Self promoting (yep, please read?)

[Silence_]

So yeah, if this is in the wrong section let me know. So the band I play for, JAR (www.facebook.com/JarOfRain) Has recently gotten a HUGE opportunity to go on tour as well as be on a TV Show, though we need some help. Here is a link with more information on how you can help: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-reality-tv-sh

If possible help us spread the word. I've been promoting and sharing this since it went live around 2 weeks ago and yeah we need all the help we can get. Thanks for taking the time to read if you read it.

EDIT: We did it, we managed to raise the money for it. Thanks everyone who contributed in some way or another, we really appreciate it even if it was looking at our music or the page. Check out the band page or the album if you'd like. Thanks again

After some stuff that's gone on, I'll either just be lurking or keeping my distance from cirtain forums from now on. Might even "ragequit"

[MysticMichael]

If you've got a budget for it, hire a real PR firm. Preferably one that specializes in music & entertainment.

Why limit yourselves to this Mickey Mouse crap if you don't have to?

MM

[JimmyM]

Maybe he has to.

[Silence_]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

If you've got a budget for it, hire a real PR firm. Preferably one that specializes in music & entertainment.

Why limit yourselves to this Mickey Mouse crap if you don't have to?

MM

Mickey mouse crap? I'm not sure I know what you mean. Please enlighten me. Afterall I'm still a kid who's not even of legal drinking age yet.

[bongomania]

Oh, back in the previous century there was an animated character of a mouse, named Mickey. Wherever he crapped, an indie rock band sprang up. It was quaint.

[Silence_]

ah so pretty much he's saying my band is animated mouse droppings
Sarcasm aside, I might be young, but I'm not young enough to not know who micky mouse is. So as far as a Budget goes we don't have one really, just take a look at our equipment and that might give you a hint. I'd appreciate it though if you'd actually take a listen to our music before making any huge judgement calls. At a glance we just look like 3 punk-*** kids with instruments. :/

Here, I'll give a link to some music
www.reverbnation.com/jarofrain

Or if you don't wish to be bothered to listen to "another indie band" Here's a review of our new album

http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/rever...bum_review.php

[Dantreige]

I skimmed through most of your material. I really liked it. Good luck to you and your band. I think we may see you on the big stages someday!

Keep up the good work!

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by Dantreige

I skimmed through most of your material. I really liked it. Good luck to you and your band. I think we may see you on the big stages someday!

Keep up the good work!

+1

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by Silence_

ah so pretty much he's saying my band is animated mouse droppings
Sarcasm aside...

Sorry about that, I was feeling cantankerous. What he was actually saying was that to him the "traditional" model of band promotion, hiring a professional agency, makes the most sense; while the modern web 2.0 DIY model, using Kickstart, seems to him to be inadequate, piecemeal, and not professional.

IMO in both cases you get out of it what you put into it, at least until somebody screws you over.

[Silence_]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Sorry about that, I was feeling cantankerous. What he was actually saying was that to him the "traditional" model of band promotion, hiring a professional agency, makes the most sense; while the modern web 2.0 DIY model, using Kickstart, seems to him to be inadequate, piecemeal, and not professional.

IMO in both cases you get out of it what you put into it, at least until somebody screws you over.

Ah I see. Whelp yeah as far as budgets go, we don't really even have one, We've just got done releasing our new album, Humans (I can give links to where to get it if anyone's intrested) and that wasn't cheap. The kickstarter is to help us afford this opportunity. We need to raise $20,000 by august 10th. We're basicly putting all we can into advertising, if we had the money to pay someone to help us advertise we would, but we don't so yeah. We just got back from a college radio station where we promoted it as well as our gig tomarrow. I've posted about it on at least 6 different websites, sent out 25 private messages to Local bands we've played with and family to try and help spread the word XD I'm srry it's just been all We've been doing for 2 weeks since it's gone live.
As far as someone trying to screw us over, us and our manager will look at contracts and that whole part when we get to it, but first we just got to get the money raised.

I'm not mad or anything sorry if it sounds that way, It's just been a busy, busy. We've got 3 gigs comming up just this weekend, had 3 last weekend as well O_o It's awesome, but tiring

[Silence_]

whelp another link for it is :www.jarofrain.com/kickstarter

Any help at all towards the kickstarter, whether to help spread the word in some way or to pledge to the kickstarter. Please excuse the Promotionwh***ing I've been doing.

