In the town where I was raised
The clock ticks and the cattle graze
Time passed with amazing grace
Back where I come from

"Back Where I Come From"
Mac McAnally

I got an e-mail from Scott Borchetta, proprietor of Big Machine and Valory Records, singing the praises of both his indie labels and one of his charges, Justin Moore.

Telling me even Reba was on Twitter, Scott told me to check out Justin’s video blogs, "his version of Cribs", that his fans loved him and "this thing was growing exponentially in the real world".

I clicked through to Justin’s video

Justin Moore "My Crib"

Wherein he appeared like a redneck, living in a crib that…wasn’t quite lousy enough to be a joke, but wasn’t quite good enough to be his real living quarters.  Wandering around the room in his overalls, I was struck by the difference between this video and the ones by the top forty wonders.  Justin was saying I’m just like you, a blue collar striver who’s never going to be on TMZ.

At first I thought he was insulting his audience, but then I realized they were in on the joke.  That somehow Justin and his audience were in it together.

Then he sang his song.

Fast-forward to 2:35.  Live and acoustic, Justin sings "Small Town U.S.A."

Interesting that he could sing and play it, and that you could sing along to it.

And I knew the track, not that I could have picked Justin out of a lineup previously, even knew he was the singer.  Every time I heard it on the radio I thought of Johnny Mellencamp.  Justin’s song was derivative.  But it captured the essence.

A lot of people called it prison when I was growin’ up
But these are my roots and this is what I love
‘Cause everybody knows me and I know them

I’m with Justin through here, but then he loses me:

As I believe that’s the way we were supposed to live
Wouldn’t trade one single day here in small town USA

Doesn’t this remind you of Sarah Palin?  Speaking of "real Americans"?  When did we all get so huffy, defending our roots.  We all come from somewhere, but isn’t it okay to strive to go somewhere else?  Even if we can never shake where we came from?

And speaking of where I come from…

I’m a fan of singer-songwriters, some who made it, some who never did.  And one who never did was Mac McAnally.  I love that Geffen album with the little boy and the airplane on the cover.

But "Back Where I Come From" is from a later album.  You can hear it on Mac’s MySpace page:

Mac McAnally (it’s the third song down). 

But the most famous version is by Kenny Chesney. That’s right, Mac might not be famous, but his songs are:

Now you can lie on a river bank
Paint your name on a water tank
Or miscount all the beers that you drank
Back where I come from

This is a slightly different sentiment, a different feel from Justin Moore’s track.  There’s no defiance.  Just an owning of one’s past.

People want to deny where they came from in Hollywood, in the theoretical mainstream.  Everyone’s been reinvented, gotten their lips plumped and their boobs inflated, who they used to be…they didn’t used to be anybody before this.

But in country music where you came from is key.  It defines your values, who you are.  I love "Back Where I Come From".  Because it contains the joy of the backwater almost all of us were raised in.  And it came to mind while I was playing "Merrimack County".

When I was younger and in my schooling
I walked the mountains made of stone
The distance sang about tomorrow
And I did wish I was grown and gone

Saturday night I went to see Tom Rush at Largo.  Normally, he plays McCabe’s, sells it out, he figured he’d take a risk, play a larger venue.  Only one problem, McCabe patrons follow the listings for the Santa Monica venue religiously, what happens somewhere else, across town on La Cienega, may as well be occurring in the Alps.  Getting the word out is almost impossible.  Be thankful anyone gets the message at all.

So, when we arrived at the venue, it was not full.  And it was two songs in.  Tom had told us the show was called for 7:30 and he would go on at 8, we got there at 7:45 and he’d taken the stage earlier, there’d been a mix-up in the signals.

And mix-ups like this always make you feel left out.  We were sitting in the back, but we might as well have been behind glass, until Tom started telling the story of meeting Joni Mitchell in Detroit and hearing "Urge For Going" for the very first time.  He recorded it, and played it on Saturday night.

He also played "These Days" and "Child’s Song", by Jackson Browne and Murray McLauchlan respectively.

But what truly reached me was "Merrimack County", a song I’m only vaguely familiar with.

Tom’s from New Hampshire.  Which has got its own mentality.  Not as out there as Maine, but not as cosmopolitan as the lower New England states.

New Hampshire’s weird.  Unlike Vermont, it’s not mountainous throughout, the southern half is akin to Massachusetts, but it’s not, it’s removed.  It’s nothing like Fairfield, Connecticut.

But there’s snow.  And ice.  And loneliness.

That’s something that’s missing in Justin Moore’s song, Mac McAnally’s too.  The alienation.  That was a key element of the music of the late sixties and early seventies.  Before we were all networked, updated on Facebook.

We were out there alone.

We’re still out there alone.

That’s the music that means the most to me.  Not the Black Eyed Peas, not the party numbers, but the songs that speak to the human condition.

Way up north by the icebound ocean
I was born, I was born
Way up north in the Merrimack County
That’s my home, that’s my home

Tom chased love to Wyoming.  But now he’s living back in the frozen north.  Technically Vermont, but he’s just over the border from Hanover, New Hampshire.  Because you can never leave your roots behind.

