A lot of people mistakenly believes that the world of unsigned/indie music is friendly and a positive world but not all of the time. Musicians can be douchebags too and there’s a lot of them out there. It doesn’t matter how big and popular they are. Even the more popular and established musicians can be assholes too. How can you tell?

Here are the top 5 signs to watch out for:

• They have negative attitudes and short tempers most of the time: This is true. A lot of musicians can have short temper problems. Some of them are usually angry at everything. When you see stuff like this chances are they don’t have a happy life and they have a lot of personal problems. When you get treated badly by other musicians in the music community… don’t take it personally ’cause it doesn’t say a lot about you when they don’t realize it says a lot about them.
• Many musicians have huge egos: These are guys who are always talking about how great they are. They will never admit that they suck. Always talking about themselves, all of the time. They live in their own worlds and they think they’re so big most of the time. They think the music world revolves around them. You get the deal.
• They can be unprofessional: Being late for gigs. No shows. Not promoting themselves online professionally. Not being courteous and friendly to everybody. I can go on all day with this one.
• Always bashing other talent: Musicians bashing other musicians they don’t like. If they think other musicians suck they’ll have no problem saying it in front of the whole world which I always found inappropriate and wrong. Nothing wrong with not liking other talent but be more constructive with your criticism instead of the bashing. Big difference between “constructive criticism” and “bashing”. They’re both not the same. I may not like Phantogram too much but at least I was constructive about it instead of bashing them. There are ways of saying something you don’t like without being mean and offensive about it. It’s how it’s being said.
• A lot of musicians can be alcoholics and drug addicts: Could explain why a lot of them are so crazy and out of this world.

I could go on with the list but these are the big 5 I can think of at the top of my head. This goes for the famous musicians too. A lot of national acts have these problems I explained above. Enjoy!

Kev

Are you a musician who is an easy target in your music scene? You know, the type of musician who is always getting hated on by other musicians in the area. These are the kind of guys who are always obsessed with talking shit about you. Even if they don’t like you… they appear to be following everything you do. Making fun of you. Bitching about how you act online. Talking shit about your musical talent. Blah blah blah, you get the deal here. I’m not the only one who has this kind of problem. Other musicians I know have been an easy target in the scene (not naming names)… being bullied by other musicians and stuff. That’s a HUGE part of how this area doesn’t promote local music positively ’cause of the negativity and bullying that goes on around here.

All this stuff used to bother me but it don’t bother me too much anymore. The trick to dealing with all of this is just one word: IGNORE. That’s right. Ignore it all. Who cares whether or not other musicians around here like you. Just do your own thing. Again: music is here for you. It’s here to please yourself and not others. Be who you wanna be, be yourself, and don’t let other musicians control you.

If there are people I don’t like… I don’t obsess with the same person for years ’cause I have better things to do than that. I just get them out of my life and act like they’re dead to me.

It is what’s best for you. They’re either a little jealous or just trying to get attention off of you. Let them destroy their own reputation and keep making the music. When musicians start talking shit they are mostly musicians who haven’t had much success in music themselves. Think about it, right?

Haters are gonna hate, that’s all there is to it.

You don’t have to listen to any of them. They don’t realize that they are not being professional acting themselves — the more they keep doing what they do. Let ’em be hypocrites.

I don’t listen to negative people anymore. I only focus on the positive, happy and joyful people. Those are the folks who I try to surround myself with. If you don’t want the internet to be full of people hating on you so your name won’t show up in google of negative people targeting you… the best thing to do is ignore it all and don’t fight/argue with people.

Defending yourself won’t do you any good knowing from my own mistakes and experiences. Responding to everything makes things worse. You’ll win by NEVER responding to anything at all. Screw the haters. Just make music ’cause you like it.

Obsessive hatred of other musicians hating me still goes on to this day but I learn to let it go and ignore it all. Just enjoy life, play music and be happy. Don’t pay any attention to people who want to destroy you ’cause that’s all they wanna do… they wanna see you get ruined. They wanna see you fail.

Kev

One popular thing that goes around in the local music scene in Albany is musicians being friends with other bands & artists and being a part of different musical communities/cliques. Does local music really need to be this way? I’d vote no.

Here is why…

You don’t need to network and be a part of any scene. Just do your own thing in music. You only care about yourself and your own music… that is all. It may sound a little “selfish” but it’s what is best for you and your music. Like I always say, just play music ’cause you like it. Not worrying about what other people think of you. If you’re a pretty dislikable person in the scene… don’t worry about it. Just concentrate on your music and that only. I’ve had this attitude for years and it works.

