By Henry Lipput
“Support indie artists. If you like the music you hear, buy a track and help to support and keep these bands going.”
That’s a tweet sent by Dale Goodridge, from Melbourne, Australia, one of the musicians I’ve been following on Twitter.
With the meltdown and consolidation of the major record companies, musicians are finding new ways to get their music out to listeners. One of these new streams is social media — Twitter, Facebook, websites, and Youtube videos. Although they don’t have the numbers that songs on iTunes can generate, talented musicians can have thousands of people listening to a song they’ve written, performed, and recorded in a home studio that sounds as good as anything on the radio.
I’ve been following a number of musicians on Twitter since I started doing the tweet thing about a year ago — and I hope this will be the first in a series of columns on musicians that I think you’ll like and want to follow as well.
Dale Goodridge
Dale Goodridge, a native of England now living in Australia, is, like the rest of the folks in this column, a singer/songwriter/musician. Like Paul McCartney he’s put together his own (but much more advanced) studio. And also like Paul McCartney on McCartney and McCartney II, he plays all of the instruments on each of his songs. This process, which in the ‘70’s was a novelty, is now a given for people like Dale.
He’s performed around Australia and toured in Los Angeles as well. In addition, two of his songs have been mastered at Abbey Road studio, home — as if I have to tell you — of George Martin (in my opinion the real 5th Beatle) and the Fab Four. How cool is that? On Dale’s website you can watch his performances and the videos he’s made for his songs. You can also stream his songs.
Dale’s songs look back to the great stuff produced by musicians and bands in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. For example, his newest track, “Change,“ is a terrific song reminiscent of John Lennon’s solo work.
You can listen to Dale’s songs streaming on his website (dalegoodridge.com) or buy a special package of a CD/vinyl/download combination that includes select singles as well as a 12-song download of an entire album.
Scott Krokoff
Scott Krokoff, too, loves the music of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. In addition to being a musician, he’s also a New York City-based lawyer influenced by The Beatles (his favorite), Bruce Springsteen Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Paul Simon, Lindsay Buckingham, Neil Young, and Tom Petty.
In an email, Scott wrote that lately he’s become much more active with his social media efforts: “I’ve made some great connections on Twitter and now prefer Twitter over Facebook.”
And while social media is important for musicians to connect with fans and market their work, he continued, “… it’s still critical to meet and connect with people face to face, either at your own performances or by networking with other local musicians.”
Scott is currently recording material for his next EP (Realizations & Declarations, Vol. 2), which he hopes to release sometime during the winter of 2014. His previous EP, Realizations & Declarations, Vol. 1, is available to stream and purchase on his website. The song “Don’t” (from that EP) is terrific and a certifiable dancing-around-the-living-room song with rocking rhythm guitars (not to mention a clean, melodic lead guitar break) and tasty organ fills.
On his website (scottkrokoff.com) you can stream all six songs from his EP and by signing up for his email list you’ll receive a download of four songs.
Rob Crawford
Rob Crawford is a singer-songwriter, musician, and producer from Grimsby in the UK, where his website tells us “he cranks out his brand of energetic rock songs, pop ballads, acoustic gems, and full-blown masterpieces” from his studio, Hermit Rock.
And again from his website, “he’s a one-man rock band on a mission.”
Songs like “Shoulda Known Betta (Than To Forget About Greta)”,”Bright Young Things Of Wonder,” and “The Brink” — all from Rob’s second album Cross Fingers — recall the melodic sounds of the late ‘60’s as well as the British New Wave of the mid-to-late ‘70’s (“Shoulda Known Betta” seems influenced by the work of Nick Lowe, especially his Pure Pop For Now People {the title given to his 1978 release in the U.S]). You can download these tracks on his website (robcrawford.co.uk).
Pimlico Road
England’s Pimlico Road is a family affair. Keif and Liz , joined by their eldest daughter Holly, use folk, country, and Americana influences — along with some rock and pop thrown in for good measure — in an acoustic setting for a strong, self-penned vocal harmony sound.
The Pimlico’s songs, written by Keif, include a whole host of influences from the Beatles and the Stones to Led Zeppelin, Alison Krauss, Stevie Wonder, and Simon & Garfunkel.
On their website, you can watch them perform “Washed Stones” and “Keeping Me Waiting” from their “Live In The Living Room” series. You can also get a free download of the lovely “Losing Carolina” by signing up for the Pimlico mailing list, listen to their “The Harmony Tree”EP, and purchase the EP as well.
In a Twitter exchange, Pimlico Road explained: “We’re on lots of social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, and ReverbNation, but Twitter has been by far the most successful for us.” And this social media traffic leads followers to their website and “a growing mailing list, more radio exposure, more downloads, more features on blogs.” Pimlico Road is also using social media efforts such as the PledgeMusic site to raise funds from fans for the recording of their new Washed Stones EP.
Henry Lipput is a writer living in the Pittsburgh, PA, area. He has written for a telefundraising company, defense contractors, and engineering companies. He has also written freelance articles on specialty advertising, health care, small businesses, and general interest topics for both national and local publications, including CD reviews for the late, lamented Pittsburgh Boomers..
You can send questions, comments, or complaints to Henry at h_lipput@hotmail.com or on Twitter at @HLipput.
