VH1

IndiMusic TV- Proof That Music Videos Still Have A Place

I am someone who comes from a generation where the music video was such a prevalent item in making someone’s music career a success. Artists like Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Missy Elliott wouldn’t be half as big as they are today if they didn’t have the power of each of their music videos to further their careers. The music video even launched independent artists onto the forefront of our television screens, most notably people like Lisa Loeb, who is still the only artist in the history of music to have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 and not be signed to a major label with “Stay”. Sadly, today’s generation is lost on some of that magic where mainstay networks like VH1 and MTV have foregone their endless airplay of music videos with their current crop of reality TV programming such as “Love & Hip Hop” and “Are You The One?” Luckily, there is a subscription based service that allows people to still divulge in thousands of independent music videos & artists as well as some pretty great programming for mainstream mainstays from Maroon5 to Bon Jovi. I am taking about Indimusic.TV.

IndiMusic TV, which launched two years ago as the first 24-7 independent only worldwide music video TV channel and Musician Social Network, has cemented themselves as the go to spot for the very best in independent music videos – garnering 800,000+ subscribers in over 260 countries worldwide, over a million unique visitors a month (over 40,000+ visits a day), and more than 85,000 Likes on Facebook. IndiMusic TV was originally founded in 2004 as a “go to” music video website and then launched as a half hr TV show in 2008 in the NY tri-state area on the independent TV Network WLNY TV10/55. It garnered instant popularity as it was the only game in town to launch, market and expose new indie Music Videos on traditional TV. After three successful seasons IndiMusic TV broadened their horizons by launching a world wide mobile TV network partnering with Yamgo TV, a mobile TV start up in the UK. In September 2012, IndiMusic TV launched as the first 24-7 independent only Worldwide Music Video TV channel and Musician Social Network. They are currently ranked as a top 100,000 site in the world and the proof is in the pudding as to why this is the case for many up and coming musicians.

On top of the endless music videos available at your disposal, they also have some great music related programming for the masses to enjoy. First, there is the show “Do I Have A Hit Song”, which airs Monday through Wednesdays at 7-8 on M&W and 9-10 on Tuesdays. This show puts the song front and center, featuring hit makers such as Drew Copeland from Sister Hazel proving that it really is ALL about the song. The show has a unique online component that means any songwriter has a chance at being part of – and winning – this ground breaking International TV show (enter at www.doihaveahitsong.com). Artists who get the most votes online during the semifinal rounds will be chosen for the finals, attaining major publicity and support in getting their song heard and distributed to the world. Semifinal episodes air on selected Tuesday nights at 9pm including January 20th, February 3rd, February 17th, March 3rd,March 18th, March 31st, April 14th; with the finals airing May 12th and May 26th. Consider this to be the song version of “American Idol” right on your computer screen. Watched the first episode and with all the unsigned talent that is out there I am really excited to see how this show plays out in 2015 and see if that person does in fact have a hit song.

Another show that they have that I really dig is called Private Sessions. Hosted by former VH1 VJ Lynn Hoffman, she sits down with legends in the music industry such as Maroon5, Bon Jovi and Gene Simmons from KISS and gets to the grit of how they made their way to becoming who they are now. The Emmy Award winning series airs Thursday nights at 9PM, and you can also catch Lynn hosting IndiMusic’s Top 21 Countdown airing weekly.

For artists the sign up is free and to upload footage onto the site is affordable and worth it. When you are putting footage onto a site that has Emmy wins, a huge amount of views & unique views, and combines a mix of great music from independents and huge artists what is there to lose? Check out the official site for more information.

Model Employee Upends Privilege to Hilarious Effect.

by Michael Tyminski

Model Employee: Wednesdays at 10:30pm Eastern on VH1

I’m generally not the biggest fan of the reality genre, but I have an admitted soft spot for the “fake out” style reality show first put on the airwaves by Joe Millionaire, and ultimately perfected by reality parody The Joe Schmo Show. It’s also a side of the genre we tend to see less of than your more straight-forward Real Worlds, Real Housewives, and Big Brothers. VH1 returns to this well tonight with Model Offering, a modeling competition that is decidedly not cut from the America’s Next Top Model cloth.

Model Employee is designed to be a modeling competition unlike any other. It puts eight models all vying for a job being the face of Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay hotel and casino in a competition that doesn’t just focus on the glamorous side of modeling, but also forces them to handle the dirty work that comes with being part of a large entertainment resort empire.

