FYI | The Way I See It… Mac Miller On That White Lady
Posted by A on April 4, 2012
Let me preface this by saying if Mac Miller is your role model, you should likely set your sights higher. Artists are people too. They’re inevitably going to make mistakes. Fans often exalt artists on a moral pedestal, creating a misguided but well intentioned belief that their favorite artist can do no wrong. Whether he accepts it or not, Mac Miller is a role model to many. I can’t imagine how many flat-brimmed wearing kids out there look up to him. Understandably, he’s trying to do damage control by denying the allegations. I don’t blame him. His handlers are probably going on PR blitz as we speak.
Frankly, there’s no way to prove whether or not he’s under the influence of narcotics. All we have to go on is a video. It’s hardly any evidence at all, and Mac Miller knows that. He’ll sweep this under the rug and dismiss it on Twitter like it’s nothing. Fans will jump to his defense and another scandal will break by tomorrow erasing all memory of this video entirely #problemsolved. Let this be a lesson to those who put their trust in an artist’s hands. Don’t make an artist your role model, they’ll only disappoint you. Rich Mayo once said, “You’ve got to be careful whom you pattern yourself after because you’re likely to become just like them.” Go back and re-read that. Free Jewelry.
FYI | The Problem With… Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye
Posted by A on March 18, 2012
It was 2:32 in the morning when I first discovered The Weeknd’s brilliant “House of Ballons” project. I remember exactly where I was when I first downloaded it. I was a second semester senior in college pulling an all-nighter in a hotel on the eve of my last final exam. Fast asleep in the bed next to me was a ladyfriend who I was dating at the time, sleeping soundly while I was enveloped by The Weeknd’s ethereal sound. I didn’t realize I would be listening to the man largely responsible for bringing credibility back to a genre ruined by celebratory anthems promoting debauchery and licentiousness.
Despite The Weeknd’s significant impact on the blogosphere, he’s encountered a problem. As The Weeknd continues to operate under a microscope, the mystique around his carefully crafted brand will slowly erode. At the core of his brand is a “smoke and mirrors” philosophy- a deliberate effort to avoid public appearances and interviews- going against the traditional marketing grain. His philosophy, although astute, can’t be a sustainable long term strategy. The Weeknd will eventually be required to step out of the alternate universe that he’s created for himself.
Performances also present a problem for The Weeknd. The mournful melodies and cerebral quality of his message doesn’t lend itself to the usual trappings of a live show. The Weeknd’s music is often experienced in private rather than with a group of friends. The private nature of his music makes it difficult to translate into an experience at a live show. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be singing about glass tables girls next to a fellow bro. It just wouldn’t feel right.
Despite my own perspective, many questions remained unanswered about The Weeknd. Rumors have swirled about his sexuality, 11 million dollar record deal, and more. Whether a carefully crafted marketing ploy or happenstance, people are abuzz about the enigmatic artist, and understandably so. Perhaps most telling is his recently released “Rolling Stone” off his “Thursday” project. He cryptically croons, “Baby, I got you/ until you’re used to my face, and my mystery fades,” signaling that he may be more self-aware than previously thought. Only time will tell whether Abel will be able to maintain his image while inevitably becoming more mainstream.
What do you think? Sound off in our new comment section below.
FYI | Fresh New Tracks March Madness!
Posted by dshaq on March 13, 2012
Let the Madness begin! Nothing like the March Madness tourney. With the tournament, always comes the filling out of the brackets, which we all know is the best part. So we at Fresh New Tracks put together a little pool for you guys to submit your brackets. Whether you are an avid college basketball fan or are just picking schools because of their mascot/team colors, then this group is for you! Make sure to submit your brackets into the group before the first game starts on Thursday to qualify for our prizes. First and second place winners will receive prizes which will be announced later on. Good luck and choose wisely!
FYI | The Problem With… Buying Facebook “Likes”
Posted by A on March 11, 2012
In 1963, American novelist Kurt Vonnegut published a book entitled, “The Cat’s Cradle” which explored the confrontation between technology and morality. While many critics dismissed the book on the grounds that it was far too satirical, Vonnegut shared an idea that wove itself into the fabric of our social subsconscience. His idea was simple, “In this world, you get what you pay for.”
