Label Profile: Sinister Muse Records

I found out about Chicago's Sinister Muse Records about 6 months ago when an editor asked me to profile one of their bands. The band, Dead Town Revival (brilliant street punks in the vein of everyone from Sham 69 to The Clash), I learned was just the tip of the sonic iceberg. Though home to just four bands, each was nearly as exciting as the next (DTR, The Frantic, The Tattle Tales and Random 55).

I had to find out who started a label that is home to four incredible, though solidly diverse bands. After trading e-mails back and forth with the label founder Christian Picciolini, I finally asked last week if he'd be up for a quick interview. By the way, at the same age and somewhat similar backgrounds, anyone who knows me will peg Christian as a much, much cooler version of me. My punk rock doppleganger, perhaps?

Follwing is the transcript from the interview with Chris:

How long ago did you start Sinister Muse?

Well officially I started Sinister Muse Records in 2005, but the idea had been there stirring for quite some time before that.

How old are you and what's your background?

I'm currently 34 and my background is actually pretty diverse. Over the years I have been involved in the music industry in several different capacities, from owning my own indie record store (Chaos Records) in the mid-90s, to playing in bands (Random55), producing songs, managing bands, and even selling dubbed cassette tapes out of my backpack when I was in high school. More recently, I worked as a marketing and operations specialist for IBM for 7 years. It was pretty strange coming off the "street" to work for a Fortune 100 company, but I think it was my ambition and my fresh approach that made me excel while at IBM. I also learned a lot being exposed to corporate culture. I now try to find a good balance between the corporate ideals I learned and the street knowledge I have and blend them into a working philosophy that suits me better than either one did individually.

Why did you decide to start the label?

Well, I knew that I still wanted to continue to make music and that didn't necessarily mean strapping on a guitar and hitting the studio. While I do still enjoy to physically make music, I tend to enjoy working with bands that are making music even more. I guess I am living vicariously through them. The real reason I decided to leave a high paying job at IBM to get involved with music again was that I just wasn't feeling passion in my life anymore. Around the same time, my brother was shot and killed and that really made me question whether life was too short to not do what you are passionate about. So I decided that I could take what I learned and already knew, take what little money I had, and use that to help artists that had the talent but didn't know how to navigate their way through the music industry.

How many employees do you have?

Sinister Muse has fluctuated from the very beginning where we initially had 5 people doing various jobs and eventually life led these people to other careers. I guess I never replaced these people as they left and I found it more efficient to outsource their roles to independents who already had a good track record. For instance, our various publicity, retail, video and radio promotion activities are handled by very capable indie promoters. All of our design and marketing is done in-house. Bookings are handled by various agents, etc. In a nutshell, I am the only remaining employee. I hope I never have to fire myself. Ha!

Are you at the point where the label is now your only job?

The label has been my only job now for the last several years. It's important to me that the bands know they are entrusting their livelihoods to someone that is completely focused on their careers. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's also why I am very selective with who I decide to work with.

You have some phenomenal bands, from straight punk (Dead Town Revival, Random 55), solid power pop (the Tattle Tales)and pop punk (The Frantic). Did you make a concerted effort to sign bands with different sounds?

While I try to stay somewhat within the realm of rock or punk because of my roots in those genres, my only real criteria for bands I decide to work with are that I must be completely passionate about their music, as well as equally respect them as people. As far as diversity, I also signed a great folk artist out of Portland, Maine by the name of Graham Isaacson. While he is no longer with Sinister Muse, it shows how diverse my tastes really are. When I decide to work with a band I am "all in" physically and emotionally and it is for the long haul, so it is important that everyone involved is very realistic, up-front, and committed.

How do you find your bands?

Believe it or not I have never found a band I wanted to work with by receiving their demo in the mail. All of the bands I either found myself live or they were recommended by someone I trust. Although I did find some by just poking around on MySpace. Amazing how many good bands there are out there. But there are also a ton of bands that really need to be realistic about how bad they sound. I get dozens of emails a week saying "I've got this band and we're real good. We don't have a demo yet and we're still looking for a singer but if you sign us we'll promise to make you millions and tour for 40 years." Unfortunately, I don't think they are being realistic.

