Do you brush your teeth to Downtown Battle Mountain? Do you have an autographed Dance Gavin Dance poster hanging on your wall? Do you practice screaming like Jon Mess in your car? Then we’ve got good news for you: We’re giving away free tickets to every stop of the Rock Yourself To Sleep Tour, featuring DGD, A Lot Like Birds, and more!

Here’s how to win:

1. Login to your Tumblr account and follow us.

2. Reblog this post with the date you would like to attend.

3. Tell your friends to do the same, because every winner gets two tickets!

Good luck!

People Magazine got the scoop of a lifetime last night, reporting that Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger and pop starlett Avril Lavigne were newly engaged following a whirlwind romance. The linking of the houses of Kroeger and Lavigne represents a consolidation of power as the two families now have a stranglehold on bad Canadian rock.

That was a joke. But seriously, this is huge.

Continue reading ‘Chad Kroeger And Avril Lavigne’s Engagement Is Literally The Biggest News Ever, Eh? [UPDATE]‘

OFWGKTA R&B singer Frank Ocean has made headlines after opening up about his sexuality and revealing his attraction to both men and women. Rumors regarding the crooner’s sexuality began to fly after a media listening party for his yet to be released debut LP, Channel Orange. Blogger This Is Max was the first to note intriguging word choices in the R&B crooners lyrics, reporting that, “On the songs ‘Bad Religion’ ‘Pink Matter and ‘Forrest Gump’ you can hear him sing about being in love and there are quite obvious words used like ‘him’ and not ‘her’.” After two days of media spectulation, Ocean posted a excerpt from the liner notes of  Channel Orange to address the issue. “4 summers ago I met somebody,” Ocean wrote. “I was 19 years old. He was too… By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant.”

The response to Ocean’s self-outing has been nearly universally positive from the hip-hop community at large, both fans and artists alike. In a statement posted on GlobalGrind, media mogul Russell Simmons called Ocean “courageous,” saying, “Frank, we thank you. We support you. We love you.”

Many rappers took to twitter to express support and for the R&B singer. Solange Knowles wrote “I salute you, brave soul. Independence Day. @frank_ocean” Mac Miller also chimed in as well, tweeting, “frank ocean is very important for the growth of humanity.” Fellow members of Odd Future also commented on the matter. Earl Sweatshirt posted that he was simply, “Proud of Frank.” And OF mastermind Tyler, The Creator had a predictably light hearted and absurd reaction to the news regarding Ocean, saying,”My Big Brother Finally Fucking Did That. Proud Of That Nigga Cause I Know That Shit Is Difficult Or Whatever. Anyway. Im A Toilet.” The outpouring of support is all the more notable considering the historic and ongoing associations between hip-hop and homophobia.

Listen to the first single from Channel Orange, “Pyramids,” below.

19-year-old Harlem, NY-based rapper Azealia Banks is not known for her subtlety or nuance. No, the spunky female MC has made a name for herself with tracks like “212,” a song which is as lyrically dense as it is lyrically explicit. Banks has also been fairly outspoken over her Twitter account, like many other rappers. But Banks took it to another level this past Friday. After it was revealed that Banks had ended her professional relationship with manager Troy Carter - with whom she had signed just two months prior - the rapper went on the offensive over Twitter.

“Guess what?: I’m still not going to let you manage me again. I’ve dealt with enough cyber bullying to see right thru this.”

“I will definitely be working BY MYSELF and saving MY 20% On management commissions while I avoid you sharks in the water….”

Banks went on to say that she would only work with a female manager or “a really gay man” in the future. Shortly after her tweet tirade, Banks deleted her account.

Banks later took to her Tumblr, posting that she was “NO LONGER WISHING TO BE A RAPPER.” This statement was later amended in a follow up post, with Banks saying that she would continue to rap, only that she did not “want the label and all the other crap that comes with the ‘rap game’.” Banks also stated that she would be communicating with her fans exclusively through her Tumblr going forward.

