Tag: Tampa bay musicians
In search of Tampa Bay music for a Spotify playlist
The Lighter Side of Tampa Bay is a Spotify playlist I put together that is supposed to be the Adult Contemporrary version of chill; “relaxing, easy favorites.”
It originally was saturated by too many songs by artists, but I scaled that back to single-songs by artists I found and…and… It’s gone nowhere.
I know there are and were many recording artists in the Tampa Bay area, with some actively promoting themselves. I’ve never had one approach me to have one of their songs added. I haven’t gone on a search for content either as I’m busy enough and don’t listen to local shows that would highlight songs that fit the list.
I’m looking for tunes. I’m looking to highlight artists, and, most importantly for all, I am looking for listeners.
Ig you are an artist from West Central Florida with a song or music you think fits the bill, drop me a line on the Contact form. Tell me where you are from, if you’trr part of a group or a solo act. Point me to the song on Spotify. Do not submit explicit songs. Ig you happen to be one of the few artists on the playlist as-is and would like another song featured, let me know either in the comments on this post, through email contact, or on Twitter..
In both cases, it doesn’t have to be new music, but please submit songs from the past decade (210 at the latest).
If you are included on the list, I’d appreciate it if you let your fans know about the playlist. Listeners and followers is the key to gaining exposure – and royalties – for all acts involved.
Ambivalent by Fowler’s Bluff (with lyrics)
This song was released in 2013 by the indie progressive tock group Fowler’s Bluff, though I first discovered ut about a year ago. That’s local music for you…
Ambivalent
Fell from a tree cast out from the garden of love...
Today's no different - than the day before.
Perched right here on life's - plateau
It seems I've seen this scene somewhere before.
Don't waste...your time...living... Someone else's life.
Don't waste...your time...living... Someone else's...life.
Wake each day somewhat ambivalent.
Life is good, but there's more than this.
What matters most is what's most important to you.
I could use some help right now 'cause I don't have a clue.
Make up your mind...Ambivalence is not a crime,
but you'll still...do time- a prisoner inside your own mind.
Sky cracks light renewing hope for the day.
You can't wish things were different- doesn't work that way.
The time is now - to do what's right.
You've clipped my wings- but I'll still fly!
Make up your mind...Ambivalence is not a crime,
but you'll still, do time...a prisoner inside your own mind.
Don't waste...your time...living... Someone else's life.
Don't waste...your time...living... Someone els
Updated: The Lighter Side of Tampa Bay playlist on Spotify
Early this year, I unveiled a playlist orf Tampa Bay artists that could be classified as a chill playlist, adult contemporary, relaxing, whatever… It mostly featured artists that I’d crossed on Music Tampa Bay Top 100 lists from years-gone-by..
The nominee list for Creative Loafing’s 2019 Best of the Bay awards changed that.
I’ve been going through that list and adding songs that fit from acts I hadn’t heard o or been tipped off to. There are more acts I need to review from the list but here you go:
If you are a musician in the Tampa Bay area and think you have a song that fits the bill, you can submit it in the comments section o this post or through the site contact form. Playlist feedback from listeners is also appreciated (trolling is not).
Soft rock, easy listening, adult contemporary and the Tampa Bay music scene
With the growing and growing and growing and growing nature of the Underexposed Soft Rock and Easy Listening playlist on Spotify and me crossing work on the Music Tampa Bay playlists that embody the underexposed moniker and yet are also aging with some artists missing in general from social media, I’ve been compelled to start a new soft rock/adult contemporary playlist.
This isn’t open to all and any musicians; this is open to artists in the Tampa Bay metropolitan region. The Lighter Side of Tampa Bay currently has only nine musicians on it, but a number of songs from each:
- Ed Woltil
- Four Star Riot
- Fowler’s Bluff
- Gypsy Star
- Rebecca Zapen
- Robert Andrew
- RosewoodCreek
- Steve Dockendorf
- Swearingen & Kelli
There are more groups and artists in the region with worthy content than this. This is, in part, why I’m posting on my blog: Hey! Tampa Bay musicians with calmer tunes! Share’em with me and potential listeners online please!
