iPod vs music snobs
August 31, 2005 by Rebeckah Pearce · Leave a Comment
I found this little gem in the links column over there on the left side. It actually appears in the New Republic.
Post date 08.24.05 | Issue date 09.05.05
ince
the dawn of rock, there have been individuals, usually young men, of
argumentative tendencies who have lorded their encyclopedic musical
knowledge over others.” So states the introduction of the recent Rock Snob’s Dictionary,
compiled by David Kamp and Steven Daly. I like to believe I’m not the
insufferable dweeb suggested by this definition. Certainly, much of the
dictionary’s obscure trivia (former Television bassist Richard Hell is
now a novelist; Norwegian death metal stars actually murder one
another) is news to me. But I do place an unusual, perhaps irrational,
value on rock music. I take considerable pride in my huge collection
and carefully refined taste. And I consider bad rock taste–or, worse,
no rock taste at all–clear evidence of a fallow soul. I am, in other
words, a certified Rock Snob. But I fear that Rock Snobs are in grave
danger. We are being ruined by the iPod.
While the term “Rock
Snob” has a pejorative ring, the label also implies real social
advantages. The Rock Snob presides as a musical wise man to whom
friends and relatives turn for opinions and recommendations; he can
judiciously distribute access to various rare and exotic prizes in his
collection. “Oh my God, where did you find this?” are a
Rock Snob’s favorite words to hear. His highest calling is the creation
of lovingly compiled mix CDs designed to dazzle their recipients with a
blend of erudition, obscurity, and pure melodic dolomite. Recently, I
unearthed a little-known cover of the gentle Gram Parsons country
classic “Hickory Wind,” bellowed out by Bob Mould and Vic Chestnutt,
which moved two different friends to tears. It was Rock Snob bliss.
In
some ways, then, the iPod revolution is a Rock Snob’s dream. Now,
nearly all rock music is easily and almost instantly attainable, either
via our friends’ computers or through online file-sharing networks.
“Music swapping” on a mass scale allows my music collection to grow
larger and faster than I’d ever imagined. And I can now summon any rare
track from the online ether.
But there’s a dark side to the
iPod era. Snobbery subsists on exclusivity. And the ownership of a huge
and eclectic music collection has become ordinary. Thanks to the iPod,
and digital music generally, anyone can milk various friends,
acquaintances, and the Internet to quickly build a glorious 10,000-song
collection. Adding insult to injury, this process often comes directly
at the Rock Snob’s expense. We are suddenly plagued by musical
parasites. For instance, a friend of middling taste recently leeched
700 songs from my computer. He offered his own library in return, but
it wasn’t much. Never mind my vague sense that he should pay me some
money. In Rock Snob terms, I was a Boston Brahmin and he was a Beverly
Hillbilly–one who certainly hadn’t earned that highly obscure
album of AC/DC songs performed as tender acoustic ballads but was sure
to go bragging to all his friends about it. Even worse was the
girlfriend to whom I gave an iPod. She promptly plugged it into my
computer and was soon holding in her hand a duplicate version of my
5,000-song library–a library that had taken some 20 years, thousands
of dollars, and about as many hours to accumulate. She’d downloaded it
all within five minutes. And, a few months later, she was gone, taking
my intimate musical DNA with her.
I’m not alone in these
frustrations. “Even for a recovering Rock Snob, such as myself,” Steven
Daly told me, “it’s a little disturbing to hear a civilian music fan
boast that he has the complete set of Trojan reggae box-sets on his
iPod sitting alongside 9,000 other tracks that he probably neither
needs nor deserves.” It’s true: Even if music leeches don’t fully
appreciate, or even listen to, some of the gems they so effortlessly
acquire, we resent them anyway. One friend even confessed to me in an
e-mail that “I have been known to strip the iTunes song information off
mix CDs just to keep the Knowledge secret.”
But resistance is
futile. Even the Rock Snob’s habitat, the record shop, is under siege.
Say farewell to places like Championship Vinyl, the archetypal record
store featured in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity. “The shop smells
of stale smoke, damp, and plastic dust-covers, and it’s narrow and
dingy and overcrowded, partly because that’s what I wanted–this is
what record shops should look like,” explains Hornby’s proprietor, Rob.
Like great used bookstores, the Championship Vinyls of the world are
destinations where the browsing and people-watching is half the fun. (A
certain kind of young man will forever cling to the fantasy of meeting
his soul mate as they simultaneously reach for the same early-era
Superchunk disc.) Equally gratifying is the hunt for elusive albums in
a store’s musty bins, a quest that demands time, persistence, and
cunning, and whose serendipitous payoffs are nearly as rewarding as the
music itself. Speaking of book-collecting, the philosopher Walter
Benjamin spoke of “the thrill of acquisition.” But, when everything’s
instantly available online, the thrill is gone.
Benjamin also
savored the physical element of building a collection–gazing at his
trophies, reminiscing about where he acquired them, unfurling memories
from his ownership. “The most profound enchantment for the collector is
the locking of individual items within a magic circle in which they are
fixed,” he said. But there’s nothing magic about a formless digital
file. I even find myself nostalgic for the tape-trading culture of
Grateful Dead fans–generally scorned in the Rock Snob world–who used
to drive for hours in their VW vans to swap bootleg concert tapes. My
older brother still has a set of bootleg tapes he copied from a friend
some 20 years ago during a California bike trip. Having survived global
travels from Thailand to Mexico, the tapes have acquired an almost
totemic quality in his mind. I feel the same way about certain old CDs,
whose cases have become pleasantly scuffed and weathered during travels
through multiple dorm rooms and city apartments but still smile out at
me from their shelves like old friends. Soon our collections will be
all ones and zeroes stored deep in hard drives, instantly transferable
and completely unsatisfying as possessions. And we Rock Snobs will have
become as obsolete as CDs themselves.