Who was the first band you signed?

The first CD we released was from Random55, which was my old band from the mid-90s. I released that for pure posterity purposes. But the first band I signed was Dead Town Revival from Chicago. Great guys, amazing songwriters.

Do you encourage bands to send in music to the label?

I listen to everything I get, and I get a lot! But it's true what they say about putting your best song first. I rarely have time to listen past the first song or two and even more rarely do I have time to sift through 12 pages of a bio and press clippings and photos and stickers and any other tree-killing things people often send me. My best advice to all bands is to send a well-produced CD with contact info and a simple one-sheet of concise information outlining your accomplishments. What's even better is short email with a link to your Myspace or Purevolume page. That way, the artist can save their money on shipping and put it into production and touring. Rest assured, if I like what I hear I will ask for more information from the band. Along with running the label, you also do A&R.

Are you encouraged by the music you are hearing now or are too many bands trying to sound like everyone else?

Some bands are good, some bands are bad. Every once in a while you find a great band that rocks your world. I love A&R or scouting for new artists. I think it goes with the territory of always searching for something fresh and exciting.

Obviosuly the major record lables are having a hard time figuring things out right now. Do you think independent labels are better equipped to be successful moving forward?

I think so. We're more nimble and we have the same resources available to us as the majors do. I think majors are inherently antiquated, although there are definitely some more progressive ones out there trying to replicate the relative success the indies have had lately. It's a very democratic and interesting time for music. I'm glad to be part of the revolution.

What's your stance on file sharing and downloading music without paying?

I am really torn on the subject. While I certainly don't condone stealing of music, I do feel that giving away free music is the best promotion any band can do. We encourage our bands to give away a majority of their music by passing out digital download cards at festivals that contain a code to download a few free songs from their album. If people like the music, I believe they will buy it. "File sharing" has always been there in one form or another, even when we used to make dubbed cassettes for our buddies or mix-tapes for our girlfriends back in the day. Does that date me and make me sound fucking old? That's how I got turned on to some of my favorite bands and became a fan for life. Once I liked a band, I went out and bought their entire catalog. I encourage everyone to do the same, or their favorite bands won't be around long enough to enjoy. Support music, go to shows, buy merchandise. That's my stance.

Any new music you are listening to now that you'd recommend?

I love The Frantic and think they can save rock and roll (shameless plug!). But outside of my own label, I am really digging the new Foxy Shazam, Flatfoot 56, and The Mars Volta records.

Any new releases Sinister Muse is putting out soon?

I have made a conscious decision to focus only on what I have on my plate right now. It is important to me that can devote 100% to my projects before I decide to take on anything more. But, you never know.

What's next?

I am currently developing an artist development and management company called CRIMSON Music Group. I think I am better served helping talented bands who need some guidance maneuvering through the industry while making the most effective impact. It is a boutique artist development, management and consulting group. That's where my mind is taking me these days.

ZEPPELIN TO APPEAR AT BONNAROO!

This was a brilliant move.

Shortly after Led Zepplin's completly over-hyped reunion show (please note my obvious bias from an earlier post), news got out that (gasp!), the dinosaurs were coming to the U.S.!!! Aparently they would be playing amongst the petrulli and Birkenstock set at Tennessee's jam band packed Bonnaroo fest (though with the addition of Metallica to this year's bill, there might be fewer hippies making the pilgrimage).

