I think it's safe to say that 2009 was, at the very least, turbulent.  Not only for myself, but for many of those near and dear to me.  We had ups, downs, sideways, and everything in between.  We loved, we lost.  We made new friends and said tearful goodbyes to old ones.  We saw the end of projects that we put our hearts and souls into... Don't even get me started on the economy!  Through tragedy and triumph, we made through.  Through it all, we held on to our dreams.  Held on to the things we belived in.  We never gave in to giving up. Here we are, a new year.  A new beginning. 

A prime example of someone who refused to give up on something he belived in, is my good friend, Kane.  The beginning of 2009 also marked the end of ichannel.fm, which was a great supporter of independant music all over the world.  Kane was part of this great radio station, and, unfortuanately, it ceased operation in December of 2008.  It was quite a disappointment to those of us who lived and breathed independant music.  Kane could have thrown his hands up and been done with it, the way many said he should.  But, he knew that there was so much more to offer to the music scene.... so much to be discovered.  I watched him work his ass off to keep ichannel and the love of independant music alive.   At times, it seemed the concept would never pull through.  But, lucky for me and YOU, he never gave up.  He never gave in.  After putting in endless hours to make it all work, Kane was able to hook up with Shock City Studios in late 2009 and found a home for his new station, IN-DIO.FM.  Finding the home was not the end of his efforts.  There was so much more work to be done, and headaches to be had.  I'll avoid the stories about ups and downs, but, on January 1, 2010, IN-DIO.FM was finally launched online and there is so much more to come!  Stay tuned and tell your friends!! I promise you won't be disapointed!

Here are some of the things that IN-DIO.FM has cooking:

On behalf of all of the independant artists we know and even the ones we dont know, I want to say a special thanks to Kane, for all you've done.  I am so proud of you!  This is going to phenomenal. 

xoxo

jennyjen

P.S.  I'm totally going to put the IN-DIO.FM logo on my Toaster Struedel tomorrow, 'cause it rocks!!!  How bout a contest on who can decorate the best food with the logo?????

Raising Kane is actually going off to college!  Their not stopping the music, but will have shows whenever they can make it home from school.  Brett (guitar) is going to SLU, Mason (bass) is going to Meramac, Drew (vocals) is going to Miami U, (I have no idea where everybody else is headed)  It's a pretty exciting moment for all of them, but I'm going to miss them a lot.  They have a new EP out titled "Welcome Vacancy"  which, Is now my favorite of theirs.  I love all their stuff all the way back from when they were A.D.H.D.  But this EP tops it off.  Check em out at www.myspace.com/raisingkanestl and make sure to hit em up and make it out to their last show at Fubar in downtown STL coming up.  They have gotten better and better every CD I hear of theirs.  It's honestly incredible how good they are now.  Come to a show!  Make it out to one!  Pronto!

- Kelsey

Sooo.... Halloween weekend is coming up. You got your costume, but now what? Well, I suggest checking out some of the amazing ear candy St.L provides! You can get your weekend started at the Way Out Club where Groupthink and Mona Grooves will be playing on Thursday, Friday is fully loaded: Harrah's Voodoo lounge will show case OPTION//CONTROL, Allusive, and Me Verse You. I hear there will be a costume contest for the ladies! The Firebird will have The Makeshift Gentlmen, Oceania, and Thunderkid (haven't checked out the last two, but MSG is always a good time...plus, I heard a rumor they may be in costume...Rocky Horror Picture Show attire is the last I heard). If The Pagaent is more your style Our Lady Peace is playing with COMPANY OF THIEVES ---I saw them once, randomly, and have been OBSESSED ever since--- and Missouri's very own Ha Ha Tonka, and let's not forget AUTOVEIN --Which includes Brandon Armstrong of Greenwheel and Go Van Gogh. This night is quite a difficult desicion for me...luckly, I was asked over a couple months ago to attend one of these events...I'd hate to still be contemplating my choice but I'll also be wishing I was in attendence at whatever show I missed. Then on Halloween you should head out to the Babaylon in St. Peters and check out the infamous Wyld Stayllns. The world's best cover band. I'm not exaggerating. Ryan Jordan (Greenwheel and Go Van Gogh) and Andy Dwiggins (Greenwheel, Go Van Gogh, and Thom Donovan's band) play in this high energy, over the top experience and always leave you wanting more.

:) Enjoy!

I'm not sure where you are right now reading this blog, but no matter where you are, it's worth the trip to St. Louis for a couple of dates in November:

November 6th @ The Voodoo Lounge in Harrah's Casino: 

Deets: http://www.harrahsstlouis.com/images/non_image_assets/voodoo_oct09_calendar.pdf

The Good Time Engineers-(probably the most energetic set of the night!)

Building Rome-(They just released their new CD NIGHTMARE - pick it up @ Slackers, Amazon.com, Best Buy, buildingromerock.com, iTunes & livinginanightmare.com)

The Makeshift Gentlemen

Ruby Dog-(I've recently got to know these guys, and I'm not disappointed...good 'ol rock and roll...)

If you'd like tickets to the show, just get in touch with any of the above bands, and you're in there like swimwear...

November 14th @ The Library in Soulard:  deets@ Myspace.com/thelibrarystl

Joe Maddock

Circus Asylum

Sunday But Summer-(they played the iChannel Online Night At the Ballpark @ Busch Stadium back in August, and they have new music available)

Defiance Pointe

F.H.O.D.-(it stands for Flying Hamsters Of Doom, and they're from Chicago...female fronted with a strong stage sound!)

I'm excited to see F.H.O.D. for the first time...I've been a fan for a while, so it's gonna be good...

The crowd screams, the stacks vibrate and the lights come up. As you look out into the crowd, you realize that you've seen some of these faces before. The young brunette girl in the glasses has been at the past 6 shows, and the skinny guy in the Misfits shirt sent you a Myspace comment to let you know he would see you again tonight. Then there's that woman in the baseball hat, the one that made the flyers for you..
Do you know their names?
Why not?
After the show, you boot up the computer and there are 14 emails from fans.
What do you do?

As I look amongst the sea of newer bands on the internet, I sometimes get a sick feeling in my stomach. Their Myspace tops filled with porn girls, their webpages thanking Gibson guitars, and their blogs filled with shit about how awesome so-n-so is for taking their band pics. (always leaving out the $500 fee they tacked on)
WHERE are your Loyalties?

When someone signs up for your street team, they are not getting paid. It's a labor of love. As a band, you should cherish these people. But apparently, most bands put them on the "whatever" list.
Last summer, I watched a band give their free VIP festival passes to 4 people who ripped them off in the past while their street team leaders were left at home unable to afford the tickets.
WTF are you THINKING?
Talk about some FUCKED UP LOYALTIES!
I've also watched bands completely ignore street teamers at shows when they are on tour. Many times, these street teamers have run their shoes off hanging posters trying to get publicity for YOU.. and this is how you repay them?

There are a few guidelines that you should be following to keep your loyalties straight .. at least to the public eye.

1. Top your Teams
Place your street teams in your tops on Myspace and put links to their webpages on your official sites.  The sites are set up to help you.. the least you can do is 2 secs of promo for them.

2. By Name
Thank your street team leaders on your official site and on your Myspace. There's always room to put a few names.. after all, you found room to thank everyone but Mother Tums and Aunt Jemima already.

3. Guest List
Remember that girl that has been at the past 6 shows? Next time you see her, introduce yourself, and offer to put her on the guest list for the next show. Even if she can't make it, the gesture will be a huge plus. AND.. if she can make it, she's guaranteed to bring friends to the venue to show off her guest status. (make sure you get her name) Your street teamers should always be on your guest list. These teamers are blindly working for you, it's the least you can do. Shame on you if you don't know their names to add them.