[Silence_]

Here are two videos with two of the backer rewards we have planned (If you're around the Seattle Area or are willing to get yourself there)

$10 or more: choice to get a flowbee haircut from the band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBNs9...2&feature=plcp


$200 or more: Ghost hunt with a professional Paranormal investigator team plus a Private show at the SLAB in Georgetown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkqOb...4Y5x-wt2qB_FcQ

We've got about just a little more than a week

[Silence_]

Got an article in the local paper about this whole deal

http://www.nwnews.com/index.php?opti...news&Itemid=72

[6jase5]

Not trying to be a downer, but this sounds like the biggest "pay to play" ever. Luckily I had the early 90's when I was active and labels still had money as right now doing it for anything but fun and the sake of art, I don't know.

Also, never let a manager evaluate a contract, leave that to lawyers. If your manager is a lawyer, he better be a blood relative or that's even worse potentially.

[Silence_]

We actually had two meetings about that yesterday, one was to meet with the manager and the one whos putting this show together and the other one was to talk people who knew a little more than us about looking for an entertainment lawyer. Basicly I guess you could call pay to play. Pretty much the guy putting it together has already got the money to cover expenses for the band he's managing, it came to somewhere like 7 times what we're trying to raise. Though I guess this is also to try and prove how commited we are to working for something. We own the account that the money is actually going to. First we got to focus on actually getting the money raised then we can se contracts, no money is leaving our accounts until we see contracts and review them with an actual lawyer. We may be young, but we're not about ready to get completely screwed over just yet

[Nick_Merrick]

damn man really good stuff sorta like a more poppy nirvana from what i got out of it. im somethin of the same age so yeah thats awesome that youre doing well, good luck man post your youtube or something im too tired to look for it

[Marty Forrer]

Not trying to be a dick here, but if you want some criticism from someone who has done a bit of this and that, I would suggest your singer could do with a few vocal coach lessons. Many bands put major effort into crafting the songs, honing the arrangements, and getting great sounds from their instruments, but forget that the voice is an instrument too. It needs nurturing and practice like any instrument does. I'm not saying your singer is lacking, just that a little more expertise in the vocals will make you into a fine band, and you should do well. This is just my opinion, and I wish you well.

[Silence_]

Originally Posted by Nick_Merrick

damn man really good stuff sorta like a more poppy nirvana from what i got out of it. im somethin of the same age so yeah thats awesome that youre doing well, good luck man post your youtube or something im too tired to look for it

You can find us on Youtube by searching for Jar of rain, or seaching for the user JAR4899. There's a whole thing with the name. The story goes we were originaly called JAR then someone working with us told us that there was problems with tons of other bands called "JAR" so we changed it to Jar Of Rain (in my opinin it was best as Jar Of rain) but then we were told Jar Of rain sounded too christian or that they just didn't like the name so now we're going back to JAR and they want us to have JAR stand for something because Jar of rain also wasn't marketable. Too much focus on something little if you ask me

Originally Posted by Marty Forrer

Not trying to be a dick here, but if you want some criticism from someone who has done a bit of this and that, I would suggest your singer could do with a few vocal coach lessons. Many bands put major effort into crafting the songs, honing the arrangements, and getting great sounds from their instruments, but forget that the voice is an instrument too. It needs nurturing and practice like any instrument does. I'm not saying your singer is lacking, just that a little more expertise in the vocals will make you into a fine band, and you should do well. This is just my opinion, and I wish you well.

No worries. He's does his best to try and take care of his voice. The last thing he wants is to blow out his voice and never be able to sing again. He's taken vocal lessons for a while now, but recently switched to an instructor that was highly recomended to try and focus on perserving his voice in the long run. It's really helped him out a lot. Being the Drumming the way he does while he sings he would struggle a lot with breathing right and would get winded after a show. After a few lessons with the other instructor he's noticed a big difference in how he's feeling after a show

I have a question. If we do go on tour it could most likely mean we'd be playing a lot of gigs in a row. I'm just wondering, do you have any tips, streatches, or excercises you might be able to recomend to avoid falling down the road of carpel tunnel, tendonitis, or other things like that a bassist doesn't want to get? When I play I usually use 3 fingers on my right hand and sometimes include my pinky as well as do weird finger rolls when I play. Would that put more strain on my wrist than the walking two finger thing, or does it make a difference?

[JehuJava]

Originally Posted by bongomania

Oh, back in the previous century there was an animated character of a mouse, named Mickey. Wherever he crapped, an indie rock band sprang up. It was quaint.

Hahaha

[ampelmann]

Originally Posted by Silence_

Too much focus on something little if you ask me

Band names are actually really important! They have to be catchy (yes, names can be catchy) enough to spark people's interest while being simple/memorable enough that show-goers can easily be able to find you the next day. Being incredibly talented musicians and excellent businessmen is also important, but, you know. Good band names are good and deserve good thought.

/namerant

It sounds like you have something really cool going on here! I agree that a little vocal coaching wouldn't hurt, but it seems like you have that under control. Best of luck and let us know how everything goes!