Podcast & New Pics

2008-02-16

I felt like blogging. Some times its best to go old school, and to be honest I'm a bit overwhelmed by everything that has been happening lately, so I just thought I'd write about it.

I put up some new pics the other day to let everybody on Cyqo see the office where we work. Benny usually sits at the round table when he is here. And then sometimes we play Atari on the couch...but I am a workoholic so most times I am planted right here checking out bands.

So, last night we did the podcast and it was pretty crazy. It was the first podcast Benny and I have ever done together and I was just a little nervous but we had fun. We meant to catch up with Dr. Boggles because he is always good for a chat. That guy knows his music, and he is really a big help to the site too. Bad news was that by the time we caught up to him he was sitting in a bar somewhere with a few ladies hanging all over him. We'll catch up next time. However as luck would have it, an e-mail from Taylor, drummer of We Are Automatic came rolling in so I jumped on the opportunity and told her we'd call to see how the EP debut went (Which had no mention on Cyqo...thanks).

She filled us in on the bands current status and we went through some things. Apparently they are without guitar player, but with EP. Makes for an interesting case when you are trying to promote yourself through gigs. I think I'll see if she needs some help getting the EP for sale on Cyqo. Least I can do, I listen to them everyday for free.

The rest of the podcast was basically a blur, we were just goofing around so much and laughing I have no idea what all we got recorded. I am sure on Sunday when I am putting the show together I'll have to splice in some comments here and there.

We did get to play a lot of great new music from the site, and you know what, I get so many people thanking me for doing the podcast it isn't even funny. I mean hundreds of e-mails and messages a week. And pretty much everybody says the same thing: "If it wasn't for you, I would have never checked out ____'s music, thanks!". Seriously, people loves these podcasts and I feel like I am really helping out a lot of people who want to hear new music. So as Bob Boyce says to me every time we message People are listening.

And that's another cool thing about how Cyqo has evolved. This is the absolute center of new music on the web. We organized and fulfilled a market need for people who want to check out new stuff. If you want cutting edge, new tunes, then this is the place to be. And that is something special right there. I feel proud that the site is going like it is. Its a rocking little community, and I haven't heard one bad thing yet.


Another deal that is just going full steam ahead is Buzzbin Magazine. Two months ago I walked into a deli to grab something to eat and I see this brown piece of paper called the "Coffee Times Weekly" newsletter, and it dawned on me right then and there...we have more than enough music on this site to create a magazine out of. So I went with it. At first it was going to be a little rag mag I was going to print out of the office here and have Benny distribute all over Cleveland. Then I started looking into professional printing to see if it was cheaper. Then I bump into Marc from Snew and he just drops years of printing knowledge into my lap and says he wants to come on board. Then, the buzz starts going about some guy self funding a project featuring indie acts because he just loves the scene. And next thing you know we are talking to a very popular company(I don't want to say just yet) about a national distribution deal after this first mag. All this in about a month and a half, so I am sitting here a little excited, partly freaked and completely confident. Buzzbin is going to rock. So far people are comparing us to Rolling Stone in the 60's. Back when nobody was covering Rock, and Rolling Stone Magazine came in and captured the market. They became the voice of Rock n' Roll, and it has already been said more that once "Buzzbin is the voice of Independent Music". So that is a lot of weight on my shoulders already, but like I said, this magazine is totally awesome so far. Angel Ackerman is going to be playing the part of Assistant Editor, and to be quite honest, she's a go-getter. I think we are going to have some good times doing this mag, and if you are reading this, then you are welcome to participate. Its like Web 2.0, in magazine format. How cool is that?

So where does this leave me? Totally overcaffeinated at the moment, and about to grab a shower and head out on tour. Tour? Yeah, I have my certain secret places in Ohio I like to work when I really need to get things going. One is the old Kent State University smoking lounge in the Student Center. Great amounts of work have been produced in that room, and I haven't been there in years. Come to think of it I don't smoke anymore either, so maybe I'll skip that place for today. I usually flop around from coffee shop to coffee shop. Its cool because most times I can get the owners to play the CDs you send me in the mail over their stereo system for everybody to listen too. Sorry Milkpig, I don't want to see what people do when they listen to your music all hopped up on triple carmel macchiatos. I haven't done that in a while, but today I will be armed with a huge box of press kits to sort through, and bored coffee shop owners are always nosey but eager to help.

I better get out of here and get to work.

Thanks for reading,

Mike



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