My Bon Jovi Cover

I decided to do a cover and post it on Youtube. It's of Bon Jovi's (It's Hard) Letting You Go. It's not something I've done before; although I often enjoy singing and playing a bit of guitar I've never thrown it into the cyber abyss, as it were. Nevertheless, your thoughts and comments are welcome :)

Am I A Music Snob?!

I feel a little worried. A little weird, and slightly strange. I just don't seem to get it like everyone else apparentely totally is. Let me explain. Last night, I watched the Reading and Leeds highlights. This seems to be an annual thing, because I remember exhibiting the same feelings almost exactly one year ago when I saw the footage of the Arctic Monkeys and just remember thinking 'what the hell has happened to these guys?!'

The highlights that were aired last night was of bands that are obviously popular right now, but want I don't understand is, well exactly that; what is popular right now. Bands like The Drums; they just seem to be all about the image, of the band as a whole and of the musicians individually but, and this is just my opinion, the music sounds awful. Just like it was an after-thought; 'well we've got the image, now maybe we could try writing a song?'

Disappointment was also on the cards, for of the 'comeback' acts that were performing at the festivals (2 out of the 3 headliners infact) I was gutted at the overall performances. I used to love Guns n Roses but, and to be fair, Axl Rose has still got an alright-sounding voice, he could barely finish a single line without losing the last few syllables to general out-of-breathness. And obviously the rest of the line-up was made up of session players; the drummer seeming to be more of an R&B performer rather than a heavy metal tyrant. And of Blink 182, I was dumbfounded at the sheer state of Tom Delonge's voice; I mean, he never was the world's greatest singer, and I only heard 'I miss you', but his vocals were absolutely awful, just so broken and screechy and all over the place, generally out of key. Why did these bands feel the need to cash-in on a comeback? Why not quit while you're at the top of your game, leaving the lasting memories of your legacies of when you were at your best. If Bon Jovi came back in ten years time, as Jon Bon Jovi and session players, him out of breath and having put on weight, squeezing into a leather shirt and cowboy hat, I wouldn't go anywhere near it. In fact, I'd be gutted.

In short, I am worried I am becoming a music snob. I saw a great performance from Paramore, and have only heard good things of Mumford & Sons. I like to think I have a diverse taste in music; there are very few styles or even sub-genres that I dislike, but the point is, I know what I like, and it just doesn't seem to be what everyone else likes. I don't claim to be a fan of the purely avant-garde and obscure, and obviously the bands I do like have decent enough fanbases, but I don't know many of the artists that are in the charts because it's all the same regurgitated dance crap and I just can't stand the new-wave of 80s inspired synth bands and the image-mongrels cluttering up the festival circuits. Again, this is just my opinion (and, upon re-reading, a seemingly angry one at that!) and I don't want to offend fans of all the new stuff that's going on. At the end of the day at least they're out there making a living and I can only dream of one day following in their footsteps. I can only hope that, when I do, I make enough of an impact as bands such as Green Day, Bon Jovi, The Stones, etc; enabling me to span across generations, and through the changing tides, remaining strong and constant and still apparent when everything else around me is changing. One can only hope.

Album Review: Good Morning Milo - Through The Chaos & Clatter (Part Two)

Glad to see you're back for more, I knew you couldn't get enough of California's hottest six-piece right now! Here's part two of Good Morning Milo's album review, Through The Chaos Clatter.

9/Safe - I love the guitar work at the beginning of the song, it's a really nice progression with a great chilled-out feel as the drums drop in. As the vocals enter, so too does a gentle piano-arpeggio slightly behind the mix in a really suited place. It's a really passionate feeling song, as believable vocals perform alongisde a strong guitar part and you can't help but taking notice of the lyrics. The chorus is obvious and simple, but this is why it's perfect. The commerical-sound is one a lot of bands try to get away from but, at the end of the day, radio stations aren't going to play your music if their listeners won't like it. The guitar solo sounded a little wimpy; the idea was great but the execution not so, the sound just needed to be a lot fuller. The acoustic guitar section really highlights the talent in the vocals before we're back around for one last chorus, although the outro sounded a little unecessary again; ending on either just the chorus or returning to the original guitar part from the beginning would have worked, but I wasn't sure about the drums and electric guitar dropping in for just one bar. However, a really nice song overall.