Let me just say this about all this IPOD nonsense: yeah, you can have a ‘great music collection’ instantly, but if you don’t know what it is, you don’t appreciate it and love it, you’re still nobody.
You’re just nobody with a lot of tunes but you listen to the same 300 over and over and you might as well be listening to the radio. You’re the person who puts Sgt Pepper and Pet Sounds and the 1st Velvet Underground album as your faves because they’re supposed to be great. I talk about my friend Michael Leone and roll my eyes when I hear he’s collecting the re-mastered
Monkees, but he knows what he likes and tells me why I should like it too. [Though I still think he's throwing away money getting all those collection CDs of the Beatles and Stones when he HAS all the originals: burn your own for the
road, dude!]
Taste isn’t MADE by what you own, but in how you can define yourself by what you own. I had a lot of 80’s hair bands at one time, but I sold them because I didn’t listen to them… throwing them on once every five years didn’t justify me having it in the pile any longer. I hope someone else went into Half Price and went ‘Man, that’s JUST WHAT I was looking for!’ I wish everyone had a Rory Gallagher or Johnny Winter or some Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac, but some people are contented being spoon fed trend following cows and buying the top 40 and accepting music is only what got played on the radio and ‘classic rock’ is Elton John, Styx, Journey, and Eric Clapton and that all blues is Stevie Ray Vaughn. They’re not impressed by, oh the Warren Zevon collection Genius [except that 'Werewolfs' song] and would not understand what I would find appealing in an old black man playing slide guitar on an acoustic 12 string like Mississippi Fred McDowell’s Long Way From
Home, which are my pickups from this weekend.
so you can have your IPOD and you can have your 10,000 songs; like anything else, it’s just a possession to you. “I have ALL these albums and songs.” Give me my whittled down 900 albums or so, [what is that about 9000 songs?] because about 99% of them really MEAN SOMETHING
to me.
The Indie News Beat for the week of August 30, 2005
August 30, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
INDIE NEWS BEAT 
August 30, 2005 Edition
* Orange Sky To Release Debut Album ‘Upstairs’ In North America On Granite Records
* Ms. Cherry Hits Over 100,000 Downloads With The MusicDish Network
* Asamov’s National Debut ‘And Now…’ Is Officially A Wrap!
* Backstreet Records Goes Bullistic
* Mushroomhead To World-Premiere DIY Video
* Independent Label Signs £1m UK New Artist Deal For Indiana Gregg’s Debut Album: "Something Like Me"
* Sophist Sets Sail In San Diego
* DBE’s Jordan Tishler Speaks On Panel For IMC And NEMO
* Los Angeles Rockers, Dig Jelly, To Perform At The 2005 Pacific Media Expo
* Mindy McQ To Appear At "iNGENUiTY" A Festival Of Arts & Technology In Cleveland
* Rustie Blue Launches Official Fan Club!
Originality has returned to rock music thanks to the vibrant work of the Trinidad-based quintet Orange Sky. The band has a high-energy, soulful rock sound with exciting splashes of Caribbean music and reggae. You’ve never seen or heard anything like Orange Sky.
Orange Sky will release its official debut album, ‘Upstairs,’ in North America on Granite Records on September 13, 2005. Granite — a hot new label dedicated to developing career artists — was founded by its three managing directors, music industry veteran Dave Austin, his wife Cathy Austin and Kansas drummer/manager/producer Phil Ehart. Granite’s releases are distributed by Fontana, a Universal Music Group company.
‘Upstairs’ was produced by the legendary Jeff Glixman, known for his distinctive work with the likes of Kansas, Kiss’ Paul Stanley, Black Sabbath and countless other top musical artists. Glixman’s other recent projects include 5.1 surround sound remixes of classic albums by Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band and Ludacris.
Source: 
Ms. Cherry Hits Over 100,000 Downloads With The MusicDish Network
On July 15th, crunk artist Miss Cherry achieved 108,844 downloads of her music video "It’s Whatever" on major peer-to-peer networks thanks to a P2P distribution campaign by web music platform The MusicDish Network and entertainment media distributor INTENT Media. The impressive numbers attracted the attention of major file sharing services Morpheus, BearShare and eDonkey that each added the video to their "Featured Content" sections.
"This isn’t 100,000 people who just viewed her video, but actively downloaded it to their desktop to own, view and share with their friends. On Morpheus alone, between July 28 and August 12, Ms. Cherry’s video was viewed over 150,000 times with 19,244 actual downloads. The results prove that a P2P distribution in conjunction with a web marketing campaign can deliver astounding results."
The distribution campaign, launched this summer, placed Miss Cherry’s video high in the search results of file sharers seeking similar music through INTENT Media’s proprietary technologies. The encoded file includes a description of the "It’s Whatever" video and provides detailed tracking of the number of views, downloads, and geographic source.
The P2P distribution was supplemented by MusicDish Network’s online marketing campaign combining syndicated marketing, online street teaming, and webradio promotion. As a result, Ms. Cherry was featured on over 140 music-related sites, forums, and webradio stations as well as magazines such as UNSIGNED Music Magazine.
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Asamov’s National Debut ‘And Now…’ Is Officially A Wrap!
At roughly 3:30 am this morning Asamov finished mastering & mixing their highly anticipated debut album ‘And Now…’ at Vision Sounds studio in Orange Park, FL putting a wrap on a marathon 12 hour recording session. The full length album is scheduled for a mid-fall national release on 6 Hole Records and features 15 banging tracks of real Hip-Hop like only the ‘A’ can do it. To sweeten the debut, 6 Hole label mate 9th Wonder (Little Brother, Jay-Z) also makes a guest production appearance on Asamov’s ‘And Now…’….nuff said!
