My experience with "Indie Music Album Reviews". WTF

Interesting... but at the same time I don't think charging for reviews causes a problem in the way they are doing it, unless, of course, good reviews are given in exchange of money. It doesn't seems to be the case, but it could be, i'm not sure. The whole thing is unclear. If there's one guy giving himself all this trouble to make 500$ a week, then I find it to be a desperate move to make a living!!

FLOL

OH SHIT

can someone summarize please so i dont have to read it all

  On 4/13/2013 at 4:51 PM, johnmolt1 said:

 

Hi Guys,

Since Duncan has decided to go public with malicious slander and accusations I wanted to address this publicly as I work this through with my attorney.

Below is the email I sent him

 

Thanks,

Alex

Hi Duncan,

My name is Alex and I am really glad you made another post last night because it is the last piece of evidence that

my lawyer said he needed in order for me to take you to court for defamation of character.

It looks as if you have nothing better to do but monitor me day and night. What I will do for you is connect all the pieces of this

puzzle for you. Here is my story.

I started engineering music in college - after that I opened up optimize studios in Crystal Lake, IL. Eventually moving to Chicago

to further my career I thought it might be fun to try and open up a record label. Go Forth Records was born. My goal was to work with bands if they needed it, and then promote and sell their albums. And what you don't know Duncan is what is really going to hurt you in court. Every artist that I have worked with I have told that the label is a side-project and I have another full time job thus having little funds or time for promotions. I tell them that this is a support system and yes you could do all this on your own in this day and age but I help out the bands

Not that it's any of your business how I decide to do my promotions like create facebook ads, hang posters, or pay for reviews.

Regarding my name I have been using Alex Bondi since 2008 basically because I used to have a phone job and was sick of people

screwing up my name. I dont hide that I use both . Here is an article I wrote using both names

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Promote-Your-Music-in-2012&id=7164283

Regarding my connection to IMAR. Yes I am connected, I know the editor who runs it, I also know some of the writers who you think are fake (they will be contacting you) ,I forgot to add in the email that I also helped with the website format, layout and registration. So the website reviewed a lot of Go Forths bands (not so favorably in some some cases) on my label just like Pitchfork reviews a lot of jagjaguwar. Do you think they know each other?

So your claim is that Go Forth Records is a fake label- It's not a fake label it's a really small label. If a band wants to work

with me on engineering then great. I don't force them to do that. The record that you liked so much living dream by mental ease -I mastered that. What's funny is that I don't even ask for payment until the artists are happy with the work. Everyone I have worked with has been very happy with my work. Here is something else you should know. I work with licensing agreements. All of the artists are free to sell their music how they please and keep 100% of the profits. They can even sign with a different label if they want. On top of that I also pay for distribution. Im 32 years old Duncan why the fuck would I be wasting my time with this if I didn't have good intentions for the artists in the long run. Is my goal to waste peoples time? The bands pay me nothing for promotion! The bands pay me nothing for distribution! Anything I do whether it be drawing their name on the sidewalk or spelling their name in smoke signals

should be a bonus.

Some of the stuff you mentioned is a flat out lie Duncan such as "Contacting my best friend" I have no idea who that is?

I earn most of my money through engineering which is based on reputation. What you have done here is painted me in a negative

light which can affect my freelance work. I have the four elements I need in order to take you to court and win. You did not think

this through Duncan and now you are going to pay.

Alex (Bondi)

p.s I will be posting this on the forum

 

holy shti good detective work

e: oh shit the guys registered here HEY MAN GO FUCK YOURSELF

  On 4/13/2013 at 4:51 PM, johnmolt1 said:

defamation of character.

i opened this thread knowing that this was going to have happened

classic

and totally expected

  On 4/13/2013 at 4:51 PM, johnmolt1 said:

Hi Guys,

 

Since Duncan has decided to go public with malicious slander and accusations I wanted to address this publicly as I work this through with my attorney.

Below is the email I sent him

 

Thanks,

Alex

 

 

 

 

Hi Duncan,

 

My name is Alex and I am really glad you made another post last night because it is the last piece of evidence that

my lawyer said he needed in order for me to take you to court for defamation of character.

 

It looks as if you have nothing better to do but monitor me day and night. What I will do for you is connect all the pieces of this

puzzle for you. Here is my story.

