In a message dated 1/21/2007 9:08:40 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, audities-owner@smoe.org writes: Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2007 16:25:46 -0600 From: "Brad Harvey" To: , Subject: Comments from a former Amplifier writer Message-ID: <200701212231.l0LMVGNm029863@smoe.org> Kerry Tucker of Einstein's Sister turned me on to Amplifier ten years ago. I loved the magazine's power pop/pop rock niche--I did the occasional article, reviewed CDs (all gratis), and even got another writer a gig there. I'm a huge fan of Johnny Society. Being altruistic towards deserving bands, I wrote a piece on spec. Joe at Amplifier balked--nicely--but agreed to print my article after I convinced the band's label to purchase an ad and donate CDs for Amplifier's 'free CD with subscription' offer. Had I not been so passionate and willing to hustle on behalf of both sides, this never would have happened. For over five years I was editor/publisher of OIL magazine, a free music monthly in western Illinois/eastern Iowa. If an artist had a good review (or bad) we would contact them ahead of deadline and ask if they wanted to buy an ad. Whether they did or didn't, the review would run, as is. It was simply another means of squeezing revenue from a limited resource. To be frank, struggling musicians are a pretty invisible demographic when it comes to having the financial clout to support a magazine. We relied more on car dealerships and restaurants to keep our bread buttered--having the corporate muscle of a co-publishing deal with the local daily helped too. (Most alt-weeklies make their real money off 1-900 ads which they run for free in exchange for a percentage from the number of calls said ads generate.) I'm sure when Joe took Amplifier national, it was for reasons of survival. Unfortunately, the further into the mainstream you venture, the blander you get--you start putting acts in your pages that alienate your original fan-base and if that strategy doesn't attract those prized national advertisers (and new readers), well, you've sacrificed your identity for nothing. Tread water or roll the dice, it's the entrepreneur's dilemma. Joe's biggest enemy is technology--why shell out newsstand bucks for info that's already months old when you can get it free and immediate via the internet? For me, the sage opinions of Bash, Bennett, Borack, Brodeen and Mason are just a mouse-click away on Audities. Brad Harvey NR: Ugly Things, Big Takeover Generally, this is the kind of tripe that I don't usually respond to because it's all based on memory, recollections from year's ago, or, in the current situation, an act of extrapolating what I thought was a personal business exchange as gospel truth. One thing I'm guilty of is being naive....never would I have thought that a conversation between myself and someone else would be used as fodder on a Blog to denigrate me and besmirch my reputation. But that part's between me and Matthew at Birdman and we've already spoken and said our piece to each other. But to say that Amplifier has become blander and more mainstream Brad? Let's see who the features are in the current issue: Badly Drawn Boy Bettie Serveert Joan as Policewoman Over the Atlantic The Changes The Winnerys The Bottle Rockets John Borack's Rave On column (man, how could it get any blander or more mainstream than Chris von Sneidern, Jeffrey Simmons, Fresh Mowed Lawn, The Fire Apes or the Handcuffs....oh wait, take them out, I think they're opening for Justin Timberlake now.) Jens Lekman Gomez (I think they're on Virgin but I just dig 'em.) Lloyd Cole Pere Ubu Andy Partridge (anybody on Audities dig him....heard of him?) and how about reviews....let's see, Gwen, Justin, ...who do we have? 1090 Club Annuals Shane Bartell Beach House The Black Neon The Black Watch Brian Wilson (one of my greatest days is seeing Dave Bash's cover story with Brian effing Wilson!) Califone Bon Savants Lindsey Buckingham (how mainstream but the guy's a pretty good songwriter and guitar player) Shawn Colvin Graham Coxon The Curtins The Decemberists (backlash be damed; they're still aces in my book) Dog Age (from the brilliant Rainbow Quartz stable) David and the Citizens Drydin Earl Greyhound El Pero Del Mar The Fags (and The Figgs in the same issue!) Tanya Donelly Form of Rocket Grey Does Matter Feist Jenny Lewis The Gurus (from the brilliant RQ again) Miho Hatori Heaven 17 The Hold Steady The Horrors (what a fun band) Hot Young Priest Josef K L.E.O. ( ya know, Bleu, Mike Viola, and some other cool folks with all those platinum records) PJ Harvey (how boring is she?) Los Straitjackets with the World Famous Pontani Sisters and Kasier George (I think by reviewing this CD alone I got like 2,873 new subscribers alone). Matt Mays and El Torpedo (from the fine folks at 00:02:59 who brought you the last incredible Willie Nile album). My latest Novel Stephanie McKay, Mute Math (oh, oh, didn;t they have a video on MTV.....that one must have slipped by me....probably cause I loved the album.) My Morning Jacket Michael Nace & The Nace Family The Pernice Brothers (bet a lot of people on this list would like him) Pinback The Trolleyvox (gotta admit I think we were in early on this one) The Places (from that major label powerhouse High Plains Sigh). Eliot Popkin The Purrs The Rails Roman Numerals Sebastian Schuller The Shakes Smash Place (from my old friend Art Herman at Zip....is it okay if I review his stuff because I like and respect him as well as the material he puts out) So Percussion Some Action The Static Age Stefy (oops, what was I thinking....but at least we trashed it!) Yeah Yeah Yeahs live review (what a boring, mainstream show they put on) System and Station Tahiti 80 This Day & Age The Tickets (Brewery Records Walter Clevenger) To Live and Shave in LA Tokyo Police Club Tristeza Turn Off the Stars The Winnerys (well we also figured we'd review the album as well as feature 'em) Denison Witmer Yo La Tengo Pete Yorn Zoodrive I'd stop there but have noticed how this is the season for lists ....and because I do have to admit we're going big-time for the sellout next issue. Features: The Good The Bad and The Queen (cover story) - actually I feel pretty good about this as we got to talk to all four members of the band. Could become the biggest band in the world after one album in which case we'll be able to tell the whole world we told you so. Young Love - check out the 1/8th page ad they tood out in exchange for our article....oh, wait, they didn't return our emails. Daylight's for the Birds - check out the....oh, never mind. El Presidente - check out the.....oh, never mind. Hotel Lights - nope, not this one either. The Little Ones - or this one....how do these artists get articles without forking over ad dollars? Clinic - yeah, score....thanks to Domino for the ad! Colin Meloy (for the Mix It Up column....sorry still like 'em) Jesu Maps LCD Soundsystem Sondre Lerche (he's so cute we're trying to attract more female readers....thank God his album is excellent.) Reviews: All India Radio Apples in Stereo (only because they're on Elijah Blue's new label and I was hoping to meet him!) Arctic Monkeys The Autumn Defense The Blow Boyskout Broken West Coach Fingers Dead Rock West The Ears Ex-Lion Tamer The Frames (kinda mainstream and approaching popularity but Anti puts out such great albums) Patty Griffin High Llamas Honeydogs Locksley Of Montreal Outrageous Cherry The Scruffs The Silos Tom Waites Jaimie Vernon (only because he bought an ad....though I'm pretty sure I put that CD up for grabs to the writers well before advertising was mentioned.) Tom Waits (way mainstream but a lot of people seem to dig him) Willard Grant Conspiracy James Yorkston So there you go....sorry to bore you with such a long list of prominent, manufactured, MTV-nurtured artists that we cover within our pages but if that's bland and mainstream to Brad I only hope the surgery to remove his head from his ass is successful. I believe the identity of AMPLIFIER remains intact. No, if you really want to do your homework and not take everything you read as fact and then call me at home and email me with all sorts of seemingly impossible physical suggestions, make a mental note of all the artists that we cover in the next issue you read (actually, I don't think many of you are readers of subscribers, especially all you with so much to say about me and the magazine) and try to find ads for those artists. The synopsis of all the babbling is the assertion that Amplifier trades reviews for advertising. See if the facts bear that out and get back to me. And Brad, since you don't want to shell out newsstand prices give me your mailing address and I'll send you our latest issue so you can check yourself. And I don't think my biggest enemy is technology....it's people who treat private correspondence as worldwide blog fodder and pass of some one-day private (ha!) email exchanges as some sort of company policy. Joe Joyce AMPLIFIER MAGAZINE - AMPLIFIER ONLINE Indie Rock + Artists That Matter 5 Calista Terrace Westford, MA 01886 _http://www.amplifiermagazine.com/_ (http://www.amplifiermagazine.com/) AmplifierJ@aol.com