Believe me, you don’t want to be the indie that didn’t know… sure you can make your own cds and sell them for cash, if your goal is to pay the bills and put food on the table then this check-list may not be for you. My goal with this release was to get noticed, perhaps apply for a grant after 2,000 units are sold or even win a Juno!

Last night I was at an open mic and met a terrific band called “Down by Riverside” here in Toronto. They too had just put out their first EP and had produced it all themselves. At a glance, it was a great product; beautiful artwork, great songs, high quality production and only $5 to boot.

Upon a closer look, I see that they are missing a few things I was fortunate enough to discover before I went to the press with it.

Here is a list of things I did before selling the first copy; 

1) THE MAPL SYSTEM
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/r1.htm

The Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) has developed the MAPL System to help highlight Canadian artists. It’s a little logo that goes on the CD artwork (on the disc & back cover).

MAPL stands for Music, Artist, Production and Lyrics. The logo is a circle cut into those 4 parts and you are suppose to use the black background with white text for each part that is Canadian otherwise you keep to the white background with black text.

The CRTC mandates that a certain percentage of a station’s playlist is approved as Canadian content, i.e. Canadian Artists. In my opinion and I’m sure many will agree, Canada has world wide recognition as the source to the larger half of the world class artists. So in other words, broadcasters around the world are looking for this logo!!

2) Gracenote CompactDisc DataBase (CDDB)
Unless you submit your CD playlist to the official Gracenote CDDB, your disc will come up as untitled when read by players like iTunes, WinAmp or Windows Media Player. You can use any of the latter to make your submission and within a few days you should see your album/playlist identified when loaded to a media player connected to the internet.

3) International Sound Recording Code (ISRC)
http://www.avla.ca/isrc.aspx

If you want to get any royalties off the digital broadcasting of your CD, you better encode some ISRC codes into each track of the album. An ISRC code is essentially a digital fingerprint that is used to track your plays. The ISRC consists of twelve characters representing country (2 characters), registrant (3 characters), year of reference (2 digits) and designation (5 digits). Visit AVLA to register your numbers and use a high-end CD writer like Nero to burn them into the finished master disc.

4) Universal Product Code (UPC)
http://www.terryburton.co.uk/barcodewriter/generator/

I was unsure as to whether or not I should bother with a UPC barcode on the album artwork because my plan was to sell CDs at shows only. Nonetheless, I feel a barcode makes the product look more professional and here’s the nice part….

If you perform at a retail store like a skateboarding shop, a clothing store, etc. you can leave CDs behind and let the store sell them even though it’s not a record store! Well duh, it’s a UNIVERSAL PRODUCT CODE so you can recruit small stores that have that same little UPC scanner and Nielsen Soundscan will track the sale. Think about it, have you not seen CDs at the LCBO? The Coffee Shop? Wow!

5) Nielsen Soundscan
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/links/Soundscan-BDS.html

Nielsen Soundscan tracks all sales of your songs/album. You can register your UPC and ISRC codes with them online. The last piece of the release is tracking your off-stage sales.

This is where a company like Indie Pool comes in handy. The process involves bringing a “venue settlement sheet” to all of your shows and getting the promoter to sign off on X CDs sold at X dollars.

That sheet then gets sent to your record label or in my case, Indie Pool… and then they fax it into Nielsen Soundscan for tracking. Unfortunately Nielsen will not deal directly with artists for there are just too many. Remember, your off-stage sales can add up and potentially be the difference between getting a grant and not even qualifying for one. The same goes for certain awards, the charts, the press, etc.

http://www.rendezvouswithmadness.com/

Workman Arts presents and produces the 19th annual Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival (RWMFF) set for November 4th – 12th.  The 9-day festival showcases over 20 programs of feature and short films, as well as multi-media installations, live performances, and visual arts exhibitions.  Each program includes a thematic, moderated post-screening panel discussion with filmmakers, people living with the experience of the issue explored, a health care professional and a special interest person.

RWMFF continues to revel in the mysteries of the mind, exploring the facts and mythologies surrounding mental illness and addiction. The festival opens and screens at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square, 350 King St West and continues with additional screenings at Workman Hall, 651 Dufferin St.

Workman Arts facilitates aspiring, emerging and established artists with mental illness and addiction issues to develop and refine their art form through its arts training programs, public performances/exhibit opportunities and partnering with other art organizations. As well, the organization promotes a greater understanding of mental illness and addiction through the creation, presentation and discussion of artistic media.

