November December 2013 2013 April 2014
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FROM SOUND CHECK TO ROYALTY CHECK.
WE PAY ROYALTIES FOR LIVE PERFORMANCES. SESAC ensures you get paid for live performances of your music, no matter who plays it - you, or a band covering your song onstage 2,000 miles away. Get the royalty treatment you deserve with payments for live performances, truly personalized service and monthly payment for radio play. Visit SESAC.com to learn more.
CONTENTS
Informing Music People Since 1977 *UNE s 6OL s .O
Atmosphere No act is better equipped to talk about the independent spirit than this pair of Midwesterners, who’ve embraced their “flyover territory� status to create something special––including a successful record label–– and today are headlining major festivals.
By Andy Mesecher
Atmosphere Photos: Dan Monick
Get YOUR Sound At ANY Venue
As this PRO celebrates its 75th year, new honcho Mike O’Neill talks to MC about future initiatives on behalf of songwriters. By Andy Mesecher JODY DOMINGUE
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Why doesn’t your live band sound as great onstage as it does in the rehearsal studio? In this MC feature, a seasoned tour manager’s insights and advice reveal how to handle howling feedback, wonky monitors, grouchy soundguys and much more.
By Andy Reynolds
44 BMI
40
56
Departments 08. Close Up 09. Assignments 10. New Toys 14. Book Store 16. Up Close 18. Studio Mix 23. Business Affairs 26. Signing Stories 28. Song Biz 32. FilmsTVsTheater 34. Mixed Notes
Reviews 48. Album Reviews 50. New Music Critiques 52. Live Reviews
Directory of Everything Indie Anyone looking to connect with an independent record label, indie publicist or marketing pro can do so using this exclusive 2014 list of industry contacts.
Compiled By Denise Coso
20. Producer Crosstalk: Jack Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Rob Putnam 22. Exec Profile: Stuart Johnston, CIMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Andy Kaufmann 30. Songwriter Profile: Shannon Curtis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Dan Kimpel 46. Career Connection: The Creative Elite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Brett Bush 70. Tip Jar: How To Write A TV Theme Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Susan Hyatt 4
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The opinions expressed in Music Connection, as well as all Directory listings and contact information, are provided by various sources in the music industry. Music Connection is not responsible for any business transactions or misadventures that may result from your use of this information.
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years 1 9 8 4 - 2 0 1 4
E. Eric Bettelli PUBLISHER E. Eric Bettelli Mark Nardone GENERAL MANAGER / ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ericb@musicconnection.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / SENIOR EDITOR markn@musicconnection.com
Denise Coso John Curry OPERATIONS MANAGER / DIRECTORIES EDITOR denisec@musicconnection.com
ART DIRECTOR artdirector@musicconnection.com
Andy Mesecher
Steve Sattler
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Barry Rudolph
steve@creativesalesresource.com
Ray Holt DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING
andym@musicconnection.com
NEW TOYS barry@barryrudolph.com
Bernard Baur CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
rayh@musicconnection.com
bbatmc@aol.com
Siri Svay
Dan Kimpel
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER sirimusicconnection@gmail.com
SONG BIZ dan@dankimpel.com
Jessica Pace &),- s 46 s 4(%!4%2 j.marie.pace@gmail.com
FEATURE WRITERS
Andy Kaufmann andy.kaufmann@verizon.net Rob Putnam toe2toe6@hotmail.com Editorial Interns Jake Hansen intern@musicconnection.com, Danielle Vaughn intern@musicconnection.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Carl Anthony, Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Danica Bellini, Brett Bush, Gary Graff, Eric A. Harabadian, Corey Irwin, Ted Jamison, Andy Kaufmann, Jessica Pace, Victoria Patneaude, Rob Putnam, Adam Seyum, Daniel Siwek, Vincent Stevens, Laurier Tiernan, Brooke Trout, Albert Vega, Jonathan Widran, Ellen Woloshin PHOTOGRAPHERS Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Daren Cornell, Jody Domingue, Jim Donnelly, Kevin Estrada, Corey Irwin, David Klein, Tony Landa, Dave Long, Thomas Long, Jessica Pace, Victoria Patneaude, Scott Perham, Rob Putnam, Alexander G. Seyum, Danny Seyum, Mark Shiwolich, Daniel Siwek, Vincent Stevens, Brian Stewart, E. H. Tiernan, Paula Tripodi, Brooke Trout, Albert Vega, Ellen Woloshin MANUFACTURED AND PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Music Connection (ISSN# 1091-9791) is published monthly by Music Connection, Inc., 3441 Ocean View Blvd., Glendale, CA 91208. Single copy price is $3.95, Canada $4.95. Subscription rates: $35/one year, $59/two years. Outside the U.S., add $25 (US currency) per year. We are not responsible for unsolicited material, which must be accompanied by return postage. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited. The opinions of contributing writers to this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Music Connection, Inc. Copyright Š 2014 by E. Eric Bettelli. All rights reserved. Founded by: J. Michael Dolan / michael@jmichaeldolan.com
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– JONATHAN WIDRAN
THE SALTMINE STUDIO OASIS http://thesaltmine.com
T
urn left at Coachella: Soon to enter its 2nd quarter century, The Saltmine Studio Oasis is Mesa, AZ based, but founded by L.A. born and bred owner Don Salter. It is a recording, mixing and mastering mecca with “Classic and Modern Recording” as its motto. It’s a private, secure artist’s dream come true for those seeking a rich, yet affordable, unique studio experience. Catering to both independent and international clients—top names include Lil’ Wayne, DMX, Bone Thugs, Kelly Rowland, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Swizz Beatz, Sheryl Crow, Meat Puppets, Soulfly and Megadeth—they recently mixed the new YES album with Roy Thomas Baker. The facility offers packages that can include overnights. Its 1,300 sq. ft. Bungalow Hideaway includes a master bedroom suite, a separate Queen bedroom or bunkroom with three beds, kitchen, living room, two bathrooms and a roman tub room.
(l-r): Phil Schlemmer IX, Chris Squire, Don Salter
With Vintage and Modern Recording Tools: The gated compound has four state-of-the-art rooms with 38 channels of vintage discreet NEVE with many lush compressors, EQs and instruments (Studio A) to classic SSLs. Studio A’s tracking room features maplewood floors, cathedral ceilings with three adjoining Iso rooms and numerous vintage keyboards (Yamaha C-7, Hammond C-3, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer); its Neve room can include a 12-channel Melbourne Sidecar (for 48 channels), which can also be put in Studio B (the mixing and overdub studio) for Neve-SSL Mixing with 64 outs of HDX Pro Tools. Studio B has Westlake BBSM-15 Tad Mains, with Bryston amps and crossovers, and many outboard dynamics. Studio C is “The Production Room.” Studio D is “The Villa,” an environment where clients compose, record and mix on their own schedule. It has a bedroom, bathroom with a two-headed shower, kitchen and pool table, in addition to an SSL 4056 G+ HDX, with Augspurgers monitors. The “Oasis Venue”: The Saltmine’s aesthetic centerpiece is a 7,500 sq. ft. courtyard laced with palm trees, three Mexican fountains, beautiful outdoor accent lighting and an outdoor stage perfect for band showcases or parties. The state’s largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic, did a feature article with video: http://azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/04/10/downtown-mesa-recording-studio-oasis-genres/7536735. Contact Don@TheSaltMine.com, 480-220-4007 Tour: http://thesaltmine.com 8
June 2014
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Leo V. Williams IV
Mike Spinella
ole, a rights management company, has hired Leo V. Williams IV as General Manager of Creative (Los Angeles). Williams will be responsible for heading up ole’s Los Angeles Creative functions. Williams began his career as an A&R consultant to record companies such as Hollywood Records, where he assisted with various projects, including Jesse McCartney’s Departure album. He got his start in music publishing in 1999 when he joined U.K.-based Notting Hill Music, before joining L.A. Reid’s joint venture Hitco Music Publishing and Windswept Holdings LLC. Williams then served as Senior Vice President of Creative for BMG Chrysalis through 2012. For additional information, contact laurie@jaybirdcom.com.
Mike Spinella has joined Pandora as Senior Director, Original Content, effective immediately. Spinella will lead the growth and development of a content and artist programming strategy across the Pandora platform, connecting brands with artists and their fans. He will be based in New York and manage the Original Content teams in Oakland, Los Angeles, and New York with a primary focus on creating and curating dynamic video and audio content for Pandora users. Spinella was most recently the Director of Industry Relations for Rolling Stone and Wenner Media (he joined Rolling Stone in 2011). He also spent over seven years leading AOL Music Network’s original programming. Contact brian@bbgunpress.com.
Ray van Straten
Donny Gruendler
QSC Audio Products, LLC. has announced the promotion of Ray van Straten to Vice President of QSC Professional, the newly formed Business Unit which will serve customers in the retail, rental, production and distribution (box sales) segments. In his new role, van Straten will be responsible for guiding the direction of the business unit, utilizing his vast experience in sales, marketing, product management, channel management and strategy to grow and unify the QSC brand in the business segments served. QSC Professional will work together with the newly formed QSC Systems and QSC Cinema Business Units to serve the company’s customers worldwide. For more info, contact margaret@msmediainc.com.
Musicians Institute (MI), the College of Contemporary Music in Hollywood, CA, has announced the school’s newly named Vice President of Academic Affairs, music industry veteran Donny Gruendler, who will oversee efforts to convert the school to a flipped classroom pedagogical model, and fully integrate MI’s Performance and Industry Studies divisions. In addition, MI will begin to deliver more study materials digitally, with the institution of a paperless “Bring Your Own Device” (B.Y.O.D.) policy. “I’m very excited to work with MI’s incredibly talented faculty to reach these goals and keep MI on the cutting edge of contemporary music education,” says Gruendler. Contact chandra@ glowmarketing.com for further details.
John Rubey
Tony Motta
Fathom Events has announced the appointment of John Rubey as Chief Executive Officer. Rubey is the company’s first CEO after the recent restructuring established the company independently from National CineMedia. Rubey will also serve as a member on the board of directors. Rubey is a seasoned entertainment executive with more than 25 years of content and entertainment marketing experience. His most recent role has been President of AEG-TV and AEG Network LIVE, where he has served since 2000 and was responsible for the company’s vision, entertainment marketing, digital content development, and execution of the company’s strategic initiatives. For more information on this appointment, email scoopmarketing@solters.com.
Musician’s Friend, Inc. (MF), a direct response retailer of musical instruments and gear in the U.S., and a division of Guitar Center, has announces the hiring of Tony Motta as the Director of Merchandising, Electric Guitars. Motta was considered an ideal match for the role based on his many years of experience in the music industry and deep knowledge of the guitar market. Prior to joining Musician’s Friend, Motta held the position of Director of Sales, National Accounts, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. His 16-year career in the M.I. world began at SWR in 1997 as a Telephone Sales Representative in Sylmar, CA. In his new role, Motta will head up the Electric Guitars category in the Musician’s Friend division. Contact pherscher@guitarcenter.com.
Randall Foster
Richard McDonald
ole, a rights management company, has hired Randall Foster, formerly of Naxos of America, as Senior Director of Creative Licensing. He will be based in Nashville. Foster got his start at MTV Latin America, where he worked in licensing and copyright clearance. He moved to Naxos of America in July 2005, working his way up from Sales and Marketing Representative, to Licensing and Business Development Manager, to Director of Licensing and Business Development Manager. Along the way, he also launched specialty imprint record label Naxos Wind Band Classics, serving as Label Manager and handling A&R. Contact laurie@ jaybirdcom.com for additional information.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) has promoted industry veteran Richard McDonald to Executive Vice President, Fender Brand. McDonald’s responsibility now expands beyond Fender electric guitars, amplifiers and pro audio equipment, to also include Fender acoustic products and Fender accessories, allowing the brand to be optimized for growth. McDonald most recently served as Senior Vice President, Fender Brand, and has been with the company in a variety of key positions since 1993, rising from an entry-level position to his current executive role. Prior to joining Fender, McDonald was a successful touring guitarist and Fender endorser. Contact jfarrell@fender.com.
General Manager of Creative (Los Angeles) ole
VP, QSC Professional QSC Audio Products, LLC.
Chief Executive Officer Fathom Events
Senior Director of Creative Licensing ole
Senior Director, Original Content Pandora
VP, Academic Affairs Musicians Institute
Director of Merchandising, Electric Guitars Musician’s Friend, Inc.
Executive VP, Fender Brand Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
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– BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com
AURALEX HOVERMAT
TM
The HoverMat is a sturdy, slip-resistant drummer’s mat that improves acoustical isolation and clarifies drum tone. HoverMat can be combined with Auralex’s HoverDeck drum kit isolation system or used as a standalone product. The HoverMat™ isolates a drum kit from the floor or a hollow stage, reducing coloration from floor resonance while improving sound isolation. HoverMat is a 4 x 6-ft. section of Auralex sound-deadening SheetBlok™ sound barrier material, covered with charcoal gray Ozite-type, industrial carpet. SheetBlok is a limp-mass vinyl sheet of considerable mass density that rolls up easily for storage/packing. It is useful when deployed on the floors of live stages or in project studios when additional sound isolation and deadening is required underneath drum kits and loud guitar cabinets. HoverMat is ideal for iterant musicians, houses of worship and live performance venues. A single HoverMat weighs 28 pounds, offers a non-slip surface on bare stages, and can be rolled up after use and carried in the included heavy-duty cinch sack. http://auralex.com
CORT GUITARS L300V AND L300VF At the 2014 Winter NAMM Show Cort Guitars introduced two new acoustics in their Luce Series, the OM body L300V and the L300VF. The L300V (pictured) features solid Adirondack spruce top and bracing, solid mahogany back, and mahogany sides. There is tortoise body binding, teardrop-shaped wildcat pick guard and a natural finish with vintage toner. The mahogany neck is topped with a rosewood fret board, and Grover vintage tuning machines. Each L300V has a genuine bone nut and saddle and also ships with a set of D’Addario EXP16 acoustic guitar strings. The L300VF is exactly the same but comes with the Fishman Sonitone EQ and Sonicore Pickup systems. The L300V sells for $535 MSRP while the L300VF sells for $645. http://cortguitars.com
TECH 21 HOT-ROD PLEXI PEDAL The Hot-Rod Plexi pedal from Tech 21 is the same as reviewed in last year’s New Toys, but it’s now available from all retailers—anywhere. It celebrates with a new purple sparkle finish and has the same two modes: Stock mode emulates a stock ‘68 Plexi and Hot mode adds the sound of an extra 12AX7 tube gain stage for up to 28dB of boost. With the Hot-Rod Plexi, you can completely change the personality of a clean amp or use it as an instant mod to a dirty amp. The Tone control cuts the high end without losing mids or getting muddy and Drive adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive. The new Punch (formerly Thump) control is a wideband mid-range EQ control that gradually changes its bandwidth with the amount of cut or boost. Other features include a high-impedance input, a low-impedance output for driving longer lines to your amp, and a custom, silent-switching footswitch. The Tech 21 Hot-Rod Plexi Pedal sells for $215 MSRP. http://tech21nyc.com
PROPELLERHEAD REASON 7.1 AND REASON ESSENTIALS 2 Propellerhead just released Reason 7 and Reason Essentials 2, both major updates with deep, streamlined mixing and a complete rack with all types of instruments. Version 7 integrates all instruments, in and out of the box, and hardware synths via the External MIDI Instrument module. There is now automatic audio slicing/quantize for enabling quick fixes or style changes of already recorded audio performances—even conversion of those recordings into your own personal REX loops for further creative possibilities in the rack. For mixing, Propellerhead adds a spectrum analyzer with visual EQ controls to “see” what your tweaks do to the audio waveform in realtime. I like the one-click group and parallel mix channels feature—it gets you to the world of modern parallel effects and automation. Reason 7 imports audio in either mp3, AAC, WMA or others and the Factory Sound Bank comes with a fresh collection of loops and drum kits. Audiomatic Retro Transformer adds character to any sound with 16 snapshots going from Vinyl and VHS tape to PVC pipe. Reason 7 sells for $449 and Reason Essentials 2 is $129. http://propellerheads.se/products/reason/new
10 June 2014
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– BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com
CAD AUDIO AS16 CAD Audio’s AS22 ($89 MAP) and AS16 ($69 MAP) are the two latest models in the Acoustishield stand mounted acoustic enclosure line. By using absorptive micro-cell acoustic foam (porous polyurethane), the Acousti-shields enclose and set up a dry, micro sonic environment surrounding the microphone. They are useful both in the studio and in live sound to reduce unwanted leakage or reflections that are also picked up by the microphone. The larger Acousti-shield 22 is a foldable stand mounted acoustic enclosure and uses a 16-gauge, perforated stainless steel shield mated to 53-mm thick high-density micro cell acoustic foam. The AS16 Acousti-shield (pictured) is for studio recordings or on stages for a lower profile. It uses a center-mounting system that fits microphones from pencil condensers to the most popular dynamic instrument mics. I tried the AS16 in a very ambient room to record a Martin acoustic guitar with a CAD E70 pencil condenser microphone and its omni-directional capsule to capture the guitar’s entire sound plus some of the room’s ambience. My guitarist plays loud and the omni pattern picked up a little too much of the room. Surrounding the mic with the AS16, the room tone mixing with the direct sound coming into the E70 was reduced. Both the AS22 and AS16 are supplied with mounting hardware that allows for mic positioning flexibility, portability and easy set up. http://cadaudio.com
SABIAN HHX OMNI CYMBALS Jojo Mayer and Sabian have collaborated to produce the new HHX Omnis. They offer a contrast to the brighter AAX Omnis with the new, dark HHX Omni cymbals providing a more nuanced tone on the ride surface. This means the stick sound stays a safe distance from the body and will not get lost no matter how loudly it’s played. When playing the shoulder, which not only has a wonderful texture, you also excite more of the cymbal’s body without activating the crash. These properties are unique to the HHX version and are a direct result of the HHX hammering. Both the 19-inch ($582 MSRP and pictured) and 22-inch ($731 MSRP) HHX Omni cymbals are made from B20 bronze, have a natural finish with jumbo hammering and are sculpted with medium centers and extra-thin edges. They come with a two-year warranty. http://sabianomni.com
MLB-THEME STRATOCASTER Fender now offers baseball fans collectible MLB-themed Stratocaster® electric guitars that sound as great as they look. Each Fender Stratocaster® guitar will feature official team logos along with custom designed landmark imagery unique to the team’s market, as well as an “MLB” logo adorning the neck plate. The initial group of team guitars available in 2014 includes the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, L.A. Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets and Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants. Also available is a Minnesota Twins All-Star Game guitar that features unique Minnesota imagery in honor of the team hosting the Midsummer Classic in 2014. Each guitar features an alder body, “C”-shaped maple neck, 21 medium jumbo frets, three standard single-coil Strat® pickups, six-saddle vintage-style synchronized tremolo, five-position switch, master volume and tone knobs, standard gig bag, and sells for $799 MSRP. http://fender.com/mlb
LINE 6 AMPLIFI FX100 PEDAL Line 6’s AMPLIFi FX100 pedal connects guitar players wirelessly to an iOS device to control every detail of their sound and store/recall their creations. AMPLIFi FX100 allows guitarists to play along with tracks in their music library via Bluetooth® streaming audio, and its revolutionary tone matching automatically delivers tones that match their music library. Any guitar rig setup can be accommodated since the unit has a full set of inputs and outputs—connect to an amp, external speakers or plug in headphones for silent jamming. AMPLIFi FX100 will play music tracks from an iOS device through a home stereo, while sending guitar tone to an amplifier—an ideal rehearsal tool. Lastly, AMPLIFi Remote BARRY RUDOLPH is a recording engineer/mixer who allows guitarists to dial up a stunning has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has tone and then share, download and rate recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs, and more. Barry has his tones with a cloud-based community of musiown futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio cians. engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a http://line6.com/fx100 lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. http://barryrudolph.com
12 June 2014
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The Rising Act
“Music Connection is my go-to resource for what’s happening everywhere in music––they cover national acts to upcoming indie artists who deserve the exposure, and that’s hard to come by! As a musician, their directories for industry connections are invaluable when networking for my career.” – Jett Prescott
The Hitmaker
“Definitely reading about other people’s trials and tribulations with touring and labels was a good thing for me, especially early on.” – Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy)
The Producer
“Never have I been informed better on the local and the international music scene. Thank you MC for all these Invincible Years!” – Robin DiMaggio, producer (Paul Simon, David Bowie, Chris Isaak)
The Talent Seeker
“I signed an act to Maverick/Warner Bros. after discovering him through Music Connection’s ‘review’ section. Now as CEO of a ‘2.0’ digital label and music publishing company, MC is an excellent source of potential clients for our company.” – Scott Austin (CEO, Authentik Artists Inc.)
The Hall Of Famer
“Even in the digital age, Music Connection continues to be a relevant publication. They were one of the first music magazines to write about ‘Live From Daryl’s House,’ when it was a fledgling web show. They have adapted with the changing music scene, as well as the ever changing technology associated with it.” – Daryl Hall
The Grammy Giver
“From the time I arrived in L.A., and as a young music industry executive, Music Connection was always a source of valuable information and news. Thirty-five years later, it’s still on my regular reading list.” – Neil Portnow The Recording Academy President/CEO
Secrets to the Sounds of Success Veteran producer, engineer, and author Bobby Owsinski uncovers the stories and techniques behind modern rock, country, pop, hip-‐hop, and classic rock hits.
