I work with a great artist Michael Iwanusa. You might remember his name from his work as lead singer and songwriter of the NYC indie band Caveman. His new project is called RIP Dunes and the self-titled album is out on March 1st. You can check out a couple of early singles here 😉
From these guys I’ve been following since we were in high school. Thankfully the artists from that scene that are still putting stuff out (some 13 years later) are super competent from a songwriting and recording perspective
If you like Hugh Baby’s, you’ll love Martins BBQ. Martins is a Nashville BBQ spot, and Hugh Baby’s is their fast casual/drive through concept. All the meat Hugh Baby’s uses comes from Martins. The menus are pretty similar too, but Martin’s is bigger, and there are a few items at Hugh baby’s you cant get at Martins… Like Milkshakes. And I love slurpshakes
I saw some posts about Noah Kahan on here, want wanted to get some Chillers thoughts on Zach Bryan. Let me know what you think! Below are my thoughts and experience
I’ll be honest, when American Heartbreak came out, I listened to it all week, and really enjoyed it. I had some exposure to some of his previous releases but that album really drew me in. I loved the simple, purposely messy recordings- all those imperfections went against everything happening in the Nashville big machine country music community that had become so clean...
I saw some posts about Noah Kahan on here, want wanted to get some Chillers thoughts on Zach Bryan. Let me know what you think! Below are my thoughts and experience
I’ll be honest, when American Heartbreak came out, I listened to it all week, and really enjoyed it. I had some exposure to some of his previous releases but that album really drew me in. I loved the simple, purposely messy recordings- all those imperfections went against everything happening in the Nashville big machine country music community that had become so clean and polished it was hard to call country music. This felt so natural.
I also loved his songwriting. So simple yet tinged with lines that resonated with me, the simple things said in a fresh way that I think is a token of great songwriters…. but apparently I’m not the only one it resonated with.
Less than two years later, I think it’s insane He’s headlining arenas, and blew up seemingly out of no where, and now I can’t stand him. Maybe it’s a personal problem, but I hate being force-fed and it feels like everywhere I look it’s Zach Bryan… It doesn’t feel natural anymore. It’s like suddenly he’s become the savior of country music for people who can’t find music on their own, so they need it fed to them. Like the Jason Isbells of the world don’t exist for them because they’ve never heard of him. The people that think Morgan Wallen wrote Cover Me Up.
I’ve thought about it a lot, and I think I’ve boiled it down to two major reasons. Country music had became so largely manufactured and such an imitation game that it was in need of something against the grain, and the door was wide open for it. The Nashville Machine’s not stupid, and they were ready to take advantage of the need and assisted the blow up. If you don’t believe he’s been run through the machine, just read his Spotify profile. It’s so manufactured. I think social media plays a huge factor in this too.
These are just one Chillers salty opinions… What are your opinions on Zach Bryan and his blow up? Is this less about Zach Bryan and more about a social media age where that sort of fame is way more obtainable because it’s trending, like Noah Kahan? To piggy back on that, is it sustainable? Or is pounding the pavement and earning your fans still how artists will create a sustainable future for themselves?
Hum rules! They are one of those dope 90s bands that kind of flew under the radar. They’ve got Smashing Pumpkins vibes but somehow don’t sound dated to my ears in 2024.
Ok I just had another pretty good idea. Adding a toolbar to the top of the main site that has different features whether the user is logged in or not. It will collapse into the main navigation bar when you scroll down, so it will only be visible at the top of every page. Then I can add links to a bunch of community features right in everybody’s face.
Once we get a critical mass around here and a group of regulars it will be much easier to attract signups. Looking around at other music forums...
Ok I just had another pretty good idea. Adding a toolbar to the top of the main site that has different features whether the user is logged in or not. It will collapse into the main navigation bar when you scroll down, so it will only be visible at the top of every page. Then I can add links to a bunch of community features right in everybody’s face.
Once we get a critical mass around here and a group of regulars it will be much easier to attract signups. Looking around at other music forums on the internet, and this one seems to have a much more modern and engaging design.
