Last time I sat down to write a blog, Milwaukee was in a solid patch of negative degree weather and I had seen nothing but snow for months. Now as I write this, the sun is shining outside of my window and my phone is telling me it’s a lovely 72 degrees out.

So, it’s been awhile.

I have talked with some of you on the twitter, but I can only get out so much of my life in 140 characters. Let’s update you, shall we?

-I was hired on to work with Red Bull as the Student Brand Manager. Not specifically music marketing, but I need to stretch my wiiings!

-I am continuing to work with Red Bull Records doing promotions, among other things. Sad to see my English counterpart, Beth, leave the company, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

-A friend and I booked a fantastic band called twenty one pilots for our university’s spring concert. Do y’know them?

- Did merch for Five Knives for a few stops on that same twenty one pilots tour. Got great experience and befriended some amazing people.

- I’m doing some freelance A&R now because why the heck not. Know of any great unsigned gems in your area? Let me know! I’d love to hear them.

-Helped book the world’s largest music festival, Summerfest, at my internship. Any of you girls going to be there?

-That same internship has me working on a boutique music conference happening in Milwaukee this upcoming fall. Keep your eyes out for the Yellow Phone Music Conference!

-Still trying to figure out my summer.What amazing things are you ladies up to?

Here’s the deal: in the next few weeks, I’ll expand on these stories. I have learned so much about the music industry as a whole as well as myself. I had some great people giving me advice along the way I want to share with you.

Now that I’ve updated you, I want to know what you’ve been up to! Tweet me or drop me an email and give me some stories I can share with everyone else! We’re all journeying together, and I want to learn from you!

As I’m sure we all know by now, I spent a fantastic summer in Los Angeles interning with Red Bull Records.

I wasn’t able to blog about my experiences as much as I would have liked to since I was SO busy! However, I’m slowly getting around to going back and highlighting some of the crazy experiences I had.

One of my favorites was working with one of our newer bands out of England, Heaven’s Basement.

While the band was in L.A. recording, they had other obligations like interviews, photo shoots and video shoots. This one particular memory is about their video shoot for “Nothing Left to Lose.”

Picture this: end of July heat, a desert in the middle of nowhere and a bunch of British guys sitting in a trailer learning about R.Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet.”  That was the scene I walked in on as my car full of interns drove up to the video’s post-apocalyptic set in Lancaster, CA.

Not only was I in awe of the fact the band had never seen one of R.Kelly’s greatest artistic ventures (we’ve ALL seen it, even if you don’t want to admit to it), but this was my first time ever being on a video shoot. I couldn’t wait to explore. For everyone else, it was work. For us interns, it was a glimpse into what would hopefully be our futures.

That day was hot, windy and, by most means, absolutely hell-ish. Despite that, it was one of the best days I had all summer. I was able to get a behind-the-scenes look at what all goes into a video shoot and how difficult it actually is. Not only that, but I was able to bond with the other interns, a few other RBR employees, the band and all of the amazing crew members. Not to mention I got to watch the band perform over and over and over again. Tough life.

One of the best feelings is watching something you were a part of come to life. That’s why I was so excited to see the video and, just recently, the behind-the-scenes video, finally released.

Take a look under the cut to see both the “Nothing Left to Lose” video and behind-the-scenes video as well as some pictures I took!

Have questions about my experiences on set or just want to talk? Feel free to drop me a line at christina@ialwaystellthegirls.com. I’d love to hear from you!

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Music is my job. I am a label representative. I am a promoter. I am a talent buyer. But most importantly, I am a music lover.

I often run into bands I enjoy and will gladly listen to on a day-to-day basis. Occasionally, I do I find a band that surpasses that to become so much more.

To become a favorite band.

That happened to me a little bit over a year ago when a few friends showed me the Columbus, Ohio duo twenty | one | pilots.

I very rarely have a favorite band. When prompted, I’ll often answer with one of the bands I work with since they are so close to my heart. It takes something special to break me of that.

Something special is exactly what twenty | one | pilots is. The first time I listened to them, I can’t say I understood it. I’m not sure understanding was the point. But whatever it was, I was inspired.

Listen after listen, this band grew on me. I felt invested in their art. I wanted everyone and anyone to experience it.

So, here’s your chance.

The band released their major label debut entitled “Vessel” today. Listen to the full album stream. If you like what you hear, buy the album. Support true art. Who knows, they could end up becoming your favorite band too.

 

 

 

*Originally posted on my personal blog.

Tell me 2012 wasn’t one of the craziest years so far?!