I used to think local music was about making “friends” with other bands and stuff but I learned it was a mistake. I got stabbed in the back too many times and had too much drama/negativity with musicians over the years. You know, musicians who you thought were your friend at first and then they aren’t later. Yeah, you’re not gonna get along with musicians but who cares, ya know? Just let ’em cry. Haters are gonna hate.

I don’t hang out with too many musicians. In fact, I don’t hang out with any currently. I used to hang out with a lot of musicians in the past but I’m done with that. They can be crazy animals and a lot of these guys aren’t to be trusted.

I still keep in touch with some musicians online but that’s about all.

I just do my own thing in music and that’s all I care about.

Kev

Ya know, every time I rant about my and other people’s music getting ignored by the local music scene… chances are some troll is gonna come around and say, “You should get the hint that no one likes your music.”. Too predictable, and it’s like I haven’t heard that one before. If that’s the reason that my music gets ignored by the local press and the scene — that’s all fine and good. Fuck ’em. Fuck ’em all.

The whole point I’m trying to make is that the scene makes a bunch of claims that they support “local music” in a positive direction but I’m absolutely not seeing it at all. They support all bands and artists to be friendly but my stuff is constantly overlooked. “Local music” shouldn’t be about who sucks and who is great. We all need to stop being fucking opinionated and support everyone. Stop being so hateful and spiteful to musicians who you think have no talent ’cause all it is it’s just an opinion — that’s it. “Local music” should be about getting together, creating a musical community of musicians and fans and playing each other songs. Keeping your negative opinions to yourself and just enjoy the moment of playing music. That’s what it should be about.

Instead it’s all a popularity contest around this area. Jealousy and ego goes crazy around here for sure. Absolutely. Too many musicians jerking themselves off and patting themselves on the back lately. What’s up with this?

People should be cool and nice enough to check my music out (even if they liked it or not). There are people like that indeed but NOT enough. It’s not about begging for respect and support. It’s about respecting all talent.

If you claim you support “local music”… then show it. Being dishonest is not showing it. The only reason people make lies that they support “local music” is so they can feel better for themselves and be loved by everyone aka attention seekers… pat themselves on the back.

I support “local music” greatly and I show it. I’m no fake like many are around here. I support all bands and musicians — I don’t lie about things.

I’m done posting on the blog for the day as I’m gonna get off and watch a movie or something. Have a good night!

Kev

Are you one of those musicians always getting ignored in your music scene??? Ya know, you try to get your music out there the best you can and people around here always act like you’re nothing? You release mp3’s of your songs or videos of yourself performing your songs and you don’t get many views/plays? If you make albums on CD… you submit your albums to online websites to get reviewed but you keep getting rejected? You try to contact local online promoters hoping to give you a shout-out of your music and you get nothing? You don’t even get a write-up in the newspapers or any of that stuff? People you know well refuses to go to your gigs and they don’t support your music. Other musicians pretending to support your music when they really don’t. They seem to support their friends music more than yours. You get the deal here.

I’ve been through all this shit myself but you know what? Who cares… it just proves that this scene promotes music in a negative direction and not positive as they all think. What I explained in the paragraph above, I’ve seen other musicians go through the same thing — not just me.

It’s really hard to get recognized in your area, it really is. We all try our best to become successful — even me.

The thing is, if people continue to treat your music negatively, who cares. Just worry about your own music and care about that only. Who cares about what everybody else thinks. If people don’t wanna believe in you, what you wanna do is keep playing your music. Keep making music and create your own scene/community. Prove everybody wrong that you can be something special. Music should really be for you, anyways.

Who cares about getting popularity or being successful. As long as you’re writing songs/playing covers… you already are successful. You’ve come a long way. Try not to let the negativity around people intimidate you. In my opinion, success in music is not getting lots of fans and getting your face everywhere as much as possible. Success to me is being able to write a song or master a cover song and being good at it.

Let people in the scene live in their own fantasy worlds and do your own thing. A true “local musician” is not worried about becoming big. They just do what they love, that’s it. These are guys who don’t mind playing in crap bar rooms or playing regular house gigs… they don’t care to hit the big stages and make lots of money — they just wanna ROCK!!!! \m/ To me, that’s more successful than anything. Even if you suck and can land a gig at a crap bar or a cafe… you’ve already came a long way, right? Think about it.

I’m doing fine and happy what I’m doing. Even though I haven’t been playing gigs or open mics lately myself, I’m just happy making music for the internet. I don’t see other local music websites and blogs writing about my music but I’m cool with it, ya know? I have my own blog here, that’s all I need. That’s part of why I started a blog years ago so I can promote my music and get it out there my own way. It works. If I never had a blog… then people wouldn’t have known about me being a musician.

I try my best to get people more interested in my music more than my online web presence.

