Want to be part of a Rockumentary at SXSW? Use #FeedTheBeat on Twitter!

Not everyone can make it out to SXSW but through the use of social media people at home get to experience it more and more. Many showcases will be lived streamed through out the festival. This year Taco Bell and Hype Hotel are teaming up to bring everyone a killer line up with their day and night showcases. Through the hashtag project #FeedTheBeat fans will get to share the content (pictures, video, and tweets) they capture before and after the show. The Feed The Beat show will feature Passion Pit (I’m having trouble containing my excitement) and Wildcat! Wildcat! on Monday March 11th.  The video below explains more about the project!

The music industry for a long time has fought evolution. They want things to run and be run like they did 50 years ago. Bands are learning that the way to sell out shows is by having a loyal fan base. The days of needing major label backing are over. Some of the biggest breakout artist of last year were Indie’s look at Macklemore and Passion Pit. The way to have a loyal fan base is to give them access. Let them feel like they have something to invest. I love the idea of this Rocumentary because it allows you to become part of something bigger than you. Avicii just did it with his Avicii X You project that was one of the biggest music collaborations ever.This sin’t a documentary on what someone thinks you want to see it a documentary made possible by what you contribute as a person, fan, and music lover.

As the days get closer to SXSW I get more and more excited. I used to go in with a plan of everything I wanted to see but now I feel like I like the idea of just going and see what happens and what I listen to. I’ll be trying to keep my Blog updated with as much info as I can. Be sure to follow me on Twitter I plan on sharing as much of my experience as I can!!

Here’s the most recent Passion Pit video for “Carried Away”

Music Flowing Through the Speakers

In the beginning of November I signed up for the 30-Day free trial of Spotify and fell in love with it. I don’t think that I’ll be that person who only streams music, I still like purchasing albums, but it gives me time to make up my mind on how I feel about what it is I’m listening to. I like reading the bios and seeing other related artist in a neat little list that is easy to navigate. Since downloading Spotify to my computer and phone I feel like I’m constantly exploring and listening to good music.

I thought that I would share what I have been listening to lately. Well for starters the Big Boi Album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors was released yesterday and I have listened to it several times. In a previous blog I mentioned how much I loved the song “She Hates Me” and it is still one of my favorites off the album.  Every song is so artfully crafted and the sound that he went for mixes the old with the new. You get that typical Atlanta/Southern sound with songs like “In The A”  which features T.I. and Ludacris and “Gossip” which features Bun B of UGK and Big K.R.I.T. the beat just grabs you and forces you to listen. My other favorites are “Shoes for Running”, “CPU”, and “Tremendous Damage” all of which surprised me in one way or another. This is only the second studio release for Big Boi as a solo artist. He incorporated different sounds and genres into the making of this album and every part of if stands out individually and as a whole. He chose to work outside the box and make something different then what is currently available. It is definitely worth checking out.

The other album that I have streamed several times this week has been Imagine Dragons Night Visions. I kept running across people talking about the album on twitter and the radio. I finally remembered to look them up while looking stuff up in Spotify and have streamed it several times this past week. I will be adding the album to my collection very soon! I enjoyed listening to the album all the way through and really enjoyed the songs “Radioactive” and “Bleeding Out” as well at the one that get the most radio play “It’s Time”. With Spotify it’s nice to have everything at your finger tips. I know that you can’t find everything on it but it’s better than other services I’ve tried. I wish it gave the exact release date of each album instead of just the year because I like to get a general idea of how many weeks something has been out.

The list of what has been blaring out of my speakers at home is endless. If you haven’t tried Spotify yet the free version is just as good and worth it if you are unsure about how to use it or what it does. I wasn’t too sure how I was going to like it at first at it has become my go to for playing music while I’m on the computer or in the car!