4. Old Timers
Some fans have around since the beginning. (Every band has one or two) You need to acknowledge their loyalties. If you can't afford to hand them a CD or T-shirt after their 100th show of yours, try announcing their presence from the stage.
Hearing "What's up Joe" between songs, or if you know them, dedicate their fav song to them. "this one's for Joe".
Cost you nothing, but sealed a fan forever.
NEVER ignore mail from Old Timers. Take the 3 seconds and answer their questions. You should NEVER be too busy for your loyal fans.

5. The Ugly Truth
NEVER.. and I do mean NEVER judge your fans on looks.
If you most faithful fan looks like Quasemodo's ugly kid sister, put her in your Myspace tops, acknowledge her at shows and give her all the props she deserves.
Running around Myspace commenting all the "hot" girls and ignoring the ones you preceive as "ugly" is wrong on more levels than I can ever list here.
Seriously.. you never know when being nice to the "fat girl" is going to pay off.

6. Money Money Money Money...
JUDGE NOT by the size of the wallet!
So many bands go Ga-Ga over a "fan" with money. Usually these Johnny-come-lately to the band's list of fans will flash about promises of "stuff". New equipment, starting a new label, etc... 90% of the time this fat-pocket is gone in a couple of months, meanwhile, you have ignored your real fans because they had no offers of grandeur. Any clue how many potential real fans you missed out on while you were kissing the money ass? Just don't do it.

There are so many bands out there that I would LOVE to call out on this subject.. a LARGE number of you are GUILTY of all the above listed infractions.. and seriously.. it's SICKENING.
But you know who you are, and I'll let you sort out your own issues.

For Fuck's sakes.. get your shit together..

First of all:  THANK YOU! (can someone comment on this and say "thank you" in other languages?)

From over 50 countries, in just the last 2 months, iChannel Online racked up over 600,000 hits, and the unique visitors are growing!  As you know, this website is the beginning, the ground floor, just the START, of a worldwide independent movement that is in response to the "cookie-cutter", "corporate" FM radio model.  iChannel Online supports all independent artists, but we only play the best of those we support, on the live stream.  iChannel Online takes a page out of the playbook of OLD FM radio:  If it's good, it get's played.  Pretty simple, yet very effective-(did I mention we were getting 10,000 hits a day?)

So, Thank You, and please tell your friends to come over, create a profile, and discover some of the best independent bands from the US, and all over the world!  Let's set new records in September!

Gratefully,

Kane  kane@ichannelonline.com

After years and years of seeing live bands (talented and not-so-talented) it's not often "I get that tingly sensation up my leg" about a show...well, this one creates "tingly" feelings:

TONIGHT (June 26th) in St. Louis @ Harrah's Casino's Voodoo Lounge is the Red Water Revival reunion show!!

CLICK HERE FOR DEETS

I shall do everything in my power to attend...and to top it all off, Ashborne is playing at The Pageant in STL tonight also...I need to clone myself...

Kane

kane@ichannelonline.com

So, there I am, sitting in my room watching 'Fight Club' for the very first time, and I really dig it, so I got to thinking; what are the 20 must have movies I would want with me if i were stuck on a desert island, or the last man on earth. What 20 movies would I always keep with me, to watch whenever I wanted. Now, as much as I would like to, I'm not including anything currently in theaters, so Inglourious Basterds will be left off this list...for now. lol

So, these are the 20 movies i'd keep with me at all times:

- The Craft

- Fight Club

- REPO: The Genetic Opera

- The Dark Knight

- The Matrix (first one)

- HELP!

