Twin Cities Metal Blog

http://twincitiesmetal.blogspot.com/

At the Between the Buried and Me concert a few weeks ago, I met a guy who like me, keeps a blog about the music he feels deserves some recognition. Music, specifically Metal hence the name. He was kind enough to pass a link and write a little bit about myself on his blog here:

http://twincitiesmetal.blogspot.com/2013/10/all-media-reviews-blog.html

And so I am returning the favor. As his "About" mentions, he used to publish a physical zine that I imagine covered a lot of what this blog of his now does. And it received a fair amount of distribution, being at places like Hot Topic, Virgin Megastores and Tower Records among others I imagine. I suppose I wonder if he was based in another town at 1 point, or like my friend That Drummer Guy, maybe he published and covered a lot of music that wasn't necessarily based in Minnesota. It's just he was, and thus the zine was made here.

But in that sense, I get the sense he can relate to me, unlike many other (music) blog writers in Minnesota, in that he covers a lot (maybe mostly) music/Metal that isn't from here. And the local connections are mostly from THE TOURS that do come to town.

Which is one thing I never got about all-local music radio shows and sites like http://mplsmusic.com at least considering INCLUDING LOCAL EVENTS even if the music is not from artists that are/were from Minnesota. Because for whatever reason, a lot of the best music I and a lot of other folks enjoy, tour here, but aren't from here. But because they at least PLAY LIVE HERE, and in some cases QUITE OFTEN (Fair to Midland for example), they should be regarded as PART OF THE MUSIC EVENTS/SCENE HERE. At least in my mind, and I suspect in the Twin Cities Metal Blog owner's mind.

That's not saying there is not a lot of good local music in Minnesota, including Metal, such as bands like After the Burial, Deretla, Iron Thrones (RIP), The Royal Veil, Maeth, and others. But when referring to the music people are into here, including Metal, it's silly not to also include the live shows/tours and radio shows like The Root of All Evil (and Locust Lecture on Radio K, although that may not be around anymore sadly).

Anyway, it's cool to have met and made a contact with someone else in town blogging about music, and not catering what he includes to be about what's popular or hip, even in Metal circles. That Drummer Guy I'm sure knows him and it would be fun to see them both at some event and talk. Perhaps even on an Epic Rock Talk. Unfortunately, TDG has been battling some medical issues the last couple of months, and his activity and stuff like his radio show and the little podcast we have tried to do, have to likely be put on hold until things come around on his front (and mine in terms of free time I suppose).

But hopefully I'll run into the TC Metal Blog writer at another show or 2, even though my focus doesn't include that much Metal comparably to his or That Drummer Guy. But still enough where I might still see him, or even just be in contact online. I dunno, for even suggested music. I wonder if he's a fan of East of the Wall and heard their new album for example (I will admit, I still have not).

Announcements + blah blah

I guess it probably makes sense to post now, as it's as good a time as any, for those who stumble-upon or are force-fed this blog's url by myself or it's best-friend google/blogger.

This blog is going to be done soon.

Er, well, okay no. It could be, should, yadada.

No, I'm not trying to be all the-boy-who-cried-wolf here.

No, nothing of that sort actually. But announcements that shall be for what happens are the following.

1) As I've thought about for close to a year now, mostly due to how much content is in this blog that is based on music-alone, adding things that are not about music, does not exactly cross to the same readership. In other words, entries about Kimbra, maudlin of the Well, Marillion and Vektor, is probably not the Diablo Cody or The Big Bang Theory audience exactly. And maybe most importantly, there's SO MUCH content about music, the television and movie content namely, gets drowned out.

So, as I thought to do so a few months back, I plan to set-up a very similarly-named blog for all things that are not about music. And at the beginning of 2012, likely. That time will mark the 5-year point for when this blog was setup. 5 years, lol. Before I know it, it'll be 10 or 15 years and I'm going to look at this thing as a great way I wasted my life away, lol.

Also the fact around the beginning of the year, 2 big things happen for movies and television. The Awards season, and many shows get canceled and are brought in as replacements. So, starting in 2012, the brand new non-music part of allmediareviews should be given a good amount of content. That is, given I actually do have the hours to include even a fraction of it. I guess I'll see, but for now, that is the plan.

allmediareviews.blogspot.com will then be designated to be pretty much 100% about music. Which already it is pretty close-to, right now.

