Some observant folk may have noticed that I've been away for a while. To you I say; well spotted. To others, I say welcome to a more regular Pretentious Indie Boy blog. As it happens I still don't actually own a decent computer to combat this problem. I got a job in which i work, or at least pretend to work on a computer. So I hope to be able to get back to some entertaining Indie writing.
I think I can discuss firstly how to get yourself a good Indie job. Considering I now work in a particularly indie part of the software development industry I now add "Getting an indie job" to my areas of expertise.
Here is what you need to know to be in a job that you'd be proud not to lie to people about.
1) Location!
I'm sure many of you realize the possible pitfalls of a terrible location in the place where you will be spending most of your time. What if you work beside a trendy clothes shop or a fast food chain?! As well as the embarrassment that you'd suffer walking with someone else towards your work, you'd also have to deal with the sorts of people that would actually spend time around these types of shops; trendies; louts; and if your particularity unlucky.. the kind of people who watch reality TV.
So here are some things you should be near:
a) At least 2 indie coffee shops... in case one burns down, you have a backup.
b) 1 indie record store.. incase work folk want to join you for lunch, a swift dip into an indie record store will scare them off
c) A cultural venue; Gallery, Museum or indie cinema, somewhere to say you plan on going after work.
d) Within cycling distance from where you live. (I've discussed before problems with buses.. oh the hate!)
2) Company Size
Your company should of course be small.. But if it's a big one make sure it'll never become successful. As an employee you'll be able to destroy chances of their success from the inside.
But use it wisely.. While you don't want them to become too successful, you certainly don't want to be out of a job. This takes great skill and I would only advise it to be done by people who REALLY know their music.. and perhaps own some rare 70's records.
3) What they do
You know what makes a small company successful?.. innovation, novel idea's, hard work and of course moments of brilliance from employees. If you start noticing any of these, you're in trouble.. The company could suddenly break into the big time and you could be working for the next Microsoft! So remember, if you see a bright thoughtful employee in your company, dishearten them by putting down their ideas. Laugh away their plan to save the company 33% of their costs. Importantly, ridicule people that work too hard. After a while the company stop dreaming of being a rocket aimed into space and start floating like a canoe without paddles.
Perfect!
Monday, 10 December 2007
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Forward:
Well folks, i've returned from London where i saw Joanna Newsom, who was incredible i must say. Some people may have noticed i've been away for a long time, it was a slight technical issue, my computer didn't turn on one day.. i opened it up and played with it a bit (making it a much more complicated technical issue) and now it lies a shell of it's former glory.
i've borrowed a laptop for a little while and i hope i'll be able to get back to regular blogging.
Now for the main feature:
the time off i'd had over the past few months has given me a lot of time to think, eat and look for a real job. As it happens i've instead spent the time thinking too much, eating too much and convincing myself that perhaps i could dance around in a puppet suit professionally.
Most of all the past few months have thought me the hard lessons of "Being Indie with out a compuer!"
here are some indie things that are more complicated without a computer:
1) Getting Indie Music
Recently i came accross a band called loveninjas. They sound great and have about 12,000 listeners so they're in a good zone, if a band has lower than 2,000 listeners then it hasn't been properly vetted and while those listeners love the band in question, they are likely to be related to the members in some way. if the band has over 50,000 listeners a good indie music follower should by all right should have heard of them and already exclaimed how much better they were when they had 20,000 listeners.
another good thing about the 12,000 listeners mark is that it's usually quite easy to get the CD in some Indie record shop. as it happens with the band in question a large number of its listeners live in sweden (as do the band) and if there is one thing that is not easy to get without a computer it's indie bands from far away places.
2) Patronising Other Peoples Music Taste
I've recently discovered that people don't like being told how awful the music they like is. This doesn't make a huge amount of sense to me. I often see people with terrible taste in music as "unenlightened" or perhaps "sheltered" and it's up to someone (me) to help them break into good music, or at the very least understand what when they say a particular brand of chart-tripe is "good" what they mean is "pathetic loathsome shit".
convincing people face to face has provoked reactions that has lead me to conclude that giving people bad news like "Your favourite band is so incredibly terrible that i'm more likely to eat off my own foot then be able to listen to an entire song" is best done over the internet where you are to far away to invoke any physical violence.
Well folks, i've returned from London where i saw Joanna Newsom, who was incredible i must say. Some people may have noticed i've been away for a long time, it was a slight technical issue, my computer didn't turn on one day.. i opened it up and played with it a bit (making it a much more complicated technical issue) and now it lies a shell of it's former glory.
i've borrowed a laptop for a little while and i hope i'll be able to get back to regular blogging.
Now for the main feature:
the time off i'd had over the past few months has given me a lot of time to think, eat and look for a real job. As it happens i've instead spent the time thinking too much, eating too much and convincing myself that perhaps i could dance around in a puppet suit professionally.
Most of all the past few months have thought me the hard lessons of "Being Indie with out a compuer!"
here are some indie things that are more complicated without a computer:
1) Getting Indie Music
Recently i came accross a band called loveninjas. They sound great and have about 12,000 listeners so they're in a good zone, if a band has lower than 2,000 listeners then it hasn't been properly vetted and while those listeners love the band in question, they are likely to be related to the members in some way. if the band has over 50,000 listeners a good indie music follower should by all right should have heard of them and already exclaimed how much better they were when they had 20,000 listeners.
another good thing about the 12,000 listeners mark is that it's usually quite easy to get the CD in some Indie record shop. as it happens with the band in question a large number of its listeners live in sweden (as do the band) and if there is one thing that is not easy to get without a computer it's indie bands from far away places.
2) Patronising Other Peoples Music Taste
I've recently discovered that people don't like being told how awful the music they like is. This doesn't make a huge amount of sense to me. I often see people with terrible taste in music as "unenlightened" or perhaps "sheltered" and it's up to someone (me) to help them break into good music, or at the very least understand what when they say a particular brand of chart-tripe is "good" what they mean is "pathetic loathsome shit".
convincing people face to face has provoked reactions that has lead me to conclude that giving people bad news like "Your favourite band is so incredibly terrible that i'm more likely to eat off my own foot then be able to listen to an entire song" is best done over the internet where you are to far away to invoke any physical violence.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)