SoulAsylum.com

Discuss any aspect of Soul Asylum, their music, and the band's members.
insomniac
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SoulAsylum.com

Post by insomniac »

why do you think such a great band has such a crummy website?

its just terrible

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Homesick
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by Homesick »

I'm pretty sure it's because that site is managed by Columbia and not by the band directly. I'm also pretty sure the best way to persuade Columbia to get their act together is for the fanbase to run a kick-ass site of their own (which we do). That, or they sue us for copyright infringement out of jealousy. ;)

I think any band that really invested in promoting their material through the web would have a lot to gain. It's a fact that it's just as important to make something look good as it is to make it be good—and if both apply there's no telling what the result could be. Soul Asylum have a potential audience of somewhere around 3 million (which is the number of copies of GDU sold) and I'm betting most of those people use the internet to some extent. In other words, we still have a lot of people to reach out to!
Jakob Kallin, webmaster of EnterTheSoulAsylum.com

Dave4Prez
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by Dave4Prez »

I think websites may be too commercial for SA. They just aren't about promoting themselves. I think they are happier just appealing to themselves and us die hards. Anyone agree?

dells
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by dells »

Dave4Prez wrote:I think websites may be too commercial for SA. They just aren't about promoting themselves. I think they are happier just appealing to themselves and us die hards. Anyone agree?
Yes, that's part of it. It's always been about the music for them. Another part is that they personally are just not interested in the internet, so they don't have any interest in creating their own site, which is why www.soulasylum.com is still owned by their old label, who obviously isn't making any effort to keep the site up to date for an ex client.

As little interest as they have for the internet, it's nice that they do truly appreciate this fan site and the online fan community that has remained committed to the band and stuck together over the years. I think we also amuse them a little bit, hence the song Uber Computer a while back.

dells

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lune ellise
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by lune ellise »

Dave4Prez wrote:I think websites may be too commercial for SA. They just aren't about promoting themselves. I think they are happier just appealing to themselves and us die hards. Anyone agree?
Ah yes, we do like to keep Soul Asylum for ourselves! We don't want anyone wasting our time by complaining that SA is just like any other band, or are Nirvana posers, or has-beens, or sold-outs...

However, if I were to look at myself a year ago, it would have been impossible for me to discover the great music of this band if not for the internet. For someone who is born in the 90s, somewhere far from US or Europe, the only way for me to be able to know Soul Asylum's existence is through advertising in media.

I know that going commercial doesn't appeal the band, but it's the only way to let people discover them, even if there is a risk that 95% of the audience wouldn't care. That 5% who might love Soul Asylum would be a great loss just because there was no way they could come to know the band.

However, this fansite is doing a very fantastic job to update as fans and to reach out potential SA fans! There's nothing I can complain really...
"There's no such thing as a man-tamed girl."
My reviews of Soul Asylum albums: http://fritzi.gironella-cdo.com/search/ ... l%20asylum

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philipgar
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by philipgar »

lune ellise wrote: For someone who is born in the 90s, somewhere far from US or Europe, the only way for me to be able to know Soul Asylum's existence is through advertising in media.

I know that going commercial doesn't appeal the band, but it's the only way to let people discover them, even if there is a risk that 95% of the audience wouldn't care. That 5% who might love Soul Asylum would be a great loss just because there was no way they could come to know the band.
I honestly don't think advertising would really help them anymore. In today's music market, bands (especially older ones that have been around as long as SA) just won't sell to it. The radio has become (at least in the US) one continuous clear channel hell. To break into that, well would they really want to? You lost a lot of credibility pushing yourself onto that market, and for a band as old and as respected as SA they just don't need it.

Some larger web presence would be nice, and it's great that this site now exists, and that the band has a myspace page that they keep somewhat up to date with news of the band.. For the longest time there wasn't really anything like that. i remember when soulasylum.com first appeared around the time of CFAS, and lots of us had high hopes for it, and then... it just sort of got forgotten. Nothing was done with it, and I guess they later updated it for TSL, but that was hardly an update, but rather some cookie cutter website. It's kind of scary, because today the internet is how the big music fans tend to hear about bands. The radio has become only mainstream, no more DJs playing their favorite songs that they think are great, it's just the same thing coast to coast. And it's been a chain reaction. The more the radio stations stopped being independent, the more the listeners who wanted that abandoned them, and the more those people abandoned them, the more the radio stations attempted to appeal to the main stream. I don't really know why I'm still rambling though, this is best for another thread.

My main point though is that the mainstream radio market just won't catch the attention of many of the people who would like SA in the first place. I just wish there was an easy way to place where that market really is. But as long as they're selling tickets and filling up clubs... Well, I'm happy.

Phil

Closer
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by Closer »

lune ellise wrote:I know that going commercial doesn't appeal the band, but it's the only way to let people discover them, even if there is a risk that 95% of the audience wouldn't care. That 5% who might love Soul Asylum would be a great loss just because there was no way they could come to know the band.
I agree with this. And what's being commercial anyway? If let's say a song on the Silver Lining would have gotten a lot of airplay and only a few kids would get into the band that otherwise never would have, then that's already great. They probably don't want the level of popularity that they had in the mid 90's (or so I think, but what do I know... ) but I'm sure that they'd be glad that they reached more people with their music.

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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by dells »

I think the band does want to reach more people, but would prefer to do it through live shows.

Back during the time when they supported Matchbox 20, many of us loyal SA fans were not happy that Soul Asylum had to play opening act for newcomers Matchbox 20. But the band had no such feelings about it. On the contrary, they were very happy to have that opportunity to introduce their music to the MB 20 fans. In fact, didn't one of our current ETSA cult members mention once that the MB 20 tour was their intro to Soul Asylum?

I'd wish for another supporting role on a Guns & Roses Chinese Democracy world tour, but that would be a really gruling, fingertip shredding tour for Tommy to endure.

dells

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sayeeda
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by sayeeda »

dells wrote:In fact, didn't one of our current ETSA cult members mention once that the MB 20 tour was their intro to Soul Asylum?
Are you referring to someone else because I don't think you could be talking about me. :P

The tour wasn't how I got into SA, although during the tour, in '99, I used to go into the matchbox 20 chat, where I met our very own Jim, who'd go in to get more info about the tour. He already knew about SA and got me into SA too. As I mentioned in another post, (or maybe two or hell even three? :shock:), I'd been been hearing RT for years (since 93) and ...Laughing during the previous year. Ok, enough with the story already. :P

So frustrated. Get up anyway.
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Twiddly Dee
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Re: SoulAsylum.com

Post by Twiddly Dee »

I mentioned the Matchbox 20 concert in His Holeyness thread so that may be what you remember dells.... click the link for a refresher...

http://www.enterthesoulasylum.com/forum ... 3&start=40

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I know theres so much more

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