It maybe hurtful that people around here don’t care but take that as a compliment. It could be that they might be “jealous” a little bit and they don’t want to admit that you’re talented. If people think you suck, don’t let it bother you.

Just do what you love and don’t trust anybody. Believe in your own dreams and goals… not worrying about what everyone says or thinks about you.

Kev

Just wanted to give a quick thanks to Greg of Nippertown. ALL of my posts about “The Jammy’s” made this popular local music blog.

Check it out, here.

If my posts made Nippertown… then I must be doing something right.

I’m just doing it out of love Capital District! I love local music and believe in it… would hate to see the music scene get ruined by egomaniacs trying to get more attention. They just need to get out of this area and go away. Just want you all to watch out who to trust around here ’cause not everyone around here is your friend. Remember that.

Kev

This area thinks they are promoting local music, “positively” but from what I’m seeing… they aren’t. They never had and they never will. How??? Let me explain…

It’s not only jealousy or ego… it’s always been about “cliques” around here. It’s just different groups of musicians trying to promote their little community of musician friends. That’s all it is around here pretty much. It seems that musicians only support musicians with talent and think they have something. They only support the ones who are “professional”. It’s all about supporting their musician friends in this area. It’s all about promoting their friends and trying to get them recognized. They ignore the musicians around here who think that don’t matter. There are plenty of talented musicians who are struggling around the area who are being left out of these guys. Musicians around here can be pretty opinionated and “negative” when they come across musicians who they think are untalented (like myself, for example).

I’m not trying to defend myself… even if I’m a struggling musician… (am proud of what I do, I work hard and try my best to get myself out there)… I’m just saying that there are tons of talent around here that are getting ignored by the area. This area doesn’t care about struggling musicians trying to break into the music scene.

What I’m saying is that this area has always been a popularity contest… period… end of story. It’s not just that award show… it’s always been a popularity contest all around. This area is about trying to get their name known instead of supporting musicians of all levels and talent.

I hosted my own acoustic shows in the past at Caffe Lena, Slow Jed’s, and Valentine’s back in 2006-7. At those shows, they were never about “cliques” or trying to promote a musical community of friends. Those shows were just a good ol’ time. Just a bunch of musicians getting together and play each other songs that we wrote. It didn’t matter if they were professional or amateur musicians. It didn’t matter if they were established or not. It didn’t matter if they sucked musically as well. I welcomed all on those gigs of mine in the past. That’s HOW you treat local music positively folks. Supporting it all. No egos. Keeping our negative opinions to ourselves and just enjoying ourselves playing on the stage.

If you want to promote local music positively we should all get together and welcome all talent (even me). Nope. Nobody wants to promote local music like that. In this day and age it’s about becoming a big rock star with these people.

This area promotes local music, “positively”??? HA!!!!!!!!! KISS MY ASS!!!

This area has always been a negative music scene.

Kev

I understand that you want to show your love for local music and support it but if you plan to start special shows like award shows, band competitions, fundraisers, etc. — keep in mind you will get all kinds of mixed criticism from good to bad about your event. When you start to get bad criticism for your event… you gotta learn to take it like a man and accept it. If you don’t and if you become all defensive at all the critics… then that shows that you don’t have what it takes to run your own event and shows that you are unprofessional. Be flattered at all feedback and take it with heart.

It’s pretty clear that the people behind “The Jammy’s”… TierOneTalent and his friends can’t take any criticism of any kind. They cry when they get called out for their shady behavior and lies. They even don’t like negative criticism when people complain about who’s nominated or who won. Shows that people like that are frauds. This was just a DIY (do-it-yourself) award show, NOT legit. It wasn’t really run by professional business people. Just a bunch of amateurs living in dreamland. They’re trying to become kings of the music scene. Egomaniacs trying to get into the spotlight by exploiting other talent.

Welcome to the Albany music scene, people.

I’ve been dealing with a lot of crazy and whacky shit with musicians around the scene for the past decade or so.

I’ve ran my own shows in the past before and I always had my 100% professionalism about those shows. These guys behind “The Jammy’s” don’t have professionalism at all.

When you want to run your own event… especially when it’s public… people will respond and will react of how you run it. People will be opinionated and call you out on a bunch of stuff whether you like it or not. Don’t be a baby about negative feedback when you host your own shows. Take it like a man and ignore it. Just be flattered that you’re being talked about good or bad.

Not everyone is going to treat your event positively. You can’t please every person on this planet and you can’t force people to agree and like everything you do. People are going to be honest… like it or not.

If you think I’m going to stop what I’m doing… not a chance. I’ll keep telling the truth about “The Jammy’s” (and other TierOneTalent events) for next year too… hopefully it won’t happen next year once everyone finally finds out the truth about this guy.

Kev