This week TheBuzz caught up with Matty McKenzie, the bassist from The Action Design, for our new weekly interview feature, TheBuzz-By. Learn more about indie artists with our short list of random questions.

Along with recording their newest album, the band is offering fans a look inside their world with a live online T.V. show at www.theactiondesign.com/tv.

We, the Action Design, have decided we want to communicate with you even more directly. We’re putting together our own LIVE online TV show!!

On this TV show, we’ll be doing all kindsa different things. We’ll be having lively and (hopefully) entertaining discussions, question and answer segments, showings of videos and clips we’ve made just for you, and we’ll play some acoustic songs live. We hope to eventually have guests on our show, and we’re also taking suggestions for other things you think would be interesting. It’s still a work in progress, but we’d love it if you joined us!

- TAD Facebook Announcement

Get to know Matty McKenzie as he answers our Buzz-By questions.

TheBuzz caught up with indie artist Jay Nash for our new weekly interview feature, TheBuzz-By. Learn more about indie artists with our short list of random questions.

Nash tells us he is currently taking a break from touring and finishing up some collaborative projects with artists such as Caitlin Crosby, Garrison Starr, and Mozella amongst others. Once these projects are complete and after SXSW 2010, he plans to start on a new record. Get to know Nash as he answers our questions…

KH: What song is stuck in your head right now?

JN: “Wish Your Heart Farewell” by Kenneth Pattengale.

KH: What is the best part of being on the road?

Q) Tell us a little bit about your blog. What inspired you to start it?

A) This Winki’s is an indie music blog that features album reviews, new artist introductions, lists, interviews as well as some occasional mixtapes. I live in Iran and the blog started in December 2007 when my military service was finished. I started This Winki’s to spread the word, stay updated and share what I think about what I listen to so I won’t regret it someday. I primarily wanted to write in Persian language but then decided to widen my audience by using English.

Q) Why do you believe new media resources (i.e. blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations) have become so popular? How have they been beneficial to artists? How have they been detrimental?

Releases Dear Lover at Indie Music Stores

The indie artist talks about his latest release Dear Lover, the music industry and performs the title track. Ryan has released his album at a indie music store near you. Check out the list of stores here.

Indie on Air! & Music in Action w/ host “Classic”

The Voice of Independent Music featuring industry professionals & great indie music.
Indie on Air! broadcasts live every Friday 12:30pm CST from Chicago via the BlogTalkRadio platform
Music in Action broadcasts live every other Wednesday 2:00pm CST from Chicago via the BlogTalkRadio platform
Both shows are available 24/7 as an archive immediately following the live broadcasts.

Q) Tell us a little bit about your Internet radio show. What inspired you to start it?

Cowboy Cantor is a podcast run by a Portuguese music teacher. Its the only podcast around the island of S. Miguel, in the Azores islands, Portugal. The show’s aim is to share the greatest free mp3s found on the Internet, in the artist’s own sites, their label sites, or in many other mp3 sites that offer free music. It’s all done with love and in the name of independent music.

Q) What can artists do to make money on the internet?

A) A lot of different things have been happening on the Internet with music. From stores with d.r.m. files, to free music. From the Creative Commons to pay what you want. From file sharing on chats to illegal peer to peer clients. Everyday we meet new ways of promoting music and selling it. It is fact, legal or illegal, Internet is the most effective way of getting an artist to be known. Labels and artists should keep that in mind and work with it. F.M. and A.M. radios, television, newspapers and magazines still have a word to say on this process, but Internet is vital these days for music promotion.

Anatomy of a Kickass First Album

Okay, so Roaring Noon isn’t SitDownTracy’s first album. They released a demo in the summer of 2008, but for an indie band, having a full-length EP to perform and tour with is essential. Recently, I spoke to band member Janelle Mailhot about what went into creating the album, and, not surprisingly, in the end it all came down to the basics: art, love, and analog.

