Santa Fe Reporter Article
THIS WEEK : CULTURE : MUSIC
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Last Updated: November 28, 2007 - 12:04 PM
Ruckus: Free Wheelin’
By Gabe Gomez
Published: November 21, 2007
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Back in August, the end of summer meant one thing to David Wheeler: returning to his job as a music teacher at Gonzales Elementary School. The possibility of signing a development deal with Epic Records, garnering a gig at
David Wheeler works out songs not for an album, but for the Internet.
the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, and engaging in a subsequent tour that would tear him away from his quiet life in San Jose, NM, weren’t exactly on his radar. Nevertheless, these improbable scenarios are quickly becoming reality.
Wheeler’s journey as a singer-songwriter reflects an increasingly viable trend among indie musicians searching for notoriety. He uploaded songs onto the Internet and entered online music contests that promised recording contracts and other goodies to the winners. What Wheeler is doing is part of a larger phenomenon in modern music and the record label industry.
Simply Google “music + contests” and the results are somewhere north of 16,000 entries. Online music competitions aren’t new, but what makes Wheeler’s story remarkable is that it exemplifies how the Internet has created new ways for musicians to self-promote their work and repave the road to rock stardom.
After opening an account on MySpace in August, Wheeler uploaded some songs and began connecting with old friends and former bandmates. Eventually, he stumbled upon a Web site called MusicNation.com, which bills itself as an “online music community” where artists, critics and music fans interact. It also hosts music competitions that range from guitar-playing challenges to a category called “Spin Hot Pursuit,” a rock competition sponsored by Spin Magazine. The latter is the category Wheeler entered.
Any musician can join the competition by opening an account, which is similar to those on MySpace or Facebook. According to the site, two bands advance weekly. One artist is chosen by listener votes (“Nation’s Choice”) and the other by a panel of judges (“Geek’s Choice”). Eventually the judges cut the herd from 16 to eight, then from eight to two and then declare a winner. Judges for “Spin Hot Pursuit” include former Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros’ frontman Perry Farrell, Spin Magazine editor Doug Brod and indie rock hero Tim Kasher of the band Cursive.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” Wheeler says. “I was really only looking to maybe publish some songs.” Instead, Wheeler finds himself ranked No. 18 among the hundreds of other bands and musicians, many of whom have names like Stalking Connie, Friday Night Kills and Lugosi’s Morphine. According to Wheeler, the closer he gets to the Top 10, the more likely he will advance to the next level.
“I stay away from formulas,” Wheeler says about his sound. “My situation is different from other bands in the contest. They gig regularly, tour nationally and music is their main source of income. I can’t do that while I have my job. As a solo act, I wouldn’t all of a sudden up and leave.”
The multi-instrumentalist plays and records all of his instruments (guitar, drums, bass, keyboards) at home on a Fostex MR8 digital recorder. His song, “You Say,” which leans toward a Neil Young country rock delivery and could potentially get him a record deal, has home studio written all over it: The vocals are above the music, a definite hiss fills the track and the instrumentation doesn’t exactly blend. Still, the song resonates with listeners and is steadily climbing.
“Stumbling upon this contest works out really well for me in this situation as it is,” Wheeler muses. “This is one way that I don’t have to quit my job and tour the country. You can do that and still not get recognized. The whole music industry is changing because of the Internet and MP3s, and nowadays
it may be a much more realistic way of getting the recognition. Not the fan base certainly, but the recognition from the people that matter.”
Typically, the road to fame is littered with romanticized clichés about paying dues, playing empty bars on Tuesday nights and endless couch surfing. Although Wheeler has played in bands throughout his life—most recently in a local rock band called Big Rock—being a professional musician has never been at the forefront of his life. He probably won’t act the part of a road-weary troubadour, but just knowing that a mild mannered and convivial person with a 9-to-5 job can go toe-to-toe with seasoned rock animals desperate for a record deal speaks volumes about the egalitarian nature of online music contests and what may be in store for the future of music. If it’s a matter of a live music experience, with all its sweat and imperfections, online music contests will probably never be able to adequately convey the hunger of an indie band playing for crickets on any day of the week.
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