You might want to listen to the list as-is to get an idea of the sound I’m going for. I don’t know if hip-hop would mix in, or a bass/beat heavy dance/pop number with wailing vocals. Explicit content is also frowned upon. Seriously, I’m not calling it “The Lighter Side of Tampa Bay” because of the sun.
Feel free to suggest artists or songs to me through comments or directly to me through the site contact form. I’ve also got a music-specific Twitter account or my Facebook page where I can be reached at.
A new Spotify playlist of Tampa Bay musicians and music
In spring of 2017, I took to the task of taking aMusic Tampa Bay Top 100 list of 2016 post was an attempt at exposure for the artists and their work that went further than the hyper-local radio broadcasts and its online music stream.
I’m taking things a step further though I don’t know if this will lead more people to check out this music or what. I’ve created a Spotify playlist of the 2016 Music Tampa Bay Top 100 list.
In trying to aid the exposure of the artists and their music, I don’t know if it did the job so much. Let’s see if a Spotify playlist can help things along.
From my experience researching three different Top 100 lists, I’ve learned it’s a tradition for not all the songs to be available through online streaming. In this case, only 57 of the Top 100 songs from the listing were available… They represent a mix of music genres: Rock, Reggae, R&B, Folk, Pop and Country. The performers herald from the Tampa Bay and west central Florida area and while their sound may be taken as unique, they are all very much of the genres they are derived from in music.
I have intentions of also posting the 2017 Top 100 list and perhaps ones that came before it too. That’ll come in time. Right now, first things first and the 2016 list is here.
Music Tampa Bay’s Top 100 list of 2017: Top 25
This is where the proverbial countdown of 100 acts from the Music Tampa Bay 2017 list comes to its pinnacle with the top-voted songs from their web site. These are the folks who’s songs represented here were most often voted to remain in the weekly Top 40 voting chart displaying on the site each week.
Fan support bolstered these numbers; Gypsy star is known for being among the high-rankings annually with thanks to their fans. Yet for popularity of all the songs, some can’t be found on the common media-embed sites like YouTube, SoundCloud, ReverbNation, BandCamp, MySpace, or others. In fact, the entire reason for this series has been to grant direct exposure to the songs for the general public (well… you the person who clicked to see this. Yeah, you. Hi.).
I encourage you to sample the songs if not here then on Part 1, Part 2 and/or Part 3. For the performing artists, it’s got to be nice to have a song that airs on the radio or an audio stream, but it’s even better when someone chooses to listen to it optionally and see what the artists or group sounds like.
Music Tampa Bay’s Top 100 song list of 2017
As the annum that was 2017 drifts off into the history books, its stories and stats are reflected upon in one way or another in a multitude of categories through the world. The facts of the year-that-was will be referenced and reviewed because… Well, it’s history and things that happen are relevant.
Like music.
It’s an annual thing from St. Pete, Florida-based community radio station did a reflection post on 2016 last spring to give people a taste (and the music optional exposure) of some of the local music created from Bay area artists. With a new (old) year comes a new list of songs that were successes on the Music Tampa Bay voting poll through 2017. Each week, users are able to vote on the Top 40 on the site and those votes are tallied up into what becomes this grander list.
Unlike the Top 100 listing on Music Tampa Bay, the list version here includes (when available) links to the artist personal web site or a social site (Reverb Nation, Facebook) linked to them. The song is listed of course as well as a hyperlink to a location you can listen to the song (when possible). 25 songs are listed on 4 separate tables below (100-76, 75-51, 50-26, 25-1.
So, if you have time and interest and a musical curiosity, may I present to you the first 25 songs from the Top 100 Songs from Music Tampa Bay from 2017. Read More
Volunteer assistance sought by Tampa Bay community station Music Tampa Bay
There’s a special community radio station based in St. Petersburg that airs local music, to say the least. the 2016 Top 100 list and a Top 40 from this past summer. EDIT: You can find the Top 100 page with each individual year of Music Tampa Bay here.
Yet Hurricane Irma did her damage and complicated things with the station that were already challenged in one way or another. The site representing Music Tampa Bay has long been in need of upgrading to improve accessibility and exposure for the artists and the station itself.