AS: How did SitDownTracy come to the decision to record a full-length album, and what other professionals did youenlist to help you put Roaring Noon together? Did you have a lot of support?

JM: An old college instructor of mine was incredibly supportive of my musical aspirations, and suggested I see his friend, Dan Donahue, who has been performing and producing since he was in his 20s. Dan’s mentor was Daniel Lanois, and they share a preference for analog over digital recording, which lends itself wonderfully to the warm yet live sound we were going for. We purposely left tiny mistakes and talking in the final mix, because we wanted a true representation of our live performance.

Dan has produced most of Fred Penner’s albums—and won a Juno for one of them—so it was kinda funny having multiple Fred Penners as our audience while recording. Dan’s basement studio is really cozy, which was a very nice introduction to the recording process, which can be very intimidating.

5 Questions: Answers from Charles McEnerney, Host + Producer for Well-Rounded Radio and Founder of Musicians for Music 2.0

Q) Tell us a little bit about your IR station. What initially inspired you to start it?

A) I started Well-Rounded Radio (really a podcast, but I named it before podcasting started!) because I grew up in Queens, New York City listening to a lot of really great disc jockeys like Vin Scelsa on commercial and college radio who used to do fantastic interviews. But as the years went by and radio changed all over the country, I felt like the only place I was hearing music interviews was on NPR and some syndicated shows. And as much as I love NPR, I felt their in-depth music interviews were with people that were somewhat predictable. I like to be surprised by music and I wanted to do a series where what was coming at you would be a little more unexpected.

Description: Music podcast based out of Detroit, but playing music from all over the globe! With over 200 episodes and over 40 band/musician interviews – this is a long running podcast with no signs of stopping!

Q) Tell us a little bit about your podcast. What initially inspired you to start it?

A) I started my podcast back in March of 2005. I wanted to do a music based podcast, as i’m a huge music fan. So, after hearing another Detroit podcaster (Digital Detroit Radio) do his podcast for a few months, I thought to myself – “I can do this!” So, Zaldor’s World was born. I now have over 280 episodes, and am poised to hit episode 300 on Thanksgiving.

Q) What characteristics make a great holiday song?

Q) Tell us a little bit about your Friggin Fabulous Radio. What initially inspired you to start it?

A) I started Friggin Fabulous Radio in 2002 when I was working at an NYC news radio station. I used to be a Rock DJ at WHTG, FM106.3 in Asbury Park, NJ and I really missed it! Through Friggin Fabulous Radio I get to interview really talented artists and bands and play some of their music. Several of the bands I’ve interviewed are clients of Cyber PR/Ariel Publicity.

Q) What characteristics make a great holiday song?

Inducted into the National Heritage Foundation Blues Hall of Fame. Mark Kerr is finally enjoying recognition for his brilliant and original style of Blues guitar playing and singing.

Mark’s radio podcast show entitled, “Mark Kerr’s Blues Nation” which features not only Mark’s music, but music from the very best Blues and Blues-Rock artists on the scene today. The show is hosted by Mark and airs weekly on Kansas City Online Radio, as well as on the Blues Nation page of this site. Mark’s show was inducted into the National Heritage Foundation Blues Hall of Fame as a “Great Blues Radio Show.

GH: What sparked your desire to host your own radio show?

MK: I viewed this media as an excellent marketing tool for my music.As well as getting a few of my blues friends some airplay.

We know that there has been a lot of conversation over the past few weeks about the revised guidelines released by the Federal Trade Commission with regard to reviews and paid posts.  The FTC guidelines take effect December 31, 2009 and there is a lot of confusion over what needs to be disclosed, who needs to disclose it, where that disclosure should be placed and how we should disclose.  Today I am talking to Tom Cherniak, co-founder of Cmp.ly, about the impacts these new revisions and for some simple rules of thumb to follow in your post-Thanksgiving posts and podcasts.  Please note that this is not legal advice and that each disclosure situation may be unique.

AH: Can you explain what the changes to the guidelines are?