Carter, who notably manages Lady Gaga, had released a statement on the 7th, stating that he and Banks had ended their professional relationship “on very amicable terms.”

Moving at the speed of hype, 17-year-old Daytona Beach, FL native Kitty Pryde has been taking over the internet at a breakneck pace. Taking her name from a character from the X-Men comics, Pryde is the latest in a string of female MCs who have come to prominence in the past few months including Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea, and Kreayshawn. The “jail bait Hailey Williams of Rap,” Pryde has also drawn comparisons to hipster songbird Lana Del Rey; both seemingly came out of nowhere and have built buzz with the tumblr crowd thanks to a handful of woozy youtube videos.

Pryde’s output has been scant so far. That said, having a lone EP, The Lizzie McGuire Experience, and two singles to her name hasn’t gotten in the way of her rise in popularity. With write-ups in The Fader, Vice, Pretty Much Amazing, Idolator, and many more in the past two days alone, her ascent has been dizzyingly fast.

Watch the video for her latest single “Okay Cupid” and see what all the fuss is about.

Since you’re reading this post in a publication that is distributed through a music discovery Web site, there’s a good chance that you’re pretty familiar with the ins and out of the Internet. You’re on Facebook, maybe you’ve tweeted and there’s a good chance you’ve checked in on Foursquare. So, that’s it for social media, right?

Wrong. You can’t really think it’s OK to keep active with just the big players, the major social media platforms that everyone online is already familiar with.  These days, you can’t just be on Facebook or Twitter or MySpace (even though your band hasn’t been logged into for years). The reason is that the game is changing  every day. It seems every week there is some new social media or Web site that you need to get involved with. Since it can be daunting to peruse through all the different sites and understand both what they offer and what they can do for your band,  we’re going to highlight some of the more useful blogging tools that musicians like you need now.

Tumblr has been around for a while now—founded on 2007, it’s a twentysomething in Internet years. But it really just began to come into its own in 2011, and now is as good a time as any to get into it. Why? There’s a few reasons. Tumblr’s simplified platform is easy enough for anyone to use and the various themes users allow anybody to make a clean, attractive blog. The ask and reply system allows for straightforward correspondence between users. But the most impressive aspect of the Tumblr experience? It’s personal. Facebook allows for mass communication, Twitter allows for mass broadcasts but Tumblr is far more intimate. The artists that do it right, like indie band Toro Y Moi or the Beastie Boys, combine little glimpses into who they are, from their interests to their lives. For more ideas and inspiration, check out the tumblrs for Tom Waits, Childish Gambino and OurStage’s own Bethesda.

Yes, you’ve heard of Google and chances are you’ve heard of (but maybe not used) Google+. Fair enough, you’re not alone if you’ve tried and not kept up with the search giant’s attempt to break into the social media game. However, it may just be the time to give it another look. A number of major name artists are beginning to make use of the burgeoning social media platform. Big names like Britney Spears, T-Pain, Mark Hoppus and Trent Reznor are all users. Google+ has already had it’s fair share of breakout stars, like OurStager Daria Musk. Daria has mastered the medium and became a sensation on Google+ overnight, with over 200,000 people tuning into her last livestreamed show. Check out footage from the Daria’s first Google Hangout concert below.

Finally, you would be forgiven if you’ve come across Pinterest and not thought anything about it with regards to your musical career. Pinterest is like an online cork board; users share images on their pinboards and can browse the pinboards of others for inspiration. At least at this early stage, Pinterest is like Tumblr but with a more human element, or Facebook without all the excess noise. While the number of musicians on Pinterest as of right now is limited—the Backstreet Boys appear to have the the biggest presence—the service is still very young and growing fast. In fact, the invitation-only site has seen explosive growth in the past six months, growing from 2 million to 11 million weekly visitors between September to December of 2011. So while there’s no obvious strategy for musicians on Pinterest—self-promotion is frowned upon and the service is image based for now—it would be good to get in on the ground floor of the wildly popular service.

