FAQ

We get a good bit of email from a variety of sources, so here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Can you review my band?
–Of course we’d love to hear your band, especially if you happen to do folk, roots, or indie rock music.  Go to SubmitHub.com (free to sign up) and send us your music.  We handle all submissions through there now.

I am a friend of Greg or Matt so can I get a fast track to a review for my or my friends’ band?
-In short, probably not.  We have a submission policy to ensure that we get to everything in due time.  We also reserve the right to be honest about music.  Please don’t ask us to give a listen to something unless you are willing to hear “no thanks.”  We don’t cover every album we hear.  It’s just not possible.

Why do you always write positive reviews?
–Most of the bands we cover are still “emerging,” so we are not in the business of bashing someone who is taking a leap of faith with their talents.  Rather, we will privately respond to a band rather than write a publicly negative album review.  We prefer, instead, to highlight what is good about a band and feature bands that we fully support.

Will you cover our local show if we pay your way?
-Yes, we’d love to cover your band’s show if it’s reasonably close to Cleveland or Pittsburgh.  Longer trips are less likely.  Contact us at the email above, complete with a link to the music.  If we’ve covered your band in the past, assume that we’re interested in seeing/hearing the band live.  Compensated tickets and gas money would be awesome.

You sometimes have ads.  Do you make a lot of money?
–After running the site for a decade, we are finally a profitable small business.  We do not make enough money for either of the owners to do this full time.  It’s still a “side hustle” that we love doing.  It’s not a lot, but we are thankful for our revenue streams in the submission process and advertising.

We love what you do.  Can we advertise on your site?
-Yes, we’d love to work with prospective advertisers.  Please email us at the above contact with information on what type of advertising you have in mind.  We’re willing to do a variety of ads, but give preference to companies working within the music industry.  We will not allow any “adult” advertisements on our site.

Will you use social media to promote my new album?
-Maybe, but probably not.  We’ve done some level of promotion for some artists, but tend not to without a previously-established relationship.  We know of a few promotional companies that we can refer you to, but we’re more in the business of criticism than direct promotion.  If we cover your music, we will share about it on Twitter and Facebook.

Are you hiring writers?
-If you’re interested in writing for us (including college students looking for journalism experience), shoot us an email with a sample of your work.  We’re pretty easy going when it comes to trying out new writers, so give us a try.