Tom’s singing "Merrimack County" and my whole life is passing through my brain.  And it’s not all sunny.  Torture at college in Vermont.  Alone in my bedroom in Connecticut.

But it’s where I come from.

We all come from somewhere.

So let the bird fly down the valley
Let the storms roam on the sea
I was born to the rainbow circle
Stony mountain that’s home to me

To hear "Merrimack County" Google: "merrimack county  tom rush" and click to hear it on LaLa.

Howard called Jay an asshole.

I rarely listened to Howard Stern on terrestrial radio.  He was on too early.

But I check in on a regular basis on the satellite.  Because Howard’s on all day.  And he’s incredible.

Today Howard Stern weighed in on the Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien/NBC fiasco.  And he said what everybody was thinking, and furthermore injected insight only a fully-skilled comedian familiar with the territory could supply.

First, Howard raked Jay over the coals for constantly saying he didn’t need more money, that he was comfortable with whatever NBC was paying him.  Huh?  NBC’s making record dough on your show and you want to let the fat cats keep it all, and get no more for yourself?  No one would take that position.  That’s what Howard said, and he’s right.  Jay’s a phony.

As for Conan, who Howard professed to like, he really had no options, because his ratings sucked.

Howard put forth the fact that just before he jumped to 11:30, Craig Ferguson was beating Conan.  What did O’Brien think was going to happen an hour earlier, when he was up against Dave?  Why didn’t Conan keep his ten million dollars a year, stay at 12:30 and shut the fuck up?  Why get creamed and lose all your leverage?

Of course, Conan can now cite Jay’s lousy lead-in, but is this really the reason his ratings are anemic?

As for the complaint that Conan had to move his entire operation to the west coast, Howard went on to say that this was BUSINESS!

And in the TV business, ratings are king.  And Conan just doesn’t have them.  So his options are limited.

And would Fox really overpay a guy who’s already lost in the slot?

As for Jay only doing a half hour stint, Howard called bullshit.  The plan was to try and embarrass Conan to the point he quit.

I’ve followed this story closely.  For many reasons, the news leaks, the inane comments about giving Jay and Conan the weekend to think about it, and the abject failure by the supposedly infallible NBC brass.

At least they admitted their mistake, unlike the record labels, who are still chastising the public for stealing music.

But the straight press fell behind TMZ.  And all the esteemed analysts gave NBC’s pronouncements the weight of presidential orations, as if they involved state secrets.  Oops, Judith Miller gave Bush/Cheney the same pass.

If only the public could hear Howard.  People love when they get it straight, with no b.s.

Howard’s ridiculed by the mainstream…but isn’t he the real winner in radio?  Both ratings-wise and financially?  Maybe he truly is smart.

But he’s almost irrelevant.  Because he’s on satellite.  Proving the point, that distribution is king.

If Howard were still on terrestrial radio, he’d be part of this debate.  Now he’s a sideshow.  Speaking to his relatively small audience.  Look at it this way, when a big event like this happens, like Tiger Woods’ infidelity, even casual listeners gravitate to Stern, to get the straight dope.  Think of his pull in the past few months if he had a broad forum.

But he doesn’t.

He’s got the money, but no impact.  Because the distribution medium he chose has got a limited audience.

So don’t tell me how great you are.  If no one can hear you, it doesn’t matter.

I hate people I’ve never even met.

No, let me narrow this down.  I hate musicians whose music I’ve never even heard.  Because of the endless hype.

There’s a fascinating story in today’s "New York Times", entitled "When Flood Of E-Mail Pitches Recedes".

Turns out, the closer online retailers got to Christmas, the fewer promotional e-mails they sent.  You see they were worried about pissing off their customers.

If you get down to one week…many people have already completed their Christmas shopping, and it’s impossible to guarantee delivery with standard, cheap, often free, shipping.  So, retailers stop e-mailing pitches to maintain their lists.

Do you get this?  Rather than eke out a few more sales in the short term, sellers are holding back, for fear that those on the e-mail list will sign off, for it’s incredibly difficult and expensive to acquire new e-mail list subscribers.

In other words, you blast your message again and again at what cost?

Continuing to live in the twentieth century, too many believe all publicity is good publicity.  That saturation is the key to success.  But it’s not, because of the backlash.  Ever hear of hard core fans abandoning an act when it becomes popular?  Same thing.  It’s cool to see your old fave in the press once or twice.  If they appear every single day, online, on the cover of multiple publications, you’re turned off and abandon them.

Ever since the advent of MTV the music industry has focused on the casual fan.  Get the last person on earth to buy the CD, even though early adopters have been burned out on the tracks for years.

It’s not that different in the concert business.  Let’s charge a lot for an extravaganza of the latest top forty wonder in an arena.  People come once, and then, if the act can tour again, it’s theatres, that they don’t even sell out.

It’s no longer about casual users, it’s about fans.

It’s too hard to reach everybody today.  And you piss off those who truly care.