10/Loving Without Argument - The drums hint at a shuffle feel to track ten, although fall in with a straight beat as the song starts up. It's a really grooving track and I love the feel of the chorus; the driving rhythm section alongside the high-pitched guitar riff really pushes it along. The shuffle feel is revisited in the latter half of the song; whilst the structure of this song is a little unorthodox but that's by no means a negative observation. It feels as if a lot of musical ideas have been bunched together and, although they don't necessarily sound out of place, it might have sounded slightly more convincing had they taken a leaf out of Green Day's book and bore in mind Jesus of Suburbia; making the song longer to accommodate the sections better, and perhaps revisiting more of them to add a feeling a continuity.

11/Waiting - This song takes a little while to kick in, with the drums and guitar parts sounding a little sparse for the first minute and counting, before the chorus comes around. At this point, it turns into a good song; a riff-driven number that exploits a lot of the band's usual trends; high energy, strong vocals and a believeable performance. I like the piano arpeggio section as the song breaks down before coming back in with a great-sounding guitar solo; it just sounds a lot fuller than it has done previously. The songs are definitely very imaginative and well thought-out by Good Morning Milo; they're well crafted and it shows.

12/Battle For The Nice Guy - From the very first second my feet and head are tapping along in unison; it's a great opening gambit. The verses are built with acoustic guitar and a moderate pace, and I like the electric guitar's outbursts. It's another big sing-along chorus and, therefore, another sure crowd pleaser. The breakdown is simply vocals with a hi-hat keeping time and it's all that's needed; it's a simple song with an effective hook and cool ideals.

13/Mr Robot Man - I love the synth intro, it's someting different again from the band that don't like to get too comfortable with one particular sound or idea and that's great. This song sounds really strong and something I could completely imagine on the radio or flicking through the rock video-channels. The electro hints with the synths and seldom with the vocal effects give it that little something extra and lift it up above your average rock song. In fact I think it almost sounds like a movie sound-track; I really like this song. The drums and indeed entire structure of the song are imaginative and the vocal performance is flawless. It feels like it's a lot longer than four minutes long, perhaps because so many ideas are packed in, and this song acts really well in picking up the very slight lull 3/4 of the way through the album.

14/Sunshine - I'm parcticularly keen to listen out for this track, not least of all because it's the very final track, the last offering, the final goodbye, but because it's been flagged as a 'suggested' song to listen to. So, is it going to sum up the band's sound as a whole and capture all of the many positives I've discovered along my journey with Good Morning Milo? At first, the characteristic energy isn't apparent but there's always room for that later. When the vocals come in I realise it's a clever and heart-felt part-cover of the lullaby 'You Are My Sunshine'. The vocals are, once more, perfect here; if there's been a constant throughout this album it's definitely the talent that the vocals produce. I feel that, when the full-band come in, I'd have preferred a surprise sudden impact rather than a little hint as the drums build up. It's grown into a really strong little song that encapsulates the album wonderfully; it's displayed the band's subtlety, passion, energy and reservedness in one fell swoop whilst showcasing the distinguishing vocals for what they are. It is actually the perfect end to a fantastic album that isn't necessarily without opinonated flaws, but is generally a great showcase for a fantastic sounding band with a bright future ahead of them. I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for sure.

Although there are no published tour dates yet, and seemingly no plans to come to England in the near future, the band are working on getting back out on the road. I really get the feeling that this band are all about their fans, and that they really are the reason they're doing this.

You can have a preview of all the songs featured in both posts here and be sure to check out the band's Myspace page for the latest info on tour dates. Go forth and enjoy!

Album Review: Good Morning Milo - Through The Chaos & Clatter (Part One)

Good Morning Milo are a fresh and exciting new band from San Diego, CA. They are an "an upbeat group of musicians that write songs about combating the obstacles in our lives that prevent our happiness" and I've recently been wrapping my ears around their infectious tunes. Their latest album, Through The Chaos Clatter has found its way into my playlist and below, as per, you can check out my track-by-track review. Be sure to stay tuned for Part two where I'll delve into the latter half of the album.

1/Pickup Lines - I love the first track of an album. The anticipation is mounting as iTunes figures everything out in 0s and 1s; my fingers poised at the keyboard and waiting. I think every album should start with drums, as Pickup Lines does here. It's energetic, it grabs you and really makes me want to listen. The guitar intro plays around a progressive riff-based kick with long changes in between the chords, before the initial hook of the song drops in on the lead guitar line. I feel this is shaping up to be a musical introduction, before the real album begins. It's a cool trend to follow and could be 'their thing'; starting each album and even live show with a musical opener.

