Unsigned Artist Show plans

UPDATED SEPTEMBER - 2015!

After graduating, I've been thinking a lot about how to incorporate my love for unsigned music and my new lifestyle.

What is my new lifestyle?  Marketing!

Which makes sense of you think about it.  It's essentially what I was doing when I was DJ Octoon promoting "I'm in a Band" at UCLA Radio (2006-2011) and UCLA Radio in general.

So...back to the plan!

The plan: Set up a studio in a garage, and have live performances and interviews once again.

I now have a garage. Phase 1 is complete.  

Garage has been renovated!  Phase 2 is complete!

Should have something by the end of 2013* (Ha!  Revised - End of 2015 is the goal!!)

In the meantime, I want to profile more unsigned artists.

Perhaps I'll set up a PO box where unsigned artists can send material.

Or perhaps I'll have a contest, where unsigned artists send me their best MP3, and the winner gets free swag.

Or maybe I'll just look around myself.

I should really probably (really probably!) start by checking in with so many of the great artists that came on my show.  Here's two:

Clare Means - Such a great unsigned artist out here in LA!  Catch her on 3rd street promenade, or just go to her website - claremeansmusic.com

And then there's every nerd's secret crush, Jane Lui, who just keeps getting more and more popular!  Check out her website - JaneLui.com

Go Jane!


Can't wait to have these great musicians back on the show when it's up an running.  As well as so many others who were on the show.

Seriously.

-DJ Octoon

Writing is Thinking, Thinking is Writing

Sudden Clarity Clarence
One of my favorite memes...

Often, people consider thinking and writing to be two separate acts.

Recently, however, I read the idea that in order to think something out, you write it.

Sure, that's not the only way thinking is done, but it goes against our common convention that first you have to think about something, and then you can write it out.

But what if writing IS thinking?

Sure, you have to think while you write, about what you're going to say, how you're going to express those words, so it wasn't as if anyone ever said that you were not writing while you were thinking.

But what if writing is the actual process that takes those cloudy, muddled thoughts and makes them something coherent, something expressible, makes them ACTUAL thoughts, where before they were just clouds and mud.

Maybe not mud.  But you get the idea.

Maybe we THINK we have an idea, but when we write it out, we see whether or not we actually do.  Because in our heads, we can feel very strongly about an idea, it can feel right for us, but if we can't express it, in words, a drawing, in something (probably words) then what the hell is it?

What the hell is it?

I think it's a feeling.

But that's me "thinking" again.

Another (holy shit, I just realized that "an + other" = another) argument is the obvious one, that when we string together thoughts, it's difficult to remember that progression, hard to go off on tangents in our mind, while on paper (or the screen, let's keep it real) it's much, much easier to have tangential thoughts and then return to the original argument.

See what I mean?

There was a reason that writing was invented, and sure, it's for communication, but it's also to sharpen or heighten or supercharge our minds.

Maybe not "supercharge."

Maybe not "minds?"

Eh.  Losing steam...

Last random thought: Sea Wolf's "Old World Romance" is a very, very solid album.

And I think Amazon is selling the mp3 album for 3 bucks or something.

Best 3 bucks you'll ever spend.

Seriously, kids.

-DJ Octoon

Sometimes a blog is just a blog is just a blog...

So, in case you didn't know it, I'm done with UCLA.

Which is great, in the sense that I'm no longer a student.

But no so great in the sense that I won't be able to do the radio show.

But, there are things in the works.  Things that hopefully will works (see what I did there?  Yes, I too hate that phrase...) out by the end of 2013.

That is, I need to build a recording studio in my garage.

That's right, my garage.  Because I have a house.  Because I'm no longer a student.  Damn, I thought you were paying attention!

In the meantime, while the studio is being built [contracted out], I'm going to be using this blog to write about anything and everything.

And mostly nothing.

In other words, I'll be using this blog as a blog.

So, please excuse the typographical errors.  I'm going back to the original blogging (OB!) style, of treating it like a journal.  And like a journal, it probably won't sound that great, and there will be errors.

Oh yes, there will be errors.

You have been warned.

Or at least, I feel a bit of liberty now to write whatever I want.  Because I'm not promoting this blog anymore, so only strangers are reading it.

I think...

:-/

Let me know if you're not a stranger...

-DJ O

Script Dr Eric Needs Your Music

As some of you who have tried to email me know, I'm not taking any music submissions right now.

But Script Dr. Eric, is.

Script Doctor Eric and TV Wet Nurse Matt had a long-running podcast (Scriptcast) that recently went off the air...

Or is it off the podcast...refresh...ing?  I'm not sure the correct terminology.

And while it was a screenwriting podcast, they did play unsigned music nearly every episode.

And I have it by good authority (rumors) that the podcast will soon be up and running once more, airing an episode a month.

So, if you have a song you'd like played on a podcast that probably gets around a thousand downloads per episode (again, rumors), don't sent it to me, send it to Script Dr. Eric.  He can be reached at: eric@scriptdoctoreric.com

Alright, an unsigned album review is coming soon!  Bet you didn't see that coming!

2013 FTW!

-DJ Octoon