 

I started engineering music in college - after that I opened up optimize studios in Crystal Lake, IL. Eventually moving to Chicago

to further my career I thought it might be fun to try and open up a record label. Go Forth Records was born. My goal was to work with bands if they needed it, and then promote and sell their albums. And what you don't know Duncan is what is really going to hurt you in court. Every artist that I have worked with I have told that the label is a side-project and I have another full time job thus having little funds or time for promotions. I tell them that this is a support system and yes you could do all this on your own in this day and age but I help out the bands

 

Not that it's any of your business how I decide to do my promotions like create facebook ads, hang posters, or pay for reviews.

 

Regarding my name I have been using Alex Bondi since 2008 basically because I used to have a phone job and was sick of people

screwing up my name. I dont hide that I use both . Here is an article I wrote using both names

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Promote-Your-Music-in-2012&id=7164283

 

Regarding my connection to IMAR. Yes I am connected, I know the editor who runs it, I also know some of the writers who you think are fake (they will be contacting you) ,I forgot to add in the email that I also helped with the website format, layout and registration. So the website reviewed a lot of Go Forths bands (not so favorably in some some cases) on my label just like Pitchfork reviews a lot of jagjaguwar. Do you think they know each other?

 

So your claim is that Go Forth Records is a fake label- It's not a fake label it's a really small label. If a band wants to work

with me on engineering then great. I don't force them to do that. The record that you liked so much living dream by mental ease -I mastered that. What's funny is that I don't even ask for payment until the artists are happy with the work. Everyone I have worked with has been very happy with my work. Here is something else you should know. I work with licensing agreements. All of the artists are free to sell their music how they please and keep 100% of the profits. They can even sign with a different label if they want. On top of that I also pay for distribution. Im 32 years old Duncan why the fuck would I be wasting my time with this if I didn't have good intentions for the artists in the long run. Is my goal to waste peoples time? The bands pay me nothing for promotion! The bands pay me nothing for distribution! Anything I do whether it be drawing their name on the sidewalk or spelling their name in smoke signals

should be a bonus.

 

Some of the stuff you mentioned is a flat out lie Duncan such as "Contacting my best friend" I have no idea who that is?

 

I earn most of my money through engineering which is based on reputation. What you have done here is painted me in a negative

light which can affect my freelance work. I have the four elements I need in order to take you to court and win. You did not think

this through Duncan and now you are going to pay.

 

Alex (Bondi)

 

p.s I will be posting this on the forum

sounds like he's running scared to me. fucking getting lawyers involved...fuck off are you lol

  On 4/13/2013 at 4:51 PM, johnmolt1 said:

 

lol. so you're suing because a guy on internets did a little (completely legal) research and criticised your business model. good luck with that. no, really.

to the OP, really good work. i'd definitely consider polishing that and writing it up in order to have it published somewhere, as information like that is genuinely useful for new & young bands.

  Quote

 

lol. so you're suing because a guy on internets did a little (completely legal) research and criticised your business model. good luck with that. no, really.

 

to the OP, really good work. i'd definitely consider polishing that and writing it up in order to have it published somewhere, as information like that is genuinely useful for new & young bands

 

No - people can criticize IMAR and review it all they want. What you can't do is make public accusations about my record label and character which are false. i.e. claiming there is the no real promotion that Go Forth Records does when he has no idea what I do to actually promote.

watmm

  On 4/14/2013 at 1:34 PM, johnmolt1 said:

 

  Quote

 

lol. so you're suing because a guy on internets did a little (completely legal) research and criticised your business model. good luck with that. no, really.

 

to the OP, really good work. i'd definitely consider polishing that and writing it up in order to have it published somewhere, as information like that is genuinely useful for new & young bands

 

 

No - people can criticize IMAR and review it all they want. What you can't do is make public accusations about my record label and character which are false. i.e. claiming there is the no real promotion that Go Forth Records does when he has no idea what I do to actually promote

I think you would have to be able to prove that he made knowingly false accusations.

"real promotion" kind of seems like a vague term so I don't think you can get him on that.

social media blogosphere 2.3

e: twitterverse

  On 4/14/2013 at 1:34 PM, johnmolt1 said:

What you can't do is make public accusations about my record label and character which are false. i.e. claiming there is the no real promotion that Go Forth Records does when he has no idea what I do to actually promote.