Our show opens with a Robin Leach knockoff narrating the premise of the show and introducing our eight very catty contestants (all of whom have major names on their resumes). After getting to know each other, the show finally springs its’ conceit on its’ contestants, courtesy of host Chrissy Teigen. Needless to say, our contestants were not pleased having to bus a large banquet and then wash the dishes. After this first task, our models are introduced to their penthouse, which is more of what they are accustomed to.

The next morning they wake up to enter the deliberation room, where they meet their judges…whom were all undercover the night before: Vanessa Branch (of Orbit Gum commercial fame), Jimmy Smith (a marketing executive), and Patrick Miller (whom is the VP for entertainment at the Mandalay Bay). While everyone was spared elimination, we find out that the winners get to work as spokesmodels at a wine tasting event while the bottom four work as harnessed servers known as the “wine angels”. Things are bumpy for both the angels and the spokesmodels at this event as the servers try to get an education in grabbing wine bottles in midair while the models get grilled about basic product information (and with the exception of Alexis fail horribly at it).

There’s a certain schadenfreude that many get when it comes to watching our most privileged stumble, and luckily our models are generally so arrogant that it’s fun to watch them struggle with basic tasks that most people could perform easily. Additionally, while there is a ton of cattiness amid the models, the initial twist of sending the judges undercover for the first challenge was an amazing way to see if they could get our contestants to say something really stupid while no one was watching (even though Chrissy foreshadowed the twist at the outset). Needless to say, they succeeded with Johanna saying some things that if put on twitter would bring down an empire.

If there is one real knock I have about the show, it’s that it visually looks cheap in a show that has a naturally opulent setting. This is really apparent in the opening, the confessional room (a green screen with a cheaply done generic screen effect…the casino is opulent, could you have not done what Bravo does for every show and show off your setting?), and the deliberation room which looks closer to a cheap game show set than a model runway. This also feels apparent in the way it was shot, aiming for cheap time lapse effects and sped up tracking shots that fail to do the Vegas skyline justice.

The Final Verdict: Everything about Model Employee screams guilty pleasure. The producers have done an excellent job putting together a sufficiently catty show that is more about upending privilege than celebrating it. The show is strongly cast and places the focus on our contestants’ inability to adjust to “normalcy” from which the drama then spokes out naturally. The end result is a funny reality series that should remind people that taking casting calls for reality series that promise luxury is quite possibly the most misguided thing you can do. Check it out if you’re into this sort of stuff, it’s not a bad way to spend 60 minutes.

Andy Grammer on his past, present and hopeful future

by Ryan Shea

In a world of John Mayer’s and Jason Mraz’s, one might find someone who is a singer-songwriter like that very hard to not only stand out but shine at the same time. Andy Grammer has been able to do both in a really unique way. It’s hard to believe the song that really started it all for him, “Keep Your Head Up” is three years old now. He has done a lot of exciting things since then such as open up for Colbie Cailat, Plain White T’s and even secured a coveted spot at SXSW back in 2011. He currently is in the midst of his first headlining tour which hits UNC Charlotte next on April 28th. The Platinum Records recording artist recently sat down with me to discuss his history of where he came from, thoughts on his new album and how it felt to have one of his songs be an international hit. Check it out-

How old were you when you decided you wanted to get into music?

I have always been fascinated with what entertains people. So whether it was magic trick, a backflip on a trampoline, a last minute basketball shot, I loved entertaining. In high school I found songwriting and that became my favorite. You can entertain but do so much more as well.

Who are some of your inspirations?

My musical inspirations come from genres. I love piano rock, hip hop and acoustic guitar. I try to blend all three in my music. Lauryn Hill, Coldplay, and John Mayer are a few I love.

How would you describe your sound?

Piano rock, hip hop and acoustic guitar had a musical child.

Your song “Keep Your Head Up” blew up on charts all over the world and hit number one on VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown. How did that feel?

Pretty incredible, especially having come from street performing. I had friends in Italy, China, Australia, hitting me up saying they were hearing it in the grocery store and stuff. Crazy.

What do you think separates yourself from all the singer-songwriters out there now?

I think the main thing that separates any artist from each other is point of view. My point of view is a bit a different. The better you get at being specific the more you stand out.

You’ve opened for some pretty big acts over the years like Plain White T’s and Colbie Caillat. What was your favorite tour and which city did you have the most fun in?

Opening wise they were all so different. Opening for Train this summer was a blast shear numbers wise. Performing in front of such big crowds every night was a rush. Colbie has become a really good friend and brought me out on tour a bunch of times now. She might be my favorite to hang with.