About the Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival
The Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival explores cinematic representations of mental health and addiction.  Film and video programs are followed by post-screening panel discussions with people who receive mental health and addiction services, as well as writers, directors, actors, health care professionals and academics.

Please add this information to your listings. Images are available upon request. We are presently confirming interviews.  For more information please visit: www.rendezvouswithmadness.com

For media information:
Planet3 Communications Ltd. – Sacha Miller/Joanne Smale
T: 647-346-4101 F: 647.346.4104 E: info@planet3com.net

Booking a Gig at the Freetimes

We are always looking to present quality talent, and you will be joining an elite group of artists. Consider playing the Freetimes Cafe on your next tour through Toronto. Our philosophy is that filling seats must a joint effort between club and artist, and we expect the artist to draw fans. We like to build long term relationships with artists.

FREE TIMES OPEN STAGE
Our Monday open stages are perfect for local musicians who are just starting out. Local artists, or those visiting Toronto,  who are unknown to the bookers are encouraged to attend our Monday evening open stages and talk to us. For monday night open stage, just show up: sign up time is 7:00 PM

ROOM – We offer a small intimate listening room which holds 50 people, which is fully licensed and serves fine food.

PROMOTION – All Freetimes are promoted through artists listening on our website, direct email to our private email and media, local radio spots if available, and we can arrange additional publicity as applicable.

STAGE / EQUIPMENT - Raised stage approx 8ft wide by 3.5 ft.  Sound system is Yorkville powered mixer, stands, and mics.

DINNER SHOWS – We can open for dinner, so your fans can arrive early and dine and relax with a beverage prior the the show.

Rumour has it “new music night” will be back… time will tell. Venue serves great food, it’s right on the subway line just steps away from Christie station and there is a patio for all you smokers out there. I’ve played this venue 3 or 4 times and have never had a bad experience.

From what I can see, despite the fact that the venue is in the heart of Korea town, it attracts a lot of young adults who are in the rock n roll scene. Apparently Die Mannequin started out at Clinton’s tavern for their first few shows here in Toronto.

A few years back, a friend of mine brought me out to the MOD Club for his birthday and there was one band performing that night before the DJ got started, i.e. SWEET THING.

I remember filming their performance for EPKhosting.com and feeling that it was so strong and powerful that no editing was required. This video was going to go up uncut… to demonstrate their raw energy. The show was amazing and a year or two later, I caught them on the stage at Edgefest with a major label backing them; EMI.

3 weeks ago I was in the Rogers store buying a new iPhone and heard their song “Change of Seasons” in the background on satellite radio. When I got home I decided to check in on the band and found that they were booked to play Canadian Music Week which starts today. Now this isn’t just your average showcase… these guys get to play Massey Hall and open for DOWN WITH WEBSTER! What a treat.

I immediately started to track down Owen Carrier (the lead singer of Sweet Thing) to get a glimpse of everything that’s happened in these recent years and see what they had in store for Saturday, March 12th at Massey Hall as part of Canadian Music Fest. It seems I got lucky and managed to make contact with Owen to get this interview;

1) How long was it from the time Sweet Thing wrote their first song to the moment they were signed?

If you get down to it, Sweet Thing had songs long before we formed the band. Alex and I were writing original works for open mics that ended up being band songs later on. Safe to say it was years apart from our signing with EMI

2) How many songs did you write in that time?

At the moment we were signed we had recorded a 3 song demo and 5 song EP with a handfull of songs that we played to fill a set. Let’s say a dozen

3) Who decided which songs made the cut for that first record after being signed?

By the time we’d decided on our producer, Rob Schnapf, we had 20 songs in the vault. He came into our rehearsal space and we’d play them, talk and he’d weigh in. It was ultimately the collective consensus that would make a decision on which songs were ready and fit in with the idea for this album.

4) Rumour has it the band was put “on the shelf” shortly after being signed. Is this true? If so, was it for the best?

That’s the first I’ve heard of that rumour but there was considerable time between the initial signing and the album where we spent it writing and demoing with producers.

5) It sounds like some of the songs on the record were re-written… can you tell us more?

They were. We always felt that the EP songs had an incomplete feeling and we wanted to give them their full treatment. I’m surprised at how much of a different life they’ve taken on after doing so.

6) What were the more remarkable changes in your life as an artist from working with a label?

I can’t say my life was exclusively altered from getting with the label. They don’t interfere with the creative and they facilitate touring and opening doors.

