- I spoke with Timothy J Bednarz this week, host of Creative Original Artists Rock Radio Show, and Gundacker Project frontman. Timothy J has decades of experience in performance and broadcasting, and he’s used both platforms to advocate for original music. In the first part of our two part interview, Tim and I discussed the death of radio, tribute band culture, and the direction of modern music. A man who doesn’t mince words and walks his talk, I think you’ll find Timothy’s in your face honesty as refreshing as I did.
Jill Courtney: Tell me how you got into radio!
Jill Courtney: I’m on the east coast and was raised in radio. Dad’s still on! What was your first radio gig?
Timothy J Bednarz: Smokin’ Joe on KDWB FM! Also as I was trying to ‘make it’ as a rock singer I became friends with professional DJ’s out here in the S.F. bay Area as well. I would go on their shows and just marvel at what they were doing I think as much as they were marveling at what I was trying to become. My first radio gig was when I would get interviewed by radio DJs college, community or commercial, then eventually my attempt at becoming a big rock star came to a screeching halt after Nirvana blew everything up so I headed to KFJC FM at Foothill College out here in the S.F. Bay Area in 1995 and have been ion the radio ever since in some shape or form
Jill Courtney: You see Nirvana as a game changer for radio. That’s an interesting perspective. There’s no denying it changed music, but the idea of it changing radio immensely is an interesting one. Radio has changed so drastically. Many jocks prerecord now, and there’s little live interaction. Some say radio is dead. What role does live radio have in music?
Timothy J Bednarz: Live radio still has a role but I think that commercial terrestrial radio is dying in its present form because those who run it are killing it. But it still is a platform to sell live concerts and help maintain an artists’ ‘star power’ and create new ones. I just dunno if the ones that are being created these days have much staying power
Nirvana and the cRap music culture killed arena rock and killed radio programming as they all started going to Grunge, alternative (which is a huge description) and cRap music
Jill Courtney: You think that played into the decline of radio’s audience as well? The migration to alternative radio and college radio?
Timothy J Bednarz: Hmmmmmmmm. I think the radio programming and the taking the ‘star power’ away from the air personalities caused the decline as well as deregulation
Jill Courtney: American culture thrives on star power to sell things and identify brands worth buying. Someone had to take the place of on air personalities. Who do you feel did that?
Timothy J Bednarz: When GM, Program directors all started focusing on the sales dept more than the music and programming dept lead to people feeling disconnected
You tuned into a radio station for the music AND the radio personality PERIOD,
Suits and ties can spew all they want about the music being the most important and people don’t wanna hear a radio personality put his or her personality into the programming but I say that is bullshit
Jill Courtney: Tell me a little about your current role in radio
Timothy J: I am an internet based radio DJ now that broadcasts an all independent/ unsigned rock radio show where the personality is just as much a part of the programming as the music
it is called the C.O.A.R. Radio Show
it stands for Creative Original Artists Rock
Part of the programming is also aimed a big F YOU to the tribute band culture going on in the live music scenes all over the world which I think is killing off the creative artistic expression of aspiring original artists/bands and the potential audiences they could be performing for
Jill Courtney: Talk to me about that tribute band culture. Do you feel comfortable talking about specific bands?
Timothy J Bednarz: I don’t care about the specific bands. I HATE that there is the faux demand created by promoters, booking agents that the tribute thing is what the people want. Complete crap. Audiences are fickle. you give them quality entertainment at a fiat ticket price, audition the bands or solo artists you showcase in your venues, invest in that mindset and the tribute thing I think would go back to where it belongs…at art and wine festivals and not in showcase venues
Jill Courtney: Some would argue that many currently touring versions of band are “tribute bands”, having only a few original members–Everything from the Misfits to Faster Pussy Cat to Third Eye Blind
Timothy J Bednarz: I agree with you there, but those are bands that have at least some original parts, not John and Jane Doe pretending to be inert iconic or even non iconic artists just successful artists here.I just don’t understand people wanting to go see music performed that is and has been beaten into your ears for 20, 30, 40, 50 years every single day on the radio, TV, movies and by freaking cover bands at the art and wine fest tours as well as at top 40 venues and the freaking Holiday Inn.
Jill Courtney: Is it still the same band if the writers of the most successful albums and members during the biggest and most memorable performances have vacated?
Timothy J Bednarz: if you ask me that question Jill…I say those types of bands should retire
Jill Courtney: They’re prevalent
Timothy J Bednarz: If you no original members left from the core then pack it in. I am the first one to say those bands should die and make room for the new ones
Jill Courtney: Youth culture sometimes wants the experience of having seen those bands, being part of history. You think that draws the crowd for tribute bands?
Timothy J Bednarz: OK, fine. Go watch a DVD! Create a band influenced by them! But don’t be a parrot
Jill Courtney: So is the intent of your show to raise up bands?
Timothy J Bednarz: Raise up?
Jill Courtney: Lift up and provide exposure to them?
Timothy J: Hell yes! From here in the SF Bay Area and the rest of the country and world
Jill Courtney: Where do you find those you wish to provide exposure for?
Timothy J Bednarz: They come to me, others tell me about them,the radio stations I broadcast expose me to them…I seek them out as well by going and SEEING THEM PLAY LIVE…OMG what a CONCEPT!
