If you aren't planning to surf the contemporary wave, then you need to put a PHENOMENAL amount of work in. You're entering a saturated market; 90 percent of listeners only know about 10 percent of the bands currently in existence. Are you prepared to work tirelessly, 25 hours a day for the rest of your life, on shoving your music down our throats?
I am the listener; I and my brethren are they who will decide whether you become popular. First of all, you need to actually get your music into my ears. How will you do this? I only have "yea" much time for listening to new music. Why should I listen to your band instead of plumping for the "dark electrodoom" of Weltschmerz or the "chaotic Swedish death-jazz" of Pig Farm? Your presentation is paramount. Every fucking band in the world is full of superlatives for their own sound; your blurb interesteth me not. As I sweep my immortal gaze across the vast fields of wannabes, you must catch my eye on the first pass; I may never glance your way again, and I have not the time or patience to descend to your level and actually listen to your demo or MP3 without good reason. So you'd better have a purpler ass than all the other gibbons - and that applies to live shows, interviews, websites, anything. Never let thy ass lose lividity.
And then, miraculously, the moment arrives. I hath consented to pluck your demo and yours alone from the everflowing stream of new music. Now it's time to put away your ass and show me some balls. I will listen to one of your songs; if it bores me, I may never listen to another. I expect you to work your fingers to the bone getting a good presentation; and I expect you to work those bones into dust getting good songs.