The completion of the album marks the end of the recording process and the beginning of the promotional push so stay tuned for more exciting breaking news from The ‘A’-Team including tours, exclusives, and the lead single ‘Supa Dynamite’ feat. Mr. Lif of The Perceptionist (Def Jux) dropping on 12" in stores everywhere for DJs! Feel free to stop by and congratulate Asamov on the successful completion of ‘And Now…’ and hear for yourself why these cats have over 10,000 plays on Myspace!
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Backstreet Records Goes Bullistic
Backstreet Records announces it has signed Bullistic of Richmond, VA, to the label. Bullistic will release its new Backstreet album in August 2005 and promote it with a national tour.
While the actual signing took place in February of this year, Backstreet executives chose to hold the announcement until the band was able to complete the recording process.
"Bullistic already has a great fan base and plays a very busy schedule. We felt it best to not apply any more pressure the announcement of their signing during the creative process," says Backstreet Records President Linwood Toombs. "Already a number of radio stations are champing at the bit to get their hands on this release."
Bullistic’s Backstreet debut was recorded with Jeff Covert’s team of engineers at the Grammy-nominated Wally Cleaver’s Recording Studio in Fredericksburg, VA. The recording was mastered by Roger Lian, a mastering engineer for Masterdisk Corp. in New York, NY.
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Mushroomhead To World-Premiere DIY Video
Cleveland-based art-metal octet Mushroomhead will premiere their self-lensed video for "Kill Tomorrow" on August 5 at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time via their website, www.mushroomhead.com. The clip will be available during a brief 30-minute to one-hour window, and henceforth on DVD.
The super-creative, visually driven band self-produced, shot, directed and edited the entire clip, which appears on their landmark DVD release, "Volume 1" (slated for August 9 release on the band’s The Filthy Hands Company label). "Kill Tomorrow" marks the first time Mushroomhead shot its own video - an event that, considering the band’s ultra hands-on approach on everything from their music to their stage design to their business, was imminent. The track is from their most recent full length release, "XIII" (Universal).
Drummer Skinny says the band learned the craft of music video direction from director/photographer Dean Karr (Godsmack, Coal Chamber, Cypress Hill), who shot their video for "Solitaire/Unraveling" (from 2000’s XX album). "He rocks!" Skinny enthuses. "It was a great learning experience." He furthers that the clip’s "dark, dirty, abandoned" feel reflects Mushroomhead’s collective personality and "looks great back-to-back with the other videos."
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Independent Label Signs £1m UK New Artist Deal For Indiana Gregg’s Debut Album: "Something Like Me"
Onestone Music Ltd. signed £1million pound license deal with Scottish Independent Gr8Pop Tuesday in London for Indiana Gregg’s debut album "Something like me". Indiana Gregg is Onestone’s first artist. The album is planned for release in January 2006.
"After a few months of negotiations with labels, Onestone Music Ltd. has managed
to sign a very significant deal with Gr8pop for the UK" said co-founder for Onestone Music, Andrew de Candole Tuesday. De Candole has a long track-record of investing in bringing start-up businesses to world-class companies.
Gr8Pop Ltd, a Scottish independent label, has put together an extensive marketing strategy around the release of "Something like me" and plans to have Indiana Gregg starting with an acoustic tour in September.
"Something like me" has at least 5 singles. We will begin with an acoustic tour throughout the UKŠIndiana’s stage presence and intimancy with her audiences is bound to reap success. Her personality and stage rapport is brilliant. This album is going to happen," remarks former Warner senior sales executive and director of Gr8Pop Graham Marr. The singer/songwriter has already done a tour with Wet Wet Wet this summer including Stirling and Exeter Castles.
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Sophist Sets Sail In San Diego
In a fitting arrangement and antidote to what he deems "the current cultural climate of ignorance found in modern urban music," Queens, NY hip-hop artist REED will entertain industry movers and shakers aboard NARM’s aptly named Scholarship Foundation Sunset Yacht Cruise as part of this year’s Insights & Sounds Convention. The event takes place on Friday, August 12 in San Diego, CA as part of the annual convention. While there, REED and the staff of his SOPHIST PRODUCTIONS will meet with music business executives regarding distribution for REED’s upcoming debut CD ONEinSIX slated for release in November.
Part of the SOPHIST PRODUCTIONS (www.sophistproductions.com) roster, REED, DJ BIG RICH and reggae artist SENSATION actively promote the role and responsibility of higher education in urban society through their provocative lyrics and music. Attempting to combat the damage done by anti-education proselytizing releases such as Kanye West’s The College Dropout and Late Registration, REED and company speak to urban audiences with a voice of authority, empathy and guidance, emphasizing the importance of institutionalized learning and earning a degree.
The SOPHIST artists met while attending Atlanta’s esteemed Emory University, and noticed the void in the hip-hop community of vocal support regarding scholarship. Thus, REED established SOPHIST PRODUCTIONS so that he and his label cohorts can put their principles in motion. REED also serves as CEO of SOPHIST; the name means "one who teaches eloquence, philosophy, politics and the art of successful living." In another apt display of SOPHIST’s commitment to learning, future lawyer DJ BIG RICH will race to the NARM yacht performance after completing his Multi-state Professional Responsibility Examination, a successor to the bar exam which he has already completed.
