Local musicians find new listeners on OrleansRadio.com

Photo by Sue Cook – Alex Feig, left, and Matthew Fuller hold up one of the posters for their website, OrleansRadio.com.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – While local bands have found new listeners at local venues, there is a new place where their original music is available for anyone to listen to online.

OrleansRadio.com is a new website that streams local music of different styles, providing the county with an opportunity to hear several talented groups.

Life-long friends Alex Feig, 28, and Matthew Fuller, 27, worked together to create the website because there isn’t a big central music scene in the county like there is in Rochester or Buffalo. Feig, a delivery person for Avanti’s Pizza, is self-trained in recording and music. Feig conceptualized the idea of a place for local bands to be featured online. Fuller, a self-trained web designer, offered to create and test the website.

“We’re looking at the community and taking every single possible opportunity and blowing it up to the most potential within the community, as far as the artists, as far as the businesses, as far as the events. Those are the three things that we’re focused on,” said Feig.

Fuller added, “It’s a tool for everyone’s benefit. There hasn’t been something where people can relate to it or interact with in area. Everything’s always been separate, like so-and-so has this event and so-and-so has that event. It’s just chance to bring everyone together.”

Fuller created the site with a mobile-first approach, which means that it works on all phones and tablet devices, as well as on desktop computers. Fuller says they will be working on creating a mobile app to expand the number of listeners even further.

The website streams genres from hip-hop to country to pop and more. There are 24 artists currently featured on the site including Dave Viterna and New Rage, Jonesie and the Cruisers, Experimental Sandwich and The Lisa Zelazny Band.

Feig commented, “We’re trying to stay very local, very original. We kind of want to keep our own homegrown thing going here. Even if a band is not current, but they have a good recording that’s original, we’ll put it up there. We have stuff that’s 30 or 40 years old.”

All of the music is pre-screened for content and quality to provide a good listening experience. Anyone can submit original music for consideration and can also talk to Feig about recording if the band doesn’t have audio to provide. Currently, there is about four hours of music on the site, but more bands are being added.

“I’m kind of filtering through this stuff. There’s different criteria that I look for. The number one thing is we’re trying to make it is family-friendly.”

Feig says that regardless of genre, such as heavy metal, if the song is clean of inappropriate content and a good recording, it will be deemed usable for the site. He says it’s also an option if there is a swear word in it, the band may give permission for it to be edited out to make the music meet the site’s standard.

Besides music, the site also features local advertising. The ads are displayed on the site and are accompanied by 30-second audio commercials interspersed between songs. Feig records the commercials himself, but also employs his girlfriend Licia Decker to provide a female voice where it seems more appropriate for the advertiser and their product. He also offers businesses jingle-writing services.

Advertisers can also place coupon deals on the site, which Feig hopes will be a draw for listeners to come to the site to see what’s new.

There is also an events calendar. Event submissions for local events can help people who enjoy certain bands to find them performing live in the area, or find new local hangouts that feature live music.

The duo has heard lots of positive feedback and useful suggestions from users of the site. People from as far as Buffalo have told Feig that they’re listening.

“I feel like it’s something that Medina needs,” said Feig. “There’s great music around here. There’s tons of talent and it just needs to be given an opportunity to be noticed.”

Feig and Fuller are hoping that as the site gains in popularity, they will be able to branch out. They want to schedule talk shows and event promotionals, as well as possible news segments. They are currently planning a live broadcast from the O.C. Summer Jam on Aug. 2. They are hoping to play music, talk to bands and even get man-on-the-street interviews with attendees.

The website (www.orleansradio.com) has forms for submitting events and music, but other inquiries can be made to contact@orleansradio.com. Feig is hoping to hear from more bands and advertisers to grow the site further and give new material to listeners.