Proudly Presenting…ktc mgmt
wow, its finally here…
I started ktc mgmt as a consulting company back in 2004. My business partner and I had helped a few big companies with projects and did fairly well in doing so. We learned a lot, won some and lost a few too. Things were pretty good.
In 2008, I decided to change the companies focus towards music because of many personal influences, my family and because I thought it would be fun to take on another challenge.
Coldplay said it best.
“Nobody said it was easy, No one ever said it would be this hard”
After grinding out efforts on the management side with a band divided in Sweden and the U.S., absorbing/learning as much as I could about the music business and helping my family with a music-based non-profit, I started to see the light on what ktc mgmt should do next.
We want to help artists make and save money. We won’t make them sign any difficult contracts, we’ll just touch and go as you need us. We’ll work our asses off for your music and your band. We’ll do whatever it takes.
None of this is possible without a boat load of thanks to:
Aurora Cowen, Charissa Lock, everyone at ktc that helped with design, development, SEO, video and music production, my friends who keep my grounded and my family which inspires and supports me in the most unbelievable of ways.
Time to shine here at ktc.
Our press release from earlier today can be found here: ktc mgmt Press Release
Look for this blog to relaunch at killingthecabinet.com soon.
Oh and we’re releasing a video soon too.
Thanks,
Matt
College - “A Real Hero (feat. Electric Youth) Over LAX”
Short video we made of an LAX landing set to the amazing song “A Real Hero (feat. Electric Youth)” by the artist College off the movie “Drive”.
Happy Friday!
Fallen, No. Teetering, Possibly: Snow Patrol ‘s Fallen Empires
By Charissa Lock @charissalock
When I think of Snow Patrol, the first thing that comes to mind is “Chasing Cars” and Gary Lightbody lying peacefully on the ground in the middle of the street and other inconvenient and chaotic places. This meditative reaction (shown by vocals) to a fast-paced and intricate world (the instrumentation and musical arrangements) is how you will want to think of Snow Patrol when listening to Fallen Empires.
In their sixth studio release (not counting their compilation), Fallen Empires shows that the band has moved slightly in their musical direction since their last album A Hundred Million Suns (2008), but more-so from their popular 2006 Eyes Open release. Sadly, the last shift went more towards the quiet side that was heard on their latest album and they seem to have lost their energy. There are some things that certain bands can do that others cannot. I am unsure if Snow Patrol can go with this softer reflective sound, since there is something that hinders them from being completely successful at it (“Called Out In The Dark,” for example). There is a certain vigor that they left out on this album and replaced it with trying to be more techno and spacey. I want Snow Patrol to go back, because I think with that energy, this album would be monumental. Don’t’ get me wrong, there are some good tunes on Fallen Empires and the more I listen to the album – I enjoy it a bit more each time. Still, there is this sense of….almost there, but not quite, that I continue to feel.
There are a few tracks that could appear on their older albums (though would probably not be the most popular), such as “This Isn’t Everything You Are,” which starts off slow but by the second Chorus it holds a lot of power in it (still struggling with the lyrics “Don’t keel over”…really?). Another classic is “In The End,” it does not quite get the “Make This Go On” build-up, but it does have a lot going on and is a foot tapper. The slower tempo tracks are really well done (“Lifelong,” “President”) having soothing melodies, background violins, and lyrics carrying a meaningful perspective on looking back on life.
Two of my favorites happen to be instrumental (or without words besides “La, la. La-la-la”), which show their instrumentation and arrangements were able to go in a different direction and give the energy that everything else is lacking. “Berlin” is an amazing song, and I really wish there were words to it, besides “la’s,” but then again, maybe I don’t. A part of me is waiting for a break in the repetition and for it to ‘go somewhere,’ but another part of me points out that the song does grow and retracts and this movement is all it needs to be captivating. That part of me usually wins and I find myself noting that it is one of my favorites (like I did here). The next instrumental is “Broken Bottles From a Star (Prelude)” and is my second thumbs-up song. There is a lot going on and being able to catch the smallest violin picks, the pause and re-introduction to the piano, it is all beautifully done. Of course, it is only one minute and thirty seconds long.