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BOOK S T ORE Joe Meek’s Bold Techniques IT’S NOT ONLY ROCK ‘N’ 2nd Edition ROLL: Iconic Musicians By Barry Cleveland Reveal the Source of Their (hardcover) $34.99 Creativity Iconoclastic British recording innovator Joe Meek could be the English patron saint of all the rebellious DIY home studio music producers who create music way off the beaten path of conventionality. In his own home studio, Meek wrote and produced the No. 1 hit record “Telstar” in 1962 way before the Beatles released their first single in America. Meek’s quirky recording/mixing techniques and his primitive collection of modified equipment are described in detail along with his aberrant, psychotic behavior that ultimately led to his suicide in 1967. A fascinating read about a deeply troubled man and his production style and sound that was part and parcel to many seminal British Invasion bands in the 1960s.
By Dr. Jenny Boyd with Holly George-Warren (paperback) $14.95
A Composer’s Guide to Game Music
Listen Out Loud
By Winifred Phillips (hardcover) $29.95 An award-winning game composer (Assassin’s Creed Liberation, Shrek the Third) Phillips provides a comprehensive, practical guide that leads an aspiring video game composer from acquiring the necessary creative skills to understanding the function of music in games to finding work in the field. Already an acclaimed book, Phillips’ hands-on insights and advice make this one a keeper.
The Invisible Artist – Arrangers In Popular Music (1950-2000) Essential for songwriters, producers, engineers, and music fans!
alfred.com/deconstructed
14 June 2014
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By Dr. Richard Niles (paperback) $24.95
Niles, who has worked with many of the biggest names in music, puts the spotlight on his fellow arrangers in this unique book, giving props to the unsung heroes of popular music. Dave Bartholomew, Jack Nitzsche, Jimmie Haskell, Fred Wesley, Bobby Martin and Anne Dudley are just a few whose work is explored.
How do the world’s most popular musicians create hit songs; is it natural talent, or do external influences affect their writing process? Jenny Boyd, ‘60s fashion model and ex-wife of drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, spent four years interviewing 75 world famous musicians on that subject and has now published her findings.
By Ron Weisner (paperback) $24.95
Even hardcore music fans don’t know the name Ron Weisner... but they should. A high-powered manager for over four decades, he worked alongside Madonna, Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Gladys Knight, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers and, most notably, Michael Jackson. Weisner’s memoir is a good read for anyone who wants to know what really happens behind the scenes.
Welcome To My Jungle By Craig Duswalt (hardcover) $24.95
As Axl Rose’s personal manager during Guns N’ Roses’ ridiculously long world tour, Duswalt experienced things that would make most people run the other way and never look back. In his unauthorized account, Welcome to My Jungle, he shares the sometimes hilarious, sometimes just plain reckless and always insane actual happenings on that notorious tour.
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– JONATHAN WIDRAN
HOSA TECHNOLOGY, INC. http://hosatech.com
A
nalog and Digital Connectivity: For the past three decades, Buena Park, CA-based Hosa Technology, Inc.—built into an internationally recognized organization by founder Sho Sato—has been a top industry choice for premium cables, adaptors, and other audio and video accessories. As a leading supplier of analog and digital connectivity solutions to the musical instrument, broadcast, theater and professional audio/video industries, their products are manufactured to meet or exceed the demands of today’s professional. In addition to their own Hosa Technology, Zaolla Silverline, and Mogan Microphones brands, they distribute products from Goby Labs, Neutrik AG and CAIG Labora-
tories. Hosa provides cost-effective, high-quality cables in the terminations and lengths required for performing musicians, recording studios and video applications. Similarly, the company offers an extensive collection of connectors and adaptors that enables one to integrate their equipment into most any environment. Celebrating 30 Years: What began as a single-page catalog of audio interconnects and adaptors now encompasses most—if not all—auMayumi Martinez dio cables and adaptors, a growing assortment of data and video cables, wireless microphones, stands, and much more. The 30th anniversary celebration kicked off at January’s Winter NAMM Show with a focus on leadership transition to new CEO Mayumi Martinez, daughter of the company’s founder. On the opening day of NAMM, Hosa invited its longeststanding dealers, including Sweetwater, Sam Ash, American Musical Supply, Alto Music and numerous others, for a momentous toast. Message from Hosa Tech’s New CEO: “I’ve always been attracted to the opportunity to take what my father built and elevate it,” says Martinez. “I believe that Hosa’s most significant accomplishment over the past 30 years is becoming recognized as the one-stop shop for audio connectivity products. No other company can match our vast array of connectivity products for musicians. Our newest exciting product line is Hosa Edge— the flagship product group in our good-better-best product lines. Together with Hosa and Hosa Pro, Hosa Edge enables Hosa to meet the needs and budgets of every musician. We stand behind the quality of each line with our lifetime warranty.” Contact Hosa Technology, 800-255-7527
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London Studio Upgrades To PMC Monitors Kevin Grainger and Cass Irvine, co-founders of South London’s Wired Masters, have installed a pair of PMC MB2 XBD-Active monitors in their second mixing/ mastering suite, complementing the PMC BB5 XBD-As in their other main room. Taking a long lease on a disused carpenters workshop with no power, services or rooms or acoustic treatment, Grainger and Irvine built an ultra-hitech dedicated facility for Wired Masters, opening it in 2008. Pictured is Cass Irvine of Wired Masters in his room with his PMC MB2 XBD-As.
Imogen Heap Redefines The Power Glove
JANDY ZAPATA | PROJECT OPUS
Sennheiser recently announced its MOMENTUM campaign, which together with Spotify highlights 100 unique sound stories about creators who push the world forward with their creative passions. The story of Imogen Heap is the latest in this series of inspiring stories. She is stretching the boundaries of traditional performance and engaging with fans by wearing interactive gloves on stage which change tonality of her performance. See the video at http:// sennheiser-momentum.com/en_US/artists/artist-5.html.
Texas In July Track In Pennsylvania Texas In July are currently in Atrium Audio—located in Lancaster, PA—with studio owners Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland. This will mark the band’s first album under the new lineup with JT Cavey playing the role of frontman. For updates from the studio, visit http://atriumaudiopa.com.
Village Recorder’s Jeff Greenberg Receives ‘From The Heart’ Award
At LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, industry members came to support owner/ CEO of The Village Recorder, Jeff Greenberg, who received the MusiCares From The Heart Award at the recent MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert. Pictured (lr): MusiCares VP Dana Tomarken; MusiCares Sr. VP Kristen Madsen; Greenberg; fellow honoree Ozzy Osbourne (receiving the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award); GRAMMY-winning musician Joe Walsh; The Recording Academy & MusiCares President/CEO Neil Portnow; and MusiCares VP Scott Goldman.
More Studio News According to company owner Matty Amendola, Brooklyn-based 825 Records, Inc. has recently begun construction of a brand new facility. With a live room full of vintage and one-of-a-kind instruments, a control room driven by a modular hybrid desk, film & photography suite, and
room and board for clients from out of town, 825 Records’ studio aims to become an elite top class facility. Contact mattyamendola@me.com. The Ocean Way Microphone Locker ($9.99), a tool for any musician or recording engineer looking for the right
microphone, has released an iOS7 update. Allen Sides, Grammy-winning engineer and owner of Ocean Way and Record One recording studios, breaks down how to pair the right mic with the right instrument with its optimum placement. The app also contains a list of mics
Producer Playback “Production is like taking a picture. I take snapshots of artists in the studio and then I take those snapshots and put them together in a story.” – David Bendeth (Killswitch Engage, Elvis Presley, Paramore). Interviewed in MC March 2006
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and instruments and gives diagrams and specs on each. The update has an improved user interface for iOS7 users providing a faster and smoother user experience and adds support for an enhanced experience on 64-bit devices. See http://smarturl.it/Ocean WayMicApp.
– ANDY MESECHER andym@musicconnection.com
East Donates Signed Bass To Northwest
YAMAHA
Nathan East recently visited the Amazon Headquarters in Seattle as part of a local Guitar Center bass clinic. East donated a signed Yamaha BB424X black electric bass guitar to the group. Pictured (l-r): Kristin Durie, Sr. Vendor Manager, Digital – Amazon; Dustin Anderson, Vendor Manager – Amazon; Robb Sieger, WEA/ADA; East; Shana Weydert, WEA/ADA; and Neal Spielberg, Spielberg Consulting.
Restorations Wrap Album In Philly With National Producer
ZAN NAKARI
SideOneDummy’s Restorations are currently wrapping up studio time at Miner St. Studios in Philadelphia, PA. The band is teaming with producer Jon Low (the National, the War On Drugs, Modern Baseball) for their second Side One Dummy release. The yet-to-be-titled record is expected for a fall 2014 release. Pictured is frontman Jon Loudon. Visit http://restorations.tumblr.com for further updates.
Inaugural Pensado Awards to Honor Today’s New Brand of Music Professional
Sanken Mics Used For Godzilla Roar Oscar-winning duo Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn (Transformers, Lord of the Rings), the e2 sound design team for the Godzilla film reboot, have employed the Sanken CO-100K mic to create the new roar of the beast and a bizarre array of otherworldly sounds. Pictured in their Warner Bros. studio (l-r): Van der Ryn holding the Sanken CO-100K microphone and Erik Aadahl. On the monitor, Aadahl is seen holding the mic on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan.
The acclaimed online video series Pensado’s Place has celebrated the evolving landscape of music and technology and given a voice to its leaders and innovators. Now the producers of that program have created the Pensado Awards to acknowledge the emerging brand of music professional and to “recognize the faces behind the sound.” The live show will take place on June 28, 2014, at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica, CA, and will be followed one week later by a global online broadcast. Scheduled to co-host are award-winning producer-engineers Chris Lord-Alge (Muse, Pink, Foo Fighters), Marcella Araica (Britney Spears, Madonna) and Young Guru (Jay Z, Beyonce), with additional co-hosts to be announced. Pictured (l-r): Herb Trawick and Dave Pensado. Get details at http://pensadoawards.com.
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PRODUCER CROSSTALK
JACK WALL
Patti Smith, David Byrne, Call of Duty
By Rob Putnam
L
os Angeles-based composer and producer Jack Wall got his start in Boston as an apprentice in 1988 at Syncro Sound, made famous by the Cars and “Shake It Up.� He soon transitioned into engineering and ultimately into production. In 1996 he was tapped to score a video game, thereby launching the next phase of his career. Wall has also composed for TV, film and runs Lost in Sound, his own label. Games he’s been involved with include Mass Effect, Call of Duty and the Myst series. Artists he’s worked with include Patti Smith and David Byrne. Notably, he had a hand in Michael Jackson’s HIStory. The challenges of composing for The three most important film, TV and video games have some things he’s learned as a core similarities but of course the speproducer-composer are: cifics vary. “TV and film are similar,� Wall explains. “I go to a spotting sess !LWAYS BE WILLING TO DO WHAT sion, watch the show or movie and figTHE CLIENT WANTS EVEN IF YOU ure out where the music belongs. Then THINK IT S TOTALLY WRONG AND YOU I go back to my studio and start writing. HAVE ALREADY TRIED TO STEER THEM Video games are different. We spend IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION a lot of time digging into what it’s going s 3OME GIGS PAY BETTER THAN OTHto be because we can’t see much in ERS ) DON T ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE the beginning. It’s a longer process. MONEY ) THINK ABOUT WHAT THE CLIWe usually have a year. But I’m not ENT WILL BE DOING YEARS FROM NOW working on it all the time. It’s in fits and AND IF ) LL BE DOING IT WITH THEM starts as the production develops. “I’ll see a level [of a game] and it’ll s 4ECHNICAL CHOPS ARE SUPREMELY IMPORTANT ) M CONSTANTLY TRYING be due in two months,� Wall continTO MAKE A BETTER SOUND AND GET A ues. “Half of the battle of scoring is BETTER PERFORMANCE OF THE MUSIC putting it in the game and making it ) M WRITING 4HAT HAPPENS THROUGH work, whereas TV and film, you lay GOOD MIXING USE OF SOUND AND it in and know right away if it’s going UNDERSTANDING %1 TOP TO BOTTOM to work. One of the challenges is that sometimes you’re writing music for a scenario that you may not see. Sometimes I’ll rejigger a piece to make it fit more into what’s going on, once I do see it. I help drive the story and the linear pathway through that experience. We have to get into the heads of the players: what will they do and when will they do it? Often I have to create a few different musical options as the story unfolds.� Wall has learned that his is very much a service business. “It doesn’t matter what you’re doing—it’s all about servicing your client,� he observes. “You can be a mediocre composer but if the client gets what they need on time and on budget, they’ll come back for more. That’s as important as how effective you are at composing. Taking care of your clients and seeing that they’re satisfied is the secret to success in this business.� To composers and producers new to the business, he says that it’s important to be able to survive the early years of a career. “You have to find a way in that’s unique to you,� he advises. “There’s no one way to do it. You have to be open to different paths. If you’re not passionate about doing this, then don’t do it. Because other people in the field are.� Recently Wall finished scoring a TV show and a movie. He’s on the verge of beginning the score for a new video game, the name of which he has to keep under wraps for now. He’s also working on an album done to sell music into film trailers as well as other projects that he can’t discuss due to non-disclosure agreements. But to summarize, his short and longterm future both promise to be busy. Contact Greg O’Connor-Read / Top Dollar PR, 702-407-0935, greg@topdollarpr.com; http://jackwall.net
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– ANDY KAUFMANN
Stuart Johnston
about. We use resources like Music Connection or we point people to those resources, as well as provide that personal – ANDY KAUFMANN touch in connecting experts in the field. Half our industry is sole proprietors; they’re on their own. They’re the chief cook and bottle washer and they’re working 24 hours a day. And when they’re not working, they’re not making money. So they have very little resources and time to stop what they’re doing, poke their head up and learn something new or connect with someone. We try to be their expanded office.
President CIMA
Years with Company: 3 Address: 30 St. Patrick St., 2nd Floor, Toronto ON M5T 3A3 Phone: 416-485-3152 ext. 232 Web: http://cimamusic.ca E-mail: stuart@cimamusic.ca BACKGROUND: Every industry has a lobbying group and in Canada the music industry has the Canadian Independent Music Association, otherwise known as CIMA (pronounced SEE-muh). Three years ago, Stuart Johnson became president of the venerable non-profit. Besides petitioning the government, CIMA also acts as an education and professional networking hub for its more than 230 members. Decades of Advocacy Next year is officially our 40th anniversary, but we got together 43 years ago. We were the first trade association in the world to represent the independent music community, so we’re proud of being trailblazers. And the reasons my community got together back then are the same as today. It’s a collective voice of the industry to express our opinions and views to ensure the government understands who we are and that we have the proper legislative and financial support we need in order to thrive.
Play Canada In Canada, we have the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission, which is like your FCC in the states. Broadcasters in Canada are regulated to play a minimum of 35% Canadian content. They also contribute percentages of their revenues to a national fund that supports Canadian independent music companies and developing artists. You can imagine the dialogue that the broadcasters and music community have on what level of support the broadcasters should provide. The review is ongoing right now and that’s taking up a lot of our time.
“We are as passionate about the music as our members. It might sound cliché, but it’s rewarding when we can provide information, connect people and create opportunities.”
Education and Exporting Our members are primarily record labels, managers, publishers, distributors, venues and festivals, folk in the Canadian-owned independent music industry. We provide a number of services to help them expand their businesses. We provide information and networking opportunities and we provide exporting opportunities around the world for them to take their artists and meet people in those markets. Whether it’s pursuing tour opportunities, sync licensing deals, subpublishing deals, local labels or distribution deals, we try to provide opportunities to pursue those businesses. I only have a staff of seven. We’re a small organization, but last year we did 22 exporting events in 19 cities and 10 countries around the world. So CIMA, for all intents and purposes, acts as one of Canada’s de facto music export offices. Other countries have their own standalone export offices. Canada does not have one. We’re filling that void.
Music Ontario Last year, we created Music Ontario, our provincial music industry association for the business community. Other provinces in Canada have music industry associations, but Ontario never did. The mandate for Music Ontario is slightly different in that our membership is expanded to the artist community. We provide a lot of programming, professional development services and education for those emerging artists, baby labels and emerging companies, as well as more established companies and artists. Legislative Triumphs After about 17 years, our federal government 22 June 2014
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passed new copyright legislation. For all those years, we were engaged with the government to ensure the Copyright Act didn’t hinder us. We’re always talking to government about funding and legislative issues that affect Canada. We’re fortunate in that we have something called the Canada Music Fund. It’s an almost $25 million fund that helps music companies and artists. It was always a point of discussion whether or not the fund should be renewed and by how much. The federal government came down with its new budget and I’m pleased to say our advocacy efforts paid off. They not only renewed the fund - they made it permanent, recognizing the tremendous cultural and economic impact our industry’s making on our country. The Funding Advantage Music’s universal, so the approach to business [around the world] is roughly the same. Whether it’s the states or Britain or Australia or Japan, there is a tremendous amount of similarity between those businesses and the ways they approach the development of their artists. What makes the Canadian industry a bit unique is that we have public support, those public dollars we leverage to provide additional opportunities. We might have other opportunities that, say, British or American companies might not have, only because we have a bigger pot in which to dip to help offset the costs for exporting or developing artists. We’ve got a competitive advantage there. Your Expanded Office Music industry associations, whether provincial or national, provide a great service. We’re people in the industry who know what we’re talking
Evolution There’s tremendous opportunity for us to provide new and relevant services for the industry. Like any industry, it’s constantly evolving. The challenge is to always seek continuous improvement, to anticipate what the curve is and what the needs are going to be. We’re constantly trying to not only educate ourselves on current business practices but also anticipate what the new practices will be and be there before our members. It’s a constant challenge. Just Rewards The biggest challenge is getting through our to-do list and meeting deadlines. It’s not a challenge in the sense that it’s unrewarding. It’s hard work, but it’s rewarding because we are as passionate about the music as our members. It might sound cliché, but it’s rewarding when we can provide information, connect people and create opportunities. To see and hear the passion from an artist and have that band reach new levels of success, it’s a wonderful thing. Be Passionate Follow the passion. It’s passion that drives this industry. If you can hold onto that passion, feed that passion and develop the craft, good things will happen. If artists can focus on their art and trust their business representation, I’m convinced they will always find success. Due Credit I have to give credit to my staff and board of directors, because it’s those people that make things happen at CIMA. I may have the president’s title, but it really is a team effort. My board of directors volunteers their time to ensure CIMA runs well from a strategic point of view. And my staff executes the programs and services. Quite frankly, I don’t know how they do it so well. Half the staff has been working here between 15 and over 30 years, so these are dedicated professionals with the passion, knowledge and drive to make sure our members get what they need. I couldn’t do it without them.
– BERNARD BAUR
MUSIC CONNECTION’s Business Affairs delivers up-to-date information about the signings of new artists, significant developments at major and indie labels, as well as news of managers and attorneys who are active in the A&R aspect of the music business. So that MC can provide the most current information possible, please send any industry news, buzz or rumors that need to be verified to BBatMC@aol.com.
OPPS
Breaking Indie Music (BIM), an online all-genre artist community, has launched “BIM Presents Live Online Sessions.” These sessions will allow BIM members to pitch songs to music executives and receive feedback. BIM cofounder Marci Kenon believes that the Internet and social media provide unprecedented opportunities for artists, but she feels it has to be harnessed properly. “Technology gives a false sense of hope that if you have 1,000 likes and 10,000 followers, you have a flourishing career,” she says shaking her head. “That is simply delusional.” Ritch Esra of the Music Registry, a strategic partner in the venture, stressed, “It takes an incredible work ethic for an independent artist to flourish.” BIM hopes to be an extension of artists’ efforts, as well as those of management and booking. To learn more, go to http://breakingindiemusic.com. StubHub has announced a music initiative to discover and support emerging artists
while giving exclusive access to music fans via “StubHub’s Next Stage.” The endeavor will launch with two first-of-its-kind concert series, which will include five dates produced in partnership with Pandora Presents (a Pandora brand concert series), and five dates produced on its own as StubHub’s Next Stage Concert Series, both of which will benefit the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. See http://stubhub. com/next-stage-concert-series.
,!"%,3s2%,%!3%3 SIGNINGS
Slayer has formed their own label and signed an exclusive worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The two-time Grammy-winning metal act will begin recording a new album, tentatively set for an early 2015 release. The album will make Slayer history as it will be released on the band’s own label imprint via Nuclear Blast, closing out a 28-year relationship with Rick Rubin and American Recordings. The name for the imprint has not been decided yet. “Rick has played a huge role in our career, we’ve made some great albums with him,” said Slayer’s Tom Araya. “But today is a new day, record companies don’t play the kind of role they once did, and we really like the idea of going out on our own and connecting directly with our fans.” Visit http://slayer.net. Music attorney Ben McLane contacted this column to announce that Hawaii/So-Cal based reggae/pop band Common Kings have signed a
INSOMNIAC AND INTERSCOPE GEFFEN A&M ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF INSOMNIAC RECORDS Insomniac CEO and founder Pasquale Rotella has announced a new partnership with Interscope Geffen A&M to create Insomniac Records. Pairing two of the top companies in their respective fields, Insomniac Records looks to combine the music business knowledge of Interscope with the over 20 years of expertise Insomniac has producing some of the largest dance music events in the world. Visit http://facebook.com/ InsomniacRecords.
SLASH IS BACK Slash joined Aerosmith for a roof-raising set in front of a packed crowd at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood in celebration of their forthcoming North American tour this summer. Promoted exclusively by Live Nation, the “Let Rock Rule” tour kicks off on July 10. Slash and his bandmates, Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, will return this September with their third (not-yet-titled) studio album. The group is currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to 2012’s Apocalyptic Love with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Falling In Reverse, Incubus). The group is recording a total of 17 songs, including one instrumental. For the latest, visit http://slashonline.com. licensing deal with Sony Music, which will release its records in the territory of Australia/New Zealand. The act’s manager is Tautua Reed (treedmanagement@gmail.com); legal rep is McLane (bcmclane@ aol.com). To find out more visit http://facebook.com/commonkings. Slightly Stoopid have announced that “Summer Sessions 2014” will kick off on July 9. There are many traditions associated with summer and for the last seven years, performing at U.S. amphitheaters has become a tradition for Slightly Stoopid and their fans. This summer, the band will bring their Summer Sessions tour to 25 cities nationwide. Helping them deliver the ultimate jam session, this year’s lineup includes D.I.Y. legends NOFX (on select west coast dates), seven-time Grammy winner Stephen Marley (for the entire journey), hip-hop icons Cypress Hill (on select west coast dates) and their friends and long-time musical conspirators G. Love & Special Sauce (on select dates), with more special guests to be announced. Pre-sale tickets are currently on sale for most shows at http://slightlystoopid.com. As iconic U.K.-based dance label Positiva turns 21 years old, they set their sights on the U.S. and announced their partnership with Priority Records/Capitol Music Group for U.S. releases. This will be the new U.S. home for Bingo Players, Dada Life and Goldhouse and will be the dance
music arm of Priority Records. “After working with various licensing partners over the years in the U.S., we’re thrilled to be launching the label at such an exciting time for the genre,” says Positiva’s A&R director Jason Ellis. “We have some big releases to kick off with, and we’re looking forward to developing the label and brand with the Priority team moving forward.” Go to http:// positivarecords.com for more. Toto will record a new studio album planned for release in 2015, their first since Falling In Between (2006). Keyboardist and founding member David Paich shared, “The repertoire is coming together so naturally it is as though we never took a break. For the fans who have been waiting patiently and continually showing the band support and love, this one’s for you.” In August and September, Toto will hit the road as co-headliners with Michael McDonald, for their most comprehensive North American tour in years. For more info, see http://totoofficial.com. International singer/songwriter Verity Pabla has launched an all female record label. The Coventry born artist founded a new all female record label/ management company called I’m Not a Machine Music. “I’m excited and proud to bring this record label to the world. I had a great four years on the brilliant label Silvery Records, and I want to give that same opportunity to other female artists who deserve the right platform for the music June 2014
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– BERNARD BAUR
they create.” Featured on the new indie label are soulful vocalists and powerful performers, Cat Mctigue, Bella Deanie and Francesca Egan, as well as Verity herself. To check it out, go to http:// imnotamachinemusic.com. U.K. pop/hip-hop sensation Mackenzie Sol aka “Bad Kenzie” has been handpicked to open for Snoop Dogg aka “Snoop Lion” in a summer outdoor concert series in Middlesbrough, northeast England. After months of hard work the Loose Cannon Events team announced that Snoop will perform along with Bad Kenzie. The event is a huge coup, not only for the town and the company but also for 13-year-old Kenzie who just finished his debut EP with Disaster Prep Academy in Hollywood CA and released his “Bad Actress” video featuring Selena Gomez. Visit http://mackenziesol.com for more information. The Weekdays have dropped their 2014 EP, New Day. The pop/alternative band teamed with producer Glenn Rosenstein (Madonna, U2, Talking Heads) for the six-track release. Get full details at https://facebook.com/weekdays.
PROPS
Multiplatinum, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and global recording artist Shakira was given the “Hero Award” at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards. This award acknowledges Shakira’s
continued dedication and work to improve the lives of children around the world through the Barefoot Foundation, which she founded at the age of 18. Her self-titled studio album, released in March on RCA/ Sony Latin Iberia, currently sits in the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 Chart and has obtained substantial praise while continuing to climb the charts with the current single “Empire.” Go to http://shakira.com for further details. Paul Rodgers was honored with the “Chairman’s Award” at the Music Biz 2014 Awards Luncheon held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. The Music Business Association (formerly NARM and digitalmusic.org) presented Rodgers with the award for “sustained creative achievement.” Rodgers is the frontman and founder of classic rock bands Bad Company, Free and the Firm, and a Grammynominated solo artist. “Paul Rodgers is a shining example of everything the Chairman’s Award stands for, as he has not only achieved tremendous success throughout his long career but also continues to produce highquality music today,” said Rachelle Friedman, Chairman of the Music Biz Board of Directors. Go to http:// paulrodgers.com for details. Foo Fighters haven’t rocked Richmond, VA, in more than 15 years. So to convince them to come back, a group called “Bring
DIY Spotlight Galvanized Souls
DON’T LET THEIR AGES FOOL YOU… It’s not every day you meet a band aged 15 to 19 years old who make their own instruments. Well, Galvanized Souls are not your typical teen band. “We like creating things, taking them apart and putting them back together like a Frankenstein type of thing,” says lead guitarist Chris Traylor. Lead vocalist Zakk Silveira, who installed a vocal box pedal with AutoTune on his guitar for a rock cover of Cher’s “Believe” (http:// vimeo.com/84994969), says that as a child he “loved building stuff or getting an old radio and taking it apart.” These guys are also real musicians, writing their own material and experimenting with different sounds and styles, ranging from grunge to pop to punk. Taylor explains, “We love to try out new things…we try to make every song sound different.” In fact, the band just released their 5-song self-titled EP, which is available at all digital media outlets. Along the way, GS won Beat 100’s “Ultimate Musician Award,” were chosen as a “Featured Artist” on Reverbnation, and won the 2013 Thousand Oaks Teen Center Battle of the Bands. They are also participating in several charity concerts and plan to tour this year. Visit http://galvanizedsouls.com
Have a successful DIY strategy to share? Email bbatmc@aol.com Foo Fighters Back to RVA” is selling 1,400 tickets to a Foo Fighters show that doesn’t exist (yet!). The band is in the loop around their efforts and the goal is to raise $70,000 through their Crowdtilt page in the hopes that the band appreciates the grassroots effort and schedules a show in Richmond. Almost $20,000 has already been raised. Go to https://foofightersrichmond. crowdhoster.com.
THE BIZ
LA LUNA’S TO DROP DEBUT EP La Luna’s worked with Gus Seyffert of the Black Keys to record their upcoming EP. Formed in the desert of Joshua Tree, CA, Sasha Vallely and Kelly Kathleen blend blistering bass lines and wet reverb guitars with haunting vocals, echoing early era twist and psych out. They’ve added the percussive skills of Patty Schemel (Hole, Juliette & the Licks) for Los Angeles show dates, including an appearance on Time Warner Cable’s SoCal Beat. Kelly Kathleen is also involved with a non-profit organization called Girls Rock Camp, where she teaches young girls about music. Log on to their Facebook page http://facebook.com/LALunasband for more details. The record will be released later this year. 24 June 2014
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Live Nation and Yahoo have inked a deal to broadcast live concerts. Live Nation has announced a new partnership with Yahoo that will see the promoter streaming “live concerts” on a daily basis over Yahoo’s video service. Starting in July, the Live Nationbranded channel, hosted by Yahoo, will showcase one concert every day over the course of several years. The video stream will include not only performances, but will also offer interviews and backstage access both before and after the concert.
The Live Nation Channel on Yahoo will also provide a new source of sponsorship revenue as the companies plan to create and sell corporate partnerships. In addition, the channel will provide links for viewers to purchase tickets for future shows. Willard Ahdritz, Founder and CEO of Kobalt Music Group, announced that Kobalt’s technical integration with YouTube, and the launch of ProKlaim, has significantly increased revenues collected, matching over 50 million videos to date. “Our mission has always been to help artists and songwriters maximize their digital revenue,” says Ahdritz. “Our technical integration with YouTube now allows us to do that in a groundbreaking way.” BERNARD BAUR was voted one of the “Top Music Business Journalists” in the country. Bernard is the connection between the streets and the suites. Credited with over 1,200 features in a variety of publications, he’s a Contributing Editor at Music Connection.
“How I Got My Music Licensed 1,205 Times” Barry French – TAXI Member – BigBlueBarry.com
I
took some time off from music, then my grandfather passed away and I re-evaluated what I was doing with my life. I felt the “call” of music, so I started writing again, decided to get serious about my music career, and joined TAXI in 2008.
Honestly, I Was Skeptical at First…
I did some research. I lurked on TAXI’s Forums, and found that TAXI’s successful members were real people just like me. Though I’d co-written with an Indie artist, and charted at #15 on the Radio & Records Christian Rock charts, I was clueless how to even get a film or TV placement— a complete newbie! But TAXI’s Industry Listings gave me goals to shoot for and helped me stay on task. I became more productive and motivated to get things done because I didn't want to feel like I "missed out" on an opportunity.
How to Build The Right Catalog
If you want to create music for art’s sake, then by all means, go ahead and do that. But, if you want to have a music career, why not use TAXI to learn how build the right catalog full of music the industry actually needs?
Expand Your Possibilities…
TAXI can help you learn to write for genres you never thought you could do. I used to do mostly Hard Rock and Metal. Because of TAXI, I branched out into other genres— first Pop/Punk, and then Tension and "Dramedy" cues. I used the feedback from TAXI’s A&R staff to improve my work. In many cases, my tracks improved to the point that they got signed and ultimately placed in TV shows!
350 Placements in the Last Year!
The first placement I ever had resulted from meeting a Music Library owner at the Road Rally— TAXI’s free convention. In a little more than 3 years, my music has been licensed more than 1000 times, with nearly 350 placements in the past year alone!
A “Lucky Duck?”
My 1,000th placement was a Southern Rock track on A&E's hit show, Duck Dynasty. A TAXI connection resulted in me becoming a "go to" composer for a company that provides music directly to that series. How cool is that?! TAXI’s Listings, community, convention, and networking opportunities have helped my career immensely. The ONLY regret I have about joining TAXI is that I didn't sign up sooner! If you’re willing to invest in yourself, call TAXI and let them help you too.
The World’s Leading Independent A&R Company
1-800-458-2111 • TAXI.com
June 2014
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LUCY HALE Date Signed: June 2012 Label: DMG Nashville/Bigger Picture Group/Hollywood Records Type of Music: Country Management: Elissa Leeds - Reel Talent Management, 310-979-9191 Booking: Marc Dennis, Aaron Tannenbaum - CAA, 615-383-8787 Legal: Scott Felcher - Felcher & Freifeld, LLP, 212-695-7800 Publicity: Heather Davis - Hollywood Records, 212-536-6456, Heather. Davis@disney.com Web: http://lucyhale.com A&R: Mike Daly
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hen actress and country singer Lucy Hale first came to Los Angeles, her primary aim was to be a singer. But life won’t be force-fed a prescribed path. In Hale’s case, she got where she’d hoped but in a way perhaps unexpected. “I moved to California when I was 15, for music,” the singer explains. “Someone suggested acting and I got the TV show Pretty Little Liars, which led to a movie in which I played a singer. After the movie came out, Hollywood Records wanted to discuss recording an album.” The initial meeting bore little fruit. But a few months later they met again. This time Hale came with a definitive vision. “I told them that I
“[The label] hadn’t had a country artist in a while.” wanted to do a country album,” she recollects. “They hadn’t had a country artist in a while so they jumped on board and allowed me to make the album I wanted to make.” Hale’s debut Road Between was recorded over the course of a leisurely two years. This allowed her to reflect upon her work and gain some perspective. “With the TV show, my schedule was tricky,” she says. “It was cool not to have a deadline because we could take the time to figure out my sound and meet with a lot of writers. We recorded until we got it right.” To unsigned artists, she underlines the importance of self-promotion. “A lot of people are doing it independently,” she observes. “The best example is [Republic Nashville-signed band] Florida Georgia Line. They were selling a lot of records on their own and it wasn’t long before they got a deal. Being able to upload to YouTube enables artists to do their own thing.” Road Between drops on June 3. Hale is hitting a number of festivals as well as performing a hometown gig at Memphis’ famed Grand Ole Opry on June 21. Due to her Pretty Little Liars shooting schedule, more extensive touring is being deferred until the fall. Her single “You Sound Good to Me,” has earned nearly five million online views/listens since it dropped in January. – Rob Putnam 26 June 2014
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LEWIS WATSON Date Signed: April 2012 Label: Warner Bros. Records Type of Music: Singer/Songwriter Management: Matt Johnson - Redlight Management (London) Booking: X-Ray Touring R.o.W. / WME Entertainment Legal: SSB Solicitors Publicity: Sarah Avrin - Girlie Action Media, sarah@girlie.com Web: http://lewiswatsonmusic.com A&R: Warner Bros.
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hen Lewis Watson started posting covers to YouTube, he didn’t expect to gather much attention. In fact, all he really wanted to do was teach himself how to play guitar. “I used it as a tool to kind of teach myself guitar, so at the time I was just playing songs I really enjoyed listening to,” the now 21-year-old singer/songwriter says. “I had no idea it would be listened to from anybody apart from me. I think I just got lucky.” His luck didn’t seem to run out as he not only found himself with an opportunity to record his debut EP, It’s Got Four Sad Songs On It BTW, for free, but also had the opportunity to record it several times until he felt it was right. “I think that’s the only advice I can give to anybody. It’s got your name on it at the end of the day, and it’s going to be out there forever, so make sure you’re happy with it.” Watson wasn’t the only one happy with the outcome––the release caught the attention of many record labels, including Warner Bros. Noting that he hadn’t been set on going straight for a major label, he also took into consideration his goals for the long term. “Warner is a very credible label, their male singer/songwriter roster has some of my favorite artists
“They’ve allowed me to build and grow over two years.” and they’ve all got careers. They haven’t had just one flash-in-the-pan year. They’ve built careers with artists and I think that’s the main thing that I was really into.” What Watson finds most important about his deal is that the label isn’t pushing him toward a release he isn’t ready for. “They’ve allowed me to build and grow over two years before I even released a debut album, so that shows that they’re just such a great major label.” Watson’s debut album, The Morning, is set for a June release date in the U.K., but U.S. listeners can pick up his latest EP, Some Songs With Some Friends, on iTunes now. – Victoria Patneaude
CHERUB Date Signed: August 2013 Label: Columbia Records Type of Music: Pop Band Members: Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber. Management: Fruin Management - Craig Fruin and Emilie Fabiani Booking: Joe Atamian, Paradigm Legal: Matt Cottingham, Petree Law, PLLC Publicity: Joey Primero - Press Here, joey@pressherepublicity.com Web: http://cherublamusica.com A&R: Justin Eshak
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eteran artist manager Justin Eshak had just started his position as VP of A&R at Columbia Records when he came across “Doses & Mimosas,” an infectious party anthem by the Nashville-based electropop duo, Cherub, on iTunes in January 2013. Excited by what he heard, Eshak started researching and was impressed by the viral and touring success that Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber had achieved as indie artists. After receiving a positive response to the digital release of their first album, Man of the Hour, which led to relentless touring (an average of 150 dates a year) throughout the U.S. and Mexico, Cherub released their follow-up, MoM & DaD, on the indie label Elm & Oak in early 2012; that collection included “Doses & Mimosas,” which that August hit No. 1 on Hype Machine’s most talked about songs chart. When Eshak got wind of them, Cherub were just about to release their next EP, 100 Bottles. “Everything they were doing––putting out records, touring, shooting and posting videos, building their buzz––happened because people were hearing them and liking their music,” says Eshak. “When I reached out to them, they weren’t looking for a major label deal. They had always
“They had always created good partnerships in their business dealings.” created good partnerships in their business dealings, and stressed that was important as we progressed towards signing them.” Intrigued by “the juxtaposition of upbeat party songs with darker lyrics” as well as their entrepreneurial spirit, Eshak met them for lunch and attended what Kelley says were “two of our best shows,” one at the Highline Ballroom in N.Y., another sold-out performance at the Georgia Theatre in Athens. Later, during one of Columbia’s regular A&R meetings, Eshak presented Cherub to label President Ashley Newton and Chairman Rob Stringer. They ultimately agreed to sign the band. Kelley and Huber were happy to have the opportunity to bring creative ideas to the label and engage the A&R staff as a partnership. Kelley says, “Jason and I really want to be known internationally and Columbia can put us on a huge platform and release our music to as many people possible. We’ve been touring our asses off for a few years, but the exposure they can give us will take us to that next level.” Cherub’s first full-length effort on Columbia is Year of the Caprese, released on May 27. – Jonathan Widran
NEW BEAT FUND Date Signed: May 2013 Label: Red Bull Records Type of Music: Funk/Punk Band Members: BuRNie BAkeR, vocals/guitar; BuTToN, guitar; SNaPz, bass; SiLkY, drums. Management: Rick DeVoe and Chris Georggin Booking: gabrielapodaca@theagencygroup.com Publicity: Erik Stein, estein@solters.com Web: http://newbeatfund.com A&R: Kenny “Tick” Salcido
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amed “for a piggy bank with the words New Beat Fund encrypted on it that was later catapulted into the façade of a corporate building,” self-proclaimed “g-punk” band New Beat Fund of Los Angeles found themselves signing a deal with Red Bull Records nearly a year ago after a serendipitous meeting near Hollywood with label A&R rep Kenny “Tick” Salcido, known for his past work with labels such as Warner Bros. and Grand Royal. “We met this guy named Tick, and he was really vibing with our band,” says lead vocalist/guitarist BuRNie BAkeR. “We met for coffee in Eagle Rock [in northeast L.A.], and it was the strongest coffee I’ve ever had, and he brought us in to meet the label. Tick came from places like Grand Royal Records, Mike D’s label, and understood where we were going.” The encounter led to a string of dates last fall opening for Blink-182, during which the foursome accrued tour stories like using pizza as “jimmy
“We didn’t care about getting signed.” warmers,” snail mailing an Oreo ice cream cake to Tom DeLonge as a birthday present, and seeing Travis Barker play late night shows at American Junkie in Chicago with Mike D of Beastie Boys. “We didn’t care about getting signed and put out a message of our own. [Labels] started coming to us. We just had a good vibe that we decided to roll with that, but it was never our intention to be signed. We made our first EP in our bedrooms and printed our own CDs and hustled. You got to live it. You have to put forth the effort,” BAkeR says, joking that Red Bull reps’ “caring hands” were what convinced New Beat Fund the label was right for them. “When you shake hands after signing a deal, you want to know it’s a gentle hand and a trusting, caring hand that cares for your music.” New Beat Fund are currently recording their full-length Red Bull Records debut. – Jessica Pace June 2014
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Wixen Calculations
Neon Trees Goes Downtown Downtown Music Publishing (DMP) has announced that it will extend its long-term co-publishing agreement with alternative rock band Neon Trees, who DMP first signed in 2008. With “Sleeping With A Friend,” DMP publishes five songs on the most recent Billboard Hot 100 as well as 14 songs across sixseparate albums on the Billboard 200.
Bryant Honored By Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced that BMI President Del Bryant will be the second-ever recipient of the organization’s Visionary Leadership Award. This prestigious acknowledgement, which will be presented as part of the 45th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala in New York City on June 12, recognizes those who have “made a significant contribution in furthering the ongoing mission of the organization and in elevating the Songwriters Hall of Fame to a level of prominence and distinction.” See http://songwritershalloffame.org.
SESAC Soiree in Vegas SESAC took over MGM Grand’s Rouge nightclub in Las Vegas for the annual party following the 49th Annual ACM Awards. The SESAC soiree drew a celebratory slew of artists, songwriters and industry executives. Pictured (l-r): Juli Newton Griffith, Magic Mustang Publishing; singer Dustin Lynch; and Shannan Hatch, SESAC. 28 June 2014
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Wixen Music Publishing Inc. has announced a user-friendly new feature––a copyright termination and reversion calculator––to its website that will enable anyone to easily research copyright reversions and terminations. The company’s founder Randall Wixen, author of The Plain and Simple Guide to Music Publishing (Hal Leonard) notes the complexity of this area of copyright and the calculator was the brainchild and subsequent product of his company’s VP of Copyright and Licensing, Jason Rys. With an office in Los Angeles and a sister company, Wixen Music U.K. Ltd., in London, the Wixen companies administer the song catalogs of many top artists from the last 50 years, ranging from George Harrison, the Doors, Neil Young and Tom Petty, to the Black Keys, Andrew Bird and Fitz & the Tantrums. Visit http://wixenmusic.com.
Lyric Street Opens in L.A.
Lyric House Publishing has opened the second branch of its company in Los Angeles. The Denver founded music publishing enterprise currently represents over 80 artist catalogs nationally and internationally. With major placements in TV/Film and ads including Logitech, Showtime, VH1, MTV and more, The Lyric House team, spearheaded by the company’s president Jessica Cole, is intent on making significant inroads in the lucrative West Coast synch market. Among the company’s most visible placements is a song written and performed by independent
recording artist Austin Plaine. His song “Your Love” is featured in a MasterCard commercial. Information on this innovative new company can be found at http://lyrichouseco.com.
Kobalt ProKlaims with YouTube
In response to the music industry’s growing challenge of detecting, collecting and reporting income from the mass of videos uploaded to YouTube daily, Willard Ahdritz, Founder and CEO of Kobalt Music Group, has announced that Kobalt’s unique technical integration with YouTube, including the launch of ProKlaim, Kobalt’s advanced detection technology, has significantly increased revenues collected on behalf of its clients, matching over 50 million videos to date and over one billion YouTube streams per month. The recent launch of ProKlaim, Kobalt’s proprietary detection technology, has also fueled a major increase in Kobalt client royalties. Beyond the standard claims reports that music publishers use, ProKlaim supplements YouTube’s own in-house fingerprinting technology to match copyright information with unclaimed YouTube UGC videos featuring music. Read more about Kobalt at http://kobaltmusic.com.
Copyright Office Raises Fees
The majority of U.S. Copyright Office fees, including registration and related services have been raised. The price
A Spoonful of Sherman The Hollywood Arts Council presented its Music Arts Award to the legendary songwriter Richard M. Sherman at the 28th Annual Charlie Awards held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Sherman’s songs were performed by students from Selma Avenue School in Hollywood, under the direction of Melissa Berman, a teacher who works on behalf of the Hollywood Arts Council to bring music into local schools. Pictured: Richard Sherman with songwriter Carol Connors.
– DAN KIMPEL dan@dankimpel.com
increases are said to help the government agency be “aligned” with the actual cost of providing services. Most basic registration fees will increase from $35 to $55. Filing copyright claims online rises from $65 to $85. Copyright renewal fees will decrease to $100 from $115. For a full list of the new fees see http://copyright.gov.
Kaua’i Calls: 2014 Music Festival
The 2014 Kaua’i Music Festival will be held from July 30 through Aug. 2 at the Courtyard Marriott Kaua’i at Coconut Beach in Kapa’a, HI. At the KMF Songwriter Conference, attendees learn songwriting and/or refine their skills through interaction with some of the most accomplished professional songwriters in America. In addition, throughout the conference, people in the music industry who might really make a difference will hear attendees' music. Through one-on-one meetings, small group sessions, workshops, panel discussions, open mic activities, and more, songwriters and artists receive feedback directly from the Grammy-, Emmy-, and Na Hoku-winning songwriters, producers, TV and film music supervisors, top A&R Executives, and other music industry people in attendance––all in the creative, low-pressure atmosphere of an island paradise. For complete information including registration details, please visit http://kauimusicfestival. com.
SongLily App in Bloom
SongLily, co-founded by Les Borsai and partner Jodi Chall, offers a “frictionless marketplace” for game and app developers where they can quickly and easily get a sync license to use major label music. The app, aimed at curtailing music piracy, makes familiar music available for immediate use, cutting down significantly on both the length and cost of such transactions. The app enables the record industry to market their catalogs for games and apps, while continuing to focus on their core sync licensing businesses —TV, film and advertising. It marks the first time major labels and publishers have allowed a third party vendor to license precleared content. Prices for music usages are posted on the site and the catalogs are eclectic and encompassing. Learn more at http://songlily.com.
Beth Orton to BMG Chrysalis Beth Orton has signed a worldwide, exclusive co-publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis U.S. that now represents her entire 20-year catalog of songs. The Brit Award-winning singer/songwriter is known for her thoughtful lyrics and distinctive pairing of folk and electronica. More details at http:// bmgchrysalis.com.
Disney Signs Song Team
Augie Ray and Jintae Ko, who together form the songwritingproduction team TRiON™, have signed an exclusive publishing deal with Disney Music Publishing, says DMG Vice President of A&R/ Head of Creative Mio Vukovic. The L.A.-based duo is currently writing new songs destined for R5, Bridgit Mendler and other artists on Disney label rosters. For more details contact Lillian.Matulic@ Disney.com. DAN KIMPEL, author of six music industry books, is an instructor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. He lectures at colleges and conferences worldwide.
ASCAP Pops for Petty Tom Petty was presented with the Founders Award at the 31st Annual ASCAP Pop Awards in Hollywood, CA. Pictured (l-r): Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman; Tom Petty; and Jackson Browne.
Warner-Chappell Will Rejoice with Jay Joyce Warner-Chappell Music has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with songwriter/producer Jay Joyce, who has written and produced for country artists such as Eric Church, Little Big Town and Keith Urban. Concurrently, WCM has also signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Joyce’s newly established publishing company, Neon Cross. The two companies will jointly sign and develop writers and artists across multiple genres. More details at http://warnerchappell.com.
Jones Says Amen for Old Friends Well known for her witty and waggish song craft, Nashville’s Kacey Jones can also touch poignant chords. Her new release, Amen for Old Friends, is a 14song collection that includes seven Jones originals plus seven songs by fellow songwriters. Check her out at http://kaceyjones.com. June 2014
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Shannon Curtis House Concerts to the Max By Dan Kimpel
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ith the odometer of her Volkswagen Jetta surpassing the 315,000mile mark, singer/songwriter and musician Shannon Curtis is one well-traveled performer. Working from her home base in South Pasadena, CA, she has devised a circuit of performance venues. And as the title of her recently released eBook No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour reveals, she has discovered a viable alternative to performing in clubs. “This house concert idea was born out of making a club touring model work,” Curtis says. “We had dedicated ourselves to hitting five west coast cities once a month for five months in a row: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento and Los Angeles. We were trying to get the most bang for the buck on the club shows, but we had all of these days in between and I didn’t want to sit idle on the road. Almost by accident I’d had a successful house concert experience in San Diego, so I decided to book these as filler dates in between shows.” When she compared the amount of money, the number of fans added, and the merchandise sold, a new paradigm was realized. “Over five months the house concerts out performed the club shows on every level. We met followers of music who would stick around.” Curtis, who has released a series of independent CDs, has garnered placements on television shows including Pretty Little Liars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and The Hills. Crowd sourcing will support her next release, METAFORMA. “I wouldn’t call myself a big risk taker or an out-of-the-box thinker,” she says. “I stumbled into something and had some success, and decided to build on it.” In her writing, Curtis delivers this advice: “Find your niche, cultivate it, and thrive as a career artist without the help of anyone who traditionally had to tell you ‘yes’ in order for you to get ahead.” While house concerts have long been a viable alternative to clubs in the folk and Americana genres, Shannon Curtis does not sit on a stool and strum an acoustic guitar: she performs electronic, synth-based music. “The audiences I play for are not the Americana audiences,” she says. “There is a fresh crop of people who haven’t been to a house concert. The ones we play are hosted by regular folks who happen to follow my music.” Although connecting to fans through social media is essential, one prime advantage to performing house concerts is that the person hosting the concert is the promoter. “A good host is going to be someone who is a fan of you as a person: either a stranger who loves your music, or a friend or family member who wants to help spread the word,” writes Curtis in the eBook. Meeting the guests before the show and hanging out with them after is all part of the experience, according to Curtis. “A lot of the people we’re reaching wouldn’t necessarily go to a club for music.” She says the span of ages might range from 30-60, but she observes that it depends on the host and their circle of friends. “If the hosts are a 35-year-old couple, then their friends will be in that demographic. Every night is different.” For the house concerts, Curtis does not have a set ticket price; rather she relies on what she calls “a donation-based model.” Also, it is up to the hosts to ask people to donate money. “It would be awkward for me to say, ‘Can you donate to the performance I just gave? ‘We find the hosts like being part of this. They want great times at their houses.” The idea for the eBook evolved when musician friends asked her how she was thriving. “I spent years honing every detail,” she says. “A fiveminute explanation wasn’t enough.” She doesn’t believe that sharing this information will in any way diminish her own success. “In this model the competition is taken totally out of it. If you can cultivate your own thing with your own audience, there are plenty of people to go around––if you are willing to work.” Contact Kyle Wall, Jaybird Communications, 570-575-3405, http://shannoncurtis.net
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DROPS
Two-year-old music mentoring website Renman Music & Business recently began streaming past episodes of its webcast series, Renman Live, for which there are more than 90 episodes. Founded by music business professional Steve Rennie, aka Renman, content can be viewed at the website’s YouTube channel: http:// youtube.com/user/renmanmb. Interviews feature some of the top contemporary music industry representatives, and the episodes are broadcast daily at 10 a.m. PDT. Rennie’s site can be found at http://RenmanMB.com, and Ryan Feldman can be contacted for more information at Ryan@ FresnoMediaUSA.com.
RENMAN LIVE Lone Survivor, an action flick directed by Peter Berg and starring Mark Wahlberg and Emile Hirsch, will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 3. Based on a story about four Navy SEALS on a mission to neutralize an al-Qaeda operation, the film was scored by composer Steve Jablonsky, who scored Berg’s 2012 film Battleship, and post-rock band Explosions in the Sky, who also scored Berg’s 2004 film Friday Night Lights. Contact Erika Somerfeld at ErikaReports@gmail. com for further information. Bonnaroo’s Cinema Tent this year (June 1215) will feature a range of in-person interviews, narrative film screenings, documentaries and interactive experiences including an interview with the Farrelly Brothers, late-night screenings of Harold Ramis classics like Groundhog Day and Caddyshack, and documentaries like Sean Penn’s The Human Experiment, which provides a look inside the untested chemicals found in homes and everyday products. In addition, there are several music film and documentary screenings lined up for the festival, including Grateful Dead documentary The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir, which features concert footage and the story of Weir’s early days with the Dead. Others include For the Love of Music: The Story of Nashville with an ensuing panel discussion featuring Music City singer/songwriters Brett James and Amy Stroup, and Martin Shore’s Take
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B.B. KING: LIFE OF RILEY Me to the River, a feature documentary on the influences of the Memphis music scene. Email Ken Weinstein at Weinstein@BigHassle.com for further details and visit http://Bonnaroo.com/ activities/cinema for the full cinema schedule. Released in select theaters in May, B.B. King: The Life Of Riley is a documentary on the living legend’s tough career and struggles through segregation. Director Jon Brewer worked closely with the artist to tell King’s story through film, narrated by Morgan Freeman, which features appearances by Bill Cosby, Bill Wyman, Bono, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh and Ronnie Wood. On June 17, the film will be available on DVD and Blu-ray, which will include live footage from the Royal Albert Hall and bonus interviews with some of the film’s contributing artists. The soundtrack dropped May 20 and includes two live songs never before released digitally or on CD: “Walking Dr. Bill” and “Sweet Sixteen.” For more details, contact Clint Weiler, Clint@MVDB2B.com. Opening June 25 at the IFC Center in New York, veteran N.Y. journalist, producer and director David L. Lewis (New York Daily News, 60 Minutes) presents The Pleasures of Being Out of Step: Notes on the Life of Nat Hentoff. Hentoff was a legendary jazz writer, journalist and civil libertarian featured in such illustrious publications as The New Yorker,
Playboy, The Village Voice and Down Beat. He authored 20 nonfiction books, nine novels, two memoirs and made strides in support of freedom of expression. The documentary opens in L.A.’s Laemmle Music Hall, July 4. Direct inquiries to Kelly Hargraves at Kelly. Hargraves@FirstRunFeatures.com.
JESSE COOK Toronto-based Jesse Cook, the contemporary guitar phenomenon who has shared the stage with the likes of B.B. King, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, the Gipsy Kings, and more is now on a concert tour, The Blue Guitar Sessions Tour, in support of his PBS Special Live at Bathurst. In the special, the Juno Award winning flamenco guitar player performs hits off the “Blue Guitar Sessions” as well as hits from eight studio albums. For more details, contact Jodi Jackson, JJ Entertainment, joddith@aol.com. Omnivore Recordings will release the soundtrack to Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, a documentary on the prolific actor, on June 3 on CD, vinyl and digital formats. Directed by Sophie Huber and premiered at last year’s SXSW, the film examines Stanton’s work, not just as an actor, but as a musician, featuring scenes with director David Lynch and musician Kris Kristofferson. For further details, contact Cary Baker, Cary@Conqueroo.com.
– JESSICA PACE j.marie.pace@gmail.com Indie singer/songwriter––and Music Connection Top 25 New Music Critique performer—Shannon Labrie recently licensed a song to a film. “You Found Me,” a new tune written and performed by the Nashville based Labrie, can be heard in the film Make Your Move, which hit theatres nationwide in April. The track, which Labrie penned especially for the film, is included on the accompanying soundtrack album, which was released earlier this week by SM Entertainment. Make Your Move stars Derek Hough (Dancing With The Stars) and K-pop superstar BoA as star-crossed dancers who find themselves at the center of a bitter rivalry between their brothers’ underground dance clubs. For more info contact judikerr@ aol.com.
SHANNON LABRIE
Symphonic gothic metal band Le Reverie’s song “The Dream” was selected as the theme for the upcoming horror thriller Lake Erie starring Lance Henriksen. The film was written by Meredith Majors and directed by Chris Majors. Set for a summer release, Lake Erie is about a young widow who, following her husband’s sudden death, moves into a house on Lake Erie where she finds herself contending
OPPS
Ithaca College needs experts in the entertainment business on its recorded podcast, SE 16, which reaches a wide demographic of listeners interested in sports and entertainment. For booking inquiries, contact Matt Rahemba at SE16Podcast@Gmail.com. Movie Buzzed, a recorded podcast, seeks guests who are actors, directors, writers, editors or are in some way connected with film. Hosts and guests typically interview and provide commentary on a film. Contact Zachary Cox about booking at 317-515-9312 or MovieBuzzed@Gmail.com. Film aficionados are invited to contact The KBYR Morning News and Comment with Glen Biegel to be on the air and discuss new releases in film. Reach producer Michael Ortega at Michael.Ortega@OhanaMediaGroup.com. Film and music producers, singers, writers, directors, and actors for film, theater or television are eligible to guest on CarryonHarry Talk Show, an Internet radio show and recorded podcast that reaches an weekly average of 10,000 listeners. Email booking inquiries to HarryJohal@CarryonHarry. com. Guests can be from any location as the interviews are conducted via phone or Skype.
PROPS
BlindedByTheLight.com, an online museum featuring the largest Bruce Springsteen exhibit ever seen, will launch this month commemorating the 30th anniversary of Born In The USA. The museum celebrates the Boss with over 300 authentic artifacts, and growing monthly, that span his renowned career. A 24-hour pass allows visitors to tour the vast museum, which includes items like handwritten lyrics, vintage concert posters, report cards and much more, while also giving them the opportunity to enter contests that run every six weeks. For more information visit https://facebook. com/blindedbythelightmuseum.
with dark forces. View the trailer at https:// Youtube.com/watch?v=Ja2Ydd69PPA. Contact Doug Deutsch at DougDeutschPR@gmail.com for further details. Starting in June, electronic dance music will reach new listeners through a digital partnership between REVOLT TV and EDM website Dancing Astronaut, which reaches over two million fans each month. Both companies will collaborate to produce exclusive EDM content for REVOLT, which is a multi-platform music network that provides music news, videos, interviews and performances. For more details, contact Kai D. Wright at REVOLT through KWright@REVOLT.tv. A new web series, Set Me Up, filmed on location in the Ernie Ball Showroom in L.A., features videos of intimate interviews with and performances by contemporary artists. Recently featured: Cage the Elephant and Silversun Pickups. A recent episode featuring Anthony Green of Circa Survive can be viewed at http:// tinyurl.com/m56tt9u. For more information, contact Natania Reed at Natania.Reed@ Filtermmm.com. JESSICA PACE lives in the Nashville area and writes about music, local government and education. Contact her at j.marie. pace@gmail.com.
Out Take
Jeff Russo
Musician/Composer Email: Jana Davidoff, Jana@CW3PR.com Web: http://JeffRusso.com Most Recent: Fargo GRAMMY-NOMINATED musician Jeff Russo has composed scores for three major projects recently; the 50 Centproduced Starz drama Power, feature film thriller The Surface starring Sean Astin and the much-hyped FX television series Fargo, for which Russo wrote for a 45-piece orchestra. Russo says composing for episodic television can sometimes become formulaic, but less so when writing for film. His favorite project to date is his work on Fargo, which he described as a 10-hour segmented movie. “It has really enabled me to write the kind of music I enjoy,” says Russo, “which is very cinematic and is meaningful to the narrative. I come from a songwriting background, so writing lyrics is very meaningful emotionally. With this kind of picture, the music is meaningful to the screen.” The music for Fargo is lush and cinematic, he says; “I’m using big strings and woodwinds, and it has that very sweeping feel to it. When we started, the show's creator said the two things that are important are making it cold and lonesome.” According to Russo the most difficult aspect of scoring the series was balancing ties to the original film and simultaneously developing an individual identity. “The hardest and most important part was to create our own identity without abandoning the identity of the world we’re in, which is based on the movie even–– though the show’s characters are different. That world is the same. It’s a very fine road to walk down, trying to have our own thing, our own voice and not abandon that.” Russo has also worked on several other films and television series including Charlie’s Angels, Weeds, Smash, Crossing Jordan and What About Brian. In addition to his work as a composer, he is the lead guitarist and co-songwriter of Grammy-nominated rock band Tonic.
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Mastodon Perform Once More As Music Connection 2012 cover boys Mastodon wrapped their Spring 2014 tour, they recently unveiled “High Road” from their forthcoming album, Once More 'Round The Sun, produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Alice In Chains). The album is slated for a June release. Pictured is guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds at the Riviera in Chicago.
Ariana Grande Wins Breakthrough Award From Music Biz 2014
ALEX KLUFT
The Los Angeles Music Biz 2014 show honored chart-topping pop star and actress Ariana Grande, Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, Epic Records President Sylvia Rhone and Sub Pop Records CoFounder Jonathan Poneman. They also presented the second-annual Metadata Summit, the latest Music Biz Academy educational sessions, an Entertainment and Technology Law Conference focused on digital music models, and much more. Get full coverage details at http://musicbiz2014.com. Pictured is manager Scooter Braun (left) accepting the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award on behalf of his client Ariana Grande from Music Biz President James Donio.
Viviannes Pour Reverb On Viper Room Audience The Viviannes unveiled their slinky mix of alt-noir and reverb-wet rock at The Viper Room in Hollywood, CA. Kelly Kathleen (pictured) and Tommy Farmer played to a full house alongside garage rock threepiece, La Luna’s, and alt rock supergroup, the Cold and Lovely. The Viviannes are set to record their debut record this summer at Hicksville in Joshua Tree, CA. See https://fb.com/ pages/The-Viviannes/185765526849 for more.
P. Diddy Speaks At IMS Engage In Hollywood The International Music Summit hosted the second annual IMS Engage at W Hollywood in Los Angeles recently. IMS Engage consisted of five un-moderated conversations pairing leaders from the worlds of finance, technology, music and media to address the growing influence of electronic music. Pictured is Sean 'Diddy' Combs “in conversation” with Guy Gerber. See http:// internationalmusicsummit.com/ims-engage for more coverage.
The 2014 ASCAP “I CREATE MUSIC” EXPO came to a close recently, but not before Music Connection left its mark! This year we gave away a GoPro camera, Telefunken and ADK mics, a TC-Electronic looper, a Peterson Strobe Tuner and much more! For those who missed the event, here is a photographic recap of who MC ran into. For a full recap and songwriter interviews, visit http://ascap.com/expo.
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Ari Herstand
T-Funk Winner Raymond Frank
Vintage King’s Robert Alexander, Producer Joe Barresi, and PMC's Maurice Patist
DAVID GOGGIN
ASCAP EXPO 2014
– ANDY MESECHER andym@musicconnection.com
KEVIN ESTRADA
Sabbath Hit Hollywood Bowl Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and (Ozzy drummer) Tommy Clufetos performed for 17,000+ at the historic Hollywood Bowl last month. During the band’s first appearance at the venue since Iommi collapsed on stage in 1972, the Prince of Darkness led an energized show that featured both classics and cuts from their recent release, 13. While Bill Ward didn’t perform due to “contract restrictions,” Clufetos filled the void well, nailing a solo during “Rat Salad.”
Tidbits From Our Tattered Past
Love By Design Premiere In Southern California National Record Promotions Larry Weir was on hand for the premiere of Love By Design at the Newport Film Festival in Southern California. Here he’s joined by the film’s stars Giulia Nahmany, Jane Seymour and Heather Youmans, whose song “Typical Guy” is a featured. Michael Damian wrote (along with wife Janeen) and directed the film set for release this summer.
1987–Sonic Youth–#23
Cinderella Story Hits Broadway Execs from Imagem—an independent music publisher—were in attendance at their recent Rodgers and Hammerstein production of Cinderella at the Broadway Theatre. Pictured are Imagem executives Steve Storch, CFO, Imagem U.S.; Bill Gaden, GM & Sr. VP, Imagem U.S.); John Minch, Chief Executive, Imagem U.K.; Denis Wigman, CFO, Imagem U.K.; André de Raaff, Group Chief Executive, Imagem U.K.; and Ted Chapin, President and Executive Director, Rodgers & Hammerstein); with Carly Rae Jepsen, Fran Drescher and the rest of the cast.
MC sat down with the four members of noise-punk band Sonic Youth and discussed unusual guitar tunings. Said the band's Lee Ranaldo, "Glenn Branca solidified it in some ways, but I'd been playing around with that stuff before. I think almost anyone who plays guitar sooner or later tries weird tunings." The MC issue––a focus on rising underground bands––also interviewed R.E.M., New Order and the Replacements.
McGraw Looks To Break Barriers Tim McGraw, Roger Penske and John Hennessey attended the New York City premiere of Breaking Barriers, a new film by Pennzoil documenting man’s pursuit of speed. Pictured (l-r): Geoff Campbell, producer, MediaCom; McGraw; Penske; Craig Breedlove; Jacob Rosenberg, Director, Bandito Brothers; Ari Palitz, Director, Bandito Brothers.
1995–TLC–#4
Dennis Dreith and Sheri Hoffman, AFM & SAG-AFTRA IPRD Fund, with Masterwriter’s Barry Devorzon
TAN
Peterson Winner
Isaac Hasson
Despite internal conflicts that threatened to torpedo their rising career, R&B/ hip-hop trio TLC kept it together and the result was the album CrazySexyCool featuring the No. 1 hit "Creep." "People thought when we first came out that we didn't know what was going on," the band's T Boz told MC, "but we were really mature women. We were already mature."
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ATMOS I
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n the early ‘90s, Before DIY was a household term, hip-hop enthusiasts were scrambling to submit tapes to majors, hoping to secure a deal that would alleviate the pressures of failure, cover the video shoot expense reports and land major guest appearances. But Minneapolis natives Slug (emcee) and Ant (producer) had a different approach. Now known as Atmosphere, the duo launched their career with a foundation of fans in small-town markets, expanding their network to college towns, giving away their music for placements and performing in “cities flown over by the majors.” In true DIY fashion, the duo helped form one of the Midwest’s most respect hip-hop collective, Rhymsayers and over 15 years later, host festivals that exceed 20,000 in attendance and include legends like Snoop Dogg and Nas. To honor Southsiders, the group’s 7th full-length release, MC sat down with frontman Slug to discuss how they’ve managed to make a living off underground hip-hop. (For an extended talk with Ant, please visit http://mus icconnection.com/Atmospheres-Ant-Speaks.)
SPHERE BY ANDY MESECHER
MC: First off, how’re things? Slug: Alright, it’s a good day, you know? The wife let me sleep in a little bit ‘cuz I was up late. I just had some weird carb-free pancakes. MC: How does one acquire carb free pancakes? Slug: I don’t know, man. She made ‘em! I’m not gonna question it, or maybe they’re just considered low carb, I don’t know. MC: It’s probably that gluten-free trend that’s going around, right? Slug: She made ‘em with almonds or some shit (laughs). MC: So, let’s talk Atmoshphere. For those who don’t know the backstory, is it safe to say College Radio helped progress your career in the ‘90s? Slug: Yeah, that’s a valid statement. I would say [the track] “Scapegoat” was what put us on the radar outside of Minneapolis. Prior to that we were considered local, we felt local, and when we did the “Scapegoat” vinyl a couple of us drove around to the different festivals like Scribble Jam, or just hip-hop conventions and distributed to the colleges that were around. That song in particular picked up to the point where DJs started calling the phone number that we had on our vinyl—which back then was just a voicemail pager—trying to book us for interviews/ shows. MC: Didn’t you drive from Minnesota to Dallas for a $200 gig once? Slug: Our first show outside Minnesota was based off of that vinyl and we drove all the way down to Dallas for like 200 bucks. It was a graffiti convention kind of thing. We met more people [over time] who were in similar situations as us and it turned into a trade thing—we would trade shows. “You bring us to your town to play and then we’ll bring you to ours.” We had a draw [back home] so we would bring an artist from Indianapolis to come up to our place play a bill with us then we’d head Indianapolis play a bill with [them.] You basically would just throw each other some money to cover expenses and sleep in each other’s apartments. MC: So Atmosphere was DIY before it was mandatory. Slug: It was really like everybody was part of the DIY and it worked well for a few years like that. We were able to build small audiences in small markets in pockets of the country that weren’t necessarily known for even having the major acts come through. And then people started to hold us up and say, “thanks for coming.” It became this personal experience. I realized there were pockets like this all over the country we needed to focus on. Boise, Madison, all these towns that Ludacris ain’t gonna [play]. That became our bread and butter. MC: Would that work for hip-hop acts today? Slug: You know I would love to say that. I would love to write a book about everything I did. I just feel like things change every few years. But I don’t know if things that we did would still be applicable to now.
PH OT OS B Y D AN MO NI CK
MC: What’s changed? Slug: I don’t even necessarily know that a lot of the new artists are as focused on just going out to play shows blindly like we were. There are so many other ways to get into people’s pockets and ear holes now. We didn’t have YouTube back then. We didn’t have Twitter, we didn’t have such easy access to let people know about us—we literally had to show up in your town. [It was] 1996… I mean, the Internet was alive but we didn’t know what it was. But I was never good at taking advice from people before me [anyway]. I would look at what they’re saying and be like, “Man that’s outdated advice.” I was trying to get in the demo game, which was dead, but all of my hero’s played the demo game but you couldn’t do that anymore in ‘96. MC: So over the years your career clearly expanded. Along with that came some unique placements, like early Tony Hawk video games and a somewhat recent MLB 2K soundtrack. How did those come up? Slug:It happens through establishing a relationship with people in that industry. The first time we got pulled into a game was, I think, through Epitaph. They had a relationship with [the game creators] and they got us into Tony Hawk, which opened up that industry to us. Like, “Oh, they’ll give us their music for free.” I mean really that’s what it comes down to, because you had artists that were [expecting something] for their tracks. We said, “Yo just put us in there and don’t even trip.” We just wanted the exposure. MC: Does that still work? Slug: I don’t know for sure whether or not we still give them away for free but I know that the relationship has been established now to the point where it’s comfortable for them to come to us and go, “Hey you got a song that we can throw in here?” …. It goes back to the fact that we never spent our first 10 years trying to squeeze the pennies out of the rock but instead just going, “Here, take this,” ‘cuz we just wanted exposure. MC: Atmosphere basically embraced pirating too, right? Slug: That was a huge, huge part of what got us to where we are. The fact that I did embrace the Internet, I embraced downloading. I embraced all that because it was just like, to me, “Hey whatever it takes to get me in your town. So if that means you gotta bootleg my shit and give it to all your friends, do that! In fact, I might even send it to you to make sure you give it to everybody, you know?” MC: So let’s talk Southsiders. One may notice a major shift back to hip-hop production, where The Family Sign had more live instrumentation. Slug: Well sure, Family Sign was something that had to be done. We had spent a few years playing on the road with a live band and we had reached a point within that and our relationship with them we both felt like hey let’s include these guys into the full process, so they can feel like a part of it other then just being “guns for hire.” And I feel
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like we successfully achieved what it was that we were going for with that record. It was kinda like just to keep evolving. I think we toured [with a band] for like seven years, and I’m pretty sure seven is the magic number anyways so it was time to change that up. Now I got two DJs and, do you remember Main Source? When they had the two DJs and Large Professor? MC: Of course. “Fakin’ The Funk” has never felt more relevant as it does today. Slug: Nobody has really explored that [dual DJ approach] recently. Now you have all these toys for DJs to play with and all these new things that DJs can do. There were days when the DJ was literally just a drummer. Now the DJ can be a drummer, a horn player, a fuckin’ vocalist, whatever. We have all these different gadgets on the stage with us. Between Ant and Plain Ole Bill on stage DJing (Atmosphere’s other touring DJ), they’re able to not be so linear.
MC: Even without a full band, Southsiders took 10 months to wrap? Slug: Yeah it took about 10 months to put it together, but the funny thing is that’s usually standard for us. This time, though, we were able to knock out the album as well as an EP and a bunch of other fun stuff. Ant lives in the Bay Area now and so considering how we’re working it’s making us both super productive. I almost feel like when we were sitting in a room together making music, so much time was spent just talking shit and hanging. Now that we’ve eliminated the ability to do that it’s [more efficient]. And also, we’re working at our own pace, ‘cuz Ant works during the day and I work at night. That’s great because I can work my own hours after the kids go to sleep and then send him what I did and he can wake up to it the next morning and reapply some stuff to it. This has probably been the most productive year I’ve had in I don’t know, man. And we
both know it, like we’re both super excited. Ant, man, it’s great seeing him get excited. I love that dude and I’ve known him for so long, so seeing him get this energy going makes me feel like, “Shit I’m doing something right if I’m making him this happy.” MC: The single “Kanye West” was released not too long ago. You’ve said the track is “a high five to a rapper who’s sometimes misperceived.” Slug: Well I’m nervous to elaborate too much on it because everyone who cares about what we do has a theory about it. MC: Ah. Don’t want to debunk those fan message boards! Slug: Yeah, I was pretty specific when I even gave that statement and I was very strategic about how I said what I said, because I want people to have their own interpretation of it, you know? The funny thing is, I didn’t anticipate people saying, “Oh, they named it that just to get clicks.” MC: Like after 18+ years you’d just now decided to jump on a mainstream bandwagon… Slug: I can totally see how somebody who has never heard of us [might think we were going for clicks]… The name of the song is reaching a group of people who have never heard of us before. And so, you gotta take the good with the bad, you know what I mean? … Even though it was unintentional I kind of have to be like, “Aw shit. I guess I gotta take that one on the chin.” MC: What about the other released track, “Bitter.” The hook is definitely a new direction. Slug: That particular song is actually the very first song that we made [for this record]. Ant sent me the beat. And you know, I guess I can say this without feeling too funny about it. When I first heard that beat I was like, “Man, what is this? It sounds like some shit Eminem would have threw away.” (laughs jokingly) So I was like, “I don’t know what you want me to do with this but let me have some fun and let me send Ant something just to be funny.” I wrote the hook and the first verse and I figured he’d hit me back and be like, “Man, what is this shit?: You so bitterrr, derrrr.” (laughs) I figured he was gonna clown it, but he hit me back immediately and was like, “I love this. Just flush it out, finish it.” So I finished it, sent it back and gave it a good outline and he was feelin’ it. I fuckin’ fought him for 10 months on that song. Because I was like, “I can’t let people hear this.” Like specifically because of the “riverrrr bitterrrr,” you know? I didn’t mind the lyrics, I felt good about what I was saying. I felt like it represented a certain element of what I feel, but I fought hard, and he was like, “Don’t be afraid.” And when he said that it made me realize that the only reason I was pushing back is because I was afraid and I realized that hook might be one of the riskiest things I’ve done in a long time.
www.grammymuseum.org
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MC: Some of the best pieces of art sometimes seem risky upon inception. Slug: I know, it’s funny. I used to think risk meant like subject matter or whatever. But I realize now risk is whatever you’re afraid to do. The audience doesn’t always get to see that, they can never know how scared I was for them hearing that particular chorus. But when he told me I was just being afraid, I was like, “Well I can’t be. I have to step up to bat here,” and I pushed the label to release it first. I thought the knee-jerk [from fans] would be a little harder but people hit me up on Twitter saying, “My kid sings along with it.” I usually am like, “Why are you letting your three-year-old listen to rap.” (laughs)
MC: Like you said, the game has changed so much as far as hip-hop and promotion and even how people are reaching out to you. We saw that last year you did an AMA on reddit and a couple soldiers overseas said your lyrics kept them going. How has direct contact with fans affected you? Slug: That’s an awesome topic that could be a whole piece on it itself. Now that everyone is so connected and so accessible, I feel like that accessibility makes the bond stronger but takes away from the mystique of what’s going on. I don’t mind that because I’ve never really pushed the mystique part of it. As soon as we got off stage I’d hit the room and start meeting people and hanging out and partying with the people. The only thing is there are certain things that I do like to keep to myself; family stuff for the most part. I just want to control the narrative of what people get to know about my family. I’d love to control the narrative that people interpret out of the music, but I learned a long time ago you can’t. Once you put it out there it’s their’s. Make the song be about what they want it to be about. You can push back, you can fight it, you can even say, “No the song is actually about this,� but at the end of the day it’s like their interpretation of it is probably cooler than what you actually meant when you wrote it.
For a web bonus Q&A with Ant, visit http://mu sicconnection.com/atmosphere-producer-ant.
QUICK FACTS
Atmosphere is part of the Midwest collective, “Rhymesayers.� The collective of Midwest rappers — co-founded by Atmosphere’s Slug and Ant alongside Musab Saad (Musab) and Brent Sayers (Siddiq) — own a label, a hip-hop record store, a merch line and an annual 20k-attended festival. The group’s 2008 album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Southsiders marks the group’s seventh full-length. Slug and Ant wrote Southsiders via the Internet (with Ant now living in the Bay Area). Atmosphere gave away a track to the extremely successful Tony Hawk video game franchise because they were only interested in “getting exposure.� For the first time in seven years, Atmosphere are not touring with a full band.
MC: Your annual festival, Soundset, seems like a diamond in the current hip-hop rough. Slug: Soundset’s a great thing, man, especially for this [Minneapolis] community. As a label, and as a band, with the time we spent here and the amount of support we’ve gotten from this town it always felt like we had to remember to give back. And so when we created Soundset, part of that was just trying to show that even though Minneapolis is starting to be known for it’s indie rap, it’s still get’s flown over by Kanye, Jay Z etc. So Soundset is a way to create to show and improve that this market has a lot of value as far as the kids and the hip-hop. Quit ignoring us! So each year we throw a festival that brings out 20,000 people. And generally Atmosphere is headlining it, though last year we let Snoop headline it, because [otherwise] I would have felt really weird. MC: You’re headlining for Wiz this year. Pretty legit. Slug: So even though Nas, who’s obviously bigger, and Wiz Khalifa, who’s way bigger, come into play this year we still get to headline because it’s our party. And nobody really questions that—everybody get’s it. The bottom line is, it just goes to remind artists or, even more importantly, booking agents: These kids are here and love this music. Quit frontin’ on us. It’s working more and more and more and artists are starting to stop through Minneapolis. We’re seeing a lot more of the upper, upper level. MC: What would you tell these artists who are still passing over Minneapolis? Slug: The bottom line is there are a bunch of people who bought your record, Jay Z, and they love you and if you play a show here they’re going to sing along to every song. They’re going to go home feeling good and they’re going to have a great week. They’re going to have a great week because you played and that great week could turn into making a new baby; it could turn into getting a new job; music has a way of just making people’s lives better, so just bring your ass here and play your hits and make these people’s lives better, man. Contact Joey Primero, joey@pressherepublicity.com
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Get YOUR Sound
B Y
@ANY Venue A N D Y
T
R E Y N O L D S
Photos by Jody Domingue
he opening of the 1991 documentary, Truth Or Dare, shows the multi-million record selling artist Madonna on stage commencing a sound check for one of the opening shows on her Blonde Ambition tour. Madonna had already released four albums, been on two world tours and performed countless club shows by this point in her career. However, as a persistent screeching sound halts the sound check shown in the film, Madonna says, “If you can’t get it to sound better than this, then I’m not doing the show. So someone who knows something about sound better come up here and explain something to me,” she continues. And, after a microscopic pause, “I’m waiting.” I’m not having a go at ‘Madge’ (as we Brits used to call her), it’s just that the film clip perfectly illustrates how musicians often fail to appreciate the immense difference between the studio environment and the live stage. Madonna had already spent many hours in the studio and on stage––why does she need “someone who knows about sound” to explain what is happening? More importantly, would you know why the sound on stage is often completely different from the sound in your studio?
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Know the gear, know the theory There are many online tutorials on how to get the best sounds for your studio recordings and working on your sounds in your favorite DAW. The majority are very good, and the explanations of the use of dynamic control, microphone and monitor speaker placement and how to apply effects will definitely help your studio-based projects to sound a lot better. However, most of these techniques are completely irrelevant to the live situation and, in some cases, will actually make your life more difficult. You need to understand how sound behaves at a high volume and how
that sound source in the first place. The classic example involves a vocal microphone and a monitor “wedge” (the loudspeaker placed on stage to help the singer hear herself––more on this later). In our example the singer’s voice is picked up by the vocal microphone and amplified by the monitor. As the vocalist asks for the level of her vocal to be turned up in the monitor (to better hear herself), the sound coming out of the monitor starts to be picked up actually by her own microphone. A sound loop then starts as the sound from the monitor is picked up by
performer. Good microphone technique will also help whoever is mixing the sound for the audience––more on that later. But we should first look at some basic microphone theory in order to perfect our microphone technique. Most stage microphones you will encounter in live performance, such as the Shure SM58, will be what’s known as a “dynamic” type microphone. Dynamic microphones are relatively inexpensive, require no electrical power to operate and are usually built from a few robust parts. This makes dynamic microphones ideal for both
live sound systems are put together in order to get your sound at every venue you perform in. Let’s start with the first difference between your studio environment and the live stage––volume.
her microphone, which is then sent back into the monitor, back into the microphone, into the monitor, into the microphone....you get the picture. The result of this loop will be the excessive amplification of certain audio frequencies, which will become part of the sound coming from the monitor speaker. At high volumes this resulting sound can be excruciating and can ruin a performance––just ask Madonna.
budget recording and live performance. All microphones have a pickup (or polar) pattern that dictates the amount of sound they will “pick up” from various directions around the microphone (see what they did there?). For instance, an omni-directional pickup pattern means the microphone will pick up all sounds from any direction, which is great for natural-sounding outdoor-location film recording, but not so great for miking onstage with guitar amps and drums producing high-level volume. Pickup patterns for modern stage microphones are therefore usually more selective, only picking up sound from a certain direction. This pickup pattern for a dynamic microphone, such as the SM58, is known as a cardioid type and will only pick up sound from the front and sides of the microphone and “reject” sounds from behind— the place where you usually hold it. The cardioid pattern is ideal for live music applications, especially vocal microphones, as the sound coming from the monitor wedges on the ground will be will not be picked by the microphone too much, due to the microphone’s pick up pattern.
Turn it up! It is very unlikely that you will listen to music in your home studio at anything like the level you will experience in the live environment. It is therefore also unlikely that you will ever experience feedback, also known as howl round, squeal or screeching, in your studio–– which is a good thing. Performing with amplified sound sources, on the other hand, can cause a particular set of problems, feedback being one of them. This one sound “problem” creates more anxiety and confusion for inexperienced musicians than any other part of the live performance. However, feedback is very easily avoided if you understand the cause. Feedback is a loop of sound created when the output of a sound source (through a loudspeaker for instance) is picked up by the same microphone that is being used to amplify
Avoid feedback – the correct use of your mic So now you know what causes feedback, how do you avoid it? Well, most stage feedback comes from vocal microphones, as described above, and a major contributor to that feedback is bad microphone technique. Microphone technique involves knowing how to hold your microphone, how to treat it, how to sing into it, and what you should or should not do with your microphone when onstage. Good microphone technique will reduce the threat of feedback—a major priority for any live
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Having examined microphone theory, you should now be able to apply what you know about microphone types and pickup patterns to help with better microphone technique––therefore avoiding feedback. The first rule of microphone technique is that you should never “cup” your microphone if you want to avoid onstage feedback. “Cupping” a microphone involves holding the microphone too close to the grille (the part you sing into) or, even worse, covering the whole grille with your hand. By enclosing the grille (and therefore the capsule) of the microphone in your hand, you will alter the pickup pattern of the microphone. Sound will be funneled into the microphone’s diaphragm (the part that converts sound into electrical signals that can be amplified) through the small gap in your hand. The diaphragm, which works by sensing the differences in pressure between the front and back of the microphones capsule, will be confused, and the directional characteristics of the microphone will change. Yes, you will achieve a higher volume for your vocal from the microphone by cupping it, but you also will increase the risk of feedback. In fact, feedback is more than likely to occur because the cupping will be boosting the very frequencies that are more likely to be produced in a feedback loop. For instance, cupping a Shure SM58 will usually boost frequencies around the 5KHz range, which is a nasty, nasty frequency—even more so at high volume levels. (If you wish to find out how unpleasant this frequency sounds, go to YouTube and search, “5KHz / 5000 Hz Test tone,” turn your headphones or speakers up and press play.
