It can be difficult to be a rock band.  On one hand, there’s the desire to be above all the commercial crassness, to not “sell out.”   On the other hand, there’s the reality that being a rock band not only costs money (after all, as a successful rock star, you can hardly get away with something so mundane as holding a day job to pay the bills), but there’s constant pressure to not only maintain your success in a very fickle market, but to grow it.  Many bands can’t cope and fold or implode after a quick shot at stardom.  A few make difficult choices, embrace commercial opportunities for what they are and survive to make their next CD.  And fewer still make the most of those opportunities, increase their profile, yet still retain their edge: Shinedown is one of these few bands.

Since forming in 2001, Shinedown has leveraged every tool possible to get their music out there and to increase their profile.  They’ve toured relentlessly, gaining a reputation along the way as one of those bands that you need to see live; Shinedown concerts are always good shows.  A shot opening for the legendary Van Halen in 2004 cemented this reputation.  The 2005 DVD Live From the Inside gives a peek at what the live experience can be like.

Music videos may be expensive and declining in popularity as promotional tools (at least in comparison to the video-mad 1980s), but Shinedown videos have been released for five singles over the past six years.  Utilizing track placement in movies, video game soundtracks, television soundtracks and as sporting event theme music (such as for WWE shows) has helped Shinedown to increase its exposure to mainstream audiences.  The zenith of this strategy has probably been the recent availability of two Shinedown tracks (Devour and Junkies For Fame) as playable tracks in the incredibly popular Rock Band video game.  The band makes good use of its web site, offering blogs, concert listings, videos, downloadable tracks, Shinedown photos, merchandise and a fan message board.  The Shinedown MySpace page is also maximized for interaction with fans and getting the band’s music out there.

The latest Shinedown cd, The Sound of Madness, was released in June, 2008.  It immediately hit the number 8 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, a feat that puts the CD well on the road to best the sales of Shinedown’s 2003 debut Leave a Whisper (certified Platinum) and the 2005 follow-up Us and Them (certified Gold).  Watch for the singles Devour and Second Chance and keep an eye on that concert listing; Shinedown is currently touring North America in support of The Sound of Madness and will be taking their show to Europe later in the Fall.