When you look at the hip-hop scene at it stands now, with artists like OFWGKTA and LMFAO on the rise, you can feel the genre shifting a bit both in terms of music and artistic vision. Taking a more wild and eclectic approach to not only music but fashion sense is becoming a running trend. With that in mind, the up-and-coming rapper Theophilus London is riding the wave with his unique blend of influences, that read off like something from an indie rock band, and his eye-catching sense of style. This has led to widespread success with his debut release Timez Are Weird These Days getting significant buzz and landing high-profile performances like at this past year’s Cannes Film Festival. Taking some time out of his busy tour schedule, this budding rap star sat down to chat with us about topics ranging from his Tumblr to listening to actress Milla Jovovich cover Prince.

OS: In the past, you’ve voiced displeasure about mainstream rap. Do you feel it’s something you still try to stay away from?

TL: In a sense of [it] being played out, maybe. But, there’s a lot of mainstream rap.

OS: How would you describe the difference between your approach and a regular hip hop artist?

TL: I work off of references. I idolize producers and try to sit down and work with producers on brand new sound. We talk about favorite artists first and foremost and develop a brand new sound. I really can’t say I’m different from other rappers because I’m not in the studio with them or in their creative process.

OS: You announced on Tumblr today that you got Michael Jackson to DJ some of your shows. How did you find him?

TL: I found him in New Orleans. He was hanging out a window. I asked him if he wanted to tour and he said yes. Really glad he came out to tour with us.

Continue reading ‘Exclusive Q&A: A Conversation With Theophilus London About Love, Life and Antarctica’

In the age of the Internet it has become almost too easy to let the whole world know what you are up to. Although most of the time this can be pretty annoying —no one really wants to hear a play-by-play of their neighbor’s trip to the grocery store— it presents a great opportunity for touring musicians. Updating your fans with videos, pictures and songs will keep them engaged and eager to buy concert tickets. Luckily there are tons of easy ways to share your life on the road with your fans.

Step One: Laptop

OK, this probably seems like a given, but it’s important to have a laptop that has some type of video and audio editing software. Although I’m sure 99.9% of all touring musicians have laptops with these capabilities, it’s still worth mentioning. Personally, I’m a huge fan of MacBooks (Pro or otherwise). They come equipped with iMovie and Garageband, and have a built-in webcam perfect for making a quick video update or (as I talk about below) streaming live shows.

Step Two: Tumblr.com

John Mayer with fans in Brooklyn

Any blog platform will do really, but I’m personally very partial to Tumblr. The format is really easy to use and it’s endorsed by John Mayer—what more do you need to know really? It’s a central place where you can write blogs, upload videos and songs, post links, funny conversations and quotes – basically anything you could ever want! Check out 30 Reasons Why You’ll Love Tumblr and you’ll be sold.

Step Three: Content

Flip Video Cam

Now that you’ve set up your Tumblr (or other blog) you need to generate some entertaining content. Anytime I follow a musician on tour, there are three major posts that catch my attention – video updates, songs and pictures. Let’s be honest, who reads anymore?! If you’re going out on tour for a month or so, weekly tour update videos are a great way to let your fans know your whereabouts and what you’ve been up to. The Flip video cam is a really useful tool for anyone making movies on the go, especially movies that may include live footage from one of your shows. Although the price can be a little steep, the video and audio quality is great and the camera itself is super easy to use. Just record some footage, plug it in with the built-in USB and you’re good to go!

The girls behind the "Spring Break Forever" Theme Song

In terms of songs, I am  a huge fan of tour theme songs. They’re funny and a great way to spread the word. Offer them up as a free download on your Tumblr and your fans will be buzzing. Also, if you get the opportunity to record one of your shows, posting the audio is a great way to let your fans know what they can expect from your live show. If you’re one of those “writing on the road” types, posting Garageband demos of brand-spanking new songs is another great way to generate interest, even if the song is a complete joke that you and your tour-mates wrote for fun.