2/Win Her - The segue is flawless as Win Her comes in unnoticed. On top of the band now stabbing away with the same chord progression - held in check with a punchy snare - the lead vocals burst in and the album is really underway. I like the confident feel that the vocals produce; an assured style that boasts hints of Country when it really lets loose. The song has really grown since the chorus hit; each musician straying away from their regimented intros and off exploring their own musical paths. It was great to pick out the synth in the second verse and hear it sticking around for the second chorus; the song is still building and the chorus has a great hook, whilst the overall feel of the song captures a great enthusiasm for music in general. I don't often like dual-layered guitar lines but it works in the breakdown section, as the drums and bass furiously build behind them. The solo feels short lived but this song is definitely about the chorus. As the breakdown builds before the final chorus the drums sound a little sloppy, just trailing behind the rest of the band but once the last chorus does come back around they catch up no problem. At exactly three and a half minutes, I love the ending, rounding off my first real encounter with the band.

3/Settling - This a really upbeat, frenzied and full-on pop/rock number. The dual-layered vocals idea is used again here and continues to work perfectly, as the verses build on top of great-sounding guitar parts that really showcase the song-writing capabilities of this band. It's a really commercial sounding song and the chorus has a great laid-back feel with the vocal melodies whilst maintaining the energy of the verses. The falsetto vocals sound just as strong as the initial range which is important; often a falsetto vocal can sound noticeably weaker. The bridge section isn't the strongest part of the song but works well as a link before the last chorus, which is bigger than its predecessors with the noticable inclusion of the synth in the mix. The fade-out definitely adds to the 'radio-friendly' feel of the track and is the perfect ending.

4/To Kill A Songbird - I love the funky solo groove at the beginning of this track and the acoustic guitar part works really well alongside as the track builds to the first verse. The disco-feel pre-chorus has a cool feel and although musically the song is quite busy with quick funky drums, picky guitar and fast-paced vocals it all seems to gel together well. The vocals themselves have a slight Brandon Boyd feel and the bridge section feels a lot more thought-out; once more the harmonies in the vocals are obviously well-considered. The sparse glockenspiel part sounds slighty atonal; I'm sure it's written with the home key in mind but I'm not keen on its placement in this particular song, it sounds like more of an after-thought. The choruses are really strong and I can imagine this being a real crowd-rousing number. I wasn't so sure of the outro section, the guitar-riff sounded a little amateurish and generally unnecessary whilst I thought it would have been better just ending on the final chorus.

5/Number One Killer - I like the feel the drums go for in this song, but feel they needed to be boosted a little more in the mix to stand up on their own, to make up for the lack of a sloshing hi-hat and the snare itself sounded a little dry. The groove though lends itself to the song well and it's nice to hear a drummer exploring and daring to be a little different rather than settling with the same feel for every song. The guitar work is simple but effective, and the choruses build well in two seperate parts and my head is definitely nodding along with the more metal-inspired guitar work. This song carries on the Incubus feel in my opinion, although I didn't like the melisma in the elongated vocal line halfway though the track; it would have sounded stronger had the vocalist just held the note without wavering. The piano really stands its ground after the solo section and is a welcome inclusion, once more displaying the song-writing abilities of the group and their understanding of song structures. The outro is really nice, as everything falls away leaving the drums easing off as the vocals and piano round off the song. A really nice touch and I've really enjoyed this song.

6/Feel The Crash - I think the piano player has staked a big claim for his place in the band, as he kicks off Feel The Crash, accompanying a really nice, heart-felt vocal. The cello is the perfect addition as the second verse comes around, the vocals now displaying more a Plain White Tees tone. It's really nice to take a step back from the full-on energetic numbers this band writes so well with a beautiful piano ballad.

7/The Proposal - An interesting intro greets me at the half-way point of the album. It blends into chugging electric guitar and a real electro drone before kicking into a great big riff laden, open hi-hat explosion complete with dual-guitars leading into...

8/Engaged - ...another cool segue as track 8 bursts in. The energy of the band are certainly back from the bar, joining the singer who's been here since the start and they're ready to go again. The sections of songs are often fast-paced, and so the subtle hints of the half-time feels every so often work really well to neutralise this and give the respective tracks a well-rounded feel. I like the syncopated disco grooves used; the song is a bit of a mix of styles which is great, it certainly doesn't feel odd or over the top. There's a lot of angst and passion in the solo section which really comes across strongly to the listener and I love the synth role as it comes in just after, once more building the final stages of the song. The best way to describe the song is, I think, organised chaos.

Be sure to stay tuned and check back soon for Part 2 of the review!

