Because we’re more like a dysfunctional family than just a music site with readers, I’d like to propose a “family meeting”. The opportunity has come for THE DROP to move the base of operations to the L.A. underground (where we may or may not be hooking up with the A-Team) I’d like to get your thoughts on that. Continue Reading

10-10 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom %*
10-11 New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre %*
10-12 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B %*
10-13 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club %*
10-14 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall %*
10-16 Chicago, IL - Metro %*
10-18 Toronto, Ontario - The Opera House %*
10-19 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe %*
10-20 Tempe, AZ - Soco Music Experience ^
10-22 Ann Arbor, MI - Bling Pig #*
10-23 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon #*
10-24 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar #*
10-25 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck #*
10-26 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre #*
10-27 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue *
10-29 Seattle, WA - The Showbox #*
10-30 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom #*
10-31 Eugene, OR - W.O.W. Hall
11-01 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore #*
11-02 San Diego, CA - House of Blues #*
11-03 Santa Cruz, CA - Rio Theatre #*
11-05 Pomona, CA - The Glass House #*
11-06 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #*
11-07 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #*
11-09 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre #*
11-12 Norman, OK - Opolis #*
11-13 Denton, TX - Hailey’s #*
11-14 Austin, TX - Emo’s #*
11-15 New Orleans, LA - The Republic #*
11-16 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder

% = w/ Lo-Fi Fnk
# = w/ Glass Candy
* = w/ Panther
^ = w/ Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Girl Talk and Cold War Kids

Architecture In Helsinki

Architecture in Helsinki on Myspace

Peep The Video for “Debbie”

Starting on October 2nd, stroll into your local Starbucks and get a card for a FREE song download of the day. Each download card is redeemable at the iTunes store by entering the code on the back of the card. My sources tell me that each store will have 300-400 cards for each day.. so get there early. The reports I’ve read such great acts as Annie Lennox, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews, Joni Mitchell, Joss Stone and Paul McCartney. Don’t get me wrong, they’re great but I’m more excited for the world to be exposed to other artists on the list like A Fine Frenzy, Rogue Wave, and Band of Horses.

The music giveaway coincides with the debut of the iTunes WiFi Music Store, which will be available at more than 600 Starbucks locations in New York and Seattle. The nationwide rollout of the service will continue Nov. 7 when 350 Starbucks coffee houses in the San Francisco Bay area will be hooked up to the service.

Also The Mermaid will be selling iTunes digital release cards that would allow you to download an entire CD plus bonus material. The first to be released will be KT Tunstall’s “Drastic Fantastic” and Eddie Vedder’s “Into the Wild”. The albums will sell for $14.99 and $11.99 respectively (same price without the card at the iTunes store). Apparently there will also be a reloadable download card and a limited edition purchasing card that comes with 2 free downloads.

So check out Starbucks next week and get some free music.

Yes, this is… or was Lovedrug’s van. After playing a show in Detroit, Lovedrug stopped to rest for the night. When they woke up everything was gone… their van, their trailer, their equipment, and their personal belongings. They could have easily given up at this point, but they decided to persevere and finish the tour. Tour mates Sparta and Straylight Run let them borrow equipment and they traveled the remainder of the tour in a chevy cobalt… just so that they could continue doing what they love. I had the privilege of seeing them in concert shortly after this travesty and they were incredible.

visit their site and read their story… and please donate. they are a great band and they deserve your support.

As I was perusing my Blog aggregator (Nerd Alert) to see what musical wonder to share today I was having trouble picking. And then as I was checking my account at MoustacheMay.com I found some great free music that is ’stache inspired from the guys that made me laugh all month long. These gentlemen banded together to show America that they weren’t afraid of the old caterpillar lip. I’ll spare you the personal play by play for the month… but I will say you can read the full article at Dan Portnoy.com if you’re so inclined.

Check out the Bazaar and check out the FREE STUFF for some sweet Stache Licks… ( is that too much?)

It’s been about a week since the 2007 South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) has ended and we’re still getting reports on all the activity. The blogosphere and podcasters nationwide have been releasing how the music festival, interactive panels, and film festival went. But what about you? How did it go? Would you like to tell your story to a larger audience? Here at THE DROP we got so much feedback on Coury’s take on all that he experienced in Austin, that we thought it would be cool for you to get the same chance.

So how do we get your story posted?

Put your story to paper (digital paper works too) and send it to me via an email to dan@thedroponline.com along with a photo of you at the fest or your best headshot (we want the world to see you). Then I’ll get it on the site super quick.

It was a feast for the eyes more than the ears - a sea of emo kids and rockers past their prime - glammed up guys and half dressed girls. There was an undeserved confidence in the air - no one out of uniform. The steady flow of tight legged jeans and boys with eyeliner seemed almost as important as the music itself. The streets were lined with hopefuls ready to expose their concoction of “the next big thing” - and there we were – excited, hoping to catch the scent of something new and inspiring. From door to door the sounds of tired new wave and post punk littered 6th street. Apart from the signed acts that filled the late night circuit, an onslaught of vapid, unsigned bands put their spin on everything from 80’s pop to hard core and rock. We spent most of Friday night sampling what Austin had to offer - taking in ANNUALs, THE CUBICLE and a few other forgettable bands before returning to our hotel around 1am.

