Tag Archives: music

What Do You Do When the Power Goes Out?

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Mitch Devine| Leave a comment

The famous Victrola brand, made by the Victor Talking Machine Co. of Camden, NJ.

Boy, we sure do depend on electricity! So, what do you do when there isn’t any?

Besides remembering where the candles are, I had to explain to my kids which of the house phones would work in the event our power went out. Of course, the laptop and phone batteries will only last so long. But without a phone, computer, video game or TV, what would they do for entertainment? Somehow I can’t picture them reading by candle light.

Even before the San Diego power failure, I was thinking about how fun it could be to use my recently restored Victrola phongraph in the event of an outage for some old-school musical entertainment. (Better than trying to act out a home-style version of “Glee,” right?)  Continue reading →

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Posted in Blog, entertainment, Marketing, music, print, technology, vintage

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GuitarTV.com Makes Noise on Social Media Channels

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Mitch Devine| Leave a comment

The GuitarTV.com site, showing co-creator Steve Vai in a clip from the film "Crossroads."

Ever watch a music video and wonder what kind of gear the guitarist is using? Or how much the guitar cost and what type of amplifier was used? Maybe you wanted to know which album had that song. Or find sheet music tabs. Or score tickets to the next gig.

Six-String Gearheads, Rejoice! 

You can stop wondering and start rocking. Everything you want to know—and buy—from your favorite guitar slingers can now be found in one place. (Cue drum roll…)

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome: GuitarTV.com

Back when MTV used to play actual music, the network would list the artist, song and album info, but only at the beginning and end of the video. If you missed it, you were out of luck. GuitarTV takes that idea and cranks it up by a factor of at least six. Continue reading →

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Posted in entertainment, Internet, Marketing, music, social media, video

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Marketing Music at NAMM

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Mitch Devine| 1 Comment
NAMM is the show where rock stars come out to play.

All the Convention Center's a stage at NAMM.

If you’re keeping up with social marketing trendsetters like Seth Godin or Scott Stratten, you’ve probably heard it said that we do business with people we “know, like and trust.” This is especially true for the music business. Relationships (read: connections) have always been key for musicians. And January’s Winter NAMM show in Anaheim is where music business ties are made and strengthened.

While other trade shows are dying out, and the music industry itself struggles with a revolution in distribution and marketing, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) continues to grow in popularity. Continue reading →

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Posted in entertainment, Marketing, mobile apps, music

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This Year Goes To 11

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Mitch Devine| 2 Comments

Take it to 11 at NAMM. That's one louder.

The 2011 NAMM Show (shorthand for what used to be known as the National Association of Music Merchants) has taken its thematic inspiration from the Rob Reiner rockumentary satire film, This Is Spinal Tap, in which Nigel Tufnel explains the advantages of having an amp that goes all the way to 11. It’s a perfect reference for their audience.

NAMM is where musicians, instrument makers and related music companies come to do business and show their latest gear. It’s like a Guitar Center on steroids that’s as big as the Anaheim Convention Center (bigger, actually). The place is so thick with rock stars, you practically trip over ‘em every time you turn around.

Here’s how the NAMMsters describe this year’s show on the website: ”On a scale of 1 to 10, we’re taking it to 11 and so can you! The 2011 NAMM Show has everything you need to turn it up a notch in your business, from the hottest new music products offered by 1500+ exhibitors to free business-building training customized to the challenges of today’s industry professionals.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Advertising - General, Branding, entertainment, Marketing, music

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Disneyland Throws a Rave Party

Posted on September 6, 2010 by Mitch Devine| 2 Comments

Glow Fest turned out to be even more popular than Disney's new World of Color.

Waiting for the World of Color

Big brands tend to be predictable. We all go to, say, Starbucks or McDonald’s or Target because they deliver according to expectations.

Disneyland is a brand that continues to evolve, which is the way Uncle Walt intended it. The venerable theme park can still surprise, too.

My family went to the Disneyland Resort this summer to see the new water-fountain attraction, “World of Color”. Upon arriving, my daughter keyed in on some dance party thing called “Glow Fest,” which looked like a way to pass the time while waiting for the water show. It turned out to be much more. Continue reading →

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Posted in entertainment, Marketing, music

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Green Day Sells Politics Via Punk, and Vice-Versa

Posted on September 4, 2010 by Mitch Devine| 3 Comments

Green Day performs in front of a collage of fliers advertising gigs from the early days.

Branding for Punkers

It’s fascinating how significant brand image is, even to punks who act as though they care little for such commercial/corporate concerns. But even rebels have to admit how “important” they feel it is to be considered “punk”.

Is Green Day Classic Rock?

Green Day just played a sold-out show at our local corporate-branded amphitheater in Irvine (which I’ll always remember as Irvine Meadows). From modest Bay Area beginnings as a three-piece punk band, Green Day has morphed into a six-piece (for the tour) arena rock powerhouse, complete with corporate marketing, sponsorship, and lots of merchandising in support of last year’s “21st Century Breakdown” album.

A Green Day fan dives back into the crowd after being invited up on stage. Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register

As the the OC Register noted in it’s review, the band now gets played on KROQ radio’s “Flashback Weekend” shows, which practically puts it in the “classic rock” category for the Gen-X/Y demo.

A wall of TVs form the backdrop for Green Day's performance of American Idiot.

Punk Meets Broadway Musical

What may be most interesting about Green Day is how the band has managed to hold onto its punk roots while basically “selling out” via its political pop opus “American Idiot,” now a Broadway musical. What’s up with that? Continue reading →

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Posted in Branding, Marketing, music

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Devo Goes Corporate

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Mitch Devine| 7 Comments

We're all Devo now.

Devolution is real.

Anyone who’s had to endure a focus group (on either side of the two-way mirror) will appreciate how Devo is both spoofing and using corporate marketing tactics to promote their new album and tour.

Mmm... blue! Tastes like... Devo.

“Something For Everybody” is the band’s first album of new material in 20 years. But it’s not the first time the band members have gone “corporate.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Branding, Marketing, music

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