Dear Mr President

Don't quite know why I felt the need to do an anti-Bush post. It might not be your thing and that's cool, but individually these are all great songs with great messages.

Pink/Dear Mr President


Bon Jovi/Have A Nice Day


Green Day/American Idiot


Sheryl Crow/God Bless This Mess

EP Review: The City Calls - Dirty Tricks

The City Calls are a cool, fresh pop-punk band from Southampton. I caught them supporting Army of Freshman recently and have to say their set was brilliant; extremely tight and professional stuff. I got in touch and got my hands on their latest EP entitled Dirty Tricks, for which you can read a track-by-track review of below.

Track 1/Heroics - An explosion of noise grabs me like the start of any EP should do and makes way for a cool guitar/pulsating-kick drum intro. The arrangement and overall feel reminds me of the All American Rejects, whilst the vocals have a Patrick Stump tinge to them. I like the feel of the distant lead vocal lines hiding at the back of the mix giving the verse a little more as it's otherwise quite sparse with minimal guitars and grooving drums. Already the tightness of the band's song-writing and overall musicality is striking; the chorus is precise and punchy and the presence of the bass in the second verse is definitely welcomed. It's a cleverly built arrangement and the introductions of new parts layered within each new section is cool. The drum sound is great in the breakdown section; often big cymbal parts can sound washy and overpowering but the mix is spot on. I thought my iTunes had skipped on after a sudden end to the song, but was caught out when the chorus came back in, after the sound of a radio tuning! A cool and fun pop-punk song.

Track 2/It's Your Fault - The instant hook of the backing vocals in this song takes me back to the live show; it's a great thing when the whole band are singing and really filling out a song and it works perfectly here. Straight into the verse and the backing vocals are further explored, harmonising with single phrases which support the lead vocals well. It's a great singalong chorus and perfect for new and old fans alike. The rhythm section holds the verses down as the guitar builds throughout but I wasn't keen on the solo harmonic guitar lines before the second chorus; they downplayed the song a little for my liking. The breakdown/middle 8 section is really grooving though; it showcases the drums well and has a great feel to it. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

Track 3/Flaunt It - The All American Rejects feel is still apparent, now with a touch of Panic! At The Disco, although I never got into pop-punk massively so my knowledge is quite general. Having said that, I can certainly appreciate a hard-working band who know exactly where they're going in terms of the sound they create and The City Calls are definitely that band. Flaunt It is another great example of that, with big energetic drums, great vocal harmonies and cool guitar work. Within the context of an EP, the track blends in a bit but it's certainly nice to hear a guitar solo, especially one that dares to last longer than four bars. The chorus is strong and the ending surprising yet clever.

Track 4/Those Eyes - With a name as such and this position on the EP, I'm almost expecting more of a ballad here before the final song packs the knock-out punch. This is the anticipation I feel as the song is loading up anyway, but the opening riff doesn't set the scene I had in mind. I really like the feel of the pre-choruses though and I think it's as close as I'm going to get to a 'ballad' from a pop-punk band. The chorus sounds great; definitely a compromising mix of pop-punk punch with the calmer feel I felt I needed and the vocals sound great here. The breakdown is another great vocal showcase as the bass and kick-drum tie the song down; a song that's threatening to break free into an explosive solo...which is exactly what it does so there's a big tick from me in the listener's point of view. The half-time final chorus is once again expected but that's not a bad thing; it's important to give the listener what they want and sometimes an obvious twist is the best bet.

Track 5/Get Away(acoustic) - Aside step the walls of noise and crashing cymbals, the big riffs and pumping bass. This is a side I didn't experience at the live show and it's a welcome feel at the end of the EP. The acoustic guitar work is really nice and although it's still feels as if written as a pop-punk song, it works great as an acoustic number. Once again the backing vocals really take the song into new territory, they provide that little something extra that really make the song. I find myself listening, I mean really listening, not just part-listening, part-thinking, part-typing and realise that a good chunk of the song has passed without me thinking much apart from just enjoying the composition. It's unexpected yet welcomed and, in my opinion, the perfect end to a fantastic EP that showcases a band brimming with talent and energy. Definitely a name to watch!

