Joe -- Based on this e-mail, I'd still much rather read Amplifier than Alternative Press or Blender. I can see where you're coming from, but I can also see where Brad was coming from -- in the past couple years, whenever I picked up a copy of Amplifier, it's obvious that the focus has broadened, which, depending on one's point of view, may or may not be a good thing. You also demonstrate that there are artists featured without ads in the magazine. And I think a lot of people would agree that having an e-mail exchange made public to the world is somewhat unfair. However, that's why people have to be extra careful with e-mail (and as Mark Foley now knows, IMs too). Could you, if you are willing, clarify your side of the story regarding the e-mail exchange? Mike Bennett Blog: http://blog.myspace.com/mrhonorama Record reviews and more at http://fufkin.com Find out about Chicago shows: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/chicagopopshowreport/ >From: Amplifierj@aol.com >Reply-To: audities@smoe.org >To: audities@smoe.org >Subject: Re: audities-digest V5 #47 (13 msgs) >Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:42:05 EST > > > >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 > _________________________________________________________________ Laugh, share and connect with Windows Live Messenger http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwme0020000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://imagine-msn.com/messenger/launch80/default.aspx?locale=en-us&source=hmtagline