The url/title I don't anticipate changing either, although not due to reason for it, but mainly just due to why the name "allmediareviews" is still the title. It's just easier to keep it titled what it is, rather than change it and require people to have to look for/remember a brand new title that is associated with the old one.

The twitter and facebook, will be sort of be the common ground for both at this point.

2) Okay, well this new local Minnesota music site mplsmusic.com posted something about looking for writers/bloggers etc this past week. And thanks to Kevin from the band Between Two Skies, I got word of it. So I submitted an application of sorts on their site, and they got back to me today, apparently interested in my services.

So, how exactly I will be posting content on their site is unclear, but I'm definitely intrigued by doing it. What I'm not sure about is, the content exactly. Mplsmusic.com is a Minnesota Music website, at least first and foremost. Allmediareviews is a blog that talks about a wealth of music, but a large percent of which is not music from artists native to Minnesota.. However, this blog (and twitter/facebook) does still include a lot about music from Minnesota. And in fact I have a decent list on my rateyourmusic.com page Here titled "Music From Minnesota.

But its not hard to notice how a lot of the music I love, it just so happens, is not from here. Cloud Cult I suppose has become the biggest token band for me in the "College Prog" I happen to be obsessed with. But at the same time, there are a lot of artists here I enjoy and write about that I dig. Lehto & Wright and Greg Herriges for example released albums the past couple of years, that ended up pretty high on my year-end indexs (Lehto & Wright's Children's Songs was #2 in fact in 2010).

But sadly, most of those artists I dig here, are only known in Minnesota or in this part of the country.

I think along with wanting to talk about said Minnesota-based artists, I think at least including stuff like bands coming to play in Minnesota, especially if some local Minnesota acts end up on the bill as openers, would make sense to provide on their site.

But, another aspect to it could be not only Minnesota Music and Events in Minnesota, but, just the fact I am from and live in Minnesota and have a large interest in music, specifically progressive rock, might also be something to include. In other words, getting articles about what music is all the buzz from a Minnesotan, might be enough. I dunno, I suppose I'll see.

I also suspect said articles I'll be posting on their site, will be also included here. Sort of a cross-posting of sorts. I'm not sure, it may be an exact copy+paste with a link, or at times, just a link. But the point being, I'm not going to write about something significant enough, that is music-based there, that I wouldn't want here. Now, the flip-side, who knows. I guess it'll only be known. I suspect a lot of the stuff posted in here that isn't from Minnesota, initially won't be included there. And even the percentage. I guess that leads me to the next point.

Time of course. Given I'm in a relationship, started a new job this year, etc. I haven't been able to blog in here nearly as much as I'd like. Mainly the actual writing. The announcements, sure, that I've managed to do. Hopefully I will find a little more time soon, to include more actual writing. But that again is just a hope. I'm only 1 person, that needs to try and live. Call it a blessing and curse of my taste and interest to share endless amounts of stuff about music and entertainment on my brain. I suppose I may have a good chance of fulfilling that, assuming I'm not dead or acquire some disease, at the point I'm retired from working in x number of decades.

Or of course, somehow, I made a living off this. Which I don't expect to ever happen. Frankly, make much of any income at it. But the key is little to no expectations; then I pretty much have
no way to get disappointed. Besides, having this become a labor-ful "job" and finding myself writing about music I never would write or think about, could potentially be a trap. Also, I do like my job and also like to pay my bills. I suppose if I won the Powerball or something and money wasn't any factor, going back to college and likely having enough TIME to contribute to this blog as I might ever want, would be something I could do. But, the odds of that ever coming to happen, are pretty close-to, if not never.

3) The last announcement of sorts is just a hope to post the ole 2011 Albums Index as early as possible. Why that is, is for a few reasons. But 1st and foremost, the time and stress it seems to require of me around the end of the year, is really desired to be limited. Or at least aiming to get it done as early as possible, gives more of a window of time. The Sound Opinions Message Board poll is one thing, but ideally, I'd like to be able to post my list (with hyperlinks) on the 1st day they are available to submit. Being that, by that time, I'm already done with it, etc.

I guess a goal of mine would be have most if not the whole thing done by December 1st. Any changes/modifications etc, will be posted later. And it probably could allow me to write a bit more with the Turkey entry, which kind of was truncated last year, and received more or less nothing in terms of why said albums were disappointing, etc.

And of course some of the diarrhea-of-the-mouths could and hopefully will happen. Those along with a recording or 2 with my co-host of Epic Rock Talk soon.