2004: A year in review
By Pat Ferris - Publisher

Gahhh!! Two weeks into the New Year I get my computer running again!  My apologies to the readers, but I got nailed with a virus on the eve of the New Year AGAIN (this happened the same time last year).  I really wonder why people invent computer viruses!

Many businesses talk about their 'Dark Days', or times of struggle and strife, and in the six years HotBands.com has been in operation, 2004 has to go down as one of the toughest.  Capping a year filled with war, strife, tsunamis and the re-election of George WW3 Bush, was the loss of friend, mentor and HotBands graphics artist, Bruce Kelton. Bruce was a creative and inspirational force and his passing was a reverberating loss.

The elimination of MP3.com in 2003 made it MUCH more difficult to conduct rapid research on bands since so many bands still don't have their music available online, but more bands than ever have a web-presence and are using the Internet as their main marketing tool.   Research in 2004 showed that most artists aren't hurt, but are actually helped by free downloads or file trading of their music. 

While iPod has been able to turn a profit, free file trading continues to flourish amid a flurry of lawsuits against downloaders.  My theory is that iPod is an anomaly because it originally catered to Macintosh users (which most file trading platforms don't), so even while paid services are being touted as 'the way of the future', free services are growing at a rate that dwarfs every major player.

Music obituaries for 2004 were headlined by the loss of music legend Ray Charles, but other notables include jazz drummer Elvin Jones, 70s funkster, Rick James, Johnny Ramone (The Ramones), Ol' Dirty Bastard (founder of Wu Tang Clan), and 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott (guitarist for Pantera) who was shot by an assailant during a performance.

Reviewing my predictions for 2004 music industry:

• The RIAA will continue to pressure congress to force ISPs to release information about their customers, creating a legal battle regarding privacy.

  This was in the works at the end of 2003 and the legal system has (for the time being) ruled that the ISPs have to release the information on subscriber's usage.

• More subscription services will be repackaged and sold but the majority of music downloaded will be through file-trading services.

  As Apple's iPod has shown, the market for downloadable music is there for the right package, but even as Apple turns a record profit, free file sharing has grown at a rate that music companies and most newspapers don't want to discuss.
  

• Microsoft will continue to play a larger role in the music industry.

  Microsoft finally announced that they are going to develop their own online downloadable version of iPod (available for purchase or subscription, of course).  They didn't start their own label yet as I predicted, but have positioned themselves to be a major player in the distribution of downloadable and streaming entertainment. 

  Another surprise player is Starbucks coffee company.  Thousands of outlets worldwide are the perfect venue for selling music.  At this point it is licensed material from the major labels that is repackaged specifically for Starbucks, but Starbucks could be the next platform to help independent artists tour worldwide.
  

On a personal level, HotBands.com has grown another 40 percent to over 7000 artists increasing our traffic to an all time high, but the downside to that is that it is becoming unmanageable.  Website revisions in 2005 will be a must, and I would like to expand HotBands Entertainment with people and organizations committed to helping the independent artist. 

Artists that are signed up are urged to log in to fill in their information, add their live shows, MP3s and links to their official website.  Bands that meet our reviewing criteria are urged to send their package to us for possible reviews and/or features.