So go on then, you have the perfect platform to enlighten us - what is it that you do to actually promote? (aside from searching for your company name on forums to threaten users with legal action)

  On 4/14/2013 at 1:34 PM, johnmolt1 said:

 

  Quote

 

lol. so you're suing because a guy on internets did a little (completely legal) research and criticised your business model. good luck with that. no, really.

 

to the OP, really good work. i'd definitely consider polishing that and writing it up in order to have it published somewhere, as information like that is genuinely useful for new & young bands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No - people can criticize IMAR and review it all they want. What you can't do is make public accusations about my record label and character which are false. i.e. claiming there is the no real promotion that Go Forth Records does when he has no idea what I do to actually promote.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

ok, so just reading through this makes it seem like you don't have much of a leg to stand on.

everything that duncan has posted has been the result of investigation. i assume he did not construct lies about the results of this investigation. thus, he has not committed defamation because all of the statements he has made reflecting your website(s) are based on factual evidence. his opinions regarding the validity of your "business model" are not subject to laws concerning defamation. you can't sue people based on their opinions.

at its core, defamation is about making false statements that you present as fact in order to harm someone's character (and, in turn, business, relationships, etc.). duncan did not make false statements--duncan presented the facts and interjected his own opinion about your business practices. if we could sue anyone who presented a negative portrayal of ourselves, i'm sure a lot of investigative journalists would be out of a job. i'm pretty skeptical that you consulted a lawyer at all because a lawyer would likely advise you not to make threats about sueing and not to directly contact the person who is defaming you.

but, regardless, i have the following suggestion for you: maybe instead of acting like a defensive little bitch, you could ask yourself "why do people think what i'm doing is wrong/unethical/fraudulent?" and then try to use the answers you come up with to modify your business practices and the way you lead your life. i'm sure people aren't saying these things about you just to be assholes.

  On 4/14/2013 at 9:25 PM, Hoodie said:

 

 

but, regardless, i have the following suggestion for you: maybe instead of acting like a defensive little bitch, you could ask yourself "why do people think what i'm doing is wrong/unethical/fraudulent?" and then try to use the answers you come up with to modify your business practices and the way you lead your life. i'm sure people aren't saying these things about you just to be assholes.

 

well said.

  On 4/14/2013 at 8:33 PM, mcbpete said:

 

  On 4/14/2013 at 1:34 PM, johnmolt1 said:

What you can't do is make public accusations about my record label and character which are false. i.e. claiming there is the no real promotion that Go Forth Records does when he has no idea what I do to actually promote.

So go on then, you have the perfect platform to enlighten us - what is it that you do to actually promote? (aside from searching for your company name on forums to threaten users with legal action)

 

So this is the most likely my last post and if you guys wanna hate thats cool to. Below is the template which I sent out to these guys

Review sites i submitted to (not a full list)

template for my first couple of releases

Here is the money I spent on fb ads . I will place the pic on my website just follow the URL

http://www.goforthrecords.com/fb-ad.html

You guys should listen to some of the bands on the label. you would probably dig em.

Good luck with everything!

Alex, it's fantastic to see that you do that. That's exactly what artists would want to be seeing from an indie label promotion-wise.

But if you don't want people to think your label is sleazy or a vanity label, then don't pay for Facebook fans. Don't pay for album reviews. Don't be affiliated in any way with blogs that take money from artists for reviews. These are things people look for when they are trying to figure out whether your label is legit or not.

Not that anyone will care that much but I thought I would let it be known that Duncan and I have come to

an understanding. No legal action will be taken and hopefully this will be the end of this discussion.

Alex

  On 4/14/2013 at 11:37 PM, johnmolt1 said:

Not that anyone will care that much but I thought I would let it be known that Duncan and I have come to

an understanding. No legal action will be taken and hopefully this will be the end of this discussion.

 

 

Alex

Being called out with no leg to stand on certainly is a good reason to reach an understanding.

Huh, cool that this happened. Have fun dude.

Also, threatening to sue people for defamation is really, really stupid (try proving your damages first).

Also also, I think your attitude proves that you think you are doing something wrong.