- Enter the Dragon

- The Crow

- The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 original version)

- Office Space

- Candyman

- Goldfinger

- Desperado

- Clerks

- Dogma

- A Hard Day's Night

- Unforgiven

- The Outlaw Josie Wales

- 2001: A Space Odyssey

- Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Each of these movies are amazing in a different, but very good way. they encompass just about every well known genre in the movie world. Now, he comes the fun part. I want to see what YOUR picks are. make a list of 5-10, 20 if you wanna go hardcore like me (lol) of the movies that you would have to pick as the only movies you could ever watch again. Post them in a comment here in the blog entry. I would love to know more about the favorite movies of my internet friends. This will also help my find more movies to check out. Let's get it started!

By the way, i'll be down at the PLAY:stl music festival, helping Kane promote the station, and this wonderful independent movement of ours. So if you're coming, find us and say hello.

GO ICHANNELONLINE.COM! YAY!!!!

Next Saturday on August 29th is the 2yr Anniversary for The RadioJ show on www.radiojshow.com, and also celebrating my 2 yrs a s a writer for Aural Fix magazine www.auralfix.com.This will take place at Mr Beery's in Bethpage NY.For those who can not make it,I will have a live podcast from thwee show which will air on the website.I have been doing this for along time now,I started on an Fm starion in Long Island NY called RadioX helping new bands that wanted to go to the next level and,so I continue to that today.I'm a huge fan and supporter of bands that try hard to get their music out there.The show willfeature three great bands called Charetta, Craving Strange and Dirty Bathwater.I can't wait.

It's been a while since my last post here. So for my return blog, I've got to tell you about this movie I saw recently. It's called REPO! The Genetic Opera. It's a musical set just under 50 years in the future. The world's population has dropped off severely due to a worldwide epidemic of human organ failures. Amidst all the chaos, a global corporation has become a savior to the masses, offering replacement organs. The catch: as long as the patient keeps up with the payments, everything is alright. BUT, if a person tries to skip out on paying, the company sends their 'Repoman' to retrieve the organs-- by FORCE! What follows is a 97 minute journey of epic proportions, with an extremely original plot, along with fantastic choreography, great songs, and just an overall amazing viewing experience. i could probably rattle off three or four more really long paragraphs about the story, but even with that, I would be doing an injustice to you. It's best if you see it for yourself, and build your opinion from that. But certainly check it out. It's perfect to those who love eccentric shows like Rocky Horror and Sweeney Todd, and in my opinion, is an instant classic in the musical world. It literally has it all: music, action, comedy, horror, suspense, and even a well known socialite's face falling off. Whose face, you might ask? Well see it for yourself. It's rated R for it's use of gore (which there is a decent amount of it), so it's really not for the pre-teen crowd. If you're have seen it, post a comment here in the blog, and let me know what you thought of it.

So, I know this might seem weird, (not to me but to you, and really has nothing to do with independent music, how ever it does have to do with helping make a young person [me] more independent.) but I entered a photo that I took on a road trip recently, into a contest in an attempt to win $1000.00. I would really appreciate it if you could go and vote for it, it doesn't take much time I promise, you don't even have to sign up for anything, just go and push a button, you can do that. I know that you can, so do me a favor and push the freakin' button! :D thanks (:

http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?qsi=16945185

*cracks knuckles* ok, so here's my first blog post on the ALL NEW ichannelonline.com. What will i blog about, you might say? Well, just about anything and everything that may come to my mind. Great music (no-brainer), new movies, video games, pop culture stuff, and really, whatever else this twenty-something ADHD-riddled mind can think of. So sit back, relax, and ENJOY THE SHOW!

Video of the day- This kid LOVES to rave!