The City Calls have, of course, got a Myspace page which I urge you to visit to check out their upcoming shows and have a listen to them yourself. You can check out Heroics, plus an acoustic version of It's Your Fault and a preview of the entire Dirty Tricks EP. Enjoy, and try and catch a live show soon :)

EP Review: The Joe Public - This Army

The Joe Public's latest release comes in the form of 5-track EP This Army. A swanky little cardboard case with some cool graphics adds to their growing professional image and reputation, and the EP certainly doesn't disappoint on the audio side either. And let's face it, that's the most important part. Hopefully you've already got yourself a copy, but if not, here's hoping my track by track review below will ensure your next few clicks are along to the iTunes store to order it for yourself!

Track 1/This Army - It's the title track, so I want to be shaken up and made to listen. I'm a drummer; it's a drum fill that introduces the EP. Cool, I'm already interested. It's an easy-going riff-driven intro that leads nicely into the first verse. I get the feeling that the track is better live, as the vocals sound a little distant from the rest of the band almost, but as soon as the chorus kicks in Jake Meeking's vocal talent is displayed in all its glory. The bass and drums really drive the verses which are cleverly layered; dropping in hints of guitar before the chorus kicks in once more and I love the little drop into the bridge section/solo. It's incredibly minimal before the chorus is back once more; I'm not sure if, as the listener, it was perfect or if I was really crying out for something bigger, longer, just a bit more mental. A few more listens will, I'm sure, satisfy my hunch, and the half-time outro is cool.

Track 2/Elements - Layers is the key theme here at the moment as far as I'm concerned; the intro is once more built up as the verse strips back but it's definitely a tried and tested method and certainly works well. The vocals here are beautiful, almost haunting, and the guitar work in general is superb; really nice picky riffs, one behind the other with a mixture of acute sliding notes and volume sweeps which really set the mood for the track. The chorus doesn't hit me as hard as others have done but this is perfect; sometimes easing into the chorus is just what the song calls for and that's definitely the case with Elements. I had to listen through to the solo twice; once more it's short and although it starts off as you might expect there's an almost atonal movement in the latter part which, although musically-speaking doesn't clash, somehow feels like it does to me as a listener. But then again, I'm just a listener and not a guitar player. Feeding back into the next part is a nice little showcase of the band's song-writing abilities and the final chorus is equally pleasant and transporting. I really like this song and again, can't wait to hear the live version.

Track 3/Riffola - With a name like this, I'm not sure whether to expect a stagnent opening riff that is very much the basis of the song or...not perhaps. In actual fact twenty seconds of dark, flangy guitar work parts to a broken snare fill into a huge opening section; the cymbals are really washy and dull, in fact the entire sound of the kit is as if a lo-fi compressor has been dropped from a great height, giving the effect of hearing the drummer play along in the next room which happens to be made of very thick glass. It's a great feel and really compliments the sound that the band are attempting to establish. Anyway, back to the song, the drums are now back in the room and the bright hi-hats married with the swampy bass create a really nice rhythmic-atmosphere. It's an interesting choice to put an instrumental on an album, let alone a five-track EP and I can feel it's place seems most at home leading into a track onstage. That's not to say, however, it isn't suited for the EP because I think it definitely works. As a piece of music it's dark yet clever and I like it.

Track 4/Heightened - A contrasting fun and funky riff opens up after a little sampled something (an unidentifiable female voice?) which pulls up the whole mood of the EP and I feel myself sitting up and really listening again. The melody of the riff is almost Indian and wouldn't sound out of place if played on a sitar, exploring some strange fusion of Eastern and Western musical cultures. The drums are driving along in the verse with short stabs of low bass and strong vocals. They're short and re-visit the main riff often...but I'm fooled, second time round they take a left turn and lead me down a winding guitar-laden path...and then the riff's back in. It's clever and interesting, provably not predictable which is important. The bass then takes a more prominent position, the stabbing notes a lot higher up the neck and, therefore, more sonically audible which again adds to the layering affect the band seem to have perfected. I love the backing vocals feeding the lead vocals towards the end and the big finish; it's a great and masterminded ending.

Track 5/Take It Back (Bonus Track) - The final track kicks a great Muse-feeling verse with driving bass/guitar riff before the lead guitar hints back to the original riff leaving the bass chugging along on its own. The vocals are once more strong and believeable and my head's nodding more to this one than it has done previously. The track just sounds great, there's no other way to describe it really. The riffs pack a great rhythmic punch along with the drums throughout and the vocals really do sound special. Midway through the momentum momentarily drops but I'm not left lost for long; the chorus is back and is as big as ever. I wasn't expecting the winding, half-time solo section but I love the level of the guitar in the mix, it's perfect. The double-chorus at the end and the final hints of the great riff really top the track and indeed the EP as a whole off brilliantly; it's a cool ending and I want to go straight back to track one.