New friends, new experiences and SO much new music.

This year, I worked in Chicago for Twin Atlantic, the Dial Up Tour, Riot Fest, AWOLNATION and more. I moved to LA to intern with Red Bull Records. I moved back to Milwaukee to work for the Yellow Phone Music Conference and Summerfest. I did merch for the first time and fell in love. I booked my first show on my own (which hasn’t been announced yet, shhhh!) I volunteered my little heart out and met so many new people.

I can honestly say 2012 was one of the biggest years I’ve had in my journey through the music industry. It has taught me to keep going, be persistent and never give up. I realize that sounds cliche, but there are so many things I experienced this year that I wouldn’t have if I did not keep pushing along to reach my goals.

I sincerely hope you all had and AMAZING year and have an even better 2013. I’ve loved working with all of the other IATTG girls. We’re all on this journey just like you are, and I can’t wait for all of us to show the music industry what girls are made of in the years to come.

Have a safe New Year and we’ll talk to you on the flip side!

Happy October!

Considering it’s a Monday and the first day of one of my favorite months, I figured why not start something new?

Every week, I – or one of my amazing counterparts – will post about an unsigned band we’ve been digging. Whether it’s a band we just discovered or one we’ve been loving for a while, we want you to know about them!

For the first week, I wanted to share with you an artist I fell in love with very recently:

 

Noah Gundersen

Seattle, WA

Genre: Folk, Singer/Songwriter

Sounds like: The Civil Wars, Iron and Wine, Ryan Adams

It’s very rare for an artist to have such open and honest lyrics as Noah Gundersen does. More than just a kid with a guitar, Gundersen paints a picture with his words that comes to life with the addition of violin and harmonies from sister Abby.

I started listening to him at the beginning of the summer and haven’t stopped since. I was initially drawn to the harmonies and near simplicity of the arrangement, but after listening through his EP multiple times, the emotionally charged lyrics keep me coming back.

Check out songs, videos and links after the jump!

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Last Saturday (4/21/12) I tweeted the very important question of “What should I buy on Record Store Day?” I got really awesome responses, and I wanted to share with you what I decided to purchase on one of my favorite holidays of the year.

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It’s been four years. Four years of staying up and getting down, girls doing what they want and growing up with John, Kennedy, Jared, Garrett and Pat.

A lot has changed since the Maine first started out in Tempe, Arizona. Their sound is no longer sugary pop music about boys kissing girls, but rather a developed mix of rock, indie and country influences. The band’s new album, “Pioneer,” shows just how far they have come.

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(Photo courtesy of Alternative Press)

Ever since the rough demo first appeared on Hayley Williams’ Tumblr back in January, fans have anxiously awaited the studio version of “In the Mourning.” As the recently released single for Paramore’s Singles Club, the wait is over.

The song, originally promoted by Williams as just something she “wrote for fun,” turned out to be much softer than anything Paramore had previously released. With the blue-grass sounding guitar riffs and Williams’ soft vocals, the band stayed true to their Nashville roots.

“In the Mourning” has been compared to Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” multiple times, with good reason. The tone of Williams’ voice and the pluck of the rhythm guitar sound eerily familiar; I half expected Stevie Nicks to appear on guest vocals.

Acknowledging the similarities, Paramore performed a mash-up of the two songs at the Fueled By Raman 15^th Anniversary concert. The crowd loved it.

These days, it seems like Paramore can do no wrong. Slowly making their way back into the limelight, the trio has done their best to recreate what the band could be. “In the Mourning” along with the other singles – “Monster,” “Renegade,” “Hello Cold World” – are the first steps to their long journey of discovery.

(Photo taken from Frank Turner’s official Facebook page)

Folk-punk. Not exactly two genres musicians tend to combine, but ask singer-songwriter Frank Turner what type of music he plays and that is exactly what he’ll tell you.

Hailing from Winchester, England, Turner recently made his way stateside to perform in sold-out venues across America. I had the opportunity to see him play at the Turner Hall Ballroom in Milwaukee earlier this week.

Turner – along with his live band The Sleeping Souls – played a 90-minute set ranging from old crowd favorites to songs off of his newest LP “England Keep My Bones”.  Turner’s anthem-like lyrics, captivating tunes and punk attitude intrigued me from the very start.

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Joel Piper has recently announced his EP “The Only One” will be releasing on November 1, 2011. As his first step out from behind a name, such as Confide and Avery Pkwy, Piper is ready to introduce himself to the world as a “pop” artist.

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