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DBE’s Jordan Tishler Speaks On Panel For IMC And NEMO
Digital Bear Entertainment’s Jordan Tishler will take part in this year’s Independent Music Conference and the NEMO Music Festival as a panelist for the 2005 events. As a participant in both conferences over the last several years, Jordan has had the opportunity to meet many great artists and share with them his views and experience as a Music Producer, Mix Engineer, Artist Manager, and Music Publisher. "I love going to these events," says Tishler. "the artists I meet there are the real deal. I try to impart goodies that will really impact their careers and help them get ahead. Of course, I’m also always looking for the next big act or song!"
At IMC, Jordan will speak on panels including:
Studio to the Street - A look at the steps for success from the time the artist decides to record, tour, and possibly seek a label deal.
Publishing, Fact and Fiction - The complex business of publishing will be discussed including: role of the publisher, benefit of their expertise to the songwriter, rates, royalties, and licensing. The myths that you should never assign or "give up" your publishing interests, and that artists should co-publish their songs or "retain 25% for nothing" will also be discussed.
"NEMO is cutting back on the number of panels this year, favoring quality over quantity," says coordinator Steve Theo. However, Jordan will be featured on the "Creating a Buzz" panel. From their site: "These days, it’s all about being a buzz band in the buzz bin. Learn how you can use press, PR, street teams, and grassroots marketing to get people talking about you. NEMO is slated for September 30 - October 1st.
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Los Angeles Rockers, Dig Jelly, To Perform At The 2005 Pacific Media Expo
Centerline Music and Entertainment recording artists, Dig Jelly, the LA-based, high-energy modern rock band has been selected to perform at the second annual 2005 Pacific Media Expo (PMX), the largest exhibition dedicated to Asian Media and Pop Culture in the United States. The Pacific Media Expo is proud to host its annual concert series highlighting the best Asian-American talent, as well as musicians and performers from the Pacific Rim. Over 4,000 music fans attended the 2004 PMX concert series and show organizers are anticipating even larger crowds for the two Dig Jelly performances, September 3 and 5, 2005, at the Long Beach Convention Center’s Promenade Ballroom.
Fronted by the multi-talented, Japanese-born female lead singer/songwriter/guitarist, Rayko, Dig jelly’s sex appeal and energetic hook-driven, mind-blowingly, in-your-face Metal with a dose of Hip-Hop music and performances have been enthralling fans in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Japan since 2000. Dig Jelly recently signed a three album recording contract with the Santa Monica-based Centerline Music and Entertainment and their first full-length CD on the CM&E label, "FOR YOUR INNER ANGRY CHILD," is scheduled to be released October 25, 2005. International distribution will be handled by D1/Innovative Distribution Network, one of the leading distributors of independent labels in the U.S. Dig Jelly’s new and existing music will also be distributed through iTunes and a multitude of other online music portals.
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Mindy McQ To Appear At "iNGENUiTY" A Festival Of Arts & Technology In Cleveland
Listening to Mindy McQ’s warm, silky vocals and well-crafted songs puts a listener in mind of Harlem, Detroit, Chicago or Philadelphia, harking back to the classic soul tracks of1950s, 60s and 70s. One would never dream that these songs and that voice, so sultry and knowing, are the product of a shy, lanky 22-year-old from rural Ohio, who never thought of doing music until graduating from high school. But they are.
Born and raised in Berlin Center, Ohio, a town so small and isolated it still doesn’t have cable TV, McQ’s interests as a child were art and gymnastics. "My dream was to be in the Olympics," she says. "That was my life. And the things that I learned I think help in life. It’s 90% mental in the sport. If you can believe you can do it, you can make your body do amazing things. I think that holds true for everything in life. If you think you can do it, then you can."
Things happened quickly for McQ upon moving to Cleveland, thanks to her determination, as well as her talent. Going out to hear local musicians, she met local duo called 2 Skinny Dorks who asked her to go into the studio to record with them. There, at Akron’s Neon Cactus studio, she met producer/musicians Mike Farona and Jon Denney who, impressed by her voice, asked her to record with them. At first they gave her some of their songs, but soon she and Denney became a writing team.
"Jon and I gel really well," she says, "and that’s hard to find. It takes me a long time to get comfortable around someone so I’m glad we found it. We write everything together and every time we sit down we say that it’s like we’re not really there. Somebody’s coming through us. It’s almost like a very spiritual thing. And then when it’s done, you kind of go "Whoa! That came out of me?"
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Rustie Blue Launches Official Fan Club!
Rustie Blue now has her own fan club! Fans can register for a basic or platinum membership. Basic membership, which is free, includes quarterly newsletters, including special announcements, and an 8X10 autographed photo (for a limited time). Platinum membership includes an ID badge, a personal welcoming CD with song, an 8X10 autographed photo a Rustie Blue badge, a 10% discount on purchases on Rustie’s music & merchandise, quarterly drawings for free gifts, and quarterly newsletter, including special announcements. Platinum membership fees are $10 in the US, $12 (US funds) in Canada, or $15 (US funds) for countries outside the US and Canada. The Rustie Blue Fan Club is also a member of IFCO.
To start off with a bang, Rustie Blue is having a membership contest, the True Blue Giveaway! From now until October 1, 2005, fans that join the basic fan club at http://www.rustieblue.com/contestpage.htm will be entered to win an upgrade to the Platinum Membership and an autographed 2-cd pack (of Rustie Blue’s Chip Chip cd and Bill Anderson’s The Way I Feel) to a grand prize winner, and an upgrade to a runner-up winner! Current and new Platinum fan club members will also be entered in to another contest.
Rustie Blue has released the third single off of her Chip Chip cd titled "Tomorrow Tonight". The song was written by Deborah Allen and Bill Anderson (who is also Rustie’s duet partner on "Chip Chip"). This mid-tempo ballad is about a couple getting together for the very first time and not worrying about anything else but that moment.
