RE: Clip: Twangcast
...who the heck is Heather Mills? Sings with Dee Waylors, yes? Jon Weisberger, Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger
Re: Clip: Twangcast
...who the heck is Heather Mills? Sings with Dee Waylors, yes? Jon Weisberger, INSERT into recent quality of writing thread? Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Clip: Twangcast
From today's Nashville Digest. Congratulations, Mike! Cyber Country Internet 'Station' Redefining Country Broadcasting BY REBEKAH GLEAVES Everybody has an opinion on what s wrong with country radio today. General consensus seems to be that country music has lost its soul that it sold out to slick production and pop music-type marketing. Everybody has an opinion, but only a few are actually producing alternatives. Fortunately, these few include Mike Hays. Hays, born in Pulaski, Tenn., and now living in Lawrence, Va., operates Twangcast, an Internet-based radio "station" which plays assorted country music with a particular emphasis on relatively unknown artists and classic country hits. "There s a whole lot of music going unheard," says Hays. "I have a background in country and commercial radio, and I ve found that a lot of good music can t be played in a commercial setting." So far, listeners seem to be responding to Twangcast in consistently growing numbers. According to Hays, 3,000 listeners tuned in to Twangcast in January. By February, that number had grown to 4,000. March brought 6,000 people tuning in, and Hays is predicting 8,000 people will listen to Twangcast by the end of April. At this rate, Hays says his Internet broadcasting organization is on track to reach 10,000 people by June. However, these numbers can be misleading in, for Hays, a good way. The aforementioned figures represent only those tuning in solely to the full Twangcast site. But people can also elect to have the service playing as background music throughout the day, and these numbers are not being monitored. Listeners seem to be drawn to Twangcast s unusual playlist. Because it is not limited by ratings, Twangcast is able to play music from artists who typically are never heard on country radio, be they emerging upstarts or classic country masters. "It s a crying shame that Mandy Barnett and Heather Mills are not being played on country radio. But country radio has its head so far up its ass that no one is playing those artists," says Hays. Twangcast also regularly features artists like Ferrin Young and Dale Watson, and will venture into commercial country music only far enough to play non-single album cuts from Nashville artists like Alan Jackson, Sarah Evans and Lee Ann Womack. But Hays claims the bulk of the new music he features is made by artists currently based in Austin and songs recorded by traditional country performers. "I can play the people beyond their prime," says Hays. "Those that don t have the tight butts and belly-buttons you need to make it commercially." It seems that no one even misses these entertainers. Boasting a slogan that reads, "We play the best twang Nashville never heard," Hays has plenty to keep himself and his listeners busy. Currently, Twangcast has no advertisers, but Hays says that as the listener numbers increase, advertiser interest is likely to as well. "If the listeners come, the advertisers will follow. We ve had some interest from advertisers already, but we just now have the statistics to show them," says Hays. As the stats rise, certainly advertisers will take notice. And as more country fans denounce the genre in its current state, perhaps country radio will too. Until then, Twangcast can be found at www.twangcast.com.
Re: Clip: Twangcast
Thanks for the clipping Jon, even with the mistakes and typos it's great publicity. I'm still looking for this Lawrence VA I am supposed to live in and who the heck is Heather Mills? And you'd think a Nashville based writer could spell Faron Young's name right. All the same, nice to be recognized for doing what I believe in. Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Re: Clip: Twangcast
Congratulations Mike!! Even with the misspelled names, you got some great quotes in there, especially the industry evaluation. Geezare they all double-jointed? g Will those radio tombstones read "I dug the hole that WEB radio filled in" a. best, Kate and who the heck is Heather Mills? And you'd think a Nashville based writer could spell Faron Young's name right. All the same, nice to be recognized for doing what I believe in.
