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Recent Posts
- New Single and Music Video from Safe Houses: “Someday Is Starting Now”/”I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”
- Quick and Painless Peanut Sauce
- Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 7: You Can Do It All on the Internet
- On Staying Out of the Comments in 2023
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Category Archives: Arts and Culture
New Single and Music Video from Safe Houses: “Someday Is Starting Now”/”I Don’t Feel Like Dancing”
So, this week, my powerpop/jangle-garage band, Safe Houses, dropped our first release since before the pandemic. It’s a digital double-A-side single — “Someday Is Starting Now (Julia)”/”I Don’t Feel Like Dancing,” two songs that we’ve been playing for as long … Continue reading
Posted in Arts and Culture
Tagged brooklyn music, digital single, garage rock, i don't feel like dancing, independent record label, independent release, indie label, janglepop, love in the time of chloroform, music video, powerpop, Safe Houses, safe houses band, someday is starting now
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Quick and Painless Peanut Sauce
All right, here’s another one for all the broke artists out there! It’s the beginning of a new year, and following the holidays, there’s a strong chance the wad of cash under your bed is looking thinner than it normally … Continue reading
Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 7: You Can Do It All on the Internet
It’s a Friday night down at your local rock club, or maybe a Wednesday. Who even knows anymore? You’ve played at this place six times in the last nine months, and the crowd is still made up of seven of … Continue reading
Now This Band Is Called Safe Houses
If you’ve been following along on this blog even a little bit, or if you know me offline, you probably know I’ve been the lead singer and primary songwriter of a band called Shelter Dogs since 2013. I kept that … Continue reading
Posted in Arts and Culture
Tagged band names, cease and desist, intellectual property, IP law, Safe Houses, Shelter Dogs, trademark
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Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 6: It’s All Just About Who You Know
After you’ve spent about 30 to 45 seconds involved in making and distributing music, you start to recognize something important: The music “business” (whatever that means) is not a pure meritocracy. There is no consistent correlation between quality and popularity … Continue reading
Why Cassettes Rule if You’re in a Band
Out here in 2022, we’re about 15 years into the ostensible Cassette Revolution* – well past the point where it could reasonably be considered a “revolution.” Tapes are just part of what we’re doing now, as a culture, or whatever. … Continue reading
Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 5: Does “Getting Signed” Change Everything?
It’s a slow Thursday night at your neighborhood rock club, and you’ve just stepped offstage after an admittedly killer set by your Promising Local Band. You’re trying to suss whether that’s just your ego talking or if you’ve actually managed … Continue reading
You Don’t Have Any Money; You’re Gonna Make This Meatless Chili
You’re around here reading about “music” and “the arts” and “the creative process” and stuff like that, huh? Well, LET ME GUESS — you’ve got like a dollar, you’re looking for some food to cook on the cheap, and you’d … Continue reading
Posted in Arts and Culture, Social Issues
Tagged beans, broke people food, budget recipes, chili, meatless, one pot meals, starving artist, textured vegetable protein, TVP, vegan, vegetarian, winter meals
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Ringo Theory: On the Challenges of Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due
So, I have a few pet “theories” that I keep running in the background of my mind and pull out during those times when I need to let out a gigantic sigh and mutter, “All right, let’s be reasonable here,” … Continue reading
Posted in Arts and Culture, Social Issues
Tagged ensemble player, goals, Ringo Starr good drummer, Ringo Theory, skill assessment
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Bad Advice Musicians Hear, Part 3: Can a PR Rep Fast-Track You to Fame?
Today, we’re going to get into this not-so-great piece of advice: If you hire a PR rep, you’ll fast-track your band’s rise through the ranks. When I was about 21, I asked an acquaintance of mine who was already in … Continue reading
Hey, It's Brian LaRue 