Saturday began early, as load in for our 2:45pm show was at 10am and we were supplying the backline. The venue was The Six Lounge on 4th street. A modern bar that on any other night more than likely contained a trendy set of professional twenty-somethings. This was a far cry from the other dives we had experienced the night before. The stage was an interesting space of width not length, placed directly in front of the bar. The above balcony supplied lounge seating and a birds-eye view of the stage below. After a quick load in, the wait began for our chance at a sound check. Gordo (the sound engineer) and his assistant Chris worked for several hours putting the pieces of the puzzle together. As luck would have it, all sound checks had to be cancelled and by 1:15 Gordo & Chris were working at a feverish pace just to insure an “on time” start - These were two of the nicest guys we have had the pleasure of working with. What most “fans” don’t realize is that the process of sounding good (sonically) is almost completely out of the band’s control. They are at the mercy of a soundman, who more times than not, has been abused by other “difficult” bands and has no interest in helping you (the current band he is engineering) achieve a good stage or house mix. Lucky for us this was not the case. Though a sound check was out of the question, Gordo went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of.

The show consisted of five acts. We worried that lynden would be the only full band represented but when the second act, LIAM & ME, took the stage – all worry disappeared. From the first note of the opener, ZACK HEXUM, we knew the bar had been raised. He reminded me of a more focused JEFF BUCKLEY. Solid songs and a great set of pipes rounded out a nine-song set.

LIAM & ME were up next. Without missing a beat they launched into what seemed to be a mix of Maroon5 and The Killers - Hooky songs that played in vein with the current trends of popular music. It seemed to be the fluid theme of this year’s sound. The 80’s had returned but most bands didn’t realize 2003 had already yielded all we wanted from this category. I am by no means trashing Liam. The band performed their songs with great precision and there were elements of their sound I truly enjoyed.

After a seven-song duration it was lynden’s turn. We quickly took the stage and made sure Matt was ready to go. He arrived only thirty minutes earlier and was in a mad frenzy to line-check his keyboard and cello. Within minutes Chris (our drummer) counted in the first song and we were off. Though sloppy in some sections (mostly turnarounds and outros) our seven-song set flew by without much incident. Upon completion we quickly said our “thank yous” and left the stage. The response was great and in one fell swoop the pressure that had been building for several weeks dissipated. We did the required schmoozing and settled in for the next act.

NICO STAI took the stage with an acoustic guitar and a handful of gravel voiced songs. I enjoyed his cover of the 80’s R&B classic “Rumors” but with few arrangement variations the set soon turned into a blur of predictable ballads.

From there the show prepared for the “star” - our “headliner” of sorts – Mr. CARY BROTHERS. If you are unfamiliar with Cary’s work, you probably have not seen a recent Zack Braff film or kept up with the new breed of singer-songwriters that are making a welcomed resurgence. Cary started the show with a bang – he did something surprising - something taboo by most managers, publicists and record label standards. This acoustic guitar wielding new “it kid” began his set with the one song that had garnered him his current commercial success – “Ride”. I found it ballsy and refreshing to see someone who seemed unfazed by the “rules” of the industry. It was obvious that he cared more about the introduction of new material than relying on his “one hit” to define who he is as a musician. The set followed with one acoustic rocker to the next and was done with great ease.

As the show wrapped we quickly packed our gear and loaded the van we had traveled thirteen hours in – what seemed like moments before. The ordeal of SXSW had been an interesting journey for us. With travel issues, last minute financial glitches and half of our management stuck in a blizzard - at one point I wondered if this adventure would prove worthwhile. But as great as the struggles were, the rewards were that much greater. We left Austin with some new friends and a bevy of life experiences we will not soon forget.

The Internets - On November 14th the world will be offered a chance to help Katrina victims in time for Christmas. Lynden has teamed up with Burnlounge
for an exclusive download. From the press release:

This EP is a benefit project for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. All the profits from the sale of this BURNLOUNGE EXCLUSIVE will go directly to the Katrina Relief Fund. This is a VERY important cause. Its been just over a year since this enormous tragedy but the effects are still very fresh. We hope that you will join us in giving a little hope back to the hundreds upon thousands who will spend another holiday season rebuilding their lives. Let’s make history & sell a million downloads!!!!

The track, “All Is Calm” is available in the US only, sorry Canada, and is available at burnlounge.com/lynden

I’m raising Matt’s post involving music videos with some of my own.  There’s no competition here folks, only camaraderie among me and Benson.

Hear/Watch one of Sufjan’s new songs here. And then, watch Joseph Arthur’s recent David Letterman appearance here.  Seriously, when’s the last time you watched a 10 minute song of glorious Sufjan or watched a guy in a baby blue suit sing a whole song in falsetto?  And I love what Letterman says at the end.

Lastly, check out the Rock For Darfur dates on Myspace.  Could be coming to a city near you.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Matt Benson has been posting like a fiend since he got “the Internets” at his place. It’s been fantastic having him post about a whole bunch of music that isn’t on my radar and I’ve been thrilled to check it out. Matt has been installed as the resident music guru here at the offices (you’re welcome David) so if you want to tell him about a band that is making an imapct on your music player of choice shoot him an email here or here.

And if you’re part of a street team or a PR type of some kind and you want to get your stuff into Matt’s hands… it’s always a good time to give the mailing address

THE DROP

PO Box 4434

Lynchburg, VA 24502