ShoutNote launched one year ago this month. I’ve enjoyed trolling the underground to get the opinions of bands about how they’d change the indie music scene, whether they were from Los Angeles, New York or elsewhere. Though other projects have required more of my attention lately, I plan to continue posting to ShoutNote. Thank you to those who watched and rated my videos. Below is a montage of bands I saw and spoke with over the past year.
Singer/songwriter Peter Salett held a record release party at M Bar in Hollywood on July 17 for his upcoming album In the Ocean of the Stars. His music has been featured in films such as Judd Apatow’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, HBO’s Cat Dancers and Down in the Valley starring Ed Norton. On the new album, Salett retains his characteristic folk-country style, but tunes such as True in Time and Miss You are unique in their early 50s/60s pop rhythms and echo-heavy slide guitar. Both tracks are highly recommended downloads, or if you live in NYC, you can pick up a copy of the entire CD when Salett performs at The Living Room on July 23. The video below features highlights from the gig in Hollywood last Thursday, including guest appearances by actor/comedian Thomas Lennon and filmmaker David Wain.
I saw a show last week by Jenni Alpert, an L.A. folk/jazz singer who’s known for her DIY efforts, such as booking tours across the U.S. and Europe while not signed to a record label. She gave a more uncommon answer to how she’d improve the indie music scene, focusing more on what new artists can do for themselves rather than how the industry itself should change. A few live clips along with the interview below.
Dan Renfro is a musician and songwriter who’s been gigging around L.A. for about two years. His music is folk-blues style, and a track or two on his MySpace page shows off his saxophone skills as well. I spoke with him after a recent set at The Joint. When asked how he’d improve the indie music scene, he mentioned a distaste for a practice known as “pay-to-play,” which is a common complaint I’ve heard from other bands and musicians in L.A. Pay-to-play requires bands to pay a set amount up front in order to play at a given club. A percentage of proceeds from door charges then goes toward allowing the band to recover its money and maybe even make a few bucks profit if enough people show. Formerly from Kansas City, Renfro said bands there rarely have to pay in advance to perform at a club.
While I regrettably wasn’t able to capture any footage of Renfro on stage, he gives another unique answer to how he’d improve the scene in the video below: