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22 December 2023
I\'M ABOUT TO SET A PRECEDENT, FOLKS. THIS MONTH\'S UNTAPPED TALENT IS A TELEVISION SHOW-- FEARLESS MUSIC. IMAGINE MTV OR M2, BUT WITH ACTUAL MUSIC. FEARLESS SHOWCASES INDEPENDENT RECORDING ARTISTS, PERFORMING LIVE IN A STUDIO SETTING. IF YOU LIVE IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA, CHANNEL 35 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER, AND THE INCOMPARABLE MONICA CASTELLANOS IS ONE HALF OF THE MAGIC THAT MAKES IT ALL HAPPEN.
Vinnie: Start by telling me who you are, because I have no idea.
Monica: (laughs) Isn’t that the question? \"Who are we?\" My name is Monica Castellanos, and I work here at Fearless Music. Fearless Music is owned by Jamie Lamm, who is a producer and composer. It’s also a-- (someone interrupts) Hold on one second. (short pause) Sorry. So, Jamie Lamm owns Fearless Music. He works on some pretty big jobs, and he was the one who had the idea-- (someone else interrupts) For crying out loud! Hold on. (another short pause) Ahhh!!!
V: It’s alright. It’ll give our interview character.
Both: (laugh)
M: Great. Every five minutes, someone interrupts. That’s really cool.
Both: (laugh)
M: So, this was Jamie’s idea. He basically wanted to do a show that he wanted to watch. He’s a big supporter of the indie scene here in New York, and he knows a lot of people; worked with a lot of bands who have done things and gone places. We all know that, for every band that’s made it, there are a million others that are just as good. They just don’t get a break. But Jamie had the means and the facility. He really wanted to do it, but it was a question of how to do it. I have a film background, so I had little bit of insight as to how to make it work. We did it pretty low budget. We didn’t go out and pick up a bunch of really high-end cameras. I mean, they’re high-end surveillance cameras, but they’re not big TV cameras or anything. Basically, how it works is, there are seven of these surveillance cameras around the live room. We have one hand-held camera. A friend of Jamie’s mans that camera. And I switch everything live, so it’s pretty much a live edit. Then we come back and balance everything out, color correct everything, title stuff, and there you have it! There are anywhere from six to eight bands per episode, every Monday here in New York. It airs at 8:30 PM in Manhattan, and at 10:30 PM in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
V: Wow.
M: We just finished our first season, and our second season starts July 19th. (laughs) I don’t know how much more I can tell you! We taped, like, 50 bands the first season. (laughs)
V: I’m looking at all the questions I had written, and you’re slowly going through and answering them all.
M: I’m sorry!
Both: (laugh)
V: No, no. It’s alright. I mean, I am here to find out about you guys.
M: And I’m here to give it to you all at once. (laughs)
V: Don’t worry. I have more questions.
M: Okay. (laughs) So, basically, I book all the bands, I’m the technical editor, and the director. Jamie does all the audio. And that’s pretty much it. We’re pretty small, but people really seem to be digging the show, so it’s going really well.
V: I was actually going to ask that. Do people call the station and leave feedback? I mean, how do you know the show is doing well?
M: Working with the kids at +1 Management, really. They were the objective ones. When I talked to them about doing some publicity for the show, everybody knew about it there. Apparently, local kids are watching it.
Both: (laugh)
M: But, you know, you take 50 bands that play here in New York, or the Tri-State, or even all throughout the States, and they talk to each other. The thing with our show is, MTV doesn’t play music videos anymore.
V: Neither does M2.
M: Yes. (laughs) So, it’s sort of limited. I don’t know what other resources people have, but for bands that we feature, most of them don’t get on TV. Some of them have been, but most of them haven’t, and probably won’t. It’s a really good avenue for exposing these bands to, not only their fans, but so many other people who just channel surf. I mean, it’s Channel 35. I don’t know if you know anything about Manhattan cable....
V: Not a whole lot.
M: Well, after 10:00 PM, it’s porn. Before 10:00 PM, (laughs) it’s Fearless Music.
V: You get people warmed up for a night of porno.
M: (laughs) Yes, exactly. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do with this, Vinnie.
V: I’m just kidding.
Both: (laugh)
M: I know you’re kidding. That was a comedy-style joke, and I appreciate it. (laughs) You know, cable access in Manhattan is great. I love it. There’s all kinds of stuff on there. Every freak and... well, everybody has a show.
V: I think a friend of mine out there has a show on it, actually.
M: Well, I’m not saying that everybody who has a show on it is a freak.
V: She’s not, but the people she’s filming might be.
Both: (laugh)
M: It’s interesting. We’d seen so much on there, but never a show like this. It’s strictly a performance show. There’s no interviews or anything. And the only bit that you get to see, if it’s not performances, is the promos and that sort of thing; the setup that the bands do. It’s fun. The bands are in their element, but not really. They’re in a recording studio, but a lot of their fans, and people who just enjoy music, are watching, and they don’t normally get to see this part. It’s like a studio recording, but it’s a live performance. And it sounds great, because, you know, we’re a recording studio.
V: Yeah.
M: It sounds so much better than a lot of stuff that’s out there. I’m just happy to be able to do something to expose these bands to more people. I love the bands that we’ve had in here. And, contrary to popular belief, 99.9% of the bands we’ve had in here are all swell kids. They’re really nice. Not too many real bad, fall-down drunks. There are some, which is always good for TV.
V: (laughs)
M: I encourage them to drink. And if they want to fall or vomit, that’s fine, too. But let’s do the song first.
Both: (laugh)
M: Seriously, everybody’s been great. I haven’t really had a bad experience. Everybody’s been punctual, believe it or not. It’s really cool. The kids are nice. They tell their friends, and I guess that’s what’s happening. It’s a real grass roots kind of thing. We also have some street marketing and flyering, that sort of thing.
V: I noticed there are some venues out there having live events with you, like... what was it I saw? A second season kickoff party?
M: Actually, it was a combination of so many things. I had wanted it to be a night where I could just sit back and tie one on, but that didn’t happen. But it was great fun; a combination wrap party/outer-Burrough launch/\"here we are\" sort of thing. We never had a kickoff for it. The day we decided we were going to do a TV show-- BOOM! We had four bands in that week! We never had a chance to announce ourselves to people. So, we had a show at Piano’s on April 29th. And it was The Blam, The Low-Flying Jets, and The Twenty-Twos... amazing bands. It was a great night. We had DJs upstairs. Piano’s has been great, too. They show the program every Monday in their upstairs lounge, for people who don’t have cable. Some of the bands who are on, they come in and watch it. It’s sort of like a little scene. I’m looking forward to doing more of those. Maybe we\'ll even have a proper second season launch party. Next time, though, I’m going to make sure someone else runs around. I’m just gonna sit in the corner, drinking, nodding my head.
V: Are there ambitions with this? I mean, do you want to keep doing what you’re doing, or is there any desire to become-- not the next MTV, because that would be a fate worse than death. But, is there a desire to become something that has that kind of reach?
M: You know, I think the intention for this is to take off, yes. Right now, we’re just trying to get it to the next level. And I think we’re getting there. The quality of bands, I mean, we’ve kicked it up a notch... I can’t believe I just said that. I told myself I wouldn’t say that, and I said it.
Both: (laugh)
V: That’ll be the pull quote for this interview!
M: Great.
V: \"Kicking it up a notch, right before porn on Channel 35.\"
M: Right. Great.
Both: (laugh)
M: We really want to get out there. We really want people to see it. It’d be great to go beyond cable access. We want this to be a big deal. We have touring bands who come in here all the time. They make this a stopping point for them, which I love. I mean, hey, we want to take over the world! Isn’t that what everyone wants?
Both: (laugh)
M: We want to bring the rock to the people.
V: Well, you know, I just wondered because, believe it or not, I’ll talk to people who actually say, \"Well, we just want to keep it underground.\" Like that’s the cool thing to do. But I’m like, \"Don’t you enjoy eating and paying your bills?\"
M: Well, I mean, I want it to do well. The beauty of this show is, you get to give these bands some really nice exposure. And what a better way to give them some exposure than for the show to get bigger? All of a sudden, they’re seen by even more people than they ever anticipated they would reach. I mean, it’s the question of, \"Do you want to be a sellout?\" No.
V: As long as you still genuinely love what you’re doing, and are being true to it, you’re not a sellout. Whether you’re doing it from a yacht, or a dingy loft.
Both: (laugh)
V: I mean, that’s my theory.
M: (laughs) You’re absolutely right. I really do want the show to be bigger. There are very few good avenues for bands to be on TV. Even doing the Conans and the Lettermans and the Lenos, all that sort of stuff; how often do they actually have music on there?
V: True.
M: Not every single day. And how many bands are out there? There aren’t enough shows out there that actually give bands a break. So, yes, I want this thing to take off. I want it big.
V: So, size matters?
M: (laughs) Yes, size matters. Jamie really wants this thing to take off. It would be a really great thing. But, for right now, I’m booking bands that I dig, and I’m happy to be doing it. I’m happy I have a job; that I get to be here every day. I get a private performance! I’m so happy. I wish I could do more, and that we could reach more people, but that will come.
V: Now that you have a season of this under your belts, is it easier to do than when you first started?
M: Yeah. Definitely. In so many ways. It’s gotten easier for me to get in touch with bands that I want to have on. It’s gotten much easier technically. We also sort of revamped the whole camera setup. Even though that’s not the whole point of the show, it looks a lot better now. I\'ve gotten to a point where I have a system down, and can get a song out in a couple of hours. I’m still under the gun during a season, because I have to turn episodes in Thursday morning if they’re going to air on Monday. They’re due the Thursday before. And it’s usually up to the last possible minute, because we might have to drop an ad in or something. It’s a lot of pressure just to deliver the show on time. So, right now is sort of a \"relax time\" for me, even though we have bands in every single day.
Both: (laugh)
M: But we’re not going with new episodes right now. We’re catching up a little bit. It’s also cool because I’ve met a lot of people. You know Roadrunner Records?
V: Yeah.
M: They deal with mostly metal bands. And they really love the show. The love it. They think it’s a great idea. We just met with the head of publicity over there. Her name is Jamie Roberts. She is so cool. The first thing we’re doing together is, I’m having The Dresden Dolls come in next week. They’re sort of the most un-Roadrunner-like band.
Both: (laugh)
M: But, we’re going to try and figure out how to get some of their bands in here when they’re touring, to do little pared down sets. There is no way that I could have, like, a Machine Head in here, or someone like that. I don’t have the space! But that’s sort of the charm of the show, too. We just have bands in with their instruments, plugging in and playing. I manage a band on the side, and I know what it’s like to lug all your shit everywhere. Especially in the city; it’s such a pain in the ass. So, we’re gonna try and get some of these Roadrunner bands to come in. I think it’ll be cool. I’d love to see some of these metal bands chill out for a second.
Both: (laugh)
M: And Warner Bros. called to get an episode to check it out. They have a few bands they want to get on.
V: That’s cool as hell!
M: I agree. I thought it was very cool. But, in typical fashion, I messengered over the DVD to them. But when I try to follow up? Nothing. Nada.
Both: (laugh)
V: Well, my last question is-- and I don’t know if you want bands to-- but what would they have to send you to try and get on the show? Like, what submission guideline should they follow?
M: The first thing is, if a band wants to be on the show, I would really appreciate that they send me a link to their website. I was really overwhelmed with the bands who would call or send a bunch of shit in. And I know how pricey it is to send all this stuff out. Bands these days have a lot of information on their websites. If there’s a show I can go to, I’ll try and check them out. For the most part, though, I really haven’t booked a lot of bands off the cold call.
V: Really?
M: I’ve kind of done my homework. I go and see a lot of shows. I also have a lot of people whose musical tastes I respect. They recommend bands. But I would say, step one is to send me an email with your website. If there’s a show, I’ll be more than happy to check out the band live. If they have something else they feel represents them better, we’ll take it from there.
V: And free stuff, right?
M: No, dude.
V: No t-shirts or stickers?
M: Well, I must say, I do have a wall. I have quite a collection; everything from seven-inches to stickers. I have a broken guitar strap, a drum head... but, no. No free stuff. If you want to send me cash, that’s cool. But I just want to put bands on the show. Keep it at a real simple level. And I’m not looking to branch out into other genres. I’m not doing the singer/songwriter thing, because there are so many of them out there. But, I will take a listen. I will see somebody play. I’m open.
Vinnie: Start by telling me who you are, because I have no idea.
Monica: (laughs) Isn’t that the question? \"Who are we?\" My name is Monica Castellanos, and I work here at Fearless Music. Fearless Music is owned by Jamie Lamm, who is a producer and composer. It’s also a-- (someone interrupts) Hold on one second. (short pause) Sorry. So, Jamie Lamm owns Fearless Music. He works on some pretty big jobs, and he was the one who had the idea-- (someone else interrupts) For crying out loud! Hold on. (another short pause) Ahhh!!!
V: It’s alright. It’ll give our interview character.
Both: (laugh)
M: Great. Every five minutes, someone interrupts. That’s really cool.
Both: (laugh)
M: So, this was Jamie’s idea. He basically wanted to do a show that he wanted to watch. He’s a big supporter of the indie scene here in New York, and he knows a lot of people; worked with a lot of bands who have done things and gone places. We all know that, for every band that’s made it, there are a million others that are just as good. They just don’t get a break. But Jamie had the means and the facility. He really wanted to do it, but it was a question of how to do it. I have a film background, so I had little bit of insight as to how to make it work. We did it pretty low budget. We didn’t go out and pick up a bunch of really high-end cameras. I mean, they’re high-end surveillance cameras, but they’re not big TV cameras or anything. Basically, how it works is, there are seven of these surveillance cameras around the live room. We have one hand-held camera. A friend of Jamie’s mans that camera. And I switch everything live, so it’s pretty much a live edit. Then we come back and balance everything out, color correct everything, title stuff, and there you have it! There are anywhere from six to eight bands per episode, every Monday here in New York. It airs at 8:30 PM in Manhattan, and at 10:30 PM in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
V: Wow.
M: We just finished our first season, and our second season starts July 19th. (laughs) I don’t know how much more I can tell you! We taped, like, 50 bands the first season. (laughs)
V: I’m looking at all the questions I had written, and you’re slowly going through and answering them all.
M: I’m sorry!
Both: (laugh)
V: No, no. It’s alright. I mean, I am here to find out about you guys.
M: And I’m here to give it to you all at once. (laughs)
V: Don’t worry. I have more questions.
M: Okay. (laughs) So, basically, I book all the bands, I’m the technical editor, and the director. Jamie does all the audio. And that’s pretty much it. We’re pretty small, but people really seem to be digging the show, so it’s going really well.
V: I was actually going to ask that. Do people call the station and leave feedback? I mean, how do you know the show is doing well?
M: Working with the kids at +1 Management, really. They were the objective ones. When I talked to them about doing some publicity for the show, everybody knew about it there. Apparently, local kids are watching it.
Both: (laugh)
M: But, you know, you take 50 bands that play here in New York, or the Tri-State, or even all throughout the States, and they talk to each other. The thing with our show is, MTV doesn’t play music videos anymore.
V: Neither does M2.
M: Yes. (laughs) So, it’s sort of limited. I don’t know what other resources people have, but for bands that we feature, most of them don’t get on TV. Some of them have been, but most of them haven’t, and probably won’t. It’s a really good avenue for exposing these bands to, not only their fans, but so many other people who just channel surf. I mean, it’s Channel 35. I don’t know if you know anything about Manhattan cable....
V: Not a whole lot.
M: Well, after 10:00 PM, it’s porn. Before 10:00 PM, (laughs) it’s Fearless Music.
V: You get people warmed up for a night of porno.
M: (laughs) Yes, exactly. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do with this, Vinnie.
V: I’m just kidding.
Both: (laugh)
M: I know you’re kidding. That was a comedy-style joke, and I appreciate it. (laughs) You know, cable access in Manhattan is great. I love it. There’s all kinds of stuff on there. Every freak and... well, everybody has a show.
V: I think a friend of mine out there has a show on it, actually.
M: Well, I’m not saying that everybody who has a show on it is a freak.
V: She’s not, but the people she’s filming might be.
Both: (laugh)
M: It’s interesting. We’d seen so much on there, but never a show like this. It’s strictly a performance show. There’s no interviews or anything. And the only bit that you get to see, if it’s not performances, is the promos and that sort of thing; the setup that the bands do. It’s fun. The bands are in their element, but not really. They’re in a recording studio, but a lot of their fans, and people who just enjoy music, are watching, and they don’t normally get to see this part. It’s like a studio recording, but it’s a live performance. And it sounds great, because, you know, we’re a recording studio.
V: Yeah.
M: It sounds so much better than a lot of stuff that’s out there. I’m just happy to be able to do something to expose these bands to more people. I love the bands that we’ve had in here. And, contrary to popular belief, 99.9% of the bands we’ve had in here are all swell kids. They’re really nice. Not too many real bad, fall-down drunks. There are some, which is always good for TV.
V: (laughs)
M: I encourage them to drink. And if they want to fall or vomit, that’s fine, too. But let’s do the song first.
Both: (laugh)
M: Seriously, everybody’s been great. I haven’t really had a bad experience. Everybody’s been punctual, believe it or not. It’s really cool. The kids are nice. They tell their friends, and I guess that’s what’s happening. It’s a real grass roots kind of thing. We also have some street marketing and flyering, that sort of thing.
V: I noticed there are some venues out there having live events with you, like... what was it I saw? A second season kickoff party?
M: Actually, it was a combination of so many things. I had wanted it to be a night where I could just sit back and tie one on, but that didn’t happen. But it was great fun; a combination wrap party/outer-Burrough launch/\"here we are\" sort of thing. We never had a kickoff for it. The day we decided we were going to do a TV show-- BOOM! We had four bands in that week! We never had a chance to announce ourselves to people. So, we had a show at Piano’s on April 29th. And it was The Blam, The Low-Flying Jets, and The Twenty-Twos... amazing bands. It was a great night. We had DJs upstairs. Piano’s has been great, too. They show the program every Monday in their upstairs lounge, for people who don’t have cable. Some of the bands who are on, they come in and watch it. It’s sort of like a little scene. I’m looking forward to doing more of those. Maybe we\'ll even have a proper second season launch party. Next time, though, I’m going to make sure someone else runs around. I’m just gonna sit in the corner, drinking, nodding my head.
V: Are there ambitions with this? I mean, do you want to keep doing what you’re doing, or is there any desire to become-- not the next MTV, because that would be a fate worse than death. But, is there a desire to become something that has that kind of reach?
M: You know, I think the intention for this is to take off, yes. Right now, we’re just trying to get it to the next level. And I think we’re getting there. The quality of bands, I mean, we’ve kicked it up a notch... I can’t believe I just said that. I told myself I wouldn’t say that, and I said it.
Both: (laugh)
V: That’ll be the pull quote for this interview!
M: Great.
V: \"Kicking it up a notch, right before porn on Channel 35.\"
M: Right. Great.
Both: (laugh)
M: We really want to get out there. We really want people to see it. It’d be great to go beyond cable access. We want this to be a big deal. We have touring bands who come in here all the time. They make this a stopping point for them, which I love. I mean, hey, we want to take over the world! Isn’t that what everyone wants?
Both: (laugh)
M: We want to bring the rock to the people.
V: Well, you know, I just wondered because, believe it or not, I’ll talk to people who actually say, \"Well, we just want to keep it underground.\" Like that’s the cool thing to do. But I’m like, \"Don’t you enjoy eating and paying your bills?\"
M: Well, I mean, I want it to do well. The beauty of this show is, you get to give these bands some really nice exposure. And what a better way to give them some exposure than for the show to get bigger? All of a sudden, they’re seen by even more people than they ever anticipated they would reach. I mean, it’s the question of, \"Do you want to be a sellout?\" No.
V: As long as you still genuinely love what you’re doing, and are being true to it, you’re not a sellout. Whether you’re doing it from a yacht, or a dingy loft.
Both: (laugh)
V: I mean, that’s my theory.
M: (laughs) You’re absolutely right. I really do want the show to be bigger. There are very few good avenues for bands to be on TV. Even doing the Conans and the Lettermans and the Lenos, all that sort of stuff; how often do they actually have music on there?
V: True.
M: Not every single day. And how many bands are out there? There aren’t enough shows out there that actually give bands a break. So, yes, I want this thing to take off. I want it big.
V: So, size matters?
M: (laughs) Yes, size matters. Jamie really wants this thing to take off. It would be a really great thing. But, for right now, I’m booking bands that I dig, and I’m happy to be doing it. I’m happy I have a job; that I get to be here every day. I get a private performance! I’m so happy. I wish I could do more, and that we could reach more people, but that will come.
V: Now that you have a season of this under your belts, is it easier to do than when you first started?
M: Yeah. Definitely. In so many ways. It’s gotten easier for me to get in touch with bands that I want to have on. It’s gotten much easier technically. We also sort of revamped the whole camera setup. Even though that’s not the whole point of the show, it looks a lot better now. I\'ve gotten to a point where I have a system down, and can get a song out in a couple of hours. I’m still under the gun during a season, because I have to turn episodes in Thursday morning if they’re going to air on Monday. They’re due the Thursday before. And it’s usually up to the last possible minute, because we might have to drop an ad in or something. It’s a lot of pressure just to deliver the show on time. So, right now is sort of a \"relax time\" for me, even though we have bands in every single day.
Both: (laugh)
M: But we’re not going with new episodes right now. We’re catching up a little bit. It’s also cool because I’ve met a lot of people. You know Roadrunner Records?
V: Yeah.
M: They deal with mostly metal bands. And they really love the show. The love it. They think it’s a great idea. We just met with the head of publicity over there. Her name is Jamie Roberts. She is so cool. The first thing we’re doing together is, I’m having The Dresden Dolls come in next week. They’re sort of the most un-Roadrunner-like band.
Both: (laugh)
M: But, we’re going to try and figure out how to get some of their bands in here when they’re touring, to do little pared down sets. There is no way that I could have, like, a Machine Head in here, or someone like that. I don’t have the space! But that’s sort of the charm of the show, too. We just have bands in with their instruments, plugging in and playing. I manage a band on the side, and I know what it’s like to lug all your shit everywhere. Especially in the city; it’s such a pain in the ass. So, we’re gonna try and get some of these Roadrunner bands to come in. I think it’ll be cool. I’d love to see some of these metal bands chill out for a second.
Both: (laugh)
M: And Warner Bros. called to get an episode to check it out. They have a few bands they want to get on.
V: That’s cool as hell!
M: I agree. I thought it was very cool. But, in typical fashion, I messengered over the DVD to them. But when I try to follow up? Nothing. Nada.
Both: (laugh)
V: Well, my last question is-- and I don’t know if you want bands to-- but what would they have to send you to try and get on the show? Like, what submission guideline should they follow?
M: The first thing is, if a band wants to be on the show, I would really appreciate that they send me a link to their website. I was really overwhelmed with the bands who would call or send a bunch of shit in. And I know how pricey it is to send all this stuff out. Bands these days have a lot of information on their websites. If there’s a show I can go to, I’ll try and check them out. For the most part, though, I really haven’t booked a lot of bands off the cold call.
V: Really?
M: I’ve kind of done my homework. I go and see a lot of shows. I also have a lot of people whose musical tastes I respect. They recommend bands. But I would say, step one is to send me an email with your website. If there’s a show, I’ll be more than happy to check out the band live. If they have something else they feel represents them better, we’ll take it from there.
V: And free stuff, right?
M: No, dude.
V: No t-shirts or stickers?
M: Well, I must say, I do have a wall. I have quite a collection; everything from seven-inches to stickers. I have a broken guitar strap, a drum head... but, no. No free stuff. If you want to send me cash, that’s cool. But I just want to put bands on the show. Keep it at a real simple level. And I’m not looking to branch out into other genres. I’m not doing the singer/songwriter thing, because there are so many of them out there. But, I will take a listen. I will see somebody play. I’m open.
artid
2462
Old Image
6_10_untapped.jpg
issue
vol 6 - issue 10 (jun 2004)
section
untapped