TALKTHETALK Remember, you have to rely on someone else to help you with sound when on stage, so it helps if you can tell them what you need by using the following terminology: Chunky = Solid bass in the 80–90 Hz area Balls = Has some real feel to it, 60–90 Hz Boof = Bass at 100 Hz Thin = Absence of bass Woolly = Indistinct bass end, lack of high end Punchy = Giving definition, 120–160 Hz Knock = Can sound uncomfortable on kick drum and bass guitar, 160–350 Hz Dark = General lack of high end. Rich = Falling off of frequencies above 400 Hz Boxy = Sounds like being in a cardboard box; the sound has too much in the 250–450 Hz range Honky = 600–800 Hz Sounds like when you say ‘honk’ really loud. Nasal = Boosted at 1 KHz Bright = Boost of frequencies above 2 kHz Muffled = General lack of high-end frequencies above 2 kHz Aggressive = Too much 3–6 kHz Sibilance = General hard “S” sounds, especially on vocals; excess of 5–7 kHz Brittle = Lack of bass and excess of upper harmonics above 6.3 kHz This is by no means an exhaustive list of sound terms but using them will help you to convey the sound you need––both live and in the studio.
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The results will not be pleasant, so be warned.) Avoid this type of feedback by holding your microphone halfway down the barrel, making sure that no part of your hand touches the grille.
It’s the angle Good microphone technique involves not only handling (not cupping the microphone), but also knowing the correct way to sing into the microphone. Your microphone should be at a 90° angle to your mouth in order for the microphone to pick up as much of your vocal as possible. Try to avoid singing “over the top” of your microphone, i.e. holding it upright near your mouth like a lollipop, as you will be singing into the side of the microphone and there will be less of your vocal being picked up.
I’m a DJ, what’s this got to do with me? We are looking at the difference between the home/studio environment and the problems caused by the increase in volume in the live environment. Microphones for vocalists are prone to feedback, usually caused by the vocalist asking for an increase in volume from their monitor speakers, which does not usually happen in the home studio. There is also another set of performers who will encounter problems when transitioning from the home studio to the live environment–– turntablists and DJs. The rise in popularity of software such as Ableton LIVE and Cycling 74’s MAX have created a new breed of musician who primarily use laptops, turntables and interfaces in the live environment. DJs and turntablists are also common parts of any modern concert, either as part of the band or by supplying warmup/support music. Unfortunately, turntablists often have problems with feedback. This feedback is caused by the bass frequencies of the music (obviously vital if you are trying to get people to dance) being picked up by the needle cartridge of the turntables and being amplified back into the PA system or monitors, just as in the vocal feedback loop. This feedback is not solely limited to vinyl record direct-drive turntables such as the legendary Technics Sl-1200 decks; CDJ decks, vinyl replication systems such as the ones based on Serato Scratch and laptops can be adversely affected by feedback, causing the audio output to jump or stutter. Feedback caused by vinyl turntables is usually in the 80 to 110 Hz frequency range but bass frequencies in that region, whether from feedback or just being too loud in the club system, will upset also CDJ
decks and laptops. Most DJs or turntablists will panic and turn down their own output levels if a feedback or jumping situation occurs and that kind of ruins the vibe––suddenly the music for the audience has been turned down which is not a good way to keep a party going. Luckily, as with the vocal feedback loop situation, there are ways to avoid the problem in the first place. You should avoid excessive EQ and gain on any DJ mixer or controller in order to prevent exaggeration of the bass frequencies. Do not crank the bass controls on your mixer and also set your input gains so they are not showing red on your meters. Have all the tone controls set flat—in other words, not boosted and not cut (until you are creating bass cuts for effect). Remember, less is more. Ask the house/club sound engineer to cut out the most common problem frequencies, such as 100 Hz, in your monitor system. Place the monitor speaker on a case or stand so it is closer to your ears (that way you will not need to have it so loud as it is nearer to you), and then make sure the monitor speaker is not touching any part of the DJ table or stand. The bass frequencies from the speaker may be transmitted through the DJ table or stand if it is, adding to the chance of bass feedback. You then need to make sure the turntables/ laptop system is as isolated from general bass frequencies as possible. I have seen a variety of methods of isolation—foam under the turntables, tennis or squash balls cut in half under turntables/CDJ decks, and even suspended turntables. I personally always use two paving slabs under each turntable or CDJ deck. It is a major pain to tour with a bunch of paving slabs as they weigh a lot, but I very rarely get bass feedback from my touring turntablists when I use this method.
What’s that sound? Beyond combatting feedback, you may also encounter other sound issues when performing live. It will help you if you know how to talk about these sound problems in the correct way. Sounds that you hear as musical tones are made up of regular, evenly spaced waves of air molecules. The distance from the high point of one wave to the next wave’s high point is called the wavelength. The frequency of waves (or cycles) is measured in Hertz (Hz) which is a measure of how many cycles (wave peaks) go by in one second. Therefore, a 1-kHz tone means a wave with 1,000 wave peaks per second. The average human can hear sounds that range from about 20 to about 17,000 Hz. It is all well and good knowing about frequen-
cies, but in the real world of your musical career you do not ask your piano player to give you a tone at 440 Hz as a reference when checking the tuning of your instrument. Instead, you would probably ask her to play A above middle C (which is actually 440 Hz in “concert tuning”). You musicians know the sound frequency as pitch and that’s the way you communicate how you are hearing sound—the pitch of a vocal or instrumental note. That is your “language.” Playing music onstage will bring you into contact with engineers and technicians who have another language—they understand frequencies and will communicate about sound issues in that language. They might say to each other, “It’s a bit peaky at 5kHz,” when describing the sound coming from a monitor speaker for instance. Luckily for you, many house engineers and touring audio professionals are musicians as well, and so they can speak both “languag-
public address (PA) system through which each band performing will be amplified. The system will also usually be attended to by an in-house audio technician––the “house sound guy.” Every band I have ever worked with has an opinion about the venue audio technician, usually along the lines of, “Jeez, that house sound guy was such a jerk,” and usually blaming that person if the band had a particularly bad show. You should not blame the house sound guy— he can only work with what he is given. I still see bands and DJs show up for sound check at venues with substandard, broken equipment and expect the sound onstage and in the house to be perfect. Unfortunately, there is no magic with live sound. You can “fix it in the mix” to a certain extent in your home studio but not on stage. If your instruments sound thin, crackly, buzzy and out of tune when you do your sound check, then that is how they will sound to the
“You will meet the house sound guy when you load in to do your sound check, so always introduce yourself to him and make a note of his name. (I always Sharpie the house audio people’s names onto my hand at load-in time.)”
es.” It therefore makes sense that you do, too. Suppose you are standing onstage and listening to the sound coming from your monitors. The sound is wrong to you. You say to the monitor engineer, “This monitor sounds wrong.” How is she supposed to know what you mean? Do you mean the mix of instruments is wrong? Is the monitor too loud for you? Too quiet? Is the sound distorted? Conveying your thoughts in a language that everyone understands will really help you to get results. Instead of saying, “This monitor sounds wrong,” suppose you actually listen to the wedge and decide you can hear an odd sound in the monitor, which is making the sound seem dull. You would then perhaps say to the engineer, “Hey, there is a low-pitched rumbling sound in this monitor.” The engineer might say, “Okay, how low?” You might not be able to pinpoint the exact frequency but at least you have given her a definition of a problem. You could perhaps try to replicate the pitch on your instrument––that would then give the audio engineer a guideline as to the problem frequency, which will ultimately help both of you.
The house sound guy is your friend Venues that have an audience capacity up to about 1,000 people will usually have an installed
audience during the show, only amplified and therefore louder. Make the source (your sound) as good as possible and the house sound guy will be able to give you and your band a better sound, both on stage, and for the audience. You also need to treat the house sound guy as a friend and colleague, in order that he will understand what your aims are and do the best job possible. You will meet the house sound guy when you load in to do your sound check, so always introduce yourself to him and make a note of his name. (I always Sharpie the house audio people’s names onto my hand at load-in time.) Yelling, “Hey, Mr. Soundman” from the stage is one way to guarantee you will get less than stellar service from the house audio technician. A good sound check is all about communication. Be polite and keep an eye on the audio techs so you know when to start and, more importantly, stop playing your instruments. There is nothing worse than a band launching into a full-on jam or rehearsal when the house sound guy needs to check other instruments for your band or, even worse, for other bands waiting to sound check. Remember, playing a live show is completely different from recording in your home studio. There you have unlimited time and are in an environment you are comfortable with and used to. You may not be used to the venue you are in when playing a show––the acoustics will be different from your studio and there are also time constraints, meaning the show has to start at a specific time and so you cannot stand
on stage all evening, trying to make the monitor speakers sound like your home studio monitor system. However, there is help at hand… The house sound person (that “jerk”) works at the venue all the time. He is therefore the best person to go to for help and advice with your on-stage sound and any other sound issues you may have. He knows the equipment and the “sound” of the room inside out and so will be able to get you the best on-stage and house sound––if you work together. Having said that, sound check can still be traumatic for musicians, singers and turntablists moving from the home studio to the stage. Massive volume, feedback, the inability to hear yourself—these issues plague any sound check and add to the anxiety of a performing musician. None of this happens when recording in a studio, so why is sound checking in a venue such a negative experience for so many musicians? Well, physics plays a large part. The speed or velocity of sound in air is approximately 344 meters per second, 1,115 feet per second, or 770 miles per hour at room temperature of 20°C (70°F). However, the speed varies with the temperature of air, such that sound travels slower at higher altitudes or on cold days. So, in a cold empty venue, the sound waves will refract (bend) downward as they travel away from their source––the speakers. This causes a lack of clarity and direction in the higher frequencies as the higher frequency sound waves literally run out of steam as they travel farther. A “dampening” effect then occurs for the low frequencies, meaning the bass does not resonate in the room. The resulting sound is a smeary, bass-light mess. Add in the highly reflective walls, floors, and mirrors in a bar or club, and suddenly you can see (and hear) why sound checks often sound so awful. A good, experienced house engineer will understand all of this. She will set the desk controls accordingly and you should trust her judgment. As long as your on-stage sound is vaguely decent at sound check there is no need to wander off stage and stand at FOH, criticizing the mix. Believe me, it ain’t going to get any better until the room fills up with excited, paying fans. And by then you will have the sound you want.
ANDY REYNOLDS is an international concert tour manager, audio engineer and author of The Tour Book – How to Get Your Music on the Road. Reynolds also lectures on live sound engineering and concert tour management at universities and colleges in the U.K. You can find out more about him at http://livemusicbusiness.com. June 2014
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1
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BMI’s 75th is “Year of the
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ounded by the National Association of Broadcasters in 1939, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) was the first alternative to ASCAP’s blanket licensing fees associated with radio stations. You see, as radio royalties quickly grew through the 1930s, legislation was agreed upon (a Consent Decree) between the Justice Department and ASCAP to allow the formation of competing performance rights organizations (PROs). Under such a decree, BMI was born to level the playing field by providing an alternative source of licensing for all music users. What separated BMI early on from other PROs was its decision to represent music that was innovative, yet risky, and give these new styles an equal opportunity to succeed. The 44 June 2014
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organization follows that same formula today. As current BMI C.E.O. Mike O’Neill explains, “My predecessor Del Bryant was instrumental in helping license the art form of rap [early on]. Latin music we also embraced.” O’Neill first joined BMI 20 years ago. Since then he has seen the company’s payouts expand exponentially. “[BMI has] changed dramatically in the way we’ve grown our distributions for our songwriters,” he explains. “I think when I first started we were distributing circa $150 million [a year]. Today it’s over approximately $850 million.” So what has created such additional revenue for BMI songwriters? “Over that period of time we’ve diversified [revenue streams]. When I began at BMI, the abundance of revenue came in from
radio and television. … But you look at today, radio and TV [are a much smaller percentage]. Cable has grown, satellite has grown and general licensing (bars and restaurants) is through the roof.” Along with recovering royalties for its members, BMI helps its members to connect with one another through a number of industry events each year. “We provide career advice; connect you with other creators of music; make introductions to the music industry (such as publishers, record companies, booking agents); provide opportunities from intimate guitar polls to major exposures at festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo or SXSW.” In fact, producer/composer Christpher Tyng’s introduction to the industry
– ANDY MESECHER
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Songwriter ”
1. Thomas Rhett performing BMI Tailgate in Nashville 2. Kris Kristofferson signing to BMI with the late Frances Preston, former President/CEO of BMI 3. BMI at Comic-Con 4. BMI's pre-Grammy "I Wrote That Song" party 5. Del Bryant with Lady Gaga and Samantha Cox 6. Mike O’Neill, Dean Dillon, Steve Cropper, Jody Williams. 7. BMI Latin Awards 8. Adam Levine presenting at BMI Pop Awards 9. Country Heavyweights & O’Neill at BMI Country Awards
8 came when friends entered his music into BMI’s Pete Carpenter Fellowship—a film/ TV scoring contest that would award one entrant with a three-month fellowship in L.A. to work with Hollywood’s finest songwriters/ composers. Tyng shadowed composer Basil Poledouris (Conan the Barbarian, RoboCop). Tyng now owns his own studio, has scored for Futurama, The OC and others, and is currently grooming artists the way BMI’s Basil Poledouris once groomed Tyng. Today BMI represents over 600,000 songwriters. While many are well established, some are still finding their path. For beginning songwriters, O’Neill expresses the importance of joining any organization early, BMI or not. “If [a songwriter is] feeling
the urge to write, and are starting to put their thoughts down, they should affiliate with BMI, ASCAP or another PRO. It’s important for their career development. There are ways that our executives and website will help facilitate the craft of songwriting. And, being the honest broker BMI has to be, we’ll give you honest feedback [about your songwriting]. You may not always like it, and we may not always be right, but we’re not afraid to say where to improve.” To honor its 75-year anniversary, BMI has coined April 2014 - April 2015, “The Year of the Songwriter.” Along with a booked penned by Spin founder Bob Guccioni, Jr., BMI will honor the year with a “BMI TV” video series featuring top songwriters sharing the stories
9 behind their songs/recordings; live concert events; and opportunities for emerging writers to help propel their careers. And according to its website, BMI will also continue to be the key driver of new public policy initiatives, such as the recent Songwriter Equity Act, to protect the copyrights of its songwriters in the digital age. When asked about the future, O’Neill made it clear that while the music industry shifts and musical styles are forever changing, the BMI mission will remain the same: To serve its songwriters, composers and music publishers, so that they can keep creating the music that will define and inspire the next 75 years. Contact Leah Lupo, LLupo@bmi.com June 2014
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– BRETT BUSH
The Creative Elite
Brother/Sister Team’s Unique Training Programs
M
usic professionals Chris and Jinny Hayman founded The Creative Elite training academy in 2013 as an alternative to long-term school programs and expensive boot camps for aspiring professional singers, musicians, rappers and producers. Industry veterans, the British brother and sister team have created an affordable, effective option for dedicated students. Based in Hollywood, The Creative Elite offers two levels of courses—the Gold level is eight days and costs $2,650, Elite Platinum is 13 days and tuition is $3,250. Each course includes on-site studio time, and each student completes a submission-ready demo. Gold level courses are limited to 10 students, Platinum to 13. Each course also includes oneon-one sessions with professionals in each student’s field of study. Courses run at various times throughout the year and are held in Los Angeles. After his work with a school arts program in Australia, Chris Hayman (The Creative Elite’s Founder/CEO) decided to create a unique program in the U.S. “I did extensive research, globally, and there is absolutely nothing like this available elsewhere,” he says. “We have created a course for talented young people to meet top professionals in the industry as well as work on their individual talents.” The Creative Elite employs instructors who teach the students business skills in addition to other essential core information, provide talent coaching, and other tools necessary for success in becoming an independent artist. Students work with instructors for eight to 10 hours each day, writing, performing, recording and participating in instructional sessions. “It’s a real-world education,” says Jinny Hayman (CEO/Business and Marketing Director), who was a professional musician in England prior to moving to Los Angeles to join her brother in the company. “Our curriculum reflects the industry and the professionals we bring in are tailored to each group.” Participating instructors include producer/
songwriter Erik “Blu2th” Griggs (Boyz II Men, Jordin Sparks), songwriter/DJ/producer Casey K., and producer/engineer Mike Boden (Dave Matthews Band, Carrie Underwood). “Instead of lectures, the instructors provide more of a one-on-one, heart-to-heart education. During seminars, speakers speak, but they also respond to questions.” Students can apply online and must submit a demo of their work. “We do have to reject quite a few applicants,” Jinny explains. “This is not a beginner course. We reject more than we accept. We look not just for talent, but also drive and focus. For the course to work,
between the ages of 14 and 25. Because there are a lot of dubious entities offering fame in exchange for some dollars, Creative Elite is thoroughly up-front about what it offers in exchange for tuition. “We are as clear as possible on our website about what we offer,” says Chris. “We are always available on the phone or in-person to talk to parents or applicants. Compared to everything out there, our course is well worth the money. The professionally mixed demo that each student leaves with alone is worth the money. “Our course is designed to constantly develop the independent artist,” continues Chris. “Songwriting, in the studio, developing their skill. It’s a 50-50 balance between the practical nature of the business versus developing their talent. We keep the cost as low as we can because it is a passion for us.” The company also provides a limited number of scholarships made possible through industry sponsorships. “We want to help people," he says, “and to make it accessible for young artists to have this ability to reach industry professionals and understand what being an independent artist involves.” In May, The Creative Elite initiated a two-day “Elite Live” workshop where artists hone their live skills working with professionals and culminating in a live show ($350, held on weekends throughout the year), and a one-day “Elite Independence Seminar” that informs artists and their families about the realities of the music business and its opportunities ($125 per family, limited to two family members per artist). In addition to the Los Angeles-based courses, The Creative Elite is conducting custom music-recording workshops for Elon University in North Carolina, and creating other customized private courses for music schools, arts and other organizations. Summer 2014 courses are sold out. Openings are available for the fall sessions.
“This is not a beginner course. We reject more than we accept. We look not just for talent, but also drive and focus.” – Jinny Hayman
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everyone needs to be at the same talent level, and the same professional level.” Aspiring artists of all genres are considered. “While being mindful of all genres, we guide artists to learn how to place their song in the marketplace, and how to develop their own sound and voice,” says Chris. “At the end of the day, they are independent artists, so in addition to honing their talents, we educate them on what branding is; on marketing an identity.” Applicants to the program come from all over. While most are already in the Los Angeles area, Creative Elite has received applicants from other countries as well as throughout the U.S. Most applicants are
Contact info@thecreativeelite.com, 855-726-4442
– ANDY MESECHER
We’re Back
IMSTA FESTA is returning to LA
This celebration of music technology is at SAE Institute on Saturday June 14th. Join us for expert panels, one-on-one demonstrations from music technology manufacturers, unique networking opportunities and you may even win one of our many prizes.
Admission is FREE
For more information and to register please visit us at
www.imsta.org
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Alice Boman
8
EP II
WAR
Evolutionary
9
The Control Group (US) Producer: Alice Boman and Tom Malmros
Far Out Productions/Universal Producer: Lonnie Jordan and Jerry Goldstein
EP II takes listeners on a charming carousel ride of perpetual wonder across a vibrant landscape of youthful enchantment. Bowman’s delightfully repetitive nature beats the odds against bland tiresomeness and rhythmic ineptitude. Perhaps because such simplistic lyrics blend with captivating vocals that effortlessly penetrate mind, body and soul. Picture static, black-and-white melodies interspersed with electrifying bursts of vivid color and mystique on songs like “Lead Me.” Tender folk mixed with emotive timbre gives way to harmonious, fairytale-esque splendor throughout. – Danica Bellini
It’s been 20 years since the multi-ethnic and genre-bending group WAR released any new material and this two-disc set was a good way to go. Disc One is an array of fresh originals that retain that classic street level mix of soul, jazz, Latin and rock. They add some rap and hip-hop flourishes to contemporize things and, for the most part, it seems to work. The groove-laden “Mamacita” and power ballad “Everything” prove the band hasn’t lost their touch. But combining the new album with a re-mastered greatest hits collection on Disc Two takes the entire package to another level. – Eric A. Harabadian
Amy LaVere
Mindi Abair
8
Runaway’s Diary
Wild Heart
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Archer Records/Thirty Tigers Producer: Luther Dickinson
Heads Up Producers: Mindi Abair & the Decoders
Amy LaVere is a singer/songwriter who can certainly craft a catchy melody or devise a memorable hook with the best of them. But few can encapsulate inner feelings and sincere emotion with such well-tailored brevity and wit. Runaway Diary is a concept inspired by her own experiences with running away from home as an adolescent. Related issues involving one’s sense of belonging, sibling rivalry and the journey of self-discovery also factor into the mix. Dickinson’s production is effectively sparse and puts the spotlight on LaVere’s amazingly chameleonic and evocative voice. – Eric A. Harabadian
Popular urban jazz saxophonist Mindi Abair has had her share of smooth funk hits, but her powerhouse, guitar heavy live shows reveal that she’s a rocker at heart. She’s toured with Aerosmith and played a benefit with Bruce Springsteen—experiences that inspired her to play with edgy abandon on her latest recorded set. While not fully giving up her infectious pop vibe and mix of sax and dreamy vocal leads, Abair takes her energy to the next level with a crazy-cool guest list of big inspirations, including Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, Max Weinberg and others. – Jonathan Widran
Sage Francis
Chromeo
8
Copper Gone
Strange Famous Records Producer: Various
White Women
8
Big Beat Records / Atlantic Producer: Various
It has been four years since Sage Francis’ last studio album, but it’s four years well spent as Copper Gone will surely be regarded as one of his best releases, if not his best. With a poetic lyricism that can be simultaneously beautiful and biting—particularly the opening of “Dead Man’s Float”—Copper Gone will get under the listener’s skin with its bitter truths. As an older artist, Francis has experiences to pull from that his younger counterparts do not, giving him an air of relatability. While many may view this as a disadvantage we can say that it is working completely in his favor. – Victoria Patneaude
No question the ‘70s/‘80s are coming back to mainstream dance floors—Random Access Memories took Album of the Year, so don’t bother arguing. For dance-pop-synth bands like Chromeo (who have been inspired by that cocaine-fueled era since 2004) this resurgence is a good thing. White Women picks up where the duo’s Business Casual left off in 2010: energetic, upbeat dance tunes in need of some Kevin Bacon dance moves. With the album featuring Toro Y Moi, Solange and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Chromeo showcase why they continually gain respect at Coachella. – Andy Mesecher
Wishbone Ash
Mary Gauthier
Blue Horizon
Solid Rock House Records/InterGroove Producer: Tom Greenwood, Andy Powell & Joe Crabtree
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It is hard to believe that Wishbone Ash has been delivering challenging rock & roll since 1969. They’ve gone through some personnel snafus but have always retained a durable and signature twin-guitar attack that has influenced generations of bands. Perennial fixture Andy Powell is still at the helm and his main guitar counterpart at present is Muddy Manninen. Together they sail gracefully through fresh and contemporary material. This album isn’t so much about singles and flash as it is about poetry and reflection. It’s a total listening experience that works best when absorbed whole. – Eric A. Harabadian
Trouble & Love
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In The Black Records Producer: Mary Gauthier and Patrick Granado On this, her first album in four years, hallmarks of Gauthier’s work—spare arrangements, plainspoken insights—are present on a song series about relationships; their anguish, fear and troubling doubt. What makes Gauthier special is her ability to craft personal songs with universal truths whose impact is amplified by a world-weary, remarkably ordinary singing voice. Songs like “When A Woman Goes Cold” and “How You Learn To Live Alone” find perseverance where there is pain, renewal beyond rejection. As always, Gauthier gets to the marrow of what it means to be human. – Mark Nardone
To be considered for review in the Album Reviews section, you must have a record deal with a major label or an independent label with an established distributor. If you do not, please see our New Music Critiques section.
