The Austin Chronicle

earache!

Internal Affairs

The Art of the House Show

I went to an excellent house show this week featuring up and comers Growl and Rufie-Oh. You might have seen them playing downtown – both are just starting to get club gigs. One of the primary ways they got these gigs was by cutting their teeth at house shows. Read More | Comment »

2:08PM Fri. May. 18, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Attendance Records

Having heard about her high school program Attendance Records, I’ve been anxious to talk with Jenna Carrens. This semester, she worked with a class at Anderson High on all aspects of producing and releasing an album. From lyric writing exercises to screen printing lessons, these students' efforts culminate May 17 with an CD release at Mohawk. Read More | Comment »

3:55PM Fri. May. 11, Zoe Cordes Selbin

West by West Campus' Tessa Hunt

Two weeks since I last wrote. Last week I took a break from writing about the music business to actually immerse myself in it, working production for Nocturnal Fest. I worked with Tessa Hunt, a local promoter/booker I mentioned in my previous blog about Alice Bag. Read More | Comment »

2:07PM Fri. May. 4, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Alice Bag

If Austin's felt a little cooler recently, it isn’t just the weather. Alice Bag was in town. A punk legend, she's been touring her new book Violence Girl, which covers her bands the Bags, Cholita!, and Castration Squad, plus all that came before and after. Read More | Comment »

4:48PM Fri. Apr. 20, Zoe Cordes Selbin

DIY Recording

If you’re a local musician, there's a myriad of Austin recording studios to choose from. Let’s say you’re just getting started, though. Or maybe you just want to record some demos. Or, let’s be honest, you haven't enough money to book studio time. No matter the reason, self-recording can be an obvious and totally viable option for those who may be studio-shy. Read More | Comment »

2:40PM Fri. Apr. 13, Zoe Cordes Selbin

SXSW Finale: Lessons Learned

As March comes to a close, so does the last strains of South by Southwest recovery and wrap-up. As I was writing my final “lessons learned” on SXSW, I realized that my friends could say it better than me. What follows is a collection of advice from some notable people in the Austin music industry. Here’s what they learned during SX. Read More | Comment »

2:08PM Fri. Mar. 30, Zoe Cordes Selbin

SXSW: Creating a Scene in 2012

So South by Southwest is over and we’re all recovering. I went to my fair share of parties, but I also took full advantage of the business panels and learned a lot. On the first full day of the music festival, Wednesday, I attended “Creating A Scene in 2012,” which featured venue owners national and local, including our own James Moody of Mohawk. Read More | Comment »

9:07AM Fri. Mar. 23, Zoe Cordes Selbin

35 Denton

“The cool thing about using social media is that it gives artists an opportunity to brand themselves and get really innovative with their image,” says Tyler Dunson, part of the 35 Denton social media team. “Don’t be boring – get creative and use social media to convey who you are as a band.” Read More | Comment »

5:02PM Fri. Mar. 9, Zoe Cordes Selbin

SXSW Tips Part II: Printing

I wrote in my previous column on the importance of South by Southwest prep, and one of the biggest conversation starters is printing. Where does one get their posters, flyers, handbills printed? Here's a few suggestions. Read More | Comment »

1:09PM Fri. Mar. 2, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Glory, Glamor & Grammys

I didn’t watch the Grammys this year. Honestly, I haven’t watched the Grammys in ages, but that doesn’t mean I trash them or think they should be shut down. See, I don’t watch the Grammys for the same reason Nicki Minaj doesn’t come to my house shows; it’s just not relevant to our lifestyles. That doesn’t make either of them wrong. Read More | Comment »

2:07PM Fri. Feb. 17, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Giant Steps Productions: Togetherness

What I love about Austin is how rich our music scene is. Although it’s easy to forget that concert booking exists outside of C3 and Transmission Entertainment, that’s surely the case nonetheless. Our scene is home to a multitude of excellent small booking and production companies that consistently put on some of the best shows in Austin. Read More | Comment »

11:43AM Fri. Feb. 10, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Ladies Train

Don Cornelius died this week. Soul Train, his nationally televised spin on American Bandstand, helped integrate African-American musicians into the mainstream across four decades. I'm glad these challenges are being discussed again, because as many corrective steps as society's taken in said arena, there's still much more to be done. Read More | Comment »

2:00PM Fri. Feb. 3, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Golf Wang

I was at Domy Books recently when I stumbled upon Golf Wang by rap group Odd Future. It’s an art book, made up of tour photos and essays from the group whose full moniker, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, supplies the anagram for the book title. It’s a sort of hip-hop version of Punk Love. However much I may not enjoy Odd Future, it’s a smart move. Read More | Comment »

11:25AM Fri. Jan. 27, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Luxury Industry

I don’t remember the exact moment I decided that the music business was my calling. I think it was somewhere between a local childhood fueled by Avril Lavigne fantasies and my teenaged fascination with Minor Threat and all things DIY. Playing music never really clicked for me, but business plans did. Read More | Comment »

12:53PM Fri. Jan. 20, Zoe Cordes Selbin

Chrontourage