So... I love concerts. Okay, that may be an understatement. I think I have an obsession with live shows that could be medically treated. Nothing makes me feel more alive than the sound of music filling a venue, the sound of the drums that makes your necklace vibrate against your chest, sounds that make your feet feel like they HAVE to tap in order to keep time. I love the feeling of being at a show-- people coming together to share in something that makes them feel. With that all said, I'm constantly checking venues all over St. L throughout the week looking for a show to fulfill my need to capture this feeling. Since I'm looking up shows anyway, I might as well pass my findings on to the ichannelonline community. So, each week or every other weekish, I'll post some shows around the St.L area that are worth checking out, but there's a catch: I'm going to share my honest opinions and I ask you to do the same. If I leave out a show that's worth going to, PLEASE COMMENT! Let everyone know what great music St.L has! St.L never gets the attention it deserves when it comes to music, so let's inform others of the bands we love! Also, you may disagree with me, and that's fine, but let's keep this friendly. To me, music is peace.

So, what's going on this week around St.L? Glad you asked!

Monday, Nov 2
The show I suggest going to the Firebird to see White Denim, Brazos, and TROUBADOUR DALI. Now, I'll be honest, I've heard of the first two and never listened to them, but I am in love with TROUBADOUR DALI. This is a true story. If you're a fan of psychadelic rock with a touch of shoegazer (think The Dandy Wharols, Brian Jamestown Massacre, Jesus and the Mary Chain, the Warlocks) then they guys --and girl-- and worth checking out. You won't be let down.

Tuesday, Nov 3
Ciecro's has Tigerspeakeasy, a band from Denver with a strong female lead singer and a high energy synth-pop sound with a rock edge, and this must be a night for strong female leads because down the street at The Pageant PARAMORE is playing with Paper Route and The Swellers. I saw Paramore open for No Doubt over the summer, and they definetly held their own against the the vetern band, plus Hayley Williams came out for No Doubt's encore of "Stand and Deliever" and it's obvious who the next powerful lead front woman will be.

Thursday, Nov 5
The Firebird has Stinking Lizaveto, Rotor, THE GORGE, and Sweet Cobra. THE GORGE is a heavy rock band out of St. Peters and Edwardsville that includes some amazing riffs and awesome bass lines.

Friday, Nov 6
I am loving the local music showcase that has been going on at Harrah's Voodoo Lounge. Put together by the mastermind known as Fro, the Voodoo Lounge has had a variety of bands play on their unique stage that sits on top of the bar. This weekend's bands include The Good Time Engineers, BUILDING ROME, and THE MAKESHIFT GENTLEMEN. Building Rome sounds similar to the St. L band, Ludo, with come catchy lyrics you can sing along with. THE MAKESHIFT GENTLEMEN includes members who went to Mizzou and SEMO so there's a possibility you may know them more from those areas than St.L. Their synth-punk sound will have you dancing, as long as you don't get memerized by the lights on stage, or the pretty girl winking back at you from the drum kit. Plus, to save yourself some money, you can print off a free ticket on the band's websites to get into the show. If youre not old enough for this show, Fubar has Breathe Carolina for your listening pleasure

Saturday, Nov 7
Pop's has New Found Glory, Title Fight, Fallen from the Sky, and This Is Energy (who, if I'm not mistaken, can be heard on this radio station)

Sunday, Nov 8
If you're a lover of bands like Forever the Sickest Kids, Hit the Lights, and Sing It Loud, FAREWELL at the Firebird is deserving of your Sunday night. This is an all ages show, which is great considering the age group of the fans of most of these bands (and I'm not, by any means saying that in a bad way, I LOVE these bands...I got sun poisioning at Warped tour during FTSK set and the moment I heard Farewell, I downloaded their stuff).

There's your concert update for the week! Let me know what you think! Have a great week knowing you have something great shows to look forward to at the end of your day :)

Peace! --Britt

Go Bluuuuues! Congrats to the St. Louis Blues and their season opening win against the Detroit Red Wings 4-3!!!!

The RadioJ show is looking for a new band of the month for November.As usual I'm Looking for an unsigned local/indi label band from anywhere. Last year I had fans pick who they thought should be the band of the month.That band ended up in Aural Fix magazine.That band happened to be Black Suite Youth. Now I'm giving you another chance. The band of the month gets an article in Aural fix magazine and will be heard all month on the RadioJ (radio for the scene)show.