Tell me about the new album you have coming out. What can your fans expect from it?

I’m still working on it. Hopefully they can expect great songs. I put a lot of time and effort into creating songs that I can stand by. Hopefully I get them.

What is your favorite song off the album and why?

That’s like asking a parent who their favorite child is 🙂 They are all my little babies.

Plans for 2013 and beyond?

New album and take over the world?

What is the one thing you want your fans to know more than anything about who you are as an artist, ultimately the thing that defines you.

I’m just a normal guy chasing dreams. If you listen to my album I hope that it inspires you to chase yours.

Want to know more about Andy’s tour, new album and everything else Mr. Grammer? Check out the sites below for more information on this talented dude!

Main Site

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Off Pitch is Off Target

by Michael Tyminski

Off Pitch: Wednesdays at 10pm Eastern on VH1

Glee (n.): 1. Exultant, High Spirited Joy. 2. A part-song for usually male voices. – Webster’s Dictionary.

In the last half decade or so, starting with the success of the Real Housewives series on Bravo, we have seen an increasing trend of cable networks taking the subject material of already successful shows and turning it into an inexpensive reality show to cash in on a trend (or sometimes if we’re lucky it will be an even cheaper reality knock off of an existing reality show). VH-1 continues this trend, trying to make real glee out of Off Pitch.

Off Pitch tells the tale of the Grand River Singers, an all-adult community choir that takes their inspiration not from the classics or A Capella street corner favorites, but rather from that cornerstone of modern music innovation, Glee. This year is a huge year for the Grand River Singers, as they intend on taking their show out of the tiny town of La Crosse, Wisconsin and on the road across the state. Off Pitch focuses most heavily on co-directors Tim and Rob who run the choir.

Our first episode goes delves into the group’s annual audition process. This process exists not only so that Tim and Rob can find new blood for the group, but also so that they can continually mold the group in their own image year after year. That image was best described by Rob not even three minutes in when he stated “we’re not looking for the best singers, we’re not looking for the best dancers, but we’re looking for the best personalities!”.

Much like American Idol’s audition process, we see our fair share of people whom either don’t sing well or ultimately sabotage their audition (one audition we heard most of the music, but only one line of actual singing, while another felt her voice was sabotaged because her chest got in the way). The current members end up at an equally brutal brush-up rehearsal before their last performance of the year in a county park. This leads to an incredibly nervous (and public) announcement of the current cast of the singers, which saw both more singers than the previous year and some incredibly misleading announcements (watching Rob toy with Josh, the only guy you end up wanting to thrive in the series was kinda heartbreaking).

Off Pitch is dangerously catty, however, verging on flat out mean spirited. While the Grand River singers are described as a family by some, it gets downright vicious at points, whether its’ Rob tearing apart his current singers in cutaways during each audition or even worse, calling out singer Greg on his weight (if the person in question is fat, than I’m morbidly obese). This cattiness is made worse however, when you consider that the stakes have been blown out of the water compared to similar shows. There’s no half-a-million dollar recording contract, there are no regionals or even sub-regionals. It’s doubtful that anyone in this group is getting paid to sing. In spite of that, the criticisms that the show provides of its’ singers solely exists to break them down when it seems like for many this should be a social and creative outlet that allows them to do what they enjoy.

The production crew doesn’t help matters, often focusing on sound snafus or bored patrons at a county park during their performances. One gets the vibe that the production staff is trying to get you to emotionally invest in it’s cast by emphasizing the weaknesses, which seems like a time-honored recipe for disaster. Finally, a major weakness of Off-Pitch is that it wants so bad to be Glee, but it’s only willing to show public domain musical standards (or really anything that doesn’t require a top-dollar royalty check) over the course of the episode that it takes away much of the advertised distinctiveness of the Grand River Singers.

The Final Verdict: While it’s interesting to see VH-1 put on a music related program, a rarity since the networks format switched to lists, I love the ____, and Celebreality a decade ago, Off Pitch still feels like it too has nothing to do with music. It’s downright mean-spirited, which is even worse considering the incredibly sensitive nature of the cast (I dare you to find me a cutaway where someone isn’t on the verge of tears). The worst indictment overall is that for something that wants to be Glee, it seems to miss the fun, joyful forest for the over-dramatic trees. Overall I recommend skipping this, and if someone can buy me a time machine so that I also can get my 22 minutes back, I wouldn’t complain.

VH1

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