I’m sure there are other oddball considerations, but for my money, the flat-out worst album cover of the year is Shawn Colvin’s new one, “All Fall Down.” Colvin has always come across as lovely and charming, with sweet, sensitive songs, so why she decided to go with this cover is a mystery. Was she trying to tap into the trailer trash market? Trying to appeal to Wal-Mart shoppers? I can’t rightly say. Also, I haven’t seen the movie in years, so perhaps someone can tell me whether that’s Thelma or Louise on the cover?

Got a comment? Another suggestion? Let us know (below) !

For most musicians looking to find an audience, a good publicist can be a really good investment. A publicist’s job is to spread the good word and let the world know that you exist, you have a new album, you’re coming to town, or you’ve done something notable. Attention is the key to finding your audience, and without an audience, why bother? A publicist generally promotes you to blogs, tv, print media, and radio dorks like me. We can take your image and your information, and pass it along to people who have come to trust us as a source of news and new music and ideas.

Now, it’s worth mentioning right away that I know that I’m not the most important man in Canada. I’m not even the most important man in my dining room right now, and I’m sitting here alone. I’m just a guy with an opinion and a bit of a platform to spread my brilliant thoughts on all kinds of things, but mostly music. Getting your music and your name on CBC2 or in The Globe and Mail is going to reach more people than being on Tell the Band to Go Home. I know that, and I don’t expect anyone to think that I’m more important than I really am.

But, I do have a purpose. I can count on some wonderful people with good taste to at least consider new artists and new ideas that I bring to them. A lot of the stuff that I promote and am passionate about isn’t going to get much notice on bigger platforms. But it’s also important to note that bigger outlets don’t have the same personal connection with listeners, and they don’t often give as much coverage to an artist as I do. Most of my listeners have been in my living room for a house concert at some point, and I’ve hung out and had a beer with them at shows. I also will play an artist over and over again, have them on the show for a good long segment, and will rave about them again and again (Del Barber! Christina Martin! Matthew Ryan! Check them out!) That counts for something, and even though I may not have the same reach as some of the bigger outlets, it’s worth tapping into.

A good publicist will certainly want to get your work and your name out to the bigger outlets, but will also have a relationship with smaller fish like me. Lots of them do, and I appreciate that. But I don’t think that all of them value that relationship or utilize it properly. This week I got two CDs that frustrate me for different reasons. The names have been omitted to protect the artists and whatever relationship we have/may have.

First up is an album that I absolutely love. It’s a group that I’ve heard of, but hadn’t heard anything from. I knew the reputation and have watched from a distance as they’ve set out into the world to spread their music. It’s not the kind of thing that I have taken the time to seek out myself, but that I’m very glad that I had the chance to hear. The interesting thing is, I know the publicist that represents this group, and I’ve heard absolutely NOTHING about the album/touring thus far.

This is a publicist who represents some artists that I know and love, and some that I might be interested in, but that I have the hardest time getting music and information out of. I’ve tried before and usually failed in frustration. This publicist does reach out to me once in a while, but usually it’s for something that I’m not terribly interested in or aware of, but that I’d be far more likely to support if other requests and opportunities had worked out better in the past.

Another release that I got is from another established publicist who I’ve dealt with positively before, but that I don’t often hear from. The problem here is that the CD is amateurish and not at all ready for a big push. There is some promise, but at this point, it deserves a pass, at best. The problem with that is that it reflects badly on the publicist and the type of artists that this person represents.

I want (and musicians should want) a publicist who’s going to get the information out to as many people as possible AND have the time and energy to follow up on it. I also want a publicist with a track record of only sending me good music, and only contacting me about things that might actually fit my show.

There are plenty of decent ones out there, but for my money (if indeed I had any), Ken Beattie at Killbeat Music is the man. If I had a CD, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask him to stand behind it, but he’s got the good sense to know that he shouldn’t. Ken’s press releases are well-written, concise, clear, and easy to read. Most importantly, they provide me with the information that I need in a way that I can use it, and, the key is, most of what he sends fits with one of my shows. Perfectly. Sure, he sends a lot more music and a lot more information than I need or could ever use, but an envelope that comes with his return address is far more likely to get my attention than one coming from almost every other publicist.

Why? Because he knows me. He knows what I like, what I do, and what I need. He also respects and appreciates what I do and what I stand behind. He’s helped me out many times in the past with interviews, information, and the occasional donation/bit of support. I respect that and appreciate that. He doesn’t reach out to me directly asking me to interview every artist with a new album or who’s coming to town, but when he does, I try to make time for it.