Here are the rules: 1.The fans vote, which means its up to the fans to make the right choice.If a band emails me and tells me to pick hem I will ignore it and not consider them sorry its about the people who go to you shows and listen to your music.

2.Fans email me at radioj@verizon.net.Do not just tell me the name of the band,I want to know why this band deserves to be the band of the month.What do you like about them.Why do you go to their shows?Why do you listen to their music?

3.Most important rule.Any band that has already been a RadioJ band of the month in 2009 is not eligible. Have to give everyone a chance here.

The winner will be announced October 20th. You have till then.
so I leave it up to you.Spread the word fan of of new music from all over who is going to be the next RadioJ band of the month?

New music up soon!!!!

Even though she was all over the place when Garden State came out, and I'm pretty sure she has a Grammy award, I still feel like she is my little brit. I can still remember seeing her at the Pageant in St. Louis with her glass piano like it was yesterday. I was so excited to go to that Imogen Heap show that I actually made fake flyers and handed them out.

"You know how I know you're gay? Cause you make fake Imogen Heap flyers and hand them out to strangers just for fun".



Here is the song if you haven't heard it yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQa60u1zPdE 



Oh well. Maybe she will blow up like Dido did when she was on that Eminem song.

Hello? Dido........where did you go?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCkykjOmEsM

Last year around this time I received the news that iChannel was closing down and I was devastated.

 All my life I have had to listen to the same songs over and over on the radio and after a while I just gave up and went strictly to CDs and MP3 players. Every time I was forced to sit in someone else's car and listen to the radio I just wished there was a station out there that played music I had never heard before. One particular day I was complaining about this to a DJ in St. Louis and he told me about a little HD/ internet station called iChannel and my life was changed forever. I got in contact with ichannel and they said it would be great if I could do some videos to promote their big music festival coming up. I immediately grabbed my camcorder and my sweat band and cranked out some golden eggs like I was a goose at the chocolate factory. If you weren't around back then I highly recommend to take a look at them. If you were around I think a little trip down memory lane would brighten your day.

 Joey_Vee's quick work out tips   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4ZoBnVXmew

Joey_Vee training with some unusual hurdles  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkMusZK4x-I

Joey_Vee taking a break from training http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8DM1IkdKZw

Joey_Vee has mad stapling skills http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-My7yFkm_p4

Now that ichannel is back as ichannelonline.com , I think that having Joey_Vee return and become the official mascot of independent music would be perfect. I made a little video for you to see that just like ichannelonline.com, I am better than ever. Take a look.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umIb_wKIsKM

Over the past 10 weeks I have been laughing my ass off every Thursday night while watching Tosh.0 on Comedy Central. I spend countless hours on the internet every week, so watching Daniel Tosh make fun of all of those web gems that I have grown to love is a perfect fit for me. It is a simple show that doesn't cost a lot to make since most of it is just him standing in front of a green screen, but regardless of budget, that show has made me laugh so hard and that is why I was determined to get on it.

Every week Daniel issues a challenge to the audience to film something and then submit it to the website. I was never really motivated to submit anything until my manager got really excited about the popcorn challenge after it aired 2 weeks ago. All day at work we racked our brains to come up with some stunts that would elevate the art of catching popcorn in our mouths to a whole new level. After coming up with a decent sized list we found out what day we were both off work so that we could film this little adventure in public whoredom.

(here is Daniel's original video http://www.comedycentral.com/tosh.0/2009/08/06/popcorn-challenge/  )

The day was Monday August 10th. That's right, the same day as the ichannel RAWK SHOW at Busch Stadium, which I coincidentally had tickets to. I had to decide whether it was worth it to me to sacrifice time with some of the most awesomest independent artists in the world or try to get on T.V. Since I'm a selfish man I had to side with being seen by millions of people on basic cable. With only a crew of 3 and a little digital handheld camcorder, we spent about 2 hours filming everything before I had to leave for the game. I made it to the stadium right as the game started and even scored a parking meter, which is free after 7p.m. To top it all off, it was an awesome win for the St. Louis Cardinals, but I was still worried that if I didn't get on T.V. that I had somehow let some of my favorite bands down.

