Tyler Boone's "Home" Launches Grit Music Video Contest

Author:

Tim Brennan

March 25, 2013

You young kids with your smart phones, surfing your MyFaceSpaceReverberNationTube thingies. It's a whole world different from the way my bands operated back in the day. I mean, we were making records by melting wax with tattoo ink and etching grooves with bowie knives into the congealed disc. That's how we made and released music. We were sooooo tough back then, I'll tell you what.

Perhaps I'm exaggerating. A bit. I tend to do that. Being old and all.

I do have to say that I find it interesting how the music video has become a marketing tool for bands. That's a big change. It used to be that if a band had the money and resources to release vinyl—then tape, CD, and back to vinyl again—that was enough to say, "This band must be special. I should give them a listen." Now there are hundreds of bands releasing CDs every week.

Perhaps the video has taken over the role of setting one band apart from another. There sure are a lot of song demos and releases that come my way, but very few videos.

So when Tyler Boone sent an e-mail to me asking for some press about his new video, I first reveled in the overly flattering comments he used to soften me up. (Tyler, really? The best writer in rock-and-roll history? I'd say that is debateable, but a welcome discussion.) At first I hesitated to promote a video, but thought about it further.

His song "Home," featured in this video, is actually my favorite off of his CD. But how could I promote one artist's video on Grit when that had never been done before? Then it occurred to me: why not learn more about what appeals to y'all. What local band videos impress you on video?

So here goes... I'm starting a contest for 2013.

Any band that makes a video for a song, promoting a gig, or a kickstarter campaign, please send it to me. I'll post them as space permits, and ask readers to vote Thumbs Up or Thumbs down at the bottom of the blog. The top vote getters will be reviewed by me and Devin Grant (he does not know that yet) over a few beers. We'll vote on the winner. If it's a tie, then the deciding vote will be cast by Cooter, the guy who sells firewood and moonshine out of the back of his pick-up in my neighborhood. He's got opinions. Or we'll get other "judges." Who knows? It's my money I'm fronting for the prize ($250 for the winner) and we'll figure it out as we go.

So that's the contest. Send me your videos. This is probably a bad idea, but what the heck...

Without further ado, please enjoy Tyler Boone's video and comment on it. Personally, as a bassist, I'm offended at the lack of bass player face time in this video. But I'll let that slide.