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Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
9 7 8 9 9
7 8 8 8 8
7 7 7 9 8
Hornbuckle
Tom Griesgraber & Bert Lams
Contact: dougdeutschpr@gmail.com Web: hornbucklemusic.com Seeking: Booking, Film/TV Style: Blues, Rock, Soul
Contact: Lori, lhpr@runbox.com Web: bertlams.com Seeking: Mgmt, Producers, Label, Co-writes Style: Americana, Instrumental
Michael & Brian Hornbuckle and band have opened up for national acts in their Denver area and it’s clear why. Spearheaded by Michael’s smooth, souful voice (a la Paul Rodgers in tonality) the quartet presents a throughly sophisticated product right down to the subtle instrumentation that makes these tracks, “Beautiful Rain,” the theatrical “Angels, Addicts...” and “Bird of a Feather” sound so rich. The band might be surprised to hear it, but the latter––a soul-shot blues-infused song––has a modern pop sensibility to it that makes it a fitting tune for Justin Timberlake. While we don’t hear a single from them yet, Hornbuckle have an altogether superior product that deserves wider exposure.
This pair of excellent players have an attractively packaged concept album that honors America’s pioneering move westward. Title track “Unnamed Lands” sets the overall tone with its earthy, harmonic playing from guitarist Lams and Griesgraber on Chapman Stick. The duo artfully juxtapose the delicate with the vigorous in each recording. “Don’t Look Back” exhibits a nice bit of keyboard to fill in the appropriately wide open spaces of the recording. “War Dance” adds distortion to the mix and a metal-influenced bridge, while the album culminates with “Pacific.” Considering how the players’ virtuosity overshadows their compositions, perhaps a live theatrical presentation is in order?
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
8 X 7 X 9
Jackie Young
Skitso
Contact: Amanda@LaFamos.com Web: jackieyoungmusic.com Seeking: Label, Management Style: Soul-Pop, Singer/Songwriter
Contact: thebraveentertainmentla@gmail.com Web: skitso.org Seeking: Booking, Publicist, Label Style: Hip-Hop
An artist with a potentially hit radio sound, Jackie Young’s “Set In Stone” impresses us with her crafty songwriting and a soothingly soulful voice that comes with an appealing palette of subtle colors. Trim this lengthy tune and it’ll be ready for market. Though we like aspects of the sensual “Get Away With It” (love those catchy Oooo’s in the pre-chorus) it seems to us an album track, not a single as the song’s wordiness makes it too complex. Young is medium-successful at conjuring a smokey, dimly-lit jazz club vibe with the intimate “You Know Better,” which has a nice descending piano figure. This young artist is very close, and with the right handling could make an impact.
Raw-boned, cinematic and entertaining as hell, the Los Angeles-based artist’s mixtape fantasy “Skitsophrenia” puts plenty of different voices to work and really hooked us with its depiction of a kid in the hood as he listens to urgent, animated advice on whether to bang or not to bang. Less lyrically unique but still musically catchy are the songs “Imma Beast” (in which Skitso trades synthesizers for strings) and the briskly-paced banger track “Reach For The Stars” whose hook is strong, along with its effective vocal doubling. You wonder what these mixtape-quality songs would amount to if an experienced producer, someone with a Lupe Fiasco flair, got his hands on them.
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
6 8 8 9 8
Kim Glaudé
NoTrace
Contact: chainke@aol.com Web: kimglaude.com Seeking: NA Style: Pop/R&B
Contact: NoTrace3@yahoo.com Web: NoTrace3.com Seeking: Film/TV, Label, Publishing, Distr., Mgmt Style: Hip-Hop, Soul, Pop, R&B
Such a good singer. On both lead and doubled-backups, Glaudé is gold at the mic. Her lyrics, however, don’t offer anything fresh, interesting or insightful and suggests a collaborator is needed. “All I Do” is full of a blissful anticipation––you can picture a love-struck woman singing it in her shower––but it seems so generic. “Fool In Love” shows that this performer can summon some gutsiness at the right moment. A shout-out goes to her talented guitarist, who pulls off a bluesy/jazzy solo. “You Don’t Deserve Me” with its wah-wah pedal showcases what is perhaps this artist’s primary challenge commercially––the throwback nature of her work. A fresh ear in the producer’s chair could be in order.
Midwest rapper NoTrace and his platoon of producers have some intriguing songs, such as “Try So Hard,” that know the value of slamming home the hook asap. While his flow seems a bit off—a bit behind the beats—the artist’s hard-won philosophy of life rings with authenticity. A blaring club-horn heralds “Dream Hunter,” whose sinister, surging beat makes it a credible, hot ‘n sweaty club banger. NoTrace alternates his verses with a female R&B singer on “Nothing Can Compare,” and we have to say that the two have a chemistry that we like, not to mention some cool-sounding keyboard action underneath. The overall drawback to these songs is that his verses are often outgunned by his choruses.
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
8 8 8 7 7
Music Connection’s executive committee rates recorded music on a scale of 1 to 10. Number 1 represents the lowest possible score, 10 represents the highest possible score. A final score of 6 denotes a solid, competent artist. For more information, see Submission Guidelines on next the page. 50 June 2014
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Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
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7 7 8 7 8
6 7 7 7 7
KoolKard
Vices
Contact: cap@capcoentllc.com Web: soundcloud.com/koolkard Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV Style: Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic
Contact: Eric, Im4midable@hotmail.com Web: Vicesbandwagon.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV, Distr. Style: Alt Rock
Alternating singing with rapping, Atlantabased artist Koolkard likes to wear all the vocal hats, and why not—the mic loves his voice. His “Space Ships & Rockets,” though a bit lengthy, has a decent hook and varies the 4/4 attack enough to keep the dancefloor alive. “Pretty Girls” rides another club banger beat with romantic, standard-equipment dance-club lyrics, but the song reveals that ‘Kard might want to consider inviting a guest vocalist to his party, since his rap flow has a similar tonality to his singing voice. The break-up song “Contagious” is a sexycool track whose synthesizer strokes provide an alluring bed for the artist’s best, most edgy outing as a rapper.
A song cycle from Vices explores a dysfunctional relationship, and the tunes have a decidedly ‘90s alt-rock aura. A light, elegaic intro (organ and female vocal choir) sets the tone for “Co-Dependence” about a dead-end couple dogged by alcohol. The song’s combo of power-strummed acoustic guitar and the lofty whine of an electric guitar is nice but the song never alters its martial pace. Similarly downcast, “Buyer Beware” has a good guitar solo amid organ undertones. When rock energy emerges, on “Long Road Back,” it is with the addition of a horn section that doesn’t quite gel. Though Vices stand out as a band with a coherent vision, especially vocally, the songs are not immediately memorable.
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
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SkyAcre
22 Hertz
Contact: skyacre@skyacremusic.com Web: skyacremusic.com Seeking: Booking Style: Indie, Hard Rock
Contact: media@22hertz.com Web: 22hertz.com Seeking: Booking, Mgmt, Film/TV/Games, Label Style: Alternative/Industrial Rock
A promising band with interesting ideas, this Texas outfit come off as an inspired instrumental act that’s attempting to figure out how they can meld vocals into their overall vision. “Jeff Davis Highway” with its extended intro passage, and especially “Confusion” with its tumble of riffs, drums and diminished chords, and “Puppet Emperors” due to its 5/4 timing, each shows a tendency toward prog-rock. Vocals trend from lax to max, sometimes from a whisper to a scream, and deliver some winning moments despite being de-emphasized in the mix. But at the end of the day, SkyAcre’s reach exceeds its grasp. At this point the band is still in search of its optimum sound.
Artist Ralf Muller’s sound is instantly recognizable—industrial, dark and sexy, with a doomed self-destructive soul at the mic—in other words: classic NIN. Results are mixed. While “Give Me A Sign” suffers from a muddy track and vocals that fail to explode with Reznor-like power, “Detonate” and “Access Denied” are more successful, particularly the former with its bold percussion and dynamic vocal that sits better in the mix. Nevertheless, sound quality must improve as, on each recording, the vocals and music do not meld like they should. Ultimately, this classic late-‘90s NIN soundalike, if mixed and mastered professionally, could be right for a dark action flick or videogame a la Resident Evil.
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
7 7 8 7 7
The Falling Birds
Borrowed Toys
Contact: thefallingbirds@gmail.com Web: thefallingbirds.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Mgmt Style: Indie Rock/Country Punk
Contact: Joe, cia@rayvel.com Web: borrowedtoys.com Seeking: Film/TV Style: Pop, Rock
Self-described “junkyard eclectics,” Brooklyn-based indie rockers the Falling Birds are a no-fuss unit whose raw-boned rock has garage, grunge and roots influences. The overall effect on “Darlin’,” “If Time Allows,” and “Arms Out Wide” is of a band in search of a consistent vocal identity. A real spark emanates from “If Time Allows,” its fragile intimacy giving way to an amblin’ Americana spree on which the whole band comes to life aided by a folky harmonica. Despite the (apparently intended) lo-fi recording quality, we hear sparks of potential here and there, a spark that could be developed by a savvy, sympathetic producer who would enhance the band’s tunes while preserving their rawness.
Seasoned East Coast duo Borrowed Toys has agile, assured musicianship and the ability to entertain, stemming no doubt from experiences as civic event performers. The act fares less well as recording artists. If “I Know You Know” has decent poprock vitality, it is hampered by an overall ‘70s/‘80s datedness. “Common POV” shifts gears to a thoughtful message-song mode and is very much in the “open-mic cafe” realm. What shows true potential is the hooky, humorous, tongue-in-cheek tune, “She Won’t Do What She’s Told.” Yes, it’s just as throwback as the act’s other material, and it has a children’s-theater sort of quality, but the song has a catchiness that cannot be denied.
Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship
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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: There is absolutely no charge for a New Music Critique. We critique recordings that have yet to connect with a label or distributor. To be considered please go to http://musicconnection.com/get-reviewed. All submissions are randomly selected and reviewed by committee. June 2014
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House of Blues
West Hollywood, CA
Material: The Black Moods have developed a tight catalog of catchy originals with a cover or two thrown in. The three-piece’s authentic, raw sound is reminiscent of the classic rock genre, with an added alternative element that gives it a unique, modernly vintage vibe. “Say It for the Last Time” exemplifies the band’s signature sound, driven by rhythm with an added melodic element from Josh Kennedy’s classic Les Paul tone. The simplistic lyrics are easy to sing along to and the music enhances Kennedy’s voice. “Someone to Save Us” has powerful dynamics with its big choruses and mellow, Zeppelin-esque verses that successfully get people moving. While the material is tightknit, Kennedy’s solos become muddled. This could be easily avoided if he would simply accentuate every note. The backup harmonies could strengthen the choruses and add more dimension to the material as well. Musicianship: Like any classic rock group, the solid rhythm section of Prier and Diaz drive the band’s material. Both members are competent on their respective instruments, and never overplay. They lock in and hold down sturdy grooves for Kennedy to wail over, both on guitar and vocals. Rhythm guitar is where Kennedy excels, but more practice would do wonders for his solos. In addition, he
Thousand Oaks Library
THE BLACK MOODS
could choose notes that better serve his vocal range as he currently strains to hit the higher registers, creating a whiny tone.
Performance: The Black Moods steamrolled through a powerhouse setlist and it was evident that the players were at home and comfortable onstage. The crowd responded early on, jumping and head-nodding to the catchy, alternative “Hey You.” The crowd’s reaction seemed to be infectious as Kennedy himself jumped around and grappled with his Les Paul like a youthful Angus Young. These stage antics, however, detracted from his ability to successfully pull off great
VINCENT STEVENS
Contact: me@markmayz.com Web: theblackmoods.com The Players: Josh Kennedy, lead vocals, lead guitar; Ryan Prier, bass; Chico Diaz, drums.
solos, especially on the closer, “Can’t Sleep at Night.” While the band powered through original material, the rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Time” proved the highlight of the night. The more upbeat, raw version of the song was fitting to the band’s sound. Its myriad harmonies proved a slight challenge for the Moods, but the music and Kennedy’s tasteful, melodic tone compensated for this. Summary: The Black Moods are solid contenders in the rock scene. A little polishing here and there will only enhance the band’s already well-rehearsed sound. – Vincent Stevens
Thousand Oaks, CA
Material: Houston Jones fills this two-hour set with a delightful combination of jazz and western sounds. The band easily transitions from sea shanty to raucous rock & roll with dynamic compositions as well as sophisticated selections like their incredible cover of Zequinah de Abreu’s “Tico-Tico no Fubá.” Kee is cited as being the chief songwriter. His lyrics for “Born in the Moonshine” exemplify the western feel: “Moonshine with the morning dew/Bottled in bond when the work day's through/All the hours in between/I wet my whistle with kerosene.” Conversely, the lyrical levity of Jones rounds out the set on, “All I Want Is You,” prefaced as a song about almost getting married: “Let’s keep the dishes, keep the pots and pans/I'll take the George Foreman Grill, you can have the three-speed window fan.” Musicianship: Exemplary technique from master musicians. Houston is a finger picking machine providing high energy melodic solos, chord accents, harmonic pops and a lovely reverb and tremolo mix. Jones has excellent hammer-on-pinky technique on “Jericho 52 June 2014
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HOUSTON JONES Road.” Kee works in fun walking bass lines on “Kingdom of the Crow.” Salvia’s piano solos are reminiscent of Chuck Leavell and rally several rounds of applause. Tucker sticks mostly to brushes, an excellent choice for the style of music and venue.
transitioned flawlessly into a country rawhide beat. The group also took risks, like syncing up accordion and standing bass for “Long Look Back.” While the melody was not as strong as some of their other compositions, the emphasis was given to the beguine rhythm pattern.
Performance: Although there was room for improvisation, the dramatic stops were tight and the group delivered classic rock & roll riffs and trade-offs. Jones and Kee harmonized predominately, but the full band occasionally joined for chorus lines that fans of America or the Grateful Dead are sure to love. The group showed strength at layering sonic textures, as on “Roads to Dominion” where tribal sounds
Summary: Houston Jones’ members offer quips about their age but prove music is timeless. The band excels at integrating original riffs into traditional styles. If you enjoy Los Lobos or Riders of the Purple Sage you will enjoy Houston Jones. Several selections in their set are to appear on the band’s forthcoming album Minotaur. – Brooke Trout
KATHY POMIANEK
Contact: booking@houstonjones.com Web: http://houstonjones.com The Players: Travis Jones, vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion; Glenn Houston, lead electric, acoustic guitar, mandolin; Chris Kee, vocals, bass, acoustic guitar; Peter Tucker, drums; Henry Salvia, vocals, piano, accordion.
setup. The songs lean toward Americana with roots and rock injected into the mix.
JOHN MICHAEL HERSEY The West End
New York, NY
Contact: jmhersey@gmail.com Web: http://johnmichaelhersey.com The Players: John Michael Hersey, vocals, guitar; John DiGiulio drums, percussion. Material: Kicking off a show in support of his new CD, Adirondack, John Michael Hersey’s opening narrative takes you through images of the scenic Adirondacks: “Snow capped mountains, a clear blue sky with a graceful
Brighton Music Hall
MARK SHIWOLICH
Musicianship: A former member of the vocal group, the Cadillacs, Hersey is fluent on vocals as well as guitar. He also holds a Ph.D in ethnomusicology. Hersey performs the entire set with just guitar and the aid of drummer/ percussionist John DiGiulio, which solidly fills out the songs, giving the boost they need in the more blues/rock numbers.
eagle soaring through it.” Then suddenly the imagery switches to a “20-foot fence topped off with gleaming razor wire.” No one in the audience is prepared for the abrupt and jarring reality that follows as he announces that this is where he’ll be spending the next one to three years as an inmate at the Adirondack Correctional Facility after pleading guilty to grand larceny. This back story sets you up for Hersey’s journey from inmate, to parolee to free man and the songs reflect each part of that journey introduced by a short scripted
Performance: The juxtaposition of Hersey’s educational credits, musical abilities and personal profile of otherwise good-man-goneastray has the makings of something far more dramatic and, with some re-writes and strong direction, could evolve into a good piece of theater. Hersey infused humor and levity into his delivery along with the appropriate amount of humility, but one can only imagine the pain that accompanied this time in his life. More poignant evidence of this would add to the overall emotional spectrum without being too weighty and would involve the audience at an even deeper level. Summary: If an artist needs personal fodder to fuel their art, there is no shortage of it here. With tweaking and additional guidance, this set could develop into something bigger; and at a time when our moral compass is faltering, Hersey’s story could find its way into popular culture. If music does indeed have the power to heal, then this concept work might have been Hersey’s best route to redemption and perhaps to even greater musical success. – Ellen Woloshin
Allston, MA
Contact: funktapussband@gmail.com Web: http://funktapuss.com The Players: Ryan Tivey, saxophone, keyboards; Brian “Beek” Vanderbeek, bass; Latez Crawley, lead vocals; Tom Davis, guitar; Chris Santos, drums.
Musicianship: With their incomparable pedigree, Funktapuss boasts some serious chops. Members have learned from the best, including Bela Fleck and the Flecktone’s Victor Wooten, Blood, Sweat and Tears’ Fred Lipsius and the Allman Brothers’ Derek Trucks. The proof rests in their harmoniously balanced, note-perfect unity. From Tom Davis’ blissedout guitars to the jungle thunder of Brian Vanderbeek’s bass, everything lands on the one. Crawley’s vocals, meanwhile, soar above the swampy rumpus with a clarity and beauty that is rare. Performance: If it’s true that funk will never die, this band will live forever. Their centerpiece is Crawley, who seems poised for stardom. Sporting a power afro and twirling a silk scarf,
APPLE KAUFMANN
Material: Not surprisingly, Funktapuss worships at the church of funk, sending out a retro vibe that lands squarely within the genre’s classic early-‘70s to early-‘80s timeframe. Sly and the Family Stone, Maceo Parker and War, among others, are evident influences upon this grooved out, silky smooth five-piece hailing from Cape Cod. Songs about love abound as lead singer Latez Crawley’s honeyed vocals warm the soul in familiar yet invigorating ways.
