Countdown to NX35 2010: 16 days ’til you find hard-to-find acts.

I’m done. I have listened to every single band on the NX35 lineup. All 203 of ‘em. Well, the ones I could find, of course. I couldn’t find any tunes online for Le Not So Hot Klub de Denton and Points North so unless they speak up, I can’t say much about ‘em. Except to ask, why don’t you have any tunes up?

During this lengthy journey, the importance of a band’s online presence has become unmistakeably crucial. If people can’t find you on the first page of Google results for your name then you’ve got quote an uphill run to promote your band. Also, I’ve come to realize Myspace might be a necessary evil. For now. A good majority of the NX35ers have a Myspace profile which made them simple to find. But I hope Myspace isn’t forever, or if it is, it changes its ugly ways. As a listener, I do prefer all musicians share their tunes on a major site (an “official” site should complement this as well) but where, if not Myspace, should we meet? A good start is last.fm where your target listeners can find you as the site caters to each listener’s taste. And it’s got a great interface. Either way, make sure your music is available where all the internet kids gather – Myspace, Facebook, last.fm, Twitter – and you might get a new listener or two. Not everyone can come to Denton for NX35, you know. (But, they should!)

The Hope Trust

You thought I’d highlight a band that is hard to find, didn’t you? Nope. I’m going to reward good behavior to a band that knows how to promote themselves. With the words “hope” and “trust”, you’d think searching Google for them would be tough, wouldn’t you? Like you’d have to dig through inspirational or spiritual sites to find this Denton band, right? Nope. By googling “hope trust”, you’ll find that six out of ten first page results link to them in some way. They understand online social networking, building a presence and then maintaining their presence by keeping in touch with their fans. It brings a tear to my geeky eye, really.

And they’ve got the tunes to back it up. Hook, line, and sinker. Follow through. They lead you to the goods and deliver. Initially a solo project by Kelly Upshaw, The Hope Trust has grown into full band, delivering what they call “a healthy blend of pop, americana, and straight up rock ‘n’ roll”. For me, they definitely remind me of the time in my life where I really started to appreciate and love music as Upshaw’s voice sounds much like The Wallflowers’ front man, Jakob Dylan. And you know what? I don’t think that’s a bad comparison. If you can’t make it to their Friday night show at NX35, you can definitely find them in the many musical nooks and crannies of the world wide web. Good job, guys.

Notable tunes to preview online: “Whatever Suits You”, “Run It Through” / Myspace / Facebook

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