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Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission
The Podsafe Music Network
August 30, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
Adam Curry and friends have put together what looks like a very cool idea in the Podsafe Music Network. For all of us who are looking to podcast music legally, this is a great help. Check it out at Podsafe Music Network.
Later.
A Chet Helms Tribal Stomp
August 30, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
The Family Dog presents:
A Chet Helms Tribal Stomp
Sunday, October 30th, 2005
Speedway Meadows, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco USA
Admission: Free
Being Keef
August 30, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
With all the hoopla surrounding the Stones’ new tour and album, it is always refreshing to check in with “the human riff” to see what makes the man tick. Check out “Keith Richards: Being Keef” for some insight.
Later.
Remembering the mixtape…part 3
August 30, 2005 by Matt Dotzenroth · Leave a Comment
Howdy fellow rock and rollers!
Apologies for not posting here for what seems like a trillion years but I’m back with another article on the joys of making mixtapes!
Since my last article featuring the rather excellent mixtape request site,Tiny Mix Tapes , I’ve been on the look out for even more websites in which to discuss one of favourite hobbies for music junkies like yours truly! An article for Stylus Magazine sets out and advertises "The International Mixtape Project".
The project, which started in November 2003, has seen people from all over the world make, send and trade their handmade mix CD’s and tapes with each other, often people they have never actually met. The article also gives a brief description on why making mixtapes are so much fun and how the project works. Pretty much, once a month Person X makes and sends a tape to a random person on the list while they recieve a tape off another random person on the list.
In addition the article also gives many pearls of wisdom into the art of making a compilation. For example: "Cover art and messages about the mixing process are not required but always welcome!"
Think that your mix tapes /CDs are the best around? Eager to show off your ability to put Elton John, Weezer, Slipknot and Sam Cooke all on one compilation? (like I on my last mix CD!)
Well then Art of the Mix is the site for you! Created in December 1997, AotM, allows people to submit, rate and even download (if on Mp3 format) their mixes and their accompanying pieces of art work that go with them. If you’re looking for a particular mix and/or song the chances are somebody’s submitted it to the AotM!
Even though it’s hardly the prettiest looking site you’ll find on the net, it’s easy to use and is much more interactive than Tiny Mix Tapes . It also includes a number of interesting essays such as: "Thoughts on the Politics of the Mixed Tape" and "References to Mixed Tapes in Popular Culture".
That’s it for now people! I’ve picked up a copy of Thurston Moore’s "Remembering the Mix Tape", which I’ll be reading as soon as I finshed the Lester Bangs biography, which I highly recommend if you want some great rock and roll reading!
Laters people!
Ashley King
The Indie News Beat for the week of August 23, 2005
August 25, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
INDIE NEWS BEAT
August 23, 2005 Edition
* Mental Recordings: Baseheadz 12" Worldwide Release
* Robots To Sing Opera
* Warren Zevon Tribute Artists To Appear On CBS-TV’s ‘Late Late Show’
* Video-C Celebrates Its 5th Birthday With A Revamp And Exclusive Oasis Competition
* Gold-Selling Filipino Group Prettier Than Pink Returns With "Chop Suey"
* Disc Makers’ Independent Music World Series Showcase To Kick-Off This October’s Music Player Live! Consumer Music Summit
* Indie Musicians Can Win $Cash And Guaranteed Airplay On D’Art Radio
* Ne-Yo Inks Music Publishing Deal With Zomba
* Loveparade Returns To San Francisco September 24, 2005
* Steve Leeds: Return To Belmont University-September 1, 2005
Mental Recordings: Baseheadz 12" Worldwide Release
After his critical well received debut CD, Baseheadz & Beyond, comes a worldwide release of the 12" Ep called: Baseheadz! which will take place on September the first 2005. Baseheadz is based around the bassplayer/composer/producer/dj satiesh "ties" mathoera who adds new flavor to music styles such as Hip hop, Broken beats, Drum ‘n Bass, Nujazz with the help of his bass guitar.
Soul, Funk, Rock, Hip Hop, Trip Hop, Turntablism have influenced ties for a great deal along with bass players such as Stanley Clarke, Les Claypool(primus), Jaco Pastorius, Mark King (level 42). And not to forget DJ Shadow who gave ties’ a different view on producing music. The official release party, with a live performance by Baseheadz, will be held on September the 2nd at Club Waas(Westelijk Handels Terrein), Van vollenhovenstreet 15 C, Rotterdam Holland together with guestDJ’s: Thelonious (Strange Fruit), Cutnice(Str8 Up) and Erjee(No-Breaks radio) and a vocal guest appearance by Nu-soul sensation: Misses. A tour has planned as from September 2005
Distribution Mental Recording Releases
The 12" EP and other future releases of Mental Recordings will be distributed worldwide by Rush Hour Distribution from Amsterdam. Exclusively for America, Australia and Japan: Groove Distribution from Chicago. An agreement has also been signed with Clickgroove from England, who will sell all tracks from the label online.
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Robots have come along way since the intelligent, tin cans on wheels of the mid-20th century. Today, robots assist handicapped people, build cars, perform microsurgery, clean rugs and perhaps one day will fight wars for humans. And why not entertainment?
"The idea is not to recreate Puccini or Wagner," says Paul Minotto, composer and founder of the primeTime sublime Community Orchestra, an alternative classical ensemble that uses computers and wears costumes during a performance. "This will be a contemporary opera performed and sung by robots."
Minotto read a story about Yoshii Tagu, a computer programmer and inventor in Tokyo, and his experiments with altering and extending the capabilities of commercially available robots such as AIBO, the robot dog made by Japan’s Sony Corporation. "One of the robots Yoshii was working with was a Wakamaru, a household robot developed by the Mitsubishi Corporation. This robot can talk," says Minotto. "I was beginning to work with voice synthesis software at the time and approached Yoshii with the possibility of making a Wakamaru or an AIBO sing."