Artist/Band of the Year: Pop Shuvit - Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia In a span of two years, Pop Shuvit has gone from releasing their debut album to becoming one of the top touring bands in Southeast Asia.  If there has ever been a self-made success story from any band listed on HotBands.com, Pop Shuvit would be at the top of the list.   Their debut album, Take it and Shuvit garnered four number one hits on HITZ, (Malaysia's equivalent to Billboard), as well as numerous awards for their videos 'Skaters Anthem' and Slip Away.   Pop Shuvit's music debuted in the United States at ESPN's X Games in Los Angeles in 2003 and has been a hot commodity in the Japanese and Southeast Asian market.  Pop Shuvit is currently finishing their long-awaited follow up album. Best CD: Drum & Bass Society - Joseph Patrick Moore - Atlanta, USA Bass virtuoso and jazz composer, Joseph Patrick Moore released Drum & Bass Society through Blue Canoe Records in 2004.  With undeniable influence from jazz greats Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Art Blakey, Drum & Bass Society brings the elements of fusion jazz, rock and reality recording to a new level with well thought out original compositions as well as a couple of tasty covers.  JPM, as Moore goes by, displays his prowess as a bassist with masterful playing that lays down a rock solid foundation for progressive arrangements that are destined to be modern jazz classics.  JPM is a bass player's bass player, and Drum & Bass Society is a MUST for the progressive bassist wanting some creative influence and direction. From beginning to end, Drum & Bass Society exceeds in every aspect of excellence, from composition and musicianship to recording and production, and is now a favorite in my own personal musical library. Best Male Vocalist: Joel Ricci - Bellingham, Washington Leading a 9-piece horn band, singer, song-writer, lead trumpet and vocalist Joel Ricci fronts La Push, one of the hottest new bands to come out of the Seattle area. With emotion laden, powerful vocals reminiscent of the late Terry Kath (Chicago), Ricci's gritty yet soulful voice is ideally suited for La Push's '70s retro funk sound, which blows away anything I've heard coming out of Seattle in several years..  Best Female Vocalist: Melissa Reaves - Boone, North Carolina Melissa Reaves, 1999 Lilith Fair winner and HotBands.com best female vocalist for 2002, takes the honors for a second time.  Although there wasn't a direct feature of her new EP or shows, HotBands helped arrange performances at The Folklife Festival and Seattle Peace Concerts for the summer of 2004. Her performance at Folklife Festival dropped jaws, turned heads and created a buzz that was talked about for weeks. Melissa's new EP Rough Cuts, which demonstrates her vocal and songwriting abilities, only scratches the surface of a much deeper entertainer.  Her live performances are so electrifying that you need to see it to understand how even the staunchest critic instantly becomes a fan. Best Songwriter: Matt the Electrician - Austin, Texas Matt the Electrician's music could be compared with Bruce Springsteen, or John Cougar...male-fronted Americana rock rich in lyrics that grab the imagination of the working class.  Half of Matt's performances are performed acoustic and solo, allowing for more interaction with the audience while focusing on his sometimes quirky, often funny and always entertaining lyrics.  Matt's wit, demeanor and charm make for a fun performance, but his lyrics, songwriting and arranging are what separates the wheat from the chaff. Best Guitarist - Johnny Hiland - Nashville, USA After several years as a very talented Nashville session guitarist, Johnny Hiland burst onto the music scene as a solo performer with his self-titled CD, produced and released through Steve Vai's Favored Nations label.  Legally blind since birth, Johnny's tactile and auditory senses developed to compensate his loss of vision, creating guitar virtuoso who model's his sound after guitar great, Danny Gatton.   Gatton was not only Johnny's main guitar influence, but Johnny's band was produced by legendary guitarist, Steve Vai, and includes Gatton's Sax/Keyboardist Bill Holloman and the rhythm section from Mr. Big: Steve Vai's buddies, Billy Sheehan on bass and Pat Torpey on drums.  His first release has eleven instrumental tracks that showcase Johnny's incredible prowess as a guitarist and songwriter. Best Live Performance - Hot Rize - Wintergrass performance at the 1st Baptist Church - Tacoma, USA One of the most influential bluegrass bands of the 70s and 80s, Hot Rize reunions are often the highlight of world-class bluegrass festivals, as was the case at  Wintergrass 2004.  Their performance at Tacoma's 1st Baptist Church to a completely packed house of over 800 fans (with more waiting outside in near freezing temperatures to hear what they could) was a spiritual and inspirational performance that would be hard to top.

Predictions for 2005:

I still think Microsoft will be the dominant player in how music will be listened to, but this year will see further rise of companies trying to repackage music yet another way to sell it as a download. 

Bluetooth is another product that is changing the way music is stored and transferred (who would want to buy a CD when you have have your music on a chip that fits on your key chain?).  Wireless storage and transfer will change the way music is bought and sold, but creating the product that foil free file trading is still not on the horizon. 

The RIAA will continue it's lawsuits against...well...anybody they can!  You would think the average person can put 2+2 and would be able to see that in spite of the lawsuits, free file trading went UP, showing and proving that lawsuits don't curb the demand for free music.  I'm betting the RIAA lawyers are hoping the average person can't add, since the RIAA lawyers seem to be the only people that are the clear winners in the file trade war.

Thanks to everybody that has helped keep our site alive and free for the artists and thanks to the artists for helping to create a growing worldwide community of musicians..

Stay posted, check back and help us get the word out!

Happy 2005!

Patrick J. Ferris
President - HotBands Entertainment Inc.
Publisher - HotBands.com

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