The folks behind Bonnaroo's marketing let word get out on message boards for weeks, before their PR firm finally sent out a release yesterday stating, that yes, the rumors were indeed true. Zepplin would, in fact, be playing this year... I'll let the release explain the rest:

NEW YORK, February 6, 2008 – After rumors following Led Zeppelin’s reunion performance at London’s O2 Arena in December that Led would headline the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Bonnaroo promoters have finally confirmed that the 2008 Festival will, indeed, feature an historic performance by Zeppelin – Lez, that is -- the New York City-based, all-girl quartet that has gained international acclaim as one of the world’s most exciting and talked about live acts. Several major news organizations, who mistakenly reported that Led Zeppelin would headline the festival, scurried early this morning to correct the snafu. Said to embody with blazing accuracy the spirit, sound and swagger of the original, Lez Zeppelin is the first “tribute” act ever to be asked to appear at Bonnaroo.

Nicely played Bonnaroo. Nicely played.

This Album Brought to You By...

Read a piece yesterday in the British press (so it's got to be legit, right?) that made me spit coffee out at the computer screen. I actually went back and re-read the article to make sure I understood correctly. So far, more than 700 media outlets have picked up on the story, giving it more credibility.

Based on several reports, EMI, which just this week dropped the axe on 2,000 employees, is floating the idea of letting companies sponsor albums.

"EMI will allow its artists, who include Coldplay and Kylie Minogue, to be sponsored by corporate companies, according to reports.

The proposals, which could see Coldplay’s new album ‘Prospekt’ released with corporate branding, are expected to feature as part of an extensive shake-up of the company.
Terra Firma, EMI’s new owners, believe the plans would help increase the label’s revenue as it struggles to meet the growth of the digital marketplace."

Here's a quote from the Financial Times:

"Football teams have very distinct corporate sponsorship. Why shouldn't some of the leading bands have the same sort of relationships?" said EMI Chairman Guy Hands.

Are you kidding me?

So this is what we can expect in 2008:

• Lexipro Presents... Britney Spears!


• Ambien Presents... Coldplay!


• Bengay Presents... Aerosmith!

You got any others?

Best of 2007 (aka Lazy Journalism)

I hate getting the end of the year magazine issues. They're always crammed full of what happened over the past year in timeline format (very useful if you were in a coma for 12 months, not so much if you have a functioning memory), and the ubiquitous "Best of List." (more on BoL in a minute).

It's simply lazy journalism to just rehash the past year, every December. If the cut and paste function were disabled from all newsroom computers, I doubt these issues would look the same. Come to think of it, I would love it if a magazine gave me the option to opt out of the end of the year issue and have an extra month added to my subscription.

OK, so here's my problem with Best of Lists. Almost no one is going to be honest and tell you what they really liked. Sure they may sneak in a handful of true picks, but then there is also this need to pack the list with too-cool-for-school trendy indie releases that no one really likes, but go a long way in building up street cred. If Radiohead, Interpol, Iron & Wine or Cat Power put out an album it's going to make the list, regardless of how good it may actually be (and I know these bands occasionally make list-worthy records, but come on... every release?).

That being said, I was asked by an editor the other day to put together my Best of List for 2007. And I am willing to defend each and every record on this list. Please note the absence of Radiohead and Iron & Wine, both of whom had releases in 2007. You can, however, probably find them on lists by Paste magazine or Pitchfork.

Sean Na Na – Family Trees Or: Cope We Must (Dim Mak)
With his latest, Sean Tillmann (aka Sean Na Na) turns in a stellar collection of indie pop. He has a remarkable knack for taking the most inane topics - like getting friends to visit when it’s cold outside (“We’ve Been Here Before”) – and turning them into Dylan-worthy works of poetry. A nearly flawless effort from start to finish.

Motion City Soundtrack – Even if it Kills Me (Epitaph)
On their third record, Motion City Soundtrack delivers it’s most mature and accomplished effort to date. Produced by Ric Ocasek and the duo of Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne) and Eli Janney (Girls Against Boys), the album still feels comfortable enough to appease longtime fans, but is experimental enough to win over any remaining holdouts.

Bruce Springsteen – Magic (Columbia)
Eleven new songs by New Jersey’s favorite son, backed by the E Street band. Enough said.