Lots of artists aren’t ready for a publicist or can’t afford it. I certainly understand that. The budget for a good campaign is huge, so it’s foolish for someone to try to launch one when they can’t possibly afford it or aren’t ready. But I get the feeling that a lot of publicists are open to just about anybody with the right amount of money to throw around. There’s a lot that you can, and should do on your own as an artist in the beginning, but there also comes a time when the right publicist can take your career to the next level. I can certainly see why you might start with one cheaper publicist and move up to someone like Ken, but at the same time, I respect artists who are willing to think forward and start with the best, even if it seems a bit premature. Reaching up isn’t a bad thing, and it sets you in the right direction.

I guess the point is (if there is one), you need to spread the word about your music and your career, and ideally, you’ll want to reach out to as many people and outlets as possible – the big players and the small fish like me, and you’ll want someone with a proven track record and who is willing to devote enough time and attention to giving you the support you need. And the support that you need is not like everyone else – Del Barber needs different support than John Prine does, but they appeal to the same folks, so you’ll want a publicist who knows where to find John Prine fans and how to reach them if he’s promoting Del Barber.

My old pal Fred Eaglesmith is coming back to town, once again on the same night that the Winnipeg Folk Festival opens. That seems like an odd coincidence that he would just happen to be in town on that particular night, two years in a row. Call me a conspiracy theorist (I’ve been called worse), but it seems like a pretty clear F.U. to the Folk Fest, even though he’s been welcomed there a number of times over the years and likely wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to play there again. But giving people the finger is a specialty of Fred’s, as I found out after last year’s show.

Now, I wasn’t there, but I did get the reports from reliable folks. Apparently, before playing “Careless” off of his Cha Cha Cha record, Fred dedicated the song to me. Why? I’m not entirely sure, but my “old pal” Stu decided to ask him about it later on, when Fred was on his radio show, The Twang Trust.

As an aside, for years, I’ve had something on my show called “The Fred Eaglesmith Clause,” which states that even though I do my best to line up interviews and ensure that they go off smoothly, there will be times when an artist doesn’t phone or show up as planned. This came after several missed attempts at connecting with Fred (I was pretty amused when Stu had similar troubles). He dodged more interviews with me over the years than anyone else (Matt Mays is second on the list, but not even close). I’ve had interview after interview not go off as planned when Fred “forgot” or had his phone die or have him “out of range” or various other reasons. I once had his ex-wife Mary on the line and thought about chatting with her, because Fred wasn’t around (why I was calling him at his ex-wife’s house, I’m still not sure). In 2004 we even had the “Fred Eaglesmith Will He or Won’t He, Show” where Fred was literally driving right past the station on his way to a gig in Winnipeg, so I arranged DIRECTLY WITH HIM to have him drop by. I went all the way to Clearwater Manitoba to see him and make arrangements for him to be at the station for the show. Naturally, he didn’t show (but luckily, Josh Ritter did. A fair trade.) Needless to say, I think the Clause is justified.

But Fred just thinks it’s nasty, as he told Stu, last year: [download id=”162″]

This, despite the fact that Fred is the most played artist in the almost 10 years this show has been on the air. Pretty nasty of me!

Well, just to prove that I’m not as nasty as he says, I even made up a commercial to promote his show in July. I think that was pretty nice of me.

Check it out: [download id=”163″]

By the way: I do understand that many people find Fred to be beyond reproach and that someone will surely be offended by my post (again). I remind you that I’m just some loud-mouthed dude with an opinion and a sense of humour. Kind of sounds like Fred, don’t it? Perhaps we should be BFFs instead. Call me.

I did make a more straightforward promo, as well: [download id=”164″]

Two big events tonight, and I’m sure they were both amazing, but I can only speak to one.

Our Winnipeg Jets took on the best team in the league, and won. That’s something, and I’m sure it was an exciting game to watch. Truth be told, I would have loved to be there, I’m sure. Tim Shorten should get some kind of medal for giving up rink-side seats. I bet nobody missed Tim at the game, but I sure was happy to see him (and his lovely wife Erin) at the Park Theatre, instead. There’s never any doubt that all 15,000 seats will be full at every single Jets game for the next 3-5 years (at least.) And folks will pay anywhere from $75-250 PER SEAT to go.

But how come it is that in this great city, we can’t find 100 people willing to pay $10 to see Scott Nolan & Joanna Miller record a live album (not to mention the rare solo, piano performance by Scott’s Leaderhouse bandmate Matthew Budaloski)?