If you are not very familiar with Snow Patrol, I would say this album will be quite enjoyable for you and you will find great moments within it. However, being a Snow Patrol fan, I am a bit disappointed when comparing it to the other albums. I think if you’re going to try to take out heavy distorted guitars (and of course I’m thinking Eyes Open), you should be able to come up with the energy from somewhere else to replace it. Unless you want to create something that is so “deep” that being in dark, empty room tripping on shrooms is the only way to enjoy it (I haven’t tried this yet, so I can’t say for certain). Fallen Empires comes close to being a really good album, but sadly comes up short and I’m desperately hoping they go back to amplified guitars or can at least find their missing power on their next one.
ktcmgmt.com, killingthecabinet.com
SOPA & PIPA are just the beginning…
Learn a little bit more about SOPA and PIPA.
My official take on these bills:
“Although I do believe artists deserve better protection for their music, I think both of these bills (SOPA and PIPA) are poorly written. However, I personally and professionally hope every traditional and digital medium realizes this as truth and will work together to formulate a plan that will solidify and not break the greatness of the internet.” - Matt Downes, president and founder of ktc mgmt 1/17/2012
matt
Justice & The Rapture @ Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas
Check out this uber cool video from Justice called Civilization from last year.
We’ll be here, without fail:
Direct support will be provided by The Rapture. Here is “In the Grace Of Your Love”:
matt
M83 “Wait” Live at Club Nokia 1/12
M83 Pours Heart into Club Nokia Performance, Luck and Sound Misfire
M83 played Club Nokia last night in Los Angeles. This was the first of two nights at 2300 capacity club. The band seemed to have some equipment problems and didn’t seem to warm up until about three quarters of the way through the set.
Not to mention the substandard sound quality at Club Nokia that just wasn’t what I’m used to as an avid concertgoer. Regardless, “Intro”, “Steve McQueen”, “Wait”, “A Guitar And a Heart” and the closer “Couleurs” were pretty awesome.
Everybody has bad days at work so no big deal. The band will certainly rip down Club Nokia tonight on what should be a legendary Friday the 13th.
Here is the opener from last night:
Happy Friday!
matt
special thanks to the LA Times for the recent photo, Facebook for the message and YouTube for hosting the video.
A Musical Para- Para- Paradise: Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto
By Charissa Lock @charissalock
If I could force Chris Martin and the rest of the band to make an album specifically designed for me, their fifth release comes quite close to any expectations I could fathom. Coldplay has always been one of those bands that I enjoyed, but always overplayed, a little too mainstream and I never caught on. “Yellow” was pretty good… Recently I heard “Paradise” and was impressed that Coldplay had jumped on board the industrial rock ship. I was mildly curious what else Coldplay had to offer on Mylo Xyloto (released October 2011) and knowing “Paradise” was a bit different than their usual, I decided to make listening to this album a priority.
The first track is a 42 second intro (“Mylo Xyloto”) that blends into “Hurts Like Heaven.” I don’t think I have ever had such a reaction to a song before. Knowing Coldplay (or at least their singles), I was expecting one thing and what I got in return was mind blowing. “Hurts Like Heaven” is such a great song, it’s upbeat and fun, with great verses and chorus, the bridge is perfect and there’s even an instrumental portion. There isn’t a part in the song where I wish something was different about it. It may even fall into my top 30 favorite songs. As the songs kept going, my newly formed expectations were met and I couldn’t believe I was enjoying this as much as I was. As the album nears the end, the songs seem to gain a sense of euphoria and you really cannot decide which is your favorite, especially with songs like “Princess of China” (featuring Rihanna who compliments Martin’s vocals nicely) and “Don’t Let it Break Your Heart.”