Re: Clip: Twangcast
hey Mike, congrats, keep it up. Kind of reminds me of what FM radio used to be like, way back when... Elena Skye
Re: Clip: Twangcast
hey Mike, congrats, keep it up. Kind of reminds me of what FM radio used to be like, way back when... Elena Skye No way you are old enough to remember that, are you? If so, all my fantasies out the windowg Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Re: Clip: Twangcast
In a message dated 99-04-28 17:14:10 EDT, you write: hey Mike, congrats, keep it up. Kind of reminds me of what FM radio used to be like, way back when... Elena Skye No way you are old enough to remember that, are you? If so, all my fantasies out the windowg Mike Hays hey, I have two older brothers, dude! I used to sleep curled up against their door when I was tiny and scared to be in my room alone. I heard a lot of great music. Elena
Re: TwangCast for Macs
At 5:47 PM -0600 on 2/4/99, Joe Gracey wrote: jamie wrote: On Thu, 4 Feb 1999, Stuart Munro wrote: As well, aren't there a few alternatives to these two that you TwangCast boys might consider? Shockwave, Audioative (both of which Carl Z's station use, if I'm not mistaken), Streamworks, etc.? Check out shoutcast (www.shoutcast.com). It's an MP3 streaming server using winamp as the client. And it's free. Very cool. jamie It doesn't run on a mac yet either, however. I think it is a little bit unfair to characterize mac users as a tiny minority- if you want to be anecdotal about it, literally everybody I know in the music business world-wide uses Macs and I daresay the majority of creative people in all fields use them. It is also a fact that a highly disproportionate number of internet users and web page authors use Macs. I firmly feel that it is a grave error to ghettoize us, which happens all too often. Brother Gracey speaks the truth. (Well, as always.) Microsoft's buggy software isn't Mike's fault, but I'd love to see him try out some of the software Stuart mentioned. Mike, you might also consider renting a Mac for a few days and getting it to work over a modem yourself -- then write up a help page for Mac users to follow. (And don't get one of the cool new ones; they're selling well, but frankly something a year old or so is going to be a lot more typical of what's already out there.) np -- Rosanne Cash at Johnny D's a coupla years ago Bob
Re: TwangCast for Macs
Bob writes: . Mike, you might also consider renting a Mac for a few days and getting it to work over a modem yourself -- then write up a help page for Mac users to follow. We'll have links to Mac user groups on site soon so that the issue of making the player work (I understand it has problems on other sites with Mac too) can be discussed by all you Mac users. We'll monitor those as much as possible looking for a solution but we feel Microsoft is probably the biggest part of the culprit here. My tech guys don't know everything but they have spent countless hours dealing with this and as Microsoft beta developers/testers they have access to a lot of good info. As far as other formats for audio delivery, we're sticking by our Media Player and hoping for divine intervention for Mac users. I'll keep you posted, also look for a discussion chat on TwangCast soon. Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
TwangCast and Macs (was Re: Hay Check this out!)
Chad Cosper asked: This may have been covered at some point in time, but is there any way for us Mac users to access this? Any plans for Microsoft to release a Mac version of their player or is there one out there that I just haven't seen? There is a beta version of Media Player for the Mac. It works fine, at least on the streams I've checked, but it does not yet work with TwangCast (sniff, sniff). I don't know if this is due to the Mac Media Player, or Mac Netscape (which I use), or both. I do believe (or hope) the TwangCast folks are working on the problem. Stuart Munro
Re: TwangCast for Macs
TwangCast Mike wrote: Hang Tight Mac users, we're going to get this thing de-bugged for ya'll. I only know two Mac users and both bring up the player and then type in the following address, mms://media.gemlink.com/TwangCast I hate to tell you this, Mike, but directly pasting the link into Media Player doesn't work either. And then, Personally, I know exactly 2 people with Macs in a non workplace environment, hundreds with PC's. Better start checking those monthly iMac sales figures, Mike g. Other matter re Mac, Microsoft, etc.: Bill Silvers raises a good point: I'm pretty sure that Media Player was built to play Real Audio streams; in fact, the Real Audio people complained when MP first came out that it disabled Real Player on any computer on which it was installed. It's quite possible that the latest Real Audio Player (G2 I think, also in early beta on the Mac side) will play Media Player streams. As well, aren't there a few alternatives to these two that you TwangCast boys might consider? Shockwave, Audioative (both of which Carl Z's station use, if I'm not mistaken), Streamworks, etc.? Stuart Munro
Re: TwangCast for Macs
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 4-Feb-99 Re: TwangCast for Macs by Stuart [EMAIL PROTECTED] As well, aren't there a few alternatives to these two that you TwangCast boys might consider? Shockwave, Audioative (both of which Carl Z's station use, if I'm not mistaken), Streamworks, etc.? We've had some problems with Shockwave, though it's pretty good. Our tech people tell me that any program designed to play mp3s will carry our signal, so WinAmp and other programs should work as well. I'm not familiar with Streamworks, but the mp3 netcasts are very clear. Carl Z.