I got the message.  Don’t beat me over the head with it.  Don’t send me another e-mail with the same damn content. Fans pay attention.  They caught it the first time.

So, start with getting fans.

The top forty acts usually don’t have any.  At best, listeners are fans of the song.  And they’re searching for another great song, not to hear another song by you!

Feed your audience great material, that they can pull when they want to.  Don’t make them sign up for your e-mail list to get some reward, they’re just going to be pissed off at you when you keep dunning them in the future.  Let people sign up at their option.  Otherwise, they’ll use fake names and you’ll end up with a shit list anyway.

You’re now in a relationship with your listener.  Before you abuse him, think of how you’d treat a spouse, or a friend. That’s how you have to treat a fan today.

When Flood Of E-Mail Pitches Recedes

1. FAME

That’s what it’s based on.  Maybe only personal fame, your friends and family, but in a cacophonous world, we only want the tweets of those we know and care about.

Let me be clear here.  I’m not speaking about Twitter power users.  Power users use Twitter as an overall information platform, searching for breaking news utilizing hash signs and search functions.  It is possible that the general public will embrace this way of acquiring up to date information, but your goal now is to further bond people to you, so start with the basics.

2. WHAT TO TWEET

Your personality.  First and foremost.  If your identity does not come through, you’re not doing it right.  Sure, stating an opinion might subject you to abuse, but welcome to the Web, where too many powerful people used to having their asses kissed are confronted with criticism for the first time and hate it.

And speaking of hate…  There are pure haters out there.  If you’re getting no negative feedback, you’re not doing it right. The key isn’t to take the edges off your tweets, but to build up your armor to the point where the negativity doesn’t penetrate.

2. a. THE TWEET MUST BE YOU

Maybe it references your location, your birth place, your career, but assume that people already know a lot about you. Hit the ground running.  Twitter is for fans, not casual listeners.  It’s the opposite of terrestrial radio.  If people don’t feel like insiders reading your tweets, you’re doing it wrong.

2. b. CONTENT

Both personal and informational.  What you’re doing is cool.  But if you’re tweeting the mundane, you’d better be truly famous, worthy of TMZ coverage.  Otherwise, put a hook in it.  You went to your fave diner and suddenly it sucks.  You’re at the beach and the visuals are mindblowing.  You’re eating Chunky Monkey at Ben & Jerry’s (illustrating your favorite flavor.)  It’s the opposite of traditional corporate music marketing.  Instead of "Hello Cleveland", it’s the Motel 6 next to the venue SUCKS and where can I get a good western omelette!

2. c. QUESTIONS

If you really want to know something, nothing is better than Twitter.  But don’t ask if you don’t want to know.  Where can I get a great hamburger here, the lock switch on my iPod is stuck, how do I fix it, has anybody seen this movie and is it any good?

People want to be your friend.  Treat them as friends.  If you ask a friend a question and then ignore him, he’s pissed.

2. d. INSIDE INFORMATION

If you’re in the studio, tell a story about it.  Or sent a twitpic.  Especially if it concerns something funny or someone famous.

3. FREQUENCY

Every day is more important than ten tweets in a row and then none for a week.  Don’t see tweeting as an obligation, do it upon inspiration.  Some people love to tweet, that’s fine, tweet away.  But don’t feel guilty if you suddenly have nothing to say.  But don’t self-edit to the point where you say nothing.

4. ANSWER QUESTIONS

Who is this person in the credits?  Let your followers know.

5. FIX PROBLEMS

This is the number one way to bond Twitter followers to you.  Not only do you look good to other followers, the person whose problem you solved will tell anybody and everybody how great you are.  If someone got screwed, say you’ll get right on it.  And then have your manager or another team member address it instantly.  Yes, speed is of the essence. These are your fans, don’t make them wait, the same way you’d never arrive late for a hot date.

6. SIGN UP

Stop hemming and hawing, stop debating the inevitable march of the future, stop lumping Twitter in with MySpace and Facebook, stop making excuses why you can’t play.

You’re afraid to play.  Yup, that’s the truth.  You’re afraid of looking like an idiot, like you’re not hip, like you’re boring.  But if you start on Twitter, you’ll get the hang of it very quickly.  And you’ll begin experimenting, finding what works for you.

7. ARC

At first you’re thrilled, you live to tweet.

Then a lull occurs.  Why am I doing this again?  How come my follower number is not increasing exponentially?

Maybe you’ll stop for a week.

But continue to play.

It’s a new world.  Don’t see this as direct to dividend.  See it as a living, breathing procedure.  Kind of like making music. Twitter should not be calculated, but an adventure.

And it does pay dividends.  Both career-wise and emotionally.

8. CONCLUSION

Not everybody wants to follow you, but your fans are dying to.  Because fans want more.  And the more you reveal, the more unique you are, the less corporate bland you are, the more people will follow you and feel good about you.

Start here

Use your real name, or a reasonable facsimile there of.  This is not AOL in 1995, where you adopt an obscure handle that only you know the derivation of, you want to be able to be found, and followed.