So I played a show with my band back in February down in Greensboro, NC. While it’s a town full of amazing people and amazing bands, not everyone knows that there are some amazing photographers taking incredible live photos of bands. Our friend Andrew Day showed up and snapped a few shots, which I felt compelled to share due to their awesomeness.

Check out more of Andrew’s photography at his website: AndrewDayPhotography.com and if you’re in a band, I suggest you hire him to make you look way more awesome than you really are.

I spent this past weekend hanging out and playing shows with House of Fools, who are some of the very best dudes around and an incredible band. Since I was traveling all weekend, I’ve got to delay my weekly Music Monday while I catch up on everything. This means more music posts, more mp3s, and more music industry tips and commentary. Thanks for your patience!

(Oh yeah and that pic up there is of Paulson and House of Fools at Greene Street in Greensboro, NC, and was taken by gentleman photog extraordinaire, Josh Hofer. Thanks Josh!)

NEW MUSIC MONDAY

HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL - Needing You

My affinity for rollicking, rootsy, southern folkiness is no secret, so imagine my delight when I was introduced to Holy Ghost Tent Revival last year.  On a weekend trip to Greensboro, NC to visit my friends in House of Fools, I watched in awe as members of HGTR laid down tracks at the Fools home studio. It was an explosion of ragtime, jazz, blues, country, and rock. Brassy and encompassing, fast paced and melodic; I was surprised that something this loud and impassioned hadn’t yet reached my ears.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival maintains a hefty tour schedule, and their buzz is growing as the band regularly packs houses along the mid-atlantic. Be sure to catch one of their high energy shows when they’re in your area. Probably at your local speakeasy.

TOUR DATES:

2/17 - Ferrum, VA @ Ferrum College
2/18 - Asheville, NC @ UNCA (The Grotto)
2/19 - Greenville, SC @ Gottrocks
2/20 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia
2/24 - Frederick, MD @ Cafe Nola
2/25 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
2/26 - Scranton, PA @ Backyard Ale House
3/11 - Decatur, GA @ Twain’s Billiards
3/12 - Augusta, GA @ Stillwater Taproom
7/23 - Floyd, VA @ Floyd Fest
7/24 - Floyda, VA @ Floyd Fest
9/11 - Carlisle, MA @ Union Hall Coffee House

BAND
BUY

PART 2: Artists

For the last two years, Myspace has been in a serious decline. The once mighty powerhouse of social networking is losing U.S. based traffic (according to Mashable it’s dropped 20% since June) and its revenue is drying up. In its heyday Myspace was an easy tool to understand for artists: get friends and get plays. It produced results while giving a pretty good indication of the scope of their fan base. As new sites popped up with better designs, easier navigation, and more unique options Myspace began to lag, and today it sits not forgotten, but certainly crippled.

“When Myspace first came out it helped The Sleeping a ton, but it seems to have lost its engine and not many people attend the site anymore,” says Doug Robinson, singer for New York based rock band (and Victory Records veterans) The Sleeping. “There are so many social media sites now that I honestly have no idea which are the most important or will be the most important in the future.”

“There’s just too many bands,” says Ryan Lallier, guitarist for Big Surrender. Lallier’s former band, Waking Ashland, did time on Tooth and Nail and Immortal before disbanding in 2007, and he notes how things have changed since then. “I think social media has a negative effect,” he says. “I know how annoyed I get with bands bugging me to listen to their music and I can’t help but think people are annoyed by us and consider us the same as the other millions of bands on the internet. I never got into it.”

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