Andrew Maury on tour with Ra Ra Riot

The key to taking entertaining pictures is people. You may think that the beautiful sunset or view from your van is awesome, and a few of those type of pictures are okay, but overall no one really cares. People want to see pictures of you and your tour-mates, the crazy bum sitting outside the venue or pictures of you and your fans.

Just populate your blog with these types of posts and I guarantee your fans will love you for it! Also, make sure you hook up your Twitter to your Tumblr so anytime you update your blog, an announcement will be sent to all your Twitter followers.

Step Four: Livestream

Livestreaming your show is another great way to build hype amongst your fans. It gives them an event to look forward to and gives them the opportunity to see you perform live if they can’t make it out to the show. Some great wWeb sites for this include Livestream.com, Justin.tv and UStream.tv. All you need is a web cam, a high speed Internet connection and a laptop. If the venue you’re playing has high speed Internet, streaming from the green room or backstage can also be a fun thing to do with fans. The  majority of these platforms have live chats where viewers of your livestream can interact with you, ask questions and give song requests. Hanson is a great example of a band that uses Livestream to it’s best —they have a player embedded onto their Web site that broadcasts select shows, posts update while driving from city to city and takes request for their upcoming performances.

Do you know any examples of bands that are GREAT at blogging from the road? Let us know in the comments!

The Good

New Beyoncé video for “Why Don’t You Love Me”

That Beyoncé. Always looking so hot, dancing so nubile, making the rest of us feel like big, warty ogres lumbering around, bumping into things. Well, she’s done it again with her video for “Why Don’t You Love Me.” This time Sasha Fierce serves it up ‘50s style — as in pin-up model meets sexpot housewife. Shot by Melina Matsoukas (who directed Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” video) as grainy, vintage Super 8 footage, “Why Don’t You Love Me” begs the answer, “Because we’re seething with jealousy, Beyoncé. That’s why.” Check it out below.

The Bad

Roger Waters’ street team wheat-pastes over Elliott Smith memorial

"Figure 8" cover

The iconic swirl mural featured on the cover of Elliott Smith’s “Figure 8” got an unwelcome facial from Roger Waters’ street team this week. The former Pink Floyd front man hired street artists to wheat-paste or project images and an anti-war quote by Dwight D. Eisenhower around NYC and LA to promote his upcoming The Wall tour. The mural, located on Sunset Strip, has served as a memorial to Smith since his death in 2003 so fans were none too pleased to see it wheat-pasted. Rogers released the following statement in response to all the hoopla:

“It was absolutely an accident. I didn’t want to disrespect Elliott Smith’s fans, and I’ve instructed [the team] to remove the wheat-paste immediately. It was a random pasting in the normal course of this, and I want to make it public that we had no intent to offend or cover up something precious.”

We would be much more indignant about this whole thing if we had any idea what wheat- pasting was.

The Ugly

MTV releases “Jersey Shore” soundtrack

"Jersey Shore" cast

Looking for the perfect song to beat the beat up? Want to start a bar brawl to a sick techno mix? Need something to listen to on your iPod while you take care of GTL? Juiceheads and guidettes, MTV has heard your cries, and will soon deliver a “Jersey Shore”-inspired soundtrack. Pauly D and Snooki-wannabes — rejoice!

Miscellany

• Miley Cyrus releases video for “Can’t Be Tamed”
• Lady Gaga rocks MET gala
• Kelly Rowland to release new album
• Diddy to start blogging
• New video from iamamiwhoami
• John Mayer dumps Twitter for Tumblr
• Neil Young to record new album with Daniel Lanois
• The New Pornographers, Broken Social Scene albums out
• Bret Michaels released from hospital
• B.o.B comes in at #1 on Billboard 200