Media Great Job Dudes… But How’d You Do That?
posted by on December 17 at 15:59 PM
Recently, the only new music that’s gotten me really excited has been from Fleet Foxes. After seeing them at Block Party and Bumbershoot their’s has become my most anticipated release, but I wait and wait and it never seems to come. So I find myself, for the first time ever, just streaming what they have off of their myspace while I do my computer business, content enough to hear the same five songs again and again until they finally finish their album. The other night I was playing the song “Blue Ridge Mountains” for a friend and noticed that they had almost 9,000 plays that day alone. Last night as I listened to the songs (again) I noticed another 8,000+ plays for that single day.
First off: Congratulations gentlemen. I hope the whole internet listens to your beautiful songs. You’ve earned every play you get.
But secondly: Zuh? Fleet Foxes aren’t’ even on a label yet, what kind of myspace sorcery have they concocted? My knowledge of PR is minuscule, but I am aware of the power of marketing through the internets, and I am aware that being a featured myspace artist can be purchased (anyone remember when the Trashies were featured for, like, a week? Yeah, I’m sure they earned that shit). But as far as I’ve seen Fleet Foxes haven’t been a featured artist, they’re just getting a lot of attention. I know Mr. Pecknold posts on here occasionally, and this is by no means a call out. But I’m curious. How do you make yourself blow up myspace like that?
Aren't they going to sign to Sup Pop?
I'll eat that pie (?) - a few weeks ago we had amassed a few label contracts that looked like gobbledygook to us, and we were having a hard time picking which one looked most rad, so we sent them off to a lawyer gent who was "feeling the jams" and willing to look it all over. I guess at the same time his buddy who works at myspace as Dear Music Leader was picking the "featured bands" for the coming week, so said lawyer gent showed his buddy our page and I guess he liked it enough to put it on the myspace site as a featured band.
I had never been to the "Myspace Music" homepage, that's the page you wind up at when you click the "Music" tab on the homepage. So we were up there for a week w/ five other bands with a little picture. I guess when you have 200 MILLION members some of them are bound to click on whatever you throw up there!!!
There was no devious payola involved.. I have heard you have to pay to be on the front main page, but the ones on the "Music" page are picked by MySpace staff. It was a little blip on the radar that in no way reflects any Maroon 5 level interest in the band, but it did almost double our "play count" which took about a year to get too 100,000!!
I mean, uh... I have never used a computer and I check my "email" by carrier pigeon. If I could fit one of those massive computers in my place (I hear they are the size of a building and only owned by the richest kings of Europe) I would consider it. I am currently living in the cabin where Thoreau wrote Walden and subsisting on termite antennae. Phew...
-Robin
P.S. LP is done! Coming out late spring on a label from this town that is really cool! (Hope that's vague enough), We are also recording an EP of 5 new songs that we will self release in Feb. Tanks for caring.
Wow, quick response. Thanks for the insight, kind sir.
Congrats Fleet Foxes! You deserve every single hit.
thanks for posting this! Robin is such an incredible, unique talent in songwriting. He is truly a gift for the community. I could go on and on, but this guy is like Springsteen amazing!
fleetfoxes/pecknold ftw.
his solo set at the croc was prize-worthy, even if there wasn't a contest.
let the sub pop rumors fly! i think it's agreed upon that fleet foxes deserve all the attention they're getting. they're fucking awesome.
and people say the seattle scene is dying.....not with these gents doing what they do....
http://index1.bomiqu.com >phil town
http://index1.bomiqu.com >phil town
http://index1.bomiqu.com >phil town
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