(here is our original youtube video of all 7 of our tricks  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHkk_m1NIjM ) 

Thursday night comes along and around 10 p.m. everything changes. I'm getting youtube comments over here, facebook comments over there, and my cell phone is lighting up with text messages from all over the world.....not really. I watched me, my manager, and my lady make it onto a show that we all know and love and got to feel this amazing sense of fulfillment just because we felt like trying. It wasn't that hard to get on and we had an awesome time doing it. That is what counts. Just do something you believe in with people you love and life will hopefully be satisfying. What an amazing way to end the summer. I hope this isn't the peak of my fame because I'm not ready to become a depressed junkie just yet.

(here is the clip from the show http://www.comedycentral.com/tosh.0/2009/08/13/viewer-popcorn-challenge-videos/ )

Okay, so there's this pretty big music festival going on in St. Louis this September called PLAY:STL. It's three days long (from the 17th to the 19th), takes place in the world famous "University City" section of St. Louis, and features over 100 bands from all over the place; from all over the country, and beyond. Thats right, this is officially an international event. Several iChannel bands will be there, past and present; bands like Curb Service, Fundamental Elements, One Lone Car, and Wild Tiger (formerly known as The Marquette Weekend). And who knows, there may even be some FUTURE iChannel bands in attendance as well. You know Kane's ALWAYS looking for new fresh bands to add to the station. If your band would like to vie for a spot, there is still time left to do so. Artist submissions are open through July 31 via Sonicbids (www.sonicbids.com/playstl). If you want to go as just a spectator, that fine as well. Although I do not know the price yet, once I do, I will repost it here. This will definitely be an event you don't want to miss. I went last year and was blown away by all the great bands. I hope to see each and every one of you faithful iChannel listeners there. Until we meet again, this is Dante saying I'll see you on the internets...

Video of the Day- Ladies and gentlemen, i present to you...The Indian version of the Michael Jackson classic 'Thriller', titled 'Golimar'.

Hello everyone on ichannel!  LAZ is excited to be part of this online community and we hope you are too!  It seems like a really great way for independent bands to get their music out to the masses.  And on the flip side of that, it's a great way for music lovers to get their hands on NEW music.  I mean, who doesn't love breaking a new band to all their friends.  LAZ wants to invite everyone over to our profile to say "hey" and check out our music.  We appreciate any and all feedback and we hope to hear from you all.  Thanks for reading. 

Tonight is RAISING KANE at FUBAR. I am totally pumped.  I'm bringing 2 of my friends, and my mommy!  Doors are at 7!  Raising Kane will be playing and they will be whooping some butt.  So be there!  They will be rocking for 30 minutes, and I hear it will be the best of the best rock-ige.

Come on out!

Its just 10 bucks at the door.

-Kelsey

First of all, I just want to say how excited I am that Ichannel is back on the air. This is an amazing format in order to promote independent artists and inform listeners that there is more out there to please their ears than the music that the industries force feed the public.

Secondly, I was able to see Red Water Revival reunite on Friday, June 26, 2009. The line up was changed slightly as Rebecca, the bassist, wasn't there, but Luke Prize, of Ocean Rivals, filled in. The set included all the songs off their EP "In the Frostbidden Years" plus a few amazing covers, such as Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall' and Tom Petty's 'Last Dance with Mary Jane.' If the bands puts on another reunion show, I suggest everyone go. Also, Ocean Rivals are scheduled to have a show at Off Broadway on July 22. If you haven't seen them yet, check out the show. They're undescrible.

