We go some nice news this week as well. During the week I bought the Hot Press (An Irish music magazine), there was an article that I wanted to read, but never got around to it due to a busy week. On Saturday morning I had a chance to chill out and as usual, started my morning with Coffee and Emails. In my mail box I had an Email from Jackie Hayden, a journalist who writes for the Hot Press, among other publications. He informed me that our E.P. “Play it loud!” was reviewed at his column “The First cuts”. Well I was up like a flash looking for the magazine, and after about fifteen minutes I found it between my lyric sheets and other papers :-) And there it was, the first acknowledgment of jpkallio.com on a printed press. The review was very nice and as our first one I am chuffed.
"Lumps of punk and punchy hard rock" "Some impressive guitar work from super Kallio himself. One suspects they are possibly best in a live setting"
Jackie Hayden - Hot Press
Now once again I find my self telling you, this is something you can do as well if you are in a band. Once you have a recording, there are music magazines around that will review it. But start small, don't just expect your first recording to appear at the top of new releases. Hot press has the First cuts column that does review new bands, and You can find more magazines with similar columns. Just do your research, all music magazines have websites and most of them have review submission information on their website and if not, the information should be only Email away. Here again I believe very much in a personal contact. So if the magazine does not have specific submission information, I usually email them with a link to our music or video. I ask if our music would be some thing they could include in their publication, and if so I ask for mailing address. Also check what they want, some just want MP3s hosted on your website, and some magazines need two copies of the CD, one they send to a reviewer and one they keep for the design team in the office. Also include a A4 bio, and sometimes a letter to go with it. Unless they specifically ask for it, I would not send press clippings from other reviews, reviewers like to make their own mind about your music and no amount of fancy reviews by other reviewers is going to change this. Going after some publicity works just like everything else in the music business, small steps at a time. And when you do get a review, it is only good manners to thanks the reviewer and let them know you appreciate the work they do. If the review is not so good, do the same thing. No one wants to read just sugar coated reviews. Besides, it is still just review by one person. For example, Foo Fighters new album got really bad review in Irish times, but Metal Hammer magazine called it their best album yet. You win some and loose some.
So the past week we have been busy rehearsing for the King Kong Club. The set is going to be rocking! Next Wednesday the 25th of May we are playing a concert in the Juke box slot, in the Basement of Sweeney’s on Dame Street. The night is organised but the Music Medium Live, and should be a good night. This looks like it is going to be our last gig in Dublin for the next few weeks, but we'll be back for more in mid June :-) We have hand full of new songs on the way again, and just wan to work on them for a few weeks.
Big thank you to all of you who checked out our new video last week :-) It is getting some nice views. We still would like to hear what you think of it, so keep those comments coming. Also if you have any ideas for future videos, we'd love to hear them as well.
So that’s all for now, I'll talk to you more next week.
J.P.
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