While working out the details of using the singing software in the robots, Minotto and the primeTime sublime Community Orchestra recorded a new CD which features vocals sung entirely by a computer. Songs That Will Never Win A Grammy is an eclectic mix of pop songs and soundbites with contributions by Richard Nixon, Hillary Clinton, both George Bushes, and other celebrities. From the majestic opening of Curb Your God which features 7 different digital singers, to the crooner on Rainbow Seeds of Mass Destruction, the vocals sound as if by human performers not a machine. "The singing on this CD is an example of what the operatic robots will sound like, but in a pop music context," claims Minotto.
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Warren Zevon Tribute Artists To Appear On CBS-TV’s ‘Late Late Show’
Last Train Home, a roots-rock outfit who appears on the new Wampus Multimedia (www.wampus.com) release, ‘Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon,’ is scheduled to appear on CBS-TV’s ‘Late Late Show’ this month. The band is represented on ‘Hurry Home Early’ by their version of Zevon’s "Desperados Under the Eaves."
Executive produced by Mark Doyon, ‘Hurry Home Early’ is the third artist retrospective from Wampus Multimedia, who released ‘If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman’ in 2001 and ‘After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed’ in 2003. The CD also includes a previously unheard Zevon song, "Warm Rain," discovered in Zevon’s personal tape collection and interpreted by his son, Jordan Zevon, with singer Simone Stevens.
Contributors besides Last Train Home include: Phil Cody, who toured with Zevon; Matt Cartsonis (Zevon, Van Dyke Parks, Peter Himmelman), guitar on "Splendid Isolation"; Rami Jaffee (Wallflowers), organ on "Splendid Isolation"; Chris Butler (Waitresses), bass on "Reconsider Me"; Neil Luckett, now working with Nirvana producer Jack Endino; Gary Eaton (founding member, Continental Drifters), guitar on "Mr. Bad Example"; Robbie Rist (L.A. power-pop producer known in a past life as Cousin Oliver of The Brady Bunch); and Jordan Zevon, who just released a new EP.
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Video-C Celebrates Its 5th Birthday With A Revamp And Exclusive Oasis Competition
Video-C, the UK’s most exciting digital music video portal, is celebrating its 5th birthday with a complete site redesign that brings new and enhanced functionality to the site. The redesign puts the consumer first, making it easier for music lovers to find, buy and watch, their favourite new music videos.
"This is more than just a make-over," says Karl Badger, Managing Director of Video-C. "This is a complete site facelift and redesign. Video-C puts the music video at the heart of the buying process, and is an essential part of the marketing campaign for any new release that is looking to make a direct impact in the heart of the digital music community."
To mark the occasion, Video-C has teamed up with Oasis to offer a VIP day out for one lucky fan. The competition winner will get a pair of tickets to see Oasis at Noise & Confusion ‘05 at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium gig on December 10th, as well as accommodation, signed Oasis artwork and goodies. Video-C will also be exclusively offering every competition entrant the chance to stream footage of the band performing ŒLyla’ from their sell-out Manchester City stadium gig in June.
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Gold-Selling Filipino Group Prettier Than Pink Returns With "Chop Suey"
Combining the soaring harmonies of ’60s girl groups, the dance-floor frenzy of early ’70s funk, and the jangling guitars and angular rhythms of ’80s New Wave, the all-female band Prettier Than Pink create pure pop that is highly energetic and endlessly fun on their new album "Chop Suey."
In the mid-’90s, amidst the clanging and screaming of the Philippine rock scene, the group catapulted onto the charts, landing at No. 1 with the winsome jangle and golden harmonies of "Cool Ka Lang" ("Just Stay Cool"), their first single. Now, when the music world has finally rediscovered the appeal of toe-tapping hooks and actual singing, Prettier Than Pink has been revived after an extended hiatus, this time playing to an international crowd.
"Chop Suey" marks the U.S. debut of this all-girl band. In true New Wave fashion, the group has a multiethnic line-up: Lead singer/guitarist Lei Bautista, guitarist Pamela Aquino, and bassist Melody del Mundo are from the Philippines while drummer Ann Connolly is a native of Ireland. The crisscrossing of Asian and European blood is exemplified in the music, which combines the warm melodies of Filipino music with the artistic experimentation, genre-bending, and post-punk cool of the U.K.
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Music Player Network, the world’s leading music instrument publishing company, is proud to announce that this October’s inaugural consumer music summit will open with a bang as Disc Makers’ Independent Music World Series (IMWS) Northeast Showcase comes to town to kick-off the three days of festivities, exhibits and live performances. The showcase will take place on Thursday, October 20th at New York’s famed Knitting Factory, and all registered attendees for Music Player Live! will be admitted free to this exciting industry event.
Music Player Live! (MPL!) is the ultimate consumer music summit featuring three days of exhibits, live performances and interviews, with lessons and panel discussions aimed at guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, and recording enthusiasts at every skill level. With an expanded format based on last year’s successful Bass Player Live!, Music Player Live! will provide a fantastic opportunity for musicians interested in improving their skills and knowledge to get hands-on experience with the most up-to-date equipment, as well as vintage gear. Musicians will also be able to glean advice and techniques from top professionals and get hands-on experience with the equipment used as tools of the trade.
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Indie Musicians Can Win $Cash And Guaranteed Airplay On D’Art Radio
Jam! Indiana is sponsoring the ‘Show Us What You Got’ music contest for independent musicians. The first place winner will receive $100, a free web page on the site, and free Internet exposure. Plus, D’Art Radio has agreed to provide 60 days of airplay for the winning song.