Re: TwangCast for Macs
jamie wrote: On Thu, 4 Feb 1999, Stuart Munro wrote: As well, aren't there a few alternatives to these two that you TwangCast boys might consider? Shockwave, Audioative (both of which Carl Z's station use, if I'm not mistaken), Streamworks, etc.? Check out shoutcast (www.shoutcast.com). It's an MP3 streaming server using winamp as the client. And it's free. Very cool. jamie It doesn't run on a mac yet either, however. I think it is a little bit unfair to characterize mac users as a tiny minority- if you want to be anecdotal about it, literally everybody I know in the music business world-wide uses Macs and I daresay the majority of creative people in all fields use them. It is also a fact that a highly disproportionate number of internet users and web page authors use Macs. I firmly feel that it is a grave error to ghettoize us, which happens all too often. -- Joe Gracey President-For-Life, Jackalope Records http://www.kimmierhodes.com
Re: TwangCast for Macs
I think it is a little bit unfair to characterize mac users as a tiny minority- -- It is also a fact that a highly disproportionate number of internet users and web page authors use Macs. I firmly feel that it is a grave error to ghettoize us, which happens all too often. No offense intended Joe, just numbers. I agree with your assesment of the creative community and the use of Macs but under 3% worldwide is a minority any way you cut it. Not a ghetto, just a minority. As to a large percentage of internet users? They can sell an iMac a minute 24X7X365 and they'll never establish the penetration of IBM clone users on the net. Believe me, here at TwangCast we very much want to find the answer to making our feed Mac compatible exactly because of the large number of industry folks who still use Macs. Time to end this thread with the words, when we get it figured out and can provide accurate Mac user information I'll post it. Mike Hays http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
Re: TwangCast for Macs
Awright Mike!! Been waiting for this... Owen Bly Ranchero Records Oakland, CA There is a specific link on the TwangCast home page for the Mac users now. The server at Microsoft determines the user platform and sends them to the proper download area. So ... Mac users can click on the image and it will take care of them, or they can click on the Mac paragraph "click here" and get to the same NOW ONLINE, http://www.TwangCast.com>http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays http://www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net>www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, http://www.RealCountry.ne>www.RealCountry.net
Re: TwangCast for Macs
Owen writes: I guess I should mention that the file comes in to your PC compressed and does need to be opened. You also may have to reboot. I don't know enough about Macs. The info I sent was from my tech guru, who thinks we should all know as much as he does.g NOW ONLINE, http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net If anyone (Owen?) actually gets this working on a Mac, I'd love to know how. I've got the media player downloaded, but my browser will not activate it when I call up the TwangCast page. Mike: is your "tech guru" accessible? Off-list is cool, unless other Mac users are having the same difficulties. Todd
Re: TwangCast for Macs
Todd writes: If anyone (Owen?) actually gets this working on a Mac, I'd love to know how. I've got the media player downloaded, but my browser will not activate it when I call up the TwangCast page. Mike: is your "tech guru" accessible? Off-list is cool, unless other Mac users are having the same difficulties. Todd Well, I downloaded it from the Microsoft page, and sure enough it came stuffed. No biggie. I unstuffed it, went to install it, and got the painful news that the player only works if you have System 8. Damn. I only have 7.5, so I'm SOL. Maybe that's what's happening with you too? Owen
Re: TwangCast for Macs
I know a Mac user who is having the same trouble - please make replies to the list so I can read 'em and pass 'em along. John Magee -Original Message- From: Owen Bly [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, February 03, 1999 5:20 PM Subject: Re: TwangCast for Macs Owen writes: I guess I should mention that the file comes in to your PC compressed and does need to be opened. You also may have to reboot. I don't know enough about Macs. The info I sent was from my tech guru, who thinks we should all know as much as he does.g NOW ONLINE, http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net If anyone (Owen?) actually gets this working on a Mac, I'd love to know how. I've got the media player downloaded, but my browser will not activate it when I call up the TwangCast page. Mike: is your "tech guru" accessible? Off-list is cool, unless other Mac users are having the same difficulties. Todd
Re: TwangCast for Macs
Hate to add too much more headaches, but I am running OS8 and am having the same problems... Passed the Mac System 8 only info on to my tech guy. He'll figure something out and when he does I'll post it. Sorry for the inconvenience. Mike NOW ONLINE, http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net ** Chad Cosper Dept. of English Univ. of North Carolina at Greensboro 336-275-8576 http://www.uncg.edu/~cscosper
Re: TwangCast for Macs
i have system 8.1 and it still doesn't work.any help would be appreciated...
Re: TwangCast for Macs
I haven't been able to get Twangcast with OS 8.5 on a 300 MHz G3 Mac either, and I had the Microsoft player weeks ago so I could tryand that's on either Netscape Communicator or Microsoft Explorer.. .The "real" problem, it appears, is that the endless beta "Microsoft Media Player for the Macintosh" itself basically doesn't work very well and is only half there under any circumstances...Very little runs on it as it stands now without crashing. Maybe the answer for making RealTwang available is to put RealPlayer on the site! That works for just about everybody everywhere. Really. Barry
Re: TwangCast for Macs
I have system 8.1 and it still doesn't work.any help would be appreciated I'll post new information as it becomes available. NOW ONLINE, http://www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, February 03, 1999 3:03 PM Subject: Re: TwangCast for Macs ...
Re: TwangCast for Macs
well thanks for the efforts and will be lookin forward to microsoft or you guys working this all out
RE: Twangcast for Mac
Sorry, but the use of technology, which amounts to Microsoft's screwy attempt to leverage their operating system monopoly into the realm of audio delivery, led me to refrain from using the Twangcast site, which seemed a very great content idea. I do run Linux as my main platform and a Mac for some video editing, so of course this is a problem. Moreover I refuse to put any Microsoft product on either of these two boxes, even if they did work. The choice for me is ethical: I have an NT box (that is kind enough to crash for me from time to time) that can of course use Microsoft Media Player. But I won't. I can't believe it is cheaper to deploy than a Real Server on a free Unix platform, but if it is, it is only temporary as Microsoft sucks you in, kills compitition and then jacks the prices up, up, up. Country is the people's music: it is at its best an open and communitarian tradition (in spite of Roy Acuff). Microsoft is the antithesis of those values. They are closed, controlling and proprietary. This email forum would not exist if Microsoft had had its way early on, in its attempts to control internetorking early on. It exists because of open technology standards, which Microsoft fights, bends and distorts. My humble opinion, Lance
Re: Global Media/Twangcast
In a message dated 2/3/99 1:11:29 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Presumably, that waiver is the price they're being asked to pay in order to have access to potential buyers, bookers, etc. (This may not be on their web site, I have not looked at it but the guy I know there told me this) It is my impression that Global Media has a way in the works that a person can download certain songs thru them and make custom CD's, and that artist will be paid from the record sales there on a per song basis. I have a fax from them that says in order to broadcast a song, they need "Proof of mechanical rights, Signed waver of copyright holders allowing Global Media COrp to broadcast specific thracks on internet web site" I guess, they just don't want to pay to play your song, but will pay if someone buys it. Is this right? This is how I understood it from Bruce Paisley. I thought Bruce was an ok guy. I met him when he worked for Dwight Yoakum years ago, and he seemed ok, but hell, what do I know? I also got the impression from Bruce that they were really going to pump up each artist they play with bios and graphics and all kinds of crap like that who knows.. I would sure hate for him to turn out to be a big ass LIAR. Lets face it, if it turns out to be a crock then it won't be the first time I ever got screwed. And hell, I look at my music as something I want to share. If someone wants to bootleg me, more power to 'em. Let karma take care of it if they make a lot of dough and I end up eating peanut butter the rest of my life. Yes, I like and need to be paid, but I am the kind that would stand out on a corner on Beale and play for nothin just to be playing. It's great that many of the "hip cool public commercial free radio stations" play our stuff, but not all of them are hip enough like Mike to report it. Long live Mike Long live Mike Long live Twangcast.
Re: Twangcast
Glad you enjoyed it. Keep listening for more surprises as I grow the library weekly. If it's twangin, it's home...at TwangCast! Adds this week include V-Roys, Hilllan and Pederson from Bakersfield Bound, more classic Possum, Vince and Patty duet from "The Key", Radney Foster from Del Rio TX, a bunch of Waylon classics and more Junior Brown. Mike NOW ONLINE, www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net -Original Message- From: Diana Quinn [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Monday, January 18, 1999 2:51 PM Subject: Re: Twangcast well i finally got twangcast.com to work on my computer and had a very enjoyable afternoon -- especially liking the Heather Myles (surprised me!) and Cigar Store Indians cuts. wah-hoo!
Re: Twangcast
well i finally got twangcast.com to work on my computer and had a very enjoyable afternoon -- especially liking the Heather Myles (surprised me!) and Cigar Store Indians cuts. wah-hoo!
Fw: Netscape -TwangCast Player software
This tidbit below, sent by a knowledgeable user indicating that the original microsoft download site was sending everyone the same player version when it was supposed to default to the correct version for the browser you surfed in on... If you are using Netscape and tried early on to get TwangCast working but were unsuccessful, this may be the reason. It may also (but I'm not sure) explain some Mac user problems. I also recommend that those getting the pop up box requesting instructions to save or open, go ahead and open directly from Microsoft as this will eliminate 1 step in getting TwangCast playing. We are slowly getting all the bugs out and we continue to thank all of you for your support and feedback. Working hard to bring you the best in Twang, we are, gratefully yours... The TwangCast gang.,,,no relation to the James Gang MicroSoft fed the wrong player software to me based on whatever lunacy they base such things on. I looked carefully and there is nowhere I could have clicked to download the IE4 version of this software unless they have changed something. It's working! Thanks for the help guy! Anyways, thanks for the prompt help. I think you've got a great idea and a great product. The Gnashville Country folks are going to be VERY sorry very soon that they ignored the wishes of the listeners. I hope people like you manage to take over! NOW ONLINE, www.TwangCast.com TM RealCountry netcast 24 X 7 Please Visit Then let us know what you think! Mike Hays www.MikeHays.RealCountry.net For the best country artist web hosting, www.RealCountry.net