Third (the point of my blogging), I wanted to let everyone know that on July 3 SUNDAY BUT SUMMER is going to perform an acoustic set at Vintage Vinyl in the Delmar Loop (St. Louis, MO) at 7:00 p.m. They just put out a new EP called "Fade to Grey." So if you're in the area on JULY 3, stop by Vintage Vinyl. It's a free show and these guys are incredibly talented. If you don't believe me, check out the show.

Peace-

Britt

      Well, I am quite excited that iChannel is starting up once again. I have been missing it painfully lately. I missed listening to, and on occasion conversing with bands, and getting to talk to all the people involved with iChannel. Before iChannel I wasn't really exposed to the glorious indie music, and was pleasantly surprised at how amazing a lot of indie bands are. When one says 'indie' most of the time people thing of low budget, which also makes them think of the word cheap. While indie music is low budget, it is so much more than that. Indie music allows you to watch a band grow and advance through time, without the media being involved and ruining their innocence. Indie music, is about the music, just like it should be. It's not all about money and celebrity and who was seen at what 'hot club' it's about the music. iChannel allows its listeners to form relationships with the bands and their music, and to experience that music in a way that many other places cannot offer. I love listening to a band that not many people know about, it's like an elite club, the independent music VIPs if you will. Those involved with the station know that bands, and the bands know them, it's not just some station playing some band that they have never met and know nothing about, they actually care about the bands, and want them to be successful. These are only a few of the reasons why I love iChannel so much.

P.S. iFest was awesome

From when iChannelOnline was iChannel.fm I give you...  (sorry can't get it to embed the video)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ZaTFlrqhY

Welcome!

For anyone who doesn't know.. I'm The Caustic Queen.
I give REAL advice for incredibly low prices (free) to bands and fans. (groupies included)

A little background for those curious as to what qualifies me to do so...

My obsession with the rock world started MANY MANY years ago.
Some of my earliest memories are of a Black Sabbath poster hanging on my brother's door. I used to stare up at Ozzy as "Never Say Die" would play on the record player in the room behind the closed door.
Fastforward to my first rock concert.. age 4.. Grand Funk Railroad.. I touched Mark Farner's hair, and I was changed for life... a few short years later, I saw Ozzy with a relatively unknown band called Motley Crue, and my fate was set.
By age 16, I was traveling with any band that would have me.
I learned by living you might say, and watched bands climb and fall from week to week.

By the time I was 18, I had developed a love for local bands.
I started out helping them get shows by walking into local bars and basically forcing the band on the managers. (I was very pursausive).. 
During this time, I couldn't help but notice that while many would criticize a band, no one was telling them how to fix what was wrong.
No one said "you're doing THIS wrong.. or THAT right".. people were simply writing off talented musicians without a word. Bands would fall apart overnight, because they were clueless as to what they were doing.
I decided I could change that.

I started by helping with wardrobe, and moved to performance and style, and finally to actual music.

In the years that followed, I took over promotions for several bands, and became the tour manager for one traveling band. I've matched musicians with bands, and band with gigs, and promoters with bands, etc.
I've celebrated with musicians when they joined successful bands, cried with bands as they played their first stadium show and held the hand of one musician as he made the wrenching decision to leave the spotlight he'd grown to hate .

I actually did try to have a personal life. College, marriage, normal career. I tried to be a good citizen and live an All American life. But the music screamed my name, and I returned to her over and over.
A few years back, I finally gave up fighting, gave up my regular job, and turned my full attention back to music and the bands that make it.
I now write for 2 publications,  and work for as a liason for a promotions company.

The advice I give is not from a text book. I have no fancy degrees on my wall.
I share what I've learned after years of watching bands succeed and fail.
It's a dose of reality if you will.

I choose to remain anonymous for mulitple reasons.  All I ask is that you respect my decision to do so.

I want to thank anyone and everyone who stops by to read...
I'm open to any and all questions.. though I can't promise an answer!

Until Next Time..
Be strong.. and Rock on...