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We’ve all heard the accusations, especially with older religious groups, that Rock n’ Roll is the Devil’s music. We’ve shrugged that off over the years and even evangelical Christian Rock groups have taken to the sound. But they not have been far off the mark if you believe in legends and have an open mind.

If you are a music lover, musician, and are open minded, I invite you to take the time and listen to a legend. The legend of the beginning of Rock and Roll!

Robert Johnson was a poor, African American man, born in Mississippi in 1911. During his life he became known as The King of the Delta Blues. Robert Johnson however, was not always the a great guitarist. Read the rest of this entry

Do you remember 1987? If not, do you wish you did? Then you need to listen to this podcast.

Joe, Greg and I play a few tunes from that year, discuss some of the movies that were big (and are still relevant today) and revisit a few other pop culture topics.

Click here to listen to Social Blend now.

In the music business, you need to strike while the iron is hot, and take your chances when you get them. You never know when a once in a lifetime opportunity will present itself, and when it does, you need to be ready to step up to the microphone and rock it.

You need an artist management company who knows how to function in the fast paced world of the music business.

Best Kept Secret

The best kept secret in the music business, though, is that, more often than not, “once in a lifetime” opportunities don’t just happen. Most bands and artists who have achieved any degree of success in the business got their big breaks because of someone in the background pulling the right strings and making sure the pieces fell into place so they could get that legitimate shot at success. Most of the time, the ones behind the scenes are aggressive artist managers or artist management companies. Read the rest of this entry

photo credit: B Rosen

At a time when music is gradually perceived as a streamed commodity for most listeners (as opposed to the traditional ownership model which peaked in the era of CDs), we think there is room for new initiatives that will reinvent a sustainable ecosystem for both the end-user and the artist.

We’ve just launched a GLOBAL musical social network bringing together private hosts of house concerts and solo artists. The idea of house concerts has been around for a few years but there have been few attempts to organize it properly on a global level. This will be our challenge. Our ambition is to build the network of hosts during a few months to gain enough traction before launching the first tours. Read the rest of this entry

photo credit: rick

When I heard about Google Music and read a few stories (below), I figured I would jump in with both feet and get in while the gittin is good. Hell, maybe even snag some new listens before everyone and there mother has their tracks streaming and up for sale.

Here are a few quick observations I had when researching and signing up for Google Music. Read the rest of this entry

Image via Wikipedia

Led Zeppelin has gone down in history as one of the biggest bands of all time. I’m here to convince you that they are, in fact, the greatest of them all.

Remembered as the biggest band of the 1970′s, Led Zeppelin gained iconic status through their electrifying live shows. Over time, their popularity hasn’t waned, and they are still one of the most popular bands today. Only reuniting a handful of times, they have remained true to their legacy and will be forever remembered as their classic line-up: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham.

Here are five reasons why Led Zeppelin is the greatest band of all time. Read the rest of this entry

Are you thinking about having a custom album cover done for your next release? Well then you are going to want to read this.

I sat down (virtually) with album cover designer Jennifer Paganessi of JL Album Art (and latest Musicgoat partner) to pick her brain about the importance of album covers, why she is passionate about them and why you should let her do yours.

Oh and she even reveals some of her favorites from the past andpresent (one may surprise you). Read the rest of this entry

To keep you posted on the whole Google Plus Page thing, I have a few things for you to check out. I came across a great resource on how to create your Google Plus page as well as another post outlining some of the things you can’t do with Google Plus Pages.

How To Get Started With Google Plus Pages For Business

Yeah it says business but if it makes you feel better, pretend it say musicians or bands or whatever. Either way, Christopher Penn puts out top shelf  info on anything related to marketing and social media. This post gives you a quick guide to setting up your Page.

UPDATE: Create A Google Plus Business Page in 2 Minutes

Like to learn via a video better? Check out Paul Colligan’s how-to video

Why You Should Get A Google Plus Page For Your Music ASAP

Wondering why you even need yet another page? Read this and you’ll see.

I Wish I Never Heard of Google Brand Pages

Uber Social Guru Robert Scoble has a few interesting point in this post. It will give you an idea of what you can’t do with Google Plus (like not being able to have more than one admin for your page).

My Google Plus page is a work in progress but you can check it out if you’d like.

Corey Koehler Music on Google Plus 

Do you have any tips or know of any other resources that can help us musicians get the most out of Google Plus? Great, feel free to share them below.

 photo credit: The Daring Librarian

Like This Stuff? So do 600 plus Musicgoat diehards. Subscribe via RSS now or learn more about what I am doing to find more fans by signing up for the newsletter .

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share music. To be honest, I have been horrible at it lately. Today that changes (at least for today).

Besides, Soundcloud makes it so damn easy to share and embed music that there really isn’t an excuse.

Chief Ghoul

Today, check out Chief Ghoul from Chicago. Distorted acoustic guitar, distorted haunting vocals and I am really diggin on this.

To be honest I wasn’t crazy about the production at first but the songs quickly made me forget about it. Plus, after listening for awhile, it totally works and gives the tunes – and the Chief – their own identity (and thats what it is all about).

In My Time Of Dyin’ by Chief Ghoul

The Way by Chief Ghoul

What do you think of the Chief?

Like This Stuff? So do 600 plus Musicgoat diehards. Subscribe via RSS now or learn more about what I am doing to find more fans by signing up for the newsletter .

photo credit: Vectorportal

The term ‘rock star’ tends to evince a different image depending on who you ask. Me, I imagine a hard-drinking, guitar-shredding womaniser who can turn a subdued crowd of spectators into an exigent stampede. I picture Axl Rose, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain. I don’t think of The Beatles or The Who, though many will. Images of a tongue-wagging Gene Simmons or microphone-raising Freddie Mercury are what pop to mind. Yes, it’s fair to say rock star is a polarising term.

There is rock royalty of course, many of whose members huddle under the umbrella term ‘monsters’. So-called monsters of rock generally include Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, and Iron Maiden, their modus operandi comprising a blend of gigantic riffs, superabundant solos and memorable antics, both off stage and on. They are the big guns, the Hall of Famers. Kicking ass and taking no prisoners, the monsters have assured their place in history, and provide fertile ground for modern rock stars to thrive. But is the rock dinosaur extinct? Read the rest of this entry