FUNKTAPUSS
his mellow, inviting stage presence grafted a youthful face onto the group’s anointed style. Their set’s most unusual moment came when a guest rapper in the form of a little person busted out some serious flow. Crawley spoke easily, though briefly, with the sparse audience, engaging them directly during the final tune via call and response. Summary: What can one say when a band is this good? Funktapuss nearly have
everything, from ass shaking grooves to a marketable look to undeniable skill. They’re only lacking two elements —a pinch of added diversity to their musical repertoire and an extra charge of performance voltage to draw in casual passersby. Otherwise, their ascendancy seems dependent upon a resurgence of stanky jams with old-school R&B lyrics. Whether or not that happens, this galactic party is bound to continue. – Andy Kaufmann June 2014
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M Bar
Hollywood, CA
Contact: spruilhous@aol.com Web: http://spruillhousemusic.com The Players: Stephanie Spruill, vocals, tambourine; Micheko Hill, piano; Pee Wee Hill, bass; Russ Miller, drums; Buddy Nuanez, guitar; Ronnie Crumbly, saxophone. Material: Los Angeles native Stephanie Spruill has made her mark performing and recording as a background vocalist for renowned artists such as Julio Iglesias, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Diana Ross, to name just a few. With a long list of accomplishments, its no surprise Spruill has the ability to cover numerous genres along with a few original songs of her own. Focusing mostly on jazz influences with her own twist, the well-rounded singer covers songs like Javier Solis’ “Angelitos Negros” and Jill Scott’s “Golden,” proving she lets nothing hold her back from exploring and mastering any catalog. Musicianship: Spruill’s vocals trained to near perfection, gliding through multiple movements with precision and clarity. As a performer and vocal coach, she has mastered control, pronunciation, range and stage presence to an effortless degree. She not only is a strong covers singer, but she shows skill in writing original material, such as “Nothing Lasts Forever,” which she co-wrote with Grammy award nominee, Jeff Lorber.
The Mint
STEPHANIE SPRUILL Performance: As the packed venue bustled with conversation, Spruill literally startled the crowd by belting a powerhouse a cappella note as she secretly emerged from the side door. Supported by a talented cast pieced together from all walks of her life, Spruill dazzled with energy and comfortable ease. At one point, she ordered the mic stand to be moved from the small stage because she liked to “work the entire space she was given.” Although 9 out of the 10 songs she performed were covers, she finessed them
with her own style, such as singing parts of Peggy Lee’s “Fever” with Spanish lyrics that graciously rolled off her tongue or throwing in a spunky scat every now and again. Summary: There may not be a corner of the world that Spruill hasn’t touched with her musical talent, but she continues to find ways to be heard. With a published book and an international school of voice and artist development, Spruill is determined to keep moving forward. – Allegra Azzopardi
Los Angeles, CA
Material: Mike Bauer’s music has a broad range but consistent style best defined as adult contemporary. With “I Bet You,” Bauer introduces his classical acoustic chops. As the song progresses it ramps into an accelerated rock finish perfectly selected as the show opener. Bauer immediately turns down the pace with doo-wop throwback “Is It Too Late,” complete with a female backing trio of Ary, Cruz and Washington. The lyrics tell a complete story and integrate clever slant rhymes like “mistakes/babe” and “flirt/ self-assured.” Musicianship: Lewis shines on the soulful “Sugar” and lets loose a fine Hammond organ style solo for Marvin Gaye’s “Gotta Give It Up.” Bauer endears here with a hilarious teaser open of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Konscious Krieger and Ford, Jr. excel at funk rhythms. Konscious Krieger’s tone is perfection for classic covers and original rock instrumentals. Houston creates a clever tango rhythm and fun breakdown with half-time reductions for “Bonita.” Performance: This performer produced an entertaining show with plenty of dramatics. 54 June 2014
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MIKE BAUER
“Bonita” was one such highlight as Bauer allowed himself to be “interrupted” by a girl in the audience (who turns out to be dancer Janice Garcia) who asked if she could dance on the stage seemingly at random. Quickly it was revealed not to be the case as she broke out her castanets. When Konscious Krieger switched to acoustic-electric for “New Home Team” the levels were not coming through—perhaps because it was the first time the band has performed the song live and the dynamics were yet to be locked in. Houston’s cymbal work overpowered the overall acoustic vibe of the song. The band got it right on “Sugar” with enough silence to let the room anticipate
LIZ REINHARDT
Contact: brent@kbhentertainment.com Web: http://reverbnation.com/mikebauer The Players: Mike Bauer, guitar, vocals; Daniel Konscious Krieger, electric guitar, vocals; Kenny Ford, Jr., bass, vocals; Jeff Lewis, keyboard, vocals; Don Houston, drums, vocals; Caitlin Ary, vocals; Krystle Cruz, vocals; Katherine Washington, vocals.
the performers’ next move. That same frenzy from Houston drove the audience crazy on the band’s double-timed finale of “Proud Mary” where Ford, Jr. was in perfect sync. Summary: Mike Bauer goes for his challenging vocals throughout the set and doesn’t hold back. He is thoughtful in producing his show with strong song placements. To commemorate this particular reunion performance of Honey Cone, Bauer selects a fun medley of songs that were hits in 1971, the year the trio’s “Want Ads" went to No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart. Bauer’s playlist exemplifies his band’s strong adaptability. – Brooke Trout
JOE MATZZIE WitzEnd
Venice, CA
Contact: usrecords@joematzzie.com Web: joematzzie.com The Players: Joe Matzzie, vocals; acoustic guitar, Hugo Vera Solari, bass; Lorena Perez Barista, drums. Material: Joe Matzzie’s unique sound revolves around his gentle yet raspy vocals and melodic, acoustic guitar riffs. His songs have a folk foundation, but Matzzie enjoys dabbling in genres across the board. Defined, acoustic guitar-driven folk songs like “California Dreamin on Ya” and the harmony filled “It’s All True”
VINCENT STEVENS
feeling of love in his lyrics. His rhythm is solid and he can lock in with Solari’s simplistic bass lines or take command of a breakdown, for example, on “My Imperfect Girl.” His solos, however, are elementary and seem out of place in his songs. Drummer Barista, while her playing is fitting for Matzzie’s material, could groove more with the music and loosen up to avoid sounding stiff. She also tends to push the tempo on the upbeat songs, which hiccups the rhythm.
exemplify Matzzie’s core sound and display his gifted songwriting ability. When Matzzie journeys out of his comfort zone, however, the songs veer off course and don’t fit his catalog. His good old-fashioned folk, reminiscent of Neutral Milk Hotel or Oasis, competes with pop-rock, for instance, on “Houndstooth.” Honing in on a specific sound will enhance and make his material more cohesive. Musicianship: Matzzie can confidently strum varying guitar patterns and simultaneously sing melodic vocal lines. He has refined his vocals and developed a signature, highregister rasp that conveys the ever-present
Performance: Matzzie delivered an enjoyable performance and it was evident that he was having fun onstage. He playfully engaged with Solari and Barista, got down with intense strumming breakdowns, and encouraged audience participation on the choruses for “It’s All True” and “Speak to Me.” Throughout the set, however, Matzzie’s vocals wavered at the end of nearly every phrase. Accentuating and holding the notes to finish the lines and polishing his lower register will only elevate his unique vocals. Unfortunately, Barista’s drums overpowered Matzzie’s guitar and drowned out Solari’s soft bass tone for the majority of the songs. The band excited the audience with the finale of “Houndstooth” and premiered the video directly after they punched the last note. Summary: Joe Matzzie successfully composes traditional folk songs with a bit of twist. His experimental style sets him adrift from the limelight, however, and could use with some focusing to refine and ultimately enhance his sound. – Vincent Stevens
Thousands of artists have been reviewed by Music Connection. To read the reviews and get your music reviewed, go to http://musicconnection.com/get-reviewed. Music Connection does not charge a fee for reviews. June 2014
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Annual Directory of
Everything Indie
More than ever before, independent-minded artists and music-makers are tapping into this unique directory to connect with indie record labels, marketing & promotion experts and indie publicists. All of the information in this 2014 directory has been verified by the listees. INDIE LABELS 1-2-3-4 GO! RECORDS 420 40th St. Ste. 5 Oakland, CA 94609 510-985-0325 E-mail: store@1234gorecords.com Web: www.1234gorecords.com 4AD RECORDS 17-19 Alma Rd. London, SW 18, 1AA, UK E-mail: 4AD@4AD.com Web: www.4ad.com Roster: Camera Obscura,Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Atlas Sound, Zomby Additional locations: 304 Hudson St., 7th Fl. New York, NY 10013 2035 Hyperion Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 825 RECORDS, INC. Brooklyn, N.Y. 347-240-5417 E-mail: mattyamendola@825records.com Web: www.825Records.com Styles/Specialties: Artist development, solo artists, singer-songwriters, pop, rock, R&B 10TH PLANET RECORDS P.O. Box 10114 Fairbanks, AK 99710 E-mail: 10planet@mosquitonet.com Web: www.10thplanet.com 21ST CENTURY RECORDS Silver Lake, CA 323-661-3130 E-mail: 21stcenturystudio@earthlink.net Web: www.21stcenturystudio.com Contact: Burt Levine A389 RECORDINGS P.O. Box 12058 Baltimore, MD 21281 E-mail: dom@a389records.com Web: www.a389records.com AARON AVE RECORDS 602 Jefferson St. Arlington, TX 76012 817-274-5010 E-mail: aaronave@aaronave.com Web: www.aaronave.com AARON RECORDS P.O. Box 428 Portland, TN 37148 615-325-3340 E-mail: aaronrecords@aol.com Web: www.aaronrecords.com ABET MUSIC 411 E. Huntington Dr. Ste. 107-372 Arcadia, CA 91006 866-574-0275 E-mail: info@abetmusic.com Web: www.abetmusic.com Styles/Specialties: electronica, acoustic, ambient, chill, rock, alternative, world music and classical ACCIDENTAL MUZIK, INC 323-316-4932 Contact: Adam Moseley E-mail: accmuz@mac.com Web: www.accidentalmuzik.com Styles: alternative, indie, Latin, rock, acoustic, film and tv music. Roster: Claudio Valenzuela, Pink Noise, Jeremy Swan and the Black Waltz. Representing for music placement: Mimes Of Wine, Scarlletta, Cano Aragon, Aircrafting, El Dorado, Laura Loriga ACE FU RECORDS P.O. Box 552 New York, NY 10009 201-401-8482 E-mail: sketch@acefu.net Web: www.acefu.net
A-F RECORDS P.O. Box 71266 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 E-mail: press@a-frecords.com Web: www.a-frecords.com
ARENA ROCK RECORDING COMPANY 17 S.E. 3rd Ave., Ste. 405 Portland, OR 97214 E-mail: takinaride@me.com Web: www.arenarock.com
Styles/Specialties: indie-rock, pop, electronic and many more Roster: Badly Drawn Boy, Tindersticks, the National, Peaches, Atlas Sound and more Distribution: ADA
ALIAS RECORDS 838 E. High St. #290 Lexington, KY 40502 E-mail: accounts@aliasrecords.com Web: www.aliasrecords.com Styles/Specialties: indie-rock, singersongwriters, electronica Distribution: ADA *No unsolicited material
ARKADIA LABEL GROUP/ VIEW INC. P.O. Box 77 Saugerties, NY 12477 845-246-9955 E-mail: info@view.com Web: www.arkadiarecords.com
Additional location:
ALLIGATOR RECORDS P.O. Box 60234 Chicago, IL 60660 773-973-7736 E-mail: info@allig.com Web: www.alligator.com ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES P.O. Box 419092 San Francisco, CA 94141 510-596-8981 Fax 510-596-8982 E-mail: jessie@alternativetentacles.com Web: www.alternativetentacles.com Styles/Specialties: punk rock, spoken-word, underground *Unsolicited material accepted AMATHUS MUSIC P.O. Box 95 Hewlett, NY 11557 E-mail: info@amathusmusic.com Web: www.amathusmusic.com, www.myspace.com/amathusmusic Contact: Chris Panaghi Styles/Specialties: dance music, electronic, pop
musicconnection.com
ASTRALWERKS RECORDS 150 5th Ave. New York, NY 10011 212-786-8082 E-mail: astralwerks.astralwerks@gmail.com Web: www.astralwerks.com Styles/Specialties: electronic/rock *No unsolicited material accepted AV8 RECORDS 630 9th Ave. 9th Fl. New York, NY 10036 E-mail: marcAV8Records@aol.com Web: www.av8records.com AWARE RECORDS 800 18th Ave., Ste. C Nashville, TN 37203 847-424-2000 E-mail: awareinfo@awaremusic.com Web: www.awarerecords.com
AMERICAN EAGLE RECORDINGS 13001 Dieterle Ln. St. Louis, MO 63127 888-521-8146 Fax 314-984-0828 E-mail: info@americaneaglerecordings.com Web: americaneaglerecordings.com
BA DA BING! RECORDS 181 Clermont Ave., Ste. 403 Brooklyn, NY 11205 E-mail: hello@badabingrecords.com Web: www.badabingrecords.com
AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT RECORDS P.O. Box 85 Mystic, CT 06355 860-460-8903 (business inquires only) E-mail: americanlaundromat@hotmail.com Web: www.alr-music.com *Not accepting demos
BAR-NONE RECORDS P.O. Box 1704 Hoboken, NJ 07030 201-770-9090 E-mail: info@bar-none.com Web: www.bar-none.com Distribution: ADA *Unsolicited material accepted
AMHERST RECORDS 1762 Main St. Buffalo, NY 14208 716-883-9520 Fax 716-884-1432 E-mail: info@amherstrecords.com Web: www.amherstrecords.com ANTI2798 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 213-413-7353 E-mail: publicity@epitaph.com Web: www.anti.com, https://facebook.com/ antirecords API RECORDS P.O. Box 7041 Watchung, NJ 07069 E-mail: apirecords@verizon.net Web: www.apirecords.com
BARSUK RECORDS P.O. Box 22546 Seattle, WA 98122 Web: www.barsuk.com Roster: Death Cab For Cutie, the Long Winters, Mates of State, Menomena, Nada Surf, Ra Ra Riot, Phantogram, Ramona Falls, the Wooden Birds, David Bazan, Maps & Atlases, and Say Hi, Big Scary, Laura Gibson, Pacific Air, Chris Walla Distribution: Redeye *No unsolicited material BASEMENT BOYS INC. 500 St. Mary St. Baltimore, MD 21201 410-383-9103 E-mail: basementboys@att.net Web: www.basementboys.com BEC RECORDINGS P.O. Box 12698 206-691-9782 Seattle, WA 98111 E-mail: lori@mergepr.com Web: www.becrecordings.com
APPLESEED RECORDINGS P.O. Box 2593 West Chester, PA 19380 610-701-5755 E-mail: jim@appleseedmusic.com Web: www.appleseedmusic.com
BEGGARS GROUP (Also XL Recordings, Rough Trade Records, Matador Records, 4AD) 304 Hudson St., 7th Fl. New York, NY 10013 212-995-5882 E-mail: banquet@beggars.com Web: www.beggarsgroupusa.com Contact: Matt Harmon, president
ARCTIC SIREN PRODUCTIONS 4105 Turnagain Blvd., Ste. L Anchorage, AK 99517 907-245-7311 E-mail: artcsirn@alaska.net Web: www.arcticsiren.com Contact: Peggy Monaghan
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ASINNI RECORDS Asinni Entertainment Group 14601 Bellaire Blvd., Ste. 308 Houston, TX 77083 281-575-6262 E-mail: copyright.agent@ Asinnientertainmentgroup.com Web: www.asinnirecords.com
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2035 Hyperion Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027 213-341-4823 BIELER BROS. RECORDS 4100 N. Powerline Rd., Ste. U-5 Pompano Beach, FL 954-979-4781 Fax 954-979-9709 E-mail: info@bielerbros.com Web: www.bielerbros.com *Accepts unsolicited material, by EPK with links only BIG DEAL RECORDS 414260 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 201 Sherman Oaks, CA 818-789-4483 Styles/Specialties: pop, rock, R&B *No unsolicited material Additional location: Nashville 615-242-0881 BIG MO RECORDS 2002 Gove Hill Rd. Thetford Ctr., VT 05075 802-785-4221 E-mail: eeastridge@gmail.com Web: www.bigmo.com BIG NOISE 11 S. Angell St., Ste. 336 Providence, RI 02906 401-274-4770 E-mail: algomes@bignoisenow.com Web: www.bignoisenow.com Roster: Artists have included Christina Aguilera, Katharine McPhee, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul Doucette (Matchbox 20), Little Anthony & the Imperials, Jim Brickman, Jay Geils, Bela Fleck. *We are currently accepting demo submissions. Please call or e-mail first. BLACKBERRY RECORDS P.O. Box 16469 Jackson, MS 39236 601-206-4600 Fax 601-206-1777 E-mail: blackberry@blackberryrecords.com Web: www.blackberryrecords.com BLACK DAHLIA MUSIC P.O. Box 4940 Los Alamos, NM 87544 505-672-0333 E-mail: blackd@blackdahlia.com Web: www.blackdahlia.com BLACKHEART RECORDS 636 Broadway New York, NY 10012 212-353-9600 Fax 212-353-8300 E-mail: blackheart@blackheart.com Web: www.blackheart.com Styles/Specialties: all styles *Unsolicited material accepted, attn: A&R Dept. BLIND PIG RECORDS P.O. Box 2344 San Francisco, CA 94126 415-550-6484 Fax 415-550-6485 E-mail: info@blindpigrecords.com Web: www.blindpigrecords.com Contact: Ed Chmelewski Styles/Specialties: blues, Americana, roots *No unsolicited materials BLOODSHOT RECORDS 3039 W. Irving Park Rd. Chicago, IL 60618 773-604-5300 E-mail: bshq@bloodshotrecords.com Web: www.bloodshotrecords.com
Download at www.musicconnection.com/digital BLUE CANOE RECORDS c/o Blue Canoe Digital, LLC 43 Rose Brooke Cir. White, GA 30184 E-mail: contactbcr@bluecanoerecords.com Web: www.bluecanoerecords.com
Hawthorne, CA 90250 323-418-1400 Fax 323-418-0118 E-mail: mail@centurymedia.com Web: www.centurymedia.com *Unsolicited material accepted, see web for details.
BLUE SKUNK MUSIC 12400 Russet Ln. Huntley, IL 60142 847-275-8378 E-mail: jrutan@blueskunkmusic.com Web: www.blueskunkmusic.com
CEXTON RECORDS P.O. Box 80187 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 917-570-6664 Offices in CA and NYC E-mail: cextonrecords@aol.com Web: www.cexton.com, www.johnanello.com Contact: John Anello, Jr. Roster: Johnny Mandolin, Larry Luger, Chiz Harris w/ Conte Candoli, Doc Anello Trio, Tom Kubis Big Band, Jack Wood, Beach Front Property, Doc Anello & the Swing Machine Big Band, James L Dean Big Band, Reissues of Sinatra, Martin, Andante Duo Italian Music, Marie Anello Opera CD, Otaku in Crime Japanese Anime music Styles/Specialties: jazz, big band, swing and Italian-American artists Distribution: Indie, point of purchase, Internet, specialty stores
BOMP/ALIVE NATURALSOUND RECORDS 919 Isabel - Unit G Burbank, CA 91506 E-mail: mailorder@bomprecords.com Web: www.bomp.com, www.alivenergy.com Contact: Patrick Boissel Roster: the Black Keys, Two Gallants, Buffalo Killers, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Soledad Brothers, the Warlocks, the Black Lips, SSM, Brimstone Howl, Trainwreck Riders, Black Diamond Heavies, Bloody Hollies Distribution: Lumberjack Mordam Music Group *Unsolicited material accepted. We are a small team, but we listen to it all. Do not contact us, we will contact you if we dig what we hear. Thank you! BOOSWEET RECORDS P.O. Box 45256 Los Angeles, CA 90045 310-613-3535 Fax 909-877-9199 E-mail: pierre@boosweet.com Web: www.boosweet.com Contact: Pierre Neilly Styles/Specialties: jazz, jazz fusion, smooth jazz, R&B, pop, reggae, hip-hop, rap, rock, metal, guitar instrumental, alternative Roster: Miguel Mega, Kiko Loureiro, Vernon Neilly, Marcelo Roacio, Edu Ardanuy BRIDGE NINE RECORDS 119 Foster St., Bldg. 4 Ste. 3 Peabody, MA 01960 978-532-0666 E-mail: info@bridge9.com Web: www.bridge9.com BLACK ROSE PRODUCTIONS 409 Rte. 112 Port Jefferson Sta., NY 11776 631-367-8544 E-mail: admin@blackroseproductions.com Web: www.blackrosemusicpub.com Contact: Roger Evans Additional location: 15 Gloria Ln. Fairfield, NJ 07004 631-367-8544 BURNSIDE RECORDS 20048 N.E. San Rafael St. Portland, OR 97203 1-800-288-2007 ext 2049 E-mail: info@burnsiderecords.com Web: www.burnsiderecords.com CANADIAN RECORDING SERVICES LTD. Vancouver, Canada 604-985-0679, 866-888-6464 E-mail: mimi@canadianrecording services.com Web: canadianrecordingservices.com Styles/Specialties: all genres, offers FREE studio referral and project coordination services CANYON RECORDS 3131 W. Clarendon Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85017 800-268-1141 E-mail: canyon@canyonrecords.com Web: www.canyonrecords.com CASTLE RECORDS P.O. Box 2435 Hendersonville, TN 37077 615-559-5226 E-mail: CastleRecords@CastleRecords.com Web: www.castlerecords.com CELESTIAL HARMONIES Division of Mayflower Music Corp. 1951 N. Wilmot Rd. Tucson, AZ 85712 520-326-4400 Fax 520-326-3333 E-mail: celestial@harmonies.com Web: www.harmonies.com CENTURY MEDIA 2323 W. El Segundo Blvd.
CHICKEN COUP RECORDS P.O. Box 26850 Tempe, AZ 85285 480-491-6430 E-mail: sales@summitrecords.com Web: www.chickencouprecords