7) What inspired the music video “Dance Mother”?

The song for one. Christopher Mills, Herr Director, wrote us a treatment for the video and we wanted a driving scene. We discussed, shot and thats what came out the other end.

How old is the oldest song on the new record? Is it the same it was when first written?

Change of Seasons and no.

9) How many live shows per year are you expected to play?

We are ramping everything up. We released the Album mid 2010 so even the beginning of the year looks different from the end. 2011 is already looking bigger than any other year. I want to play as much and as many places as possible

10) What would have been your favourite gig?

There are lots of gigs that are good for different reasons. Opening for Metric in Victoria was our first Arena show and the crowd were right on board with us. Felt great! Same tour took us to Sudbury for the first time and that was a dozen people but talking to them afterwards was great too because it felt like playing to a handful of friends who finally got to see your band.

-Owen

If you’re into Sweet Thing and free Saturday night, go check them out at Massey Hall when they open for Down with Webster.

Tickets are only $30 at ticket master. Trust me, it’s well worth it.

Elmocambo 2nd floor equipment specifications:

FRONT OF HOUSE
- MIDAS Venice 320
- dbx 1231 Graphic EQ
- dbx Drive Rack PA
- 4x Yorkville AP4040 Amplifiers
- 2x Yorkville Elite Series LS 1004 Subwoofers
- 2x Doyle Custom Subwoofers
- 4x Yorkville Elite Series E210 Hi/Mid Speakers

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS
- dbx 1046 Quad Compressor/Limiter
- Alesis 3630 Dual Channel Compressor/Limiter with Gate
- Behringer MDX 2200 Dual Channel Compressor/Expander/Gate

EFFECTS PROCESSORS:
- t.c. electronic M-One Dual effects signal processing
- t.c. electronic M-300 Dual engine processor

MONITOR SYSTEM
(4 monitor mixes)
- 2x dbx 1032Eq
- 2x Ashly GQ 131 Eq
- 4x Yorkville NX 750 P powered speakers

MICROPHONE KIT
- 4x Shure SM58s
- 3x Shure SM57s

DJ EQUIPMENT
- 2x Pioneer CDJ 800 MK2
- 3x Technics turntables ML1200 MK2
- 2 Channel American DJ Q2221 mixer

El Mocambo 1st floor offers the following technical specifications:

FRONT OF HOUSE
- MIDAS Venice 320
- ASHLY 3102 Graphic EQ
- dbx Drive Rack PA
- 4x Yorkville TX9S subwoofers
- 4x  Adamson Mid/High speakers
- 4x QSC Audio RMX 4050 amplifiers
- 2x Yorkville HP4040 amplifiers

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS
- ART 2 Channel  Vactrol/Tube Leveling Amplifier
- 2x Drawmer  DL441 Quad Compressor/Limiter
- Drawmer DS404 Quad Gate

EFFECTS PROCESSORS
- t.c.electronic D-Two Multitap Rhythm Delay
- t.c.electronic  M2000 Studio Effects Processor

MONITOR SYSTEM
(4 Monitor mix)
- 2x EV EQ 231 Stereo Graphic EQ
- 4X Yorkville Elite EM378 monitor speakers
- 2x Yorkville HP4040 amplifiers

DJ EQUIPMENT:
- 2x Pioneer CDJ 800 MK2
- 3x Technics turntables ML1200 MK2
- Pyramid PMR9600 4 Channel mixer
CD AND DVD RECORDING:
- Sony CDR-W66 CD Recorder
- Sony RDR-HX780 HDD/DVD Recorder

MICROPHONE KIT
- 4x Shure SM58?s
- 1x Audix OM6
- 4x Shure SM57?s
- 1x Shure SM94?s (condensors)
- 1x Shure Beta52
- 1x Audio Technica AT3527 (condensor)
- 1x Sennheiser 609
- 7x Yorkville YDI 1-P Direct Boxes

STANDS
- 2 Atlas Round Base Tall Boom Stands
- 7 Tripod Base Tall Boom Stands
- 5 Heavy Base Short Telescopic Boom Stands
- 1 Desk Stands

SNAKE
- 1 Yorkville SN244X 24 channel with 4 return snake

LIGHTS
- NSI MC7016 12 Channel Lighting Board (no dimmer pack)
- 10 Parcans /
- 11 3 x 90 watt halogen Flood

STAGE
- 22ft wide X 11ft deep
- Additional 16ft x 11ft section available with removal of back curtain