I don't envy todays' bands. It's never been harder to be a musician. There's confusion about what to do to succeed. The only thing that everyone seems to agree upon is that touring is essential, and probably always will be.
Aside from that, the road to success is so unclear. It used to be you would seek label representation, and then everything else would work itself out and you could focus on your music. Now, the decision to seek a label or not is.. well... actually a decision.
Pandamonia seems to have made their choice: their declaration that they are "1000 percent indie" pretty much sums it up. They seem determined to do everything themselves, which I respect and agree with.
The tough part about doing that, however, comes about with challenge of setting yourself apart from the pack. As much as bands would love to dispute this fact, true success requires marketing and promotional expertise....which, in my experience, is where most bands fail, not for lack of hard work, but simply due to a lack of skills.
It would be a shame if that were to be the case for Pandamonia. Their record Unforgiven shows real promise. Their songs are well crafted, well recorded, and, well, they just rock. Seeing them live, I suspect, would be a treat. Their songs aren't anything new or groundbreaking, but I don't think they're intended to be.
Case in point: They cite Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Eurythmics in their biography... the same biography that starts with the word 'Flashback.' Clearly, this band is reaching out to those who long for the days of classic rock bands ruling the world.
Therein lies their biggest challenge: setting themselves apart in a genre which is not only oversaturated, but perhaps past its' prime. And doing all that while remaining Indie?
Yeah, I'll say it again... I don't envy bands today.
Can Pandamonia play? Yeah.
Can Pandamonia write? Yeah.
Can Pandamonia rock? Hell yeah.
Can Pandamonia survive and break through?
Time, and the direction of the industry, will tell.
Standouts: Bad Seed, 3 Letter Word, No Ordinary Love (Sade Cover)
See 'em Live: Sullivan Hall, NYC, Feb. 12th 2009
Link: Myspace
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