All that said Music Tampa Bay is looking for assistance of the high variety. Everything is voluntary but the open positions listed are basically everything. The MTB sit’s declaration shows it:
All Volunteer Staff Needed
General Manager – Sales Manager – Business Manager – Operations Manager – IT / Website Manager – Program / Music Director – DJs – all shifts
Here’s the official statement off the site about volunteers and the station:
Radio Station Volunteer Staff Wanted
The music stream on this website is now in its 13th year of continuous operation. 96.7 FM in St Pete is now beginning its 2nd year, since the FCC issued a non-profit broadcast license in October 2016. If these listening platforms are to continue serving the local arts communities as stipulated in the license, new management is needed in key revenue generating and operational areas. A new general manger being sought to work with the existing team and eventually assume control once the original license period is renewed in early 2020. Air talent is also needed to fill program positions and operate from the new live Radio Central in The Zoo Studios in St Pete. All air positions are currently open, 24/7. Interested beginners and professionals are encouraged to contact rick@musictampabay.com / 727-455-8848.
This is a great starter place for those interested in being part of the music business or working in communications; a prime opportunity for students. It’s also a great place for those who are embedded already in local music as performers to further expose themselves by working as DJs (or, if qualified, in one of the higher-up positions). Most importantly of all, it’s part of the community. While MTB isn’t available in terrestrial, traditional broadcast throughout Tampa Bay, the online stream is readily available for everyone to hear performers who were, and are part of music.
Members of the Tampa Bay music scene
I’m a regular in a Reddit subgroup that represents the entirety of the Tampa Bay area, /r/tampabay. Most of the citizens of the cities in the Bay area aren’t members of that group, they’re in the singular cities like /r/tampa, /r/stpetersnurgFL, or not in a city subgroup as all (hey, power to the people – it’s not like everyone goes on Reddit to talk about local life).
Anyway, a couple of months ago on the less-populous /r/tampabay subreddit, a new-resident sounded a disdain for the lack of original musicians in the Tampa Bay area:
So, I’m starting to think there just doesn’t exist any kind of local music scene here at all, unless you consider septuagenarians playing jurassic-rock covers a “scene”. Please tell me I’m wrong. The only show that I’ve gone to in a year and a half was when I flew back to Ohio to visit. This is depressing.
This opens up a question of where in the Bay area they were looking for performances and when – it’s not like it’d happen every day of the week. It’s also not like you can expect original music by local band members to be available at a golf resort or at a bar/pub/club/tavern deep in suburbia. Oh, it likely happens but you’re more likely to get cover acts in small time locales like that.
Lack of local music scene, though? No… That’s not the case. Read More
Music Tampa Bay’s Top 40 for June 26th, 2017
Earlier this year, I posted a list of the Top 100 songs from Music Tampa Bay for 2016: Converting the image list to text and linking to various locales where you could actually listen to the songs (side note: I’ll still take link and genre submissions for some of the unlinked artists/songs, thanks).
Well, the Top 100 list for each year on Music Tampa Bay is built around a weekly running Top 40 list that Music Tampa Bay has going on. I’m not sure how it has functioned long-term but as of now you can vote once per day on a song that’s been placed on the Top 40 list. Voting ends at 6 PM ET on Sunday nights and the results make up the Top 40 list for the week ahead. How a performer or band get on the list to begin with is Music Tampa Bay’s choice while the songs listed aren’t all recent releases by Tampa Bay musical artists.
Now, exposure to the song is subjective to those who cross the Top 40 list. You either have to be a Music Tampa Bay listener (online streaming or over the airwaves in St. Pete, Florida at 96.7 FM), or have crossed the music by other means (like deliberately hunting down a listed song online, as I’ve done in the past).
Well, this article is a little twist on things. Below you will find the Top 40 list from Music Tampa Bay (released on Monday, June 26th) with embedded versions of the songs from the list. Not all songs are embedded. Omission like that is not a deliberate act as-so-much an inability to locate the song online. Some songs do appear on the web in sales locations or on streaming locations like Spotify. For the sake of accessibility, those instances aren’t linked. In other cases where a song can be accessed by anyone but the tune isn’t embeddable, things will be simply hyperlinked.
Many of these songs have been and will remain listed on the Music Tampa Bay Top 40 for some time to come, so if you like one of these tracks a lot then you should support it: Go to Music Tampa Bay and view the Top 40 list and cast a vote in favor of it (button next to the song on the Top 40 list). Read More