I’m not a math teacher (thank God, although the way things have been going for me at school, you never know what’s next), but I can do the math on this one. Less than 1% of the folks dishing out to see the Jets went to that show. Hell, it was closer to .5%, and there was a big guest list (I’m actually quite pleased that I wasn’t on it.)

How much does the shittiest, most bench-warming player on the Jets make? I know the stars make millions, but I gotta bet that the guy who carries the hockey bags makes more than Scott Nolan. I’m absolutely certain that he makes more than Joanna Miller. But for my money, Scott and Jo are worth so much more. Sure, the Jets do dazzle and there’s nothing like being in that rabid crowd at a game, but there’s nothing like great live music, either.

Scott and Jo are out there working their asses off night after night for less than the Jets office staff make. Think Mark Chipman ever camped his RV van in a Wal-Mart parking lot, and was happy about it? Nope. Scott and Jo do, and with pride.

I don’t really even know the point of the rant anymore, except that it ain’t fair that a couple of folks who have brought so much joy into my ears and heart over the years don’t even register on the radar of the vast majority of those 15,000 some folks at the arena tonight. None of the Jets would ever take the time to honestly thank you for your support. Sure, they do the public appearances (when contractually obligated), but “thank you” is just a line they’ve learned to dish out. Are any of them really grateful for your support?

I know musicians are. Why? Because they’re real people too. They know what it’s like to work for a living and what it’s like to have to decide between buying groceries and a night of entertainment. It’s actually quite funny to me when musicians thank me (directly or as part of a crowd) for the support. I can’t even begin to explain how much these songs and these talented people have brought to my life. How many times I’ve escaped or dreamed or been inspired by a song. How much it means to me when someone with amazing talent knows my name or takes the time to chat with me. You want to thank me for that? Nah. THANK YOU.

I wish that there were more people who appreciated real, down-to-earth, talented, inspiring musicians. I’m not perfect; I get lazy sometimes and don’t go to shows or don’t show my support when I could. But I get it. I’m grateful. And I’ll keep doing what I can so that great people can continue to make great music. Since you took the time to read this, I bet you will too.

Hope to see you at a show some time.

Just got in from a screening of the brilliant film “I, Curmudgeon,” by the equally brilliant Allan Zweig. It’s an examination of curmudgeonly people and their negativity, and the effects that it has on their lives, and all such things.

I’ve wanted to see the film for years. I wanted to see it because it was the follow up to Zweig’s breakout film, Vinyl, one that has inspired and moved me over the years, but also, because I knew that I would relate.

I always knew that I was negative, but I come by it honestly, I think. I suppose I have a predisposition to being difficult and angry. My closest male role model growing up was my grandfather, who was the very definition of a curmudgeon – think Archie Bunker, only angrier. I know that a lot of people found him a miserable SOB, and I suppose that at many times I did as well, but, somehow, I understood it in a way that others didn’t. I actually found him rather hilarious, most of the time, so I started picking up mannerisms at an early age. I was a precocious curmudgeon, you could say.

In later years, I’ve come to recognize how being negative and brutally honest and somewhat intolerance of the general idiocy of society and the world at large have set me apart. I see that somehow I’m the exception to the rule, and most people are uncomfortable with that. Most people don’t like it when someone constantly reminds them that the world is full of stupidity, and that it’s all annoying and unfair. There was a long time where I felt badly about that, as society tells me I should.

But society is totally messed up. I’m sorry, it just is. I mean, how do you explain the phenomenon that is the TV show Glee? How is it that, in a world that is so clearly, visibly, irreparably, honestly screwed up, Glee has become the norm? Seriously? The world is full of sadness and horror and injustice and flat out stupidity, and our society is swept up by the most nauseatingly happy phenomenon since the Monkees. It’s disgusting.

Are we that incapable of dealing with reality that we have to block it out with a heavy dose of Glee? Those annoying, perky, perfect kids with their perfect hair and their dorky clothes, singing peppy versions of songs that were annoying in the first place, only to be made infinitely more annoying by their saccharine sweet and technologically aided delivery?… yuck. But, too often, that’s our way of dealing with reality – go as far in the opposite direction as possible. I guess that’s why the world is, and shall remain, completely messed up.

So I suppose that people like me who stare the brutal, harsh, completely screwy reality in the face all the time, are doomed to be ostracized. Luckily, in the past few years, I’ve been able to embrace being a curmudgeon, instead of being shamed by it. If being brutally honest and pointing out how stupid people and situations are is so bad, then consider me guilty and hand me a life sentence.

It’s much better than a life of Glee.