Joe Henry – Civilians (Anti-)
On his first record in almost half a decade, singer-songwriter Joe Henry turns in the best record of his career (and that’s saying a lot). With smart lyrics that are matched perfectly with his brilliant arrangements, Henry has set the bar extremely high for his next effort.

500 Miles to Memphis – Sunshine in a Shotglass (Deep Elm)
Best described as country punk, the debut from Cincinnati’s 500 Miles to Memphis is a solid take on the genre, showcasing a band that could hold its own against groups like Lucero or The Drive By Truckers. The band blends the noise and energy of Social Distortion with the songwriting of one of the Highway Men. Think distorted power chords with plenty of lap steel guitar.

Against Me! – New Wave (Sire)
Call them sell outs for jumping to a major label (many have), but Florida’s best punk band has turned in a fantastic collection of conscious-raising, fist-pumping rock tunes. With an album this great, I only wish they had sold out years ago.

Chris Trapper – Hey You (Starlit)
On his third solo disc, former Push Stars front man Chris Trapper roots his songs in a strong pop foundation, but experiments more than ever before, bringing in steel guitars, accordions, whistles and horns. The result is just as strong as anything Trapper has turned in before and likely to impress anyone who has ever owned a Cheap Trick or Big Star record.

Limbeck – Limbeck (Doghouse)
On their third full length release, Limbeck have started adding in some sharper pop hooks to their already stellar take on Americana rock. Falling somewhere between Wilco and The Format, it’s almost inconceivable that this band is not selling out venues on every stop of every tour. No need to wait around for the next Old 97’s record, just get a copy of Limbeck’s latest.

Chuck Regan – Los Feliz (SideOne Dummy)
When Hot Water Music broke up last year, three/fourths of the band went on to form The Draft, while front man Chuck Regan decided to go it alone and turn in two remarkable acoustic solo efforts in the span of just a few months. It’s tough to decide which was better, but I’m going with the live effort, “Los Feliz.” With the passion of a Springsteen show, Regan tears through a dozen Billy Bragg-esque folk rockers.

Everybody Else – Everybody Else (The Militia Group)
In the vein of bands like Squeeze and The Kinks, Everybody Else writes smart, sing-along pop songs with choruses that stick with you for days. On their self-titled debut, the band bounces through a dozen tracks, each nearly as good as the last. With a strong grasp of pop music history, they still manage to put their own sound to the music.

I Hate Led Zeppelin

Confession Time. I hate Led Zeppelin. That's not true. I don't hate them, I just never bought into all the hype.

I tried. Especially in high school. I even drew the ZoSo symbols from their fourth album on the white rubber part of my black Chuck Taylors in 9th grade. I chalk it up to peer pressure.

Robert Plant has a cool voice; Agreed. Jimmy Page is a solid guitar player; No argument here. John Bonham kicked ass on the drums; No doubt. Individually they are brilliant. But put them all together and you've got a decent band, but not the defining moment in rock.

What most Zeppelin fans won't ever admit (regardless of how often these deep dark thoughts creep into their sweatly little heads) is that the idea of Led Zeppelin, the legend behind the band - everything from the wild groupie sex stories to the rumors of Satan worship - is far, far greater than the band's actually musical contribution.

I know I'm going to get challenged on this one. Name a song that you can't possible live without. Stairway to Heaven? Whole Lotta Love? Rock and Roll? I'll take a Replacement's song any day of the week.

Great Site for Live Shows

I realize I may be the last person in the world to discover this site, but have been listening to it all afternoon.

(Thanks for the heads up, Phil).

FabChannel, out of Amsterdam, is the best site I have run across so far for live concerts. The play list in incredibly diverse and the quality is amazing. Ready for the RIAA cease and desist order in ...3,2,1.

In their words:

"With a team of dedicated, music loving directors, editors, programmers and promoters Fabchannel has built one of the biggest online concert archives in the world. 700 full-length concerts, festivals, performances, debates and lectures can be freely experienced in the Fabchannel video on demand archive. Live from the famous Paradiso and Melkweg Amsterdam."

