I was listening to Pandora this morning, specifically the Amos Lee Station, and noticed I had several “thumbs down” moments for the artists other than Amos on the station. I didn’t skip any of Amos’ songs, even the songs I didn’t know well, which got me thinking about “band loyalty.”

We’re familiar with “brand loyalty” since most of us participate in it in some way every day. Whether it’s Starbucks, Coke, Honda, Google or the unknown hot dog guy on the corner, we typically stick to what we know, like and believe in. As I get older and set in my ways, I’m also seeing this trend with my musical tastes. “Band loyalty” is starting to play a huge part in the artists I listen to and the ones I don’t.

My simple definition of “band loyalty”: The acceptance and enjoyment of all, or most, music released by a particular artist, regardless of genre, tempo, mood or other characteristic.

Band loyalty can shift with time. For example:

Bands (artists) I am currently loyal to include: Ray LaMontagne, Amos Lee, Ryan Adams, Will Hoge

Bands I used to be loyal to include: The Beatles, Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam

I still love and listen to The Beatles, Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam, but I probably won’t be the first person to purchase a new release or put a tattoo of them on my back.

As humans, we seem to break everything up into categories. I think we have to in order to sift through the noise. Even with friends, we often have our best friends, good friends, acquaintances and enemies. Maybe some months you are closer to a good friend than a current best friend. If they build friend loyalty, they may even switch places with the best friend. It’s just a natural game of musical chairs.

I guess I am starting to realize it’s not about the music at all. It’s entirely about band loyalty. Band loyalty is the only way a musician can be truly successful in the long run. The problem for bands, brands and friends is the loyalty can disappear if the relationship isn’t strong enough.

I would love to hear about the bands and brands you’re loyal to and the ones you aren’t. Is there a reason why? Feel free to criticize or share new concepts; we are open to conversation ’round here. Thanks for letting me rant! Cheers!

For nearly a decade we’ve toiled with the rundown of our sound. Is it blues? Is it country? Is it rock? Is it pop? We simply can’t choose “E: All of the above.”

For some newborn bands, genre selection is a breeze. It’s as if they pluck one out of the air and say, “We will be _____, and we will rock the _____ gods.” For others, definition requires the notion of commitment (we all know musicians are devoid in that department of Saks Fifth Avenue (cliche alert!), and to pot-commit to a genre is akin to saying you only want to eat plain cheese pizza for the rest of your life. Sorry Tubs.

We happen to be the latter, and therein lies our problem. We like too much music. Between the two of us, we enjoy a little piece of everything and enjoy playing a little piece of everything. Fortunately, I think we’ve finally hit the nail on the head.

Here is our description, but we want yours, too. We’ll post all of them on our Facebook, Myspace and Twitter accounts. Reply to this post and throw out your best written sketch of our sound. We appreciate the help and will have a libation in your honor!

Description:

- Raw roots rock with a drop of pop.

- “The Eagles” got in to an aerial battle with “The Black Crowes.” “The Counting Crowes” were called in to tally the casualties. During the tally they were hit by a “Train” and had to “Dispatch” “Ryan Adams and the Cardinals” to clean up the mess. – That’s what we sound like.

I personally love MOG and the advances in technology. It’s great to be able to listen to whatever I want in a matter of seconds. The future of the music industry is a little frightening as an artist, but it’s also very exciting. The fact is, it isn’t all about the music. It’s more about the connection between the artists and the listeners.

I mean, what would you do if you saw these guys perform like this at a local bar with no one in attendance…

I'm sure there would be a huge mix of reactions, especially in Nashville where everyone has impeccable music abilities, but I think it takes this raw energy and sincerity to really draw people in. I don't think everyone needs to scream into the microphone or sing outta key, I'm just saying a sincere song will almost always beat a pop song in the long-run. You might not reach the level of fame that .1% of artists do, but you can at least make a living writing music you love, and be respected as an artist. Everyone won't like you, but those people don't matter anyway. The important thing is to notice the people that do. I ran across this interview with Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers, which talks about the above performance, and how it took them a while to get to where they are now. These are the type of artists that inspire me the most.

After every show we play, I always have an overwhelming amount of gratitude built up inside me for everyone that comes to the show, buys a CD, says "really dig your music," or simply listens. I know there are tons of other things these people could be doing, but they came out to our show instead. The amount of time artists put into their work is often overlooked, so it feels good when someone, even one person, notices. Playing our original music is so rewarding, and I can't express enough how thankful I am that people want to hear it. So, if you are one of these people, thank you for listening, thank you for attending, and thank you for supporting us… we know who you are!

Big props to Eric "Bear" Mitchell who played bass, and Woody Herbert who played drums at the show last night. These guys are so fun to play with, and I feel like we've really musically meshed. They bring a whole new vibe to the stage and it feels damn good.

The setlist from the show is posted, along with photos on Facebook, and video on YouTube. A lot more to come too!