Facebook: A shameless post to aid self-promotion
The (anti) social demon that is Facebook has infected most of our lives in some way or another but it does have it merits. Sometimes. I have found myself moving away from using the social networking site for personal use, instead using the global phenomenon more and more for pushing new posts on the blog.
Hopefully this is not too annoying for FB users who have liked www.facebook.com/thegmanblog over the years but my excuse is – without a budget (or a budget of €0 if you prefer) or any sort of income (boo hoo) – it is pretty tough trying to make one single, kind-of-scruffy-but-lovely blog stand out from the quite intimidatingly large crowd. This is where FB helps out – a user likes my page there is a chance they will view an update of a new post, podcast etc. and end up visiting the site.
Currently The G-Man‘s facebook page has 298 likes – that is 298 peeps whose timeline is updated everytime I post something on the blog. In a shameless bid to at least move that number up to 300, I have creatively used the 8 letters of Facebook below to name-drop parts of the blog – or at least music/events mentioned – which you may not have known too much about beforehand. This may backfire spectacularly when I check the “likes” count tomorrow and see that 298 has become 98 but sure whaddyagonnado.
Fresh tunes
Whether it originates in Cork, Ireland, the United States or Timbuktu the blog will constantly feature new music from the best the world has got to offer. Some artists you may know well, others maybe not so much. Either way, the music is all good. Well, in my own mad little world spinning non-stop around the insides of my head it is…
Alabama Shakes – www.alabamashakes.com
Electric Picnic returns at the end of August with a host of big name bands taking to the Stradbally stages with a mission to woo. One not-so-big-quite-right-now-but-getting-there group are rock Alabamians Alabama Shakes. It may be the last chance to see these guys in a small tent before they go supernova. See full details on EP here.
Cork Music Show – www.facebook.com/TheCorkMusicShow
The Cork Music Show only broadcasts to the Cork area. However the blog – and mixcloud of course – is a way for music lovers not based Leeside to hear amazing Cork created “choons” from the likes of The Altered Hours, Rest, Agitate The Gravel and more. Check out the show below from the end of last year which featured live performances from John Blek & The Rats.
End of the Road – www.endoftheroadfestival.com
Greatest festival in the history of my world: Hot cider, beautiful fields, piano stages hidden away in a mystical forest, prancing peacocks. It helps that the music is always incredible too. A quite inebriated Low Anthem dressed as native Americans playing a surprise set in a small tent at 2am is a memory I will cherish for quite some time.
Big Deal – www.wearebigdeal.com
Big Deal were not exactly unknown when a post went up on the blog last July but, seeing as they had yet to release their debut album Lights Out, they were not exactly gracing the front page of Mojo either. To tell you the truth, there is not nearly a big enough deal being made about Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe‘s innocent, minimalistic alt-folk arrangements.
Only here on the blog: Exclusive streams
Beginning with gothic folkie Sí at the end of 2011, the number of exclusive streams of records yet to hit the shops/internet has been growing steadily with the debut album from art-rockers Trumpets of Jericho, the first Fifa Records release from local loud lords Hope Is Nose and most recently the first single from Fifa label mates Slow Motion Heroes all available for a listen before anywhere else.
Opinions
From my own personal opinions regards gigs and new albums (click here for various reviews) to a slice of perspective from the artists themselves (click here for past interviews) there are quite a lot of two cents rolling around the arcade floor.
Knowledge: Via the gig guides
Ok I admit that I was reaching when trying to come up with a ‘K’ but here we are now, let’s make the most of it. I genuinely use the gig guides on the blog to aid my own dreadful memory keep up with the mountain of quality gigs that take place in Ireland every week so I really hope at least one reader makes use of them too. The Felice Brothers in The Academy tomorrow night (March 15th) is one such gig I would rather not know about seeing as I have no means of getting there. Boo.
So what was the point of this whole piece again? Oh yes – like the facebook page to keep up to date with my mumblings and bumblings!