Jill Courtney: I feel like bands are able to get away with being subparperformers because of music video and internet culture. Do you agree?
Timothy J Bednarz: You can say that
Jill Courtney: Youtube has some redeeming power because fans can post videos from live performances and essentially “call a band out”, but as you know, they’ve changed their rules
Timothy J Bednarz: I feel the ones who DON’T feel that way are the ones who have a shot at being icons, leaders of the next music movement and I am not talking about the 5 guys and 2 gals who now run the Pop/cRap/Top 40 music songwriting culture polluting the radio these days
People can still calls ‘bands out’ in their platforms outside of YouTube which will become obsolete soon to independent/unsigned artists if they continue to follow through with their threats about dropping the indie/unsigned artists videos unless they comply with their new rules
Jill Courtney: Do you feel signing is necessary in the age of self-promotion via the internet and EP culture?
Timothy J Bednarz: I think the jury is still out on that. It is still recovering and trying to take shape from the tearing down done in the 90’s
Jill Courtney: Bands like I Fight Dragons, who were able to triple their Kickstarter request to make an album and US Royalty who hasn’t bowed to signing…Do they provide hope to bands who don’t wish to sign, or even represent the direction the industry is taking? Using Instagram, Tumlbr, fan forums,Twitter rather than label promotion?
Timothy J Bednarz: All good stories but few and far between. I think some new companies need to emerge with new blood and new thinking. I think we need to tear down the ones who took over after the first tear down because we can’t have 5 guys and 2 galsrunning everything with their little ‘camps’ of songwriters and producers
Jill Courtney: In the age of corporate conglomeration, can we tear down those owners?
Timothy J Bednarz: I am not certain. Maybe they well eat themselves.
Jill Courtney: So your show is a vehicle, a voice, for quality bands. Tell me about the genres.
Timothy J Bednarz: In my opinion, yes. I play everything from solo artists with an acoustic guitar or piano, all the way to melodic metal songs and anything inbetween.
Blues rock, country rock, alt rock, pop rock, pop punk,darkwave, Americana, melodic rock, hard rock, symphonic metal, heavy metal
It has to be melodic. Melody is king for me, so if you rap, NO.
If you sound like the cookie monster, no
If you are screaming the entire song like what Black Veil Brides does in parts of their songs but you do it all the way through the song
NO
I am repulsed by Rap as I don’t see it as music Iit is an art form but to me you gotta sing and play your instruments to be actual music and I hate that the kids have embraced it as long as they have and the music industry as well. It is beyond lame to me to hear the garbage spewed out in that form and the guttural cookie monster metal as well makes me sad
Jill Courtney: How about artists such as Common in his early days, or the Roots? Message rap with political insights and a solid representation of a culture?
Timothy J Bednarz: Roots are an exception but they would sound SO MUCH better if the lead voice was not that or some guy shouting in rhyme with street lingo affect on the voice. I am so freaking tired of it
Jill Courtney: They say the same of rock. Too many the Ramones are just three chords and simple poetry
Timothy J Bednarz: Simplicity is beautiful
Jill Courtney: Critics of rap and punk sometimes overlook the fact that they represented a way of life and a cultural movement
Timothy J Bednarz: There is ZERO melodic variety to someone talking indumbed down English in rhyme
Jill Courtney: Would you equate modern rap with modern pop? Kesha? Taylor Swift?
Timothy J Bednarz: I say that in protest after song just talking, shouting in rhyme lame. I say the same about the cookie monster metal…every freaking song… “bitch bitch bitch moan…the world sucks…every one sucks.” I mean c’mon!
Kesha and Swift are just pop tarts and every era has pop tarts since Rock became a music form.
Jill Courtney: Because you live in Cali, I wanna talk a bit about the resurgence of surf rock
Timothy J Bednarz: OK. There are some good ones out here I have seen and heard about but really it has been a resurgence since the 90’s out here. There have always been bands doing it. Fascinating Creatures of the Deep are a newish one out here with guys not so new but they do it well. There is a band called the Gillbillies who look like ZZ Top but play Surf Music
Jill Courtney: Interesting that it’s taken so long to become culturally pervasive again as it’s been big in Cali. Ok, back to your show. How would you advise bands to use radio for promotion? As an insider…
Timothy J Bednarz: Promote the station that promotes YOU, online as well as in person and promote the venues and tell the venues those radio show talk about your band and the venue the band is performing at. Commercial radio won’t promote you UNLESS you can get involved with their block programming they have that is set to promote and showcase local independent talent which usually means they put on at least one show a year that showcases you.
Also charity events…make your band available to their charity events they may need music for sending in your CD orthumbdrive to a commercial station that does NOT have block programming supporting local indie talent will do nothing for your band
With commercial radio you end up in a drawer or worse thelunch room for people to pick through.
C.O.A.R. radio show streams live Sun. 6p & Wed. 10a PST Jam City America /Mon. 8p UK Firebrand Rock Radio /Tue. 1p & Thur. 3p PST Digital Revolution Radio. Timothy J’s bandGundacker Project,http://www.reverbnation.com/gundackerproject.