In the blog world, the amount of Facebook “likes” you have is directly proportional to your perceived worth. People are visual, and when they want to compare one artist’s size to another, they often use Facebook “likes” to determine an artist’s total reach. Conversely, for artists, Facebook “likes” can be the difference between getting booked and not getting booked. Purchasing “likes” increases “groupthink” a behavioral science theorizing that the probability of any individual adopting a trend or artist increases with the proportion who have already done so. Simply put, the more “likes” your Facebook page appears to have, the more likely that someone will take the time to discover your page.
Despite their motivations, buying Facebook fans is counterintuitive. There are many services, like BuyRealFans.com, that offer pricing packages depending on how many fans you’d like to purchase. In their advertising, they promise a “100% money back guarantee.” What they don’t tell you, however, is that many of these supposed “fans” are bots and fake profiles. I recently looked at a certain artist’s page that I suspected of purchasing likes to see if I could spot any fake profiles. Here’s what I found:
Interesting to say the least. Take a look at those who are commenting and liking on the post below. Specifically at the first visible comment. I don’t know about you, but “Big Jilm” and his “funding” comment look suspicious to me. He’s either a man of few words, or he’s clearly a fake profile. Further, take a look at those who actually “liked” the post. John Gavin, check. 22 people, check. Free Ipad 2 Click Here, questionable. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
If you’re an artist who buys Facebook “likes” you can rest easy. I won’t be calling you out today. However, there is a service (NextBigSound) that I’ve embedded below that allows you to track an artist’s analytics with relative ease. Just plug in your favorite artist and let the debate ensue.
Although dated, Vonnegut’s central theme still holds true today. As we continue to advance technologically, we will inevitably face moral and ethical dilemmas. Fans want to support artists they believe in and trust. If you’re an artist that’s currently buying Facebook fans, reconsider your marketing plan. Your fans aren’t stupid, don’t treat them like they are. If you’re not where you want to be in relation to how many fans you think you should have, then make better music. That’s what it all comes down to. Besides, you get what you pay for.
FYI | Help Fight Pediatric Cancer!
Posted by Mach on February 16, 2012
I spoke with Nammo myself earlier today and he told me about this idea he had to help donate money to fight Pediatric Cancer. It does not cost you anything. For every like Nammo gets, he will donate 25 cents to the cause. I highly suggest everyone like his page. After his own fight against cancer a little over a year ago, Nammo felt he had to do something to help the cause that saved his life. Help Nammo help others and go like his page right now.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT NAMMO’s FACEBOOK PAGE TO HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PEDIATRIC CANCER
FYI | To Our Fans
Posted by Mach on February 16, 2012
As many of you have started to notice, a few changes have been made with how things are done on FNT. The days of file-sharing and piracy are numbered I am sad to say. Mediafire, Hulkshare, Zippyshare, and many others are starting to be more pressured to comply with the RIAA. Which means FNT and many other site’s uploads are being taken down before you are even given the chance to listen. FreshNewTracks is not the only site to be affected, all of us are taking this hit hard and things have gotten to the point where there is no other choice, but to take a more legal approach in this business. Don’t let that bring you down though. FNT will still be able to provide tons of free downloads daily, I can promise that.
When it comes to posting tracks you have to purchase, I know exactly what you’re thinking, “Why don’t I just visit iTunes and Beatport instead?” For one thing we provide a personal experience that they cannot match. Second, do you really want to waste all your time filtering through tons of crap releases only to find one track you really like? The choice is yours whether or not you want to continue following us. I can confidently say that all of us will continue to put full effort into FreshNewTracks and keep it running strong. We believe in a bright future in music and plan to see it through til the end.
Dark Days, Bright Nights. The Sun sets on FNT when we say it does.
FYI | Electric Island Spring Break
Posted by BIGLIFE on February 3, 2012
Electric Island is the first ever private island music festival…and it’s also the premiere spring break event of the year! Massive Pool parties, Island festival passes, 4 star accommodations, Exclusive after-party passes, hotel transfers!
STEVE AOKI + WALE + PASSION PIT + THE WHITE PANDA + GORILLA ZOE+ MORE!
There are only 50 Hotel Packages left so Tell em’ Freshnewtracks sent you to get locked in at the lowest price. FULL PCKG PRICE = $558 XtremeTrips.com 2-Day Fest. Pass only= $99 at ElectricMusicFestival.com
If you want to get a group locked in at this rate email [email protected] and mention you’ll be with FNT.