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Blogger Of The Week: My Band’s Better Than Your Band.
After a short break, we're back with another edition of ABoF's Blog Of The Week! This week we tracked down Ollie Russian, former A&R man cum blogger extraordinaire, to chat about his hugely influential blog - My Band's Better Than Your Band.
Tell us how My Band's Better Than Your Band got started?
I started the blog just after I got made redundant from my A&R role over at Atlantic Records. Initially, it was a way that I could show people that I was still out there hunting down new acts all the time, I guess to try and hook myself another job really. It was also quite satisifying being able to shout about all the super new things going around rather than keeping them close to my chest and being all secretive. I very quickly really got into the whole blogging thing and was soon getting some great exclusives and tip offs on new acts from a whole host of contacts throughout the music industry.
You've been name-checked by the BBC as one of their "trendsetters" - did you ever see your blog becoming this influential?
God no! I thought that a few of my music industry mates would read it every so often but it seems that its readership has really grown; a huge section of the industry now read it as well as lots of genuine music fans. It’s quite an honour!
What's your best resource for finding new music?
The internet itself and other blogs in particular. I’m finding that Twitter is really starting to have a bigger influence on the music I’m discovering. I’ve spent the last few years putting a lot of work into growing my Twitter following, and now I have a great pool of people who regularly tip me off on new acts: it’s like having my own network of 11,000 scouts across the UK! Saying that, I still rely on my network of industry contacts to a large extent.
Keeping a blog fresh and entertaining can be a daily struggle - how do you manage it?
Sometimes I don’t know! I found it a lot easier when I was unemployed for 12 months, that way I could spend all day trying to find an angle or theme for a post. If I can, I try and have some kind of vague theme in each post rather than just ‘here is a band’ (though I do do that sometimes, in a vaguely ironic way of course!). I have tons of bands that I could blog about, but if I have nothing sarcastic/witty/stupid to say about them then I tend not to mention them!
As well as DJing, you've also played your fair share of gigs as a bass player for bands such as Les Incompetents and Meanwhile, back in Communist Russia. Do you have any amusing stories from on the road?
What goes on tour stays on tour.
Who are your top tips for the remainder of 2011?
Not sure which ones are going to actually break through at this late stage but a few to keep an eye out for are Tribes, Michael Kiwanuka, Rae Morris, Spector, Deliah.
Are there any bands/artists on the ABoF roster that tickle your fancy?
It’s all about Keith Top Of The Pops, innit?
Finally, what are your top tips for anyone wanting to start running their own music blog?
Work out what you want to say/achieve before doing anything. Do you want to focus on purely new music? Or things you love? Lost disco classics? Lady Gaga remixes? Once you have that try and update at least once a week, and try and keep it concise - if I want to read an essay on the history of folk music in the Netherlands, I’ll buy a book or check Wikipedia instead. Also, you have to find your own voice, don’t try and bullshit your way around a subject - passion always comes though.