Don't forget to check out The Joe Public for yourself on their Myspace page or have a listen to the EP for yourself at their ReverbNation page. But please make sure if you do go and have a free listen that you support new and upcoming music and buy yourself a copy from the iTunes store and even get along to a show near you! Enjoy :)

New Tracks from The Joe Public

The Joe Public's latest EP This Army has been released on iTunes, and you can listen to the tracks on their Reverb Nation page.

I'll of course feature a review of the EP in its entirety soon :)

The Internet: A Blessing or a Curse?

I've felt inspired recently to write an article about the one thing us bloggers would be lost without: The Internet. Without this medium, we'd have no means with which to express ourselves and post our thoughts and opinions into the unknown, counting on strangers to read and, hopefully, agree with us. People are now able to make a living based just on maintaing a successful blog, with the help of advertising revenue and many others gain free tickets/clothes/event invites in exchange for posting their opinions about said freebies. But the internet is often regarded as a bit of blessing in disguise for musicians and music fans. Or is it?

It is documented now that CD sales have been overtaken by the sales of digital downloads, sparking fears that the death of the CD is nigh. For me, this would be tragic. I'm all about holding the physical representation in my hand, reading the lyrics and looking at photos in the booklet, putting my sound system on and enjoying the music as it's meant to be heard; not through tiny headphones that cut all the top and bottom end of the mix out or aloud on my mobile so it's just a tinny, poppy mess. Artist revenue is also taking a bashing; such readily available music means the pirates strike and steal, because illegally downloading an album somehow doesn't seem as serious as walking into HMV and nicking one from there. But it's exactly the same. I know music fans and even musicians who still illegally download music which really angers me; you're literally depriving like-minded people of their musical income, and I'm sure if you were famous you'd hate to have your music stolen. On the flip side to this of course is the promotion that sites like Myspace allow upcoming bands who would otherwise never be able to get their music heard, and the giving away of music (think Prince or Radiohead for instance) whose careers rely solely on the income from ticket sales and merchandise.

It's a tricky one. Some people follow the philosophy that if they're stealing from an established artist, in their head it's OK but if they're unsigned then they will happily pay for their music. Bon Jovi have certainly had a hell of a lot of my money over the years, and are still re-releasing albums with a few bonus tracks and new artwork to make us hardcore fans feel the need to buy their entire back catalogue over again. But at the same time, I'd still feel bad for stealing from them. As a musician myself, without Myspace I'd have to rely solely on word of mouth when my new band starts gigging in the coming months; building a fanbase and creating a following in my city and this is of course how it used to be. Seemingly it has come full circle and the way to now get noticed is to once more gig the hell out of London and other large cities before being spotted by an A&R rep. Well that's the idea anyway.

There's certainly a lot of downsides for the musicians themselves, but how about the fans? All of a sudden, there is an encyclopedia of music at our fingertips. We can listen to hundreds of new bands everyday, we can have our browsing habits monitored so that next time we care to shop at Amazon, they've reccommended some artists we might like based on what we were looking at last time. And most importantly, musicians are no longer untouchable anymore. You can follow Ellie Goulding on Twitter, tag her in an update and she might reply. You've made a connection, and Hayley Williams from Paramore and John Mayer and even Bon Jovi are at it too; artists are now more accessible than ever thanks to the internet. For fans, being even one tiny step closer to your favourite artists is great, but actually socialising with them? Unheard of! Suddenly it's not just the upcoming artists interacting with their fans, it's those at the top of the food chain as well and whether it's day-to-day chat or opinons saught on new material or even promoting gigs directly to the consumer, it's perfect for musicians and fans alike.

Without the internet, our world would be a very different place. If the internet died an irriversible death today, the world would be doomed. We rely on it individually, companies and businesses rely on it, everything and everyone relies on the internet in one way or another. For music, it's easy for artists to knock it and claim it has destroyed the music industry as we know it, but nothing's been destroyed; it's merely changed. As a musician, I know generating an income is harder than ever, let alone getting a record company to notice me; but the fact that I can network with potential fans and throw my music into the abyss, enabling hundreds or thousands of people to stumble across it and listen to me; amazing. As a fan, to think that artists I love are reading what I have to say and even sometimes responding, connecting with me as a person; amazing. So all in all, in my opinion, this technological revolution ain't all that bad.

What do you think? Has the internet helped the music industry or left it floundering for life and unable to compete? Leave me a comment and share your thoughts with the cyber world!