I have already listened to shows by Motion City Soundtrack, Nada Surf and De La Soul. Excited to see they also have Pennywise and The Street Dogs.

Another Band You Should Know About

All too often, I'm asked to write about bands that are completely unworthy of the buckets of ink that have been wasted to promote them. But bands with big names sell magazines, so I'm asked to churn out more celebratory dribble for a group that just happened to have a sound generic enough, and a look marketable enough to please folks at a record label that, ironically, doesn't know a damn thing about decent music. (In fact, I'm convinced most folks who run major record labels actually hate music. How else do you explain Daughtry?)

But, I'm lucky enough to have some pretty decent editors who do actually like music. A few months ago, Lisa at AMP and Loud Fast Rules sent me a link to the Teenage Frames MySpace page. She saw them at a club show in LA and asked if I was interested in writing something up on them. They play fantastic pop songs in the vein of Material Issue and Cheap Trick.

Below is the result of an hour-plus long conversation with their front man Frankie Delmane.

Teenage Frames
Every now and then you come across a truly brilliant band that you can’t help but wonder why the rest of the world has not caught on to yet. The Teenage Frames are one of those bands.
Ten years in the making, the LA-group (by way of Chicago, and Portland before that), plays straight ahead rock and roll that would make Robin Zander proud. Crammed with three chord-guitars, sing along choruses and two-and-a-half-minute time limits, the Teenage Frames play music that’s reminiscent of everyone from Cheap Trick to Material Issue.

They record songs not to channel long-suffering self-esteem problems or to play into some pretentious concept album, but to simply get people to sing along.

Along with fronting a truly amazing band, Teenage Frames singer Frankie Delmane is also the man behind Trash, a zine that looks at long-forgotten albums and gives band mates a chance to gush about their influences, like a recent MASH note to The Romantics.

Delmane, co-founder of the Teenage Frames, spoke to Loud Fast Rules recently about the band’s formation over a night of drinking, their love/hate relationship for their adopted city of LA and their master plan to win over fans, one city at a time.

LFR: How did you guys first get together?

Frankie: Originally me and the drummer (Jim Holiday) lived in Portland and we knew each other from high school bands and stuff from the early 90’s. At that time, the whole grunge thing was going on and I just didn’t go along with the other kids my age; I just didn’t get it. I just got into rock and roll music. Jim and I decided that Portland was sort of in the grips of this northwest metal blow job fest and we just didn’t feel comfortable with it, so we said “Let’s go to Chicago.” In Chicago you had Urge Overkill and Material Issue and Cheap Trick. That’s where we met Eric (Vegas, guitar). I think what convinced us was an all night drinking fest that a lot of people go through when they form bands and we were watching videos all night, drinking until the sun came up and talking about all these bands that we love like the Beach Boys, Cheap Trick and the New York Dolls and at that point it was a no-brainer and we were off and running as a band.

LFR: So that was 1995, how did you get Aaron (Money, bass) involved?

Frankie: Aaron was someone we met when we came out to LA. When we lived in Chicago we had two different bass players… When we moved out here we had to find a new bass player.

LFR: What was the Chicago scene like at the time you guys first formed there?

Frankie: It was all sort of indie rock, Touch & Go sort of stuff. Bands like Pavement were really big, post-rock stuff like Tortoise. But it definably wasn’t geared toward rock and roll. What me and Jim started doing in Portland we thought was an anomaly. We went to Chicago and it was even more so. And it’s not like we are dealing with something that is revolutionary, but it was almost seen that way, because it was so different than the other stuff people were playing with. We were playing these tiny dive bars and there were maybe one or two other bands that had the same sensibilities, but it was really dry. You’d think there would be bands coming out of the wood work to just string together two chords and play snazzy, snarling rock because it’s so much fun. It gets people moving.

LFR: Is that why you decided to move to Los Angeles?