Because it’s Coldplay, you know things are going to sound crisp, the instrumentation fabulous, and the production is going to be impressive. It’s where Coldplay is going musically that is so exciting. They are able to keep their distinct sound, but are making slight altercations based on where music is headed. And don’t get me wrong, they still have that powerful, massive concert pavilion feel, but it’s tweaked from “Viva La Vida.” This is what fans mean when they say they like the band, but it needs to change things up a bit, without going too far. Thank you Coldplay for knowing exactly what that means. I’m sure practice also helps, five albums later.
If you’re wondering what “Mylo Xyloto” means, you should just come up with a really thoughtful and funky definition for yourself and take that curiosity no further. I, sadly, researched what Martin’s thoughts were behind this and was very disappointed. I’m not even going to tell you because I would rather not ruin the epic-ness of this album for you, you can do that for yourself if you choose.
I could very easily extend my thoughts on this album for paragraphs upon paragraphs, but I know you have better things to do like watch The Office (even without Michael Scott, still hilarious). Mylo Xyloto goes a little indie folk on some songs (“U.F.O”) and dips it’s toes in shoegazing (“A Hopeful Transmission” and “Don’t Let It Break Your Heart” to name a few), which is such a perfect transition for them. And the other songs are Coldplay, but a 2012 version of Coldplay which I am very impressed and psyched about. If you have never been into Coldplay (for whichever reason), I strongly recommend you give this album a listen, and if you love Coldplay, well it’s obvious you’re listening and you love Mylo Xyloto.
The Shins Introduce a “Simple Song”
If you were a fan of the movie “Garden State” then for ~75% of you this was the first place you heard the band “The Shins”. A washy, guitar-laden, poppy alternative rock band founded by James Mercer, originally from New Mexico, and based in Portland, Oregon.
A short history of the shins: They were founded in 1996 and originally called “Flake Music”. After releasing a bunch of singles and a full-length they began touring due to the help of other bands such as “Modest Mouse”. Flash forward to 2001 where indie-label Sub Pop asked The Shins to add a track to the label’s Single of the Month Club, which eventually became one of their catalog stand-outs “New Slang”. Soon after, it received some critical acclaim and mass appeal in Zach Braff’s outstanding comedy-drama “Garden State”. The Shins were now one of the tallest buildings in the indie rock city.
They released three albums over the course of their ride with Sub Pop. “Oh, Inverted World”, “Chutes Too Narrow” and “Wincing the Night Away”. My late brother Ben, who quite possibly was one of the biggest Shins fans’ ever had the chance to see them perform and meet them in the middle 2000’s. He turned me onto what makes the Shins so cool, dark and unique. They have some fantastic music in their catalog with such songs as “Kissing the Lipless”, “Saint Simon”, “Caring is Creepy” (my favorite), “Gone For Good” (my second favorite) and “Phantom Limb”. This bands music is imperative to any great music collection.
In the middle of 2008, James Mercer decided to start his own record label called Aural Apothecary. In July of 2011 the band announced they would be recording a new album, releasing new music and touring soon after. On December 14th the album title was released; “Port of Morrow”. Yesterday, January 9th, they released the first single off “Ports” upcoming March release titled “Simple Song”.
Check it out for yourself and mark March 20th to pick up their new album. Look for them to appear at Coachella, other festivals and tour the world too. I’m thrilled to see this band move forward with a major supporting James and The Shins efforts. Columbia will handle distribution as well as other “Shins” related marketing. Should be an incredible year for them. “Simple Song” is a fantastic introduction to “Port of Morrow”.
Thanks Ben for your lasting impressions. You are missed and often remembered.
matt
photo credit to NME, Pitchfork Media and Addict Music. Music provided by SoundCloud.
10 Days, 6 Great Songs
Some great new songs I’ve heard through the first ten days of the year.
Awolnation - “Not Your Fault” (special thanks to @jade_sue)
Ryan Adams - “Do I Wait”
Alex Day - “Forever Yours”
Cub Scouts - “Evie” (special thanks to @wearehunted)
Paper Route - “Better Life” (new album out soon, special thanks to @shinyredelea)
Sneaky Sound System - “Big”
Don’t forget to support these artists any way you can. Buy their albums, merch or go see them live.
***special write-up about the Shins tomorrow***
matt
