sludginess of it. I mean, it is absolutely HEAVY. The guitarists' in this band really know how to write heavy guitar parts. Overall, this is a band that (if you like metal), you shouldn't miss. They also have a kickstarter for their new album. If you want to support them, please go ahead and contribute.

SUPPORT (Indiegogo)

An Interview With Gabriel Rock

I recently discovered an artist that goes by the name of Gabriel Rock, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that his music was different, in the sense that it was moody, memorable and reminiscent of some bands you would hear in the 70's and 90's (my favorite eras in music). The music that he has available right now is acoustic and really showcases his ability as an artist to create and stand on his own, but he also desires to collaborate with like-minded Christians in his dream of being a musician. After conversing with him via email, I learned that he is a pretty intriguing person as well, and so I sought an interview with him. Here is the full spread below.




Where are you originally from, and where are you based out of now?
Dover, NJ ...based out of Randolph NJ now


What was life like growing up musically as a kid? Is your family musical, or did you get interested by hearing mom and dad's records, etc...?

I found my inspiration through family records.

How old were you when you realized that you wanted to do music?
I was nineteen when I realized I wanted to do music for my profession.

You go by Gabriel Rock. How did you come up with your name?

Yes, I go by Gabriel Zeldis, which much of my writing is under, and Gabriel Rock. I came up with my name from Gabriel in the Bible.
The last name was just taking up letters to fit criteria.

Where do you get your inspiration from when you write music?
My music is outreach music, meaning it's to bridge the gap between the secular world and the church.

What is your songwriting process? Some people write licks first, then lyrics? 

I have recently experimented with how to write music, but for legal reasons I find it's best to write my own music. I am also open to buying songs outright. Typically, I try to come up with a pretty chord progression, then I try to come up with a pretty melody. The words usually come to me during this process.

How often do you practice and write music?

I practice and write my own music either everyday or according to how much my body and voice will hold up. On the days that I have to rest especially my voice I enjoy writing poetry that I can later use for song ideas.

How does Jesus Christ fit into your life and music?

Jesus Christ in my inspiration for my life that I have dedicated to music. When I consider love, I realize that Jesus is an integral part of my music, and music can be a beautiful form of prayer.

Do you play live shows? If so, where do you play, or have played?

I started playing hand drums on the streets of Colorado... From that point I met other hand percussionists and musicians and eventually started gigging and creating my own bands and composing. I played mostly in Northern Colorado. Now I basically spend time networking and talking to people in the industry in order to fulfill my never ending dream of getting signed.

Besides music, what do you do with your free time?

In my free time, I write ideas about films that I can use to put music to.

You're also an Author. Tell us about that.

Well I've written about ten books, and have recently published the second editions. My book writing has gone back and forth between secular and religious. But I was able to weed out the parts that I felt were more secular and for a secular audience, and bring the books to a more of religious experience. I shuffled them into four books, one preliminary book and then a trilogy. These are available on Amazon, or if you follow my work online you can find them for free. My writing helps me to stay creative usually when I'm resting my voice or if I lose my voice for an extended period of time.

What is the last book you read?

The Writer's Market 2013

So you said that you were a monk for two years. Tell us about that.

I believe in being kind to all creatures. I joined monastic life because I needed to know in my spirit that I wasn't harming living things with my everyday employment. I wanted to live a life of giving and learning the word of God. Inside my spirit, I felt being a monk was very fulfilling based on the amount of prayer that was incorporated into daily life.

Do you have a band website? Where can readers go to get or hear your music?

I am all over the web under the name Gabriel Zeldis or more recently Gabriel Rock, which is my stage name and will be the name that I solely use for music. You can find me at Reverbnation, Sound Cloud or YouTube for example.

Anything you would like share with your readers?
The writing and songs I have on the web are merely ideas, they are rough sketches of my vision. I am looking to work with professionals, other musicians and to get more studio time to begin to create a larger repertoire of original music and to start polishing songs. 

Thanks for your time!




You can find links to Gabriel's tunes and more here on:

Reverbnation

Soundcloud

Youtube

Joe Miralles - Under The Sun

I really dig it when I come across an eclectic artist who plays music that reminds me of the 90's. For me, it seemed like that was an era when "alternative" was still a baby and music was experimental and emotional. Couple that with his obvious sincere devotion to Jesus, and you have great music. Meet Joe Miralles. Having written 4 albums, Under The Sun is Joe's latest release which features 5 tracks, and I must say, this is one well-recorded album. My favorite tracks are "Under The Sun" and "Do You Still Believe" with it's driving tempo and edgy guitars. Joe is a great songwriter and an artist that you should definitely know about. He is based out of Philadelphia, so if you're ever in the Northeast, be sure to look for his live show. I am sure it's unforgettable.

Band Page