The contest is open to all independent musicians regardless of professional status and there are no age restrictions. Songs must be a original composition. No remixes or remakes of copyrighted music will be accepted. Visitors to Jam! Indiana will vote for their favorite song. The song with the most votes at the end of the contest wins first prize.
The period to enter songs into the music contest is from July 8, 2005 to August 28, 2005. Voting will start on September 2, 2005 and end on October 28, 2005.
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Ne-Yo Inks Music Publishing Deal With Zomba
Ne-Yo the writer behind Mario’s global smash "Let Me Love You" who will release his own album in September has signed a worldwide co-publishing deal with Zomba Music Publishing.
Ne-Yo shot to fame earlier this year as the songwriter for R&B star Mario’s "Let Me Love You" (J Records). The song was number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart in January, propelling his album, "Turning Point," to platinum in the U.S. "Let Me Love You" was also a huge international hit.
The young songwriter is currently in the studio with Beyonce, working on the soundtrack to her forthcoming film "Pink Panther" (a re-make of the 1964 Peter Sellers classic) and will also collaborate with the Destiny’s Child superstar on her forthcoming solo record, the follow-up to her four-time platinum debut, "Dangerously In Love" (Columbia Records).
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Loveparade Returns To San Francisco September 24, 2005
The world’s largest electronic music festival triumphantly returns to San Francisco on Saturday, September 24, 2005. Mark your calendars now for what promises to be one of the pre-eminent electronic music events in the world and a landmark event for the United States.
A full "Loveweekend" of festivities is planned, beginning Friday, September 23rd and running through Sunday, September 25th, with the main event‹ the Loveparade‹on Saturday, September 24th. This year’s parade promises to be even bigger and better, with an expected 75,000 attendees marching up San Francisco’s Market Street to Loveparade’s new festival location at the Civic Center.
Unlike any parade the City has seen, the Loveparade is a "no spectators" event, with revelers encouraged to dress outrageously and dance alongside floats for the entire length of the route. Founded in Berlin in 1989, the event has grown to over 1.5 million attendees by 2000, with Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, and Tel Aviv all playing host to international Loveparades.
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Steve Leeds: Return To Belmont University-September 1, 2005
Sirius Satellite’s STEVE LEEDS returns to the teaching lectern at Nashville’s Belmont University’s’ Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business on September 1. It’s a second go round for Leeds who taught his inaugural session last year with terrific results.(students graded professor Leeds with a 5 out of a possible 5) The college, based in Nashville has a group of students relocate to New York and attend the 14-week course.
During the last series of sessions, Leeds had his students attend a NARAS screening of the Tom Dowd documentary THE BUSINESS OFMUSIC, held a tele-conferencing session with several industry names from LA (including Universal’s VP Video Production Jeff Panzer) and drummer turned author Jake Slichter of Semisonic. The class has become a frequent stop for various music industry executives. When Leeds last held his Belmont-sessions he was fronting his own entertainment consultancy firm, NEO ENTERTAINMENT, where his major account was Sirius. Last month, Leeds officially came aboard the sat caster as VP-Talent and Industry Relations. The way Leeds sees it, it just gives more grist for the course, "Right now, I work at one of the major entertainment entities in the business and the students will directly benefit from that".
For Leeds, who helped start-up MTV and VH1, and discovered ‘Rosie O’Donnell’, Daisy Fuentes and ‘Adam Sandler’ while there, and has held prominent promotion positions at Atlantic Records, Universal Records, and Virgin Records, this latest role as ‘educator’ is one he totally embraces. "For a while I was wary of these so-called ‘adjunct’ educational courses in the music business, but now having done it at Belmont and William Paterson (in New Jersey), I totally get it and embrace it. To have a class full of students who very definitely are there by their own choosing and get it … is very rewarding. In fact, it’s become a very prominent aspect of my career."
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Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission
Reviews by Gérard
August 25, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
CHRIS VON SNEIDERN “California Redemption Value” Mastromonia Records (www.cvsmusic.com)
l’homme de San Francisco est incontestablement l’une des icones de la Pop mondiale (à l’instar de TommyKeene, Jason Falkner, pour ne citer que ceux qui me viennent de suite à l’esprit) et ce 12e album ne peut que rajouter à la légende du bonhomme. Songwriter exceptionnel, un sens de la mélodie quasi unique, une voix chaude et reconnaissable entre toutes, bref honte à vous si vous n’avez pas au moins un album de Chris dans votre cdthèque. Pourquoi pas celui là ? Il a tous les atouts pour vous conquérir : les pop songs aux mélodies ravageuses (I’m like you/you walked away/tale of two cities) les ballades imparables (sorry/on the ground) les guitares aiguisées (lonely tonight/if you run to me). Rien que du bonheur, un des meilleurs albums Pop de l’année.
The man from San Francisco is unquestionably one of the icons of Pop worldwide (following in the footsteps of Tommy Keene, Jason Falkner, to mention only a few of those in the same spirit) and this 12th album can only to add to the legend of the man. Exceptional songwriter, a unique sense of melody, a hot voice that is recognizable by all, it is a shame to if you have not at least one album of Chris’ in your CD collection. And if not, why not this one? It has all the goods to win over your rock and roll heart: the pop songs with the raunchy melodies (I’m like you/you walked away/tale of two cities) the memorable ballads (sorry/on the ground) the sharpened guitars (lonely tonight/if you run to me). This is nothing but good times and one of the better Pop albums of the year.
THE CHURCHILLS “The Odds of Winning” Near Records/Red Eye (www.thechurchills.net)
Le 4e album de ce quatuor New Yorkais et toujours pas de mauvaise surprise. Une sacrée performance pour ce combo qu’on peut difficilement ne pas connaitre compte tenu du nombre important de leurs appartions dans de nombreuses séries TV (Spin City, Division, Everwood, Summerland) Un album très complet, très solide avec des morceaux accomplis et des hits à la pelle (sometimes your best isn’t good enough/I’m a sucker for a girl in uniform/they’re never gonna find me) De la Power Pop qui prend tout son sens : puissante, mélodique, efficace. On en redemande…
The 4th album of this New Tork City quartet and not one bad surprise. A sacred performance for this combo that one can not notice without difficulty considering the number of important appearances they have made on a number of TV series (Spin City, Division, Everwood, Summerland) A very complete, very solid album with accomplished songs and hits aplenty (sometimes your best isn’t good enough/I’S’ m has sucker for has girl in uniform/they’ re never gonna find me) Power Pop that is: powerful, melodic, effective. We have to ask again…
RICKY “High Speed Silence” Beat Crazy Records (www.beatcrazy.co.uk, www.rickyonline.co.uk)
Une des meilleures surprises de cette année 2005, un très jeune combo anglais (une vingtaine d’années pour chacun) et un deuxième album qui s’impose comme une des grandes réussites Pop de ces derniers mois. “Easy on you” qui le démarre vous assome littéralement d’entrée! Une puissance mélodique hors du commun, une mise en place musicale parfaite, le premier hit de “high speed silence”. Il en va de meme pour les titres qui s’enchainent sans dementir cette excellence et cette brillance des compositions. On est pour moi bien loin des errances de cette Brit Pop tant décriée à raison. Le genre d’album qu’on s’impose le matin au milieu du jus d’orange et des corn flakes. Un bonheur sans cesse renouvelé. Je suis de nouveau supporter de cette perfide Albion qui nous a tout de meme apporté souvent tant d’incontournables perles Pop (des Beatles à nos jours) Ricky détient l’estimable record du groupe non signé classé dans les charts indés anglais. On ne peut maintenant que souhaiter avec un certain optimisme que le groupe décroche un top 1 qui ne serait que justice. Achat obligatoire…
One of the better surprises of 2005 so far, a very young English combo (each member is about twenty years old) with a 2nd album that is one of the big Pop successes of these last few months. “Easy one you” that starts off the album literally welcomes you in! A melodic power out of the ordinary, perfectly placed musically is the first hit “High Speed Silence”. It is the same for all the songs on this album that shine in their excellence and are brilliant in their composition. This is a far cry from the usual type of Brit-pop so prevalent these days. This is the kind of album kind that one listens to in the morning in between the orange juice and corn flakes. A continually renewed happiness. I have always loved this type of sunny Brit pop that reminds me of a modern-day Beatles. Ricky holds the record for most songs on the indie English charts by an unsigned artist. One cannot but hope that this band would hit it big with a number 1 hit. It would truly be pop justice. An essential purchase.
THE SUPAHIP “Seize the World” Big Radio Records (www.bigradio.com.au)
Ah l’Australie, toujours mère porteuse de beaux bébés joufflus et vigoureux, véritable point d’ancrage de la Pop mondiale. Ici c’est un duo brillant qui s’impose avec une collaboration fructueuse et spontanée. Michael Carpenter qu’on ne devrait plus présenter (chanteur, compostieur, musicien, producteur, être humain formidable) et Mark Moldre du groupe Hittchcock’s Regret (plusieurs très bons albums) ont oeuvré en fait deux petites semaines mais étalées sur plus d’un an pour aboutir à 12 titres particulièrement inspirés (englobant une reprise maitrisée de “wouldn’t it be good” de N Kershaw) On sent à travers ces morceaux tout le paisir que les duettistes ont pris pour concocter ce superbe travail, digne d’un artisan de valeur dans son atelier. La voix claire et brillante de Michael, celle plus eraillée et rampante de Mark se complètent magnifiquement. On croit entendre à certains moments une influence Beckienne bien sympathique. Heureusement qu’il y a encore ce genre d’ album pour nous laisser espérer à une musique vivante et incarnée, loin des formats des multi nationales du disque.
Ah Australia, always the mother carrier of beautiful babies more chubby-cheeked and more vigorous, a true anchor for Pop world-wide. Here is a brilliant duet that is born of a fractious and spontaneous collaboration. Michael Carpenter is somebody that should need no introduction (singer, composer, musician, producer, great human being) and Mark Moldre of the group Hittchcock’s Regret (several very good albums) worked for only two weeks in total but spread out over more than a year to produce these 12 particularly inspired songs (including a great cover of “Wouldn’t it be Good” by Nick Kershaw). One feels when listening to this album that it is the result of the work of fine craftsmen working away in their pop workshop. Clear and brilliant voice of Michael and the stylings of Mark magnificently compliment each other. One can even hear at certain moments an interesting and likable Beckian. It is fortunate that this type of CD gives us hope for the future of music.
A rock critic’s alphabet
August 23, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
This is such a cool idea that I wish I had thought of it. Boston-based writer Mike Fournier has started to review his record collection in alphabetical order and it is a lot of fun to read and debate. He is currently at Iggy and the Stooges’ “Raw Power” so you at least know that the guy has taste. Great idea, well executed. Ah, the power of the Internet! Check it out.
Later.
“Is the Net an Independent Artist’s New Radio?”
August 23, 2005 by Mark · Leave a Comment
"Is the Net an Independent Artist’s New Radio?" So asks a recent post on Slashdot where they link to some interesting articles that must be heartening to all of us who try to fly the indie flag as high as possible. A good source of info.
Later.