Frankie: Yes and no. Being in Chicago we toured a lot and every time we came to LA we liked it. We had some friends that had moved out here and it was just enjoyable. The weather is obviously fantastic and the Chicago winters were starting to get to us. I think it also just goes in line with who we are as people, me and Aaron and Jim. We just have this obsession with forward movement. So we have this idea that if we just live in every city and play there for a few years, we would have established something in every town. (Laughs.) We have all talked about New York as a step in the future. I think we want to do some more touring before we approach something like that. We do it because it’s fun; it’s an adventure.

LFR: I’m sure the scene in LA is completely different than what you faced in Portland and Chicago.

Frankie: Oh yeah. LA definitely has its own language. I feel like it’s like an island. It’s a place that’s so removed from every place else and there’s positives to that and negatives to that. There’s an enormous cross section of people who are all here for very different reasons, but most of them happen to be here for some sort of industry. It’s a strange place, because it changes all the time. There’s no permanence to it. Every nine months there’s a turn over of a new trend that kids are going through. It’s amazing to sort of watch it unfold if you’ve been here for awhile. When I first got here, in 2001/2002, the whole things was still revolving around indie rock and then it sort of moved into a rock and roll phase for awhile in 2003, but then people grew weary of that really fast and got into folk music and that’s been swirling around for the past couple of years. Then there was the whole post-punk thing that happened.

LFR: Does any of that affect your music at all? Have you found yourselves changing your music a little based on what you’re hearing?

Frankie: I would say it really hasn’t affected us at all. To me it’s really more a process of the industry and marketing then it is natural thought. People get into things, especially in Los Angeles where you see the fashions change and the music change, and you realize that these are really just lifestyle accessories for a lot of people. Everybody’s trying to get laid; they’re trying to get a better job; they’re trying to be popular. I think if you allow yourself to be hampered by that it will just ruin you. I don’t think you’ll ever really do anything of quality because you’re always chasing something you’re never ever really fully comprehending or grasping because you’re always going to be on to the next thing.

LFR: In terms of musical influence, have your tastes changed at all in the 10 years or so the band has been together?

Frankie: I would say individually they have, but as far as the band is concerned, we sort of started it on the premise of a very… I think all of us agree that we love the art form of rock and roll, very simple and to the point and economic and give yourself a two and a half to three minute time limit. But you can do an amazing amount of things in that time. We like to keep the structure the same because I really do think there’s a real art behind that. If you listen to a really well-written song by any classic rock band, Cheap Trick or Thin Lizzy or the Dead Boys, it’s almost like they’re the more modern version of folk music to me, because they created these songs with wonderful structures for us to bounce our own ideas off of. It’s something that every body can do. That’s what folk music is, two chords to entertain your friends.

LFR: Besides your music, you are also known for your zine Trash. How did that come about?

Frankie: I’ve been doing that since about the early 90’s. When I started from about 91 to 92 on up to about 2000, I would do these issues and they would be about once every year and at that time they were just 8.5 by 14, three pages put together. Then in 2000, Jim was like “you need to make this a real thing.” I took all of the issues that I had done up to that point and I condensed them into one sort of anthology and then I started doing regular sizes from that point. What I would like to do is about four a year.

LFR: Do you put together all of the content.

Frankie: Yeah. I literally write everything… except Eric contributed an article about The Romantics because he’s a big fan of them. I always ask people to solicit things because I just love to hear about great records that people really care about. I love all the forgotten records that came out in 1989 and not many people bought it.

LFR: After a number of full length records, you’ve been churning out a few EPs lately. What’s the reason behind that?

Frankie: We had this idea that we wanted to do four EPs. Each band member would get to design an EP, pick the songs, etc., etc. We got to do that and we are on the third one right now, which is Glamourish Trash and it’s been great. We put these out ourselves because we didn’t really think anyone would put out four CDs that have four to six songs. It’s just not cost effective for a label. That was a project that we just fell in love with and wanted to do… We’ve already started writing songs for our next full length.