Maybe you’ve heard that Woozyhelmet’s Toto Miranda occasionally spends him time in another band called The Octopus Project. Well, turns out that, in addition to touring pretty much non-stop, the band has had the time to release a new video from “I Saw the Bright Shinies,” a track off their latest Hello, Avalanche. Let’s take a gander.

Wasn’t that fun? The video was done by Austin artist Divya Srinivasan who previously had done animation for Spoon and they Might be Giants (as well as the packaging for Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois). Why all this focus on a band from Austin? Well, in the wake of Bandcamp (at which, by the way, we heard this site was trumpeted and thank you very much to the folks that did that – we were too sick to attend, and would likely have died under the spotlights of the adulation) and the ever going WUTS WRONG WIT US narrative that is harvested a few times a year in local comment, we thought Octopus Project is a good example for some exploratory REAL TALK. And so here it goes.

REAL TALK: Already this year, the Octopus Project has played Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, SXSW, and before too long they will be at CMJ and Fun Fun Fun Fest. I am sure we missed a few big stages that they did not. In between all that, they’ve toured the better part of the country (yes, even doing stops here in Houston). They have three records under their belts, and pretty much every time they have a release of some-sort (be it a video, album or a single) it gets a mention on the Apollo Creed of music sites (indeed, this video had it’s debut on Pitchfork TV). They have an EP coming early 2009 and already talk of a fourth record is in the air.

So what’s their secret? How have they gotten where they are and how can bands in the 713 capitalize on this model of success? Well, first do a study of contrasts. Let’s name all the bands in town, right now, that have three full length albums and went on tour this year.

Oh. Wait. Zero..

Octopus Project is successful because they have stuck with it, released records, toured incessantly and, most importantly, have written good songs. Yes, maybe they have a bit of an advantage because they got their start when gas was a little cheaper and so they could afford to play smaller shows when they were first getting their start. However, the closest we’ve had to that in the recent past is the Fatal Flying Guilloteens, who collapsed like a miner’s lung right after putting our their third and strongest record (and who mostly used touring as a means to sabotage their ability to get on tours in the future). Right now, there is one band in the pipeline that looks destined for this sort of YEE HAW and, no surprise, they tour, make records, do their own thing and have stuck with it. We’re talking about Indian Jewelry (who, again, get their fair share of coverage on the aforementioned Old Grey Mare of online music journalism).

Now, none of this is to denigrate any of the positive discussions, ideas or go-forward initiatives that came out of Bandcamp this weekend (ditto for the Guilloteens, who we loved as a band and still do as individual members – this website prolly wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the writings of Brian McManus, frankly). What it is intended to highlight is that, in spite of all the new opportunities and challenges afforded musicians at this moment in time, the fundamentals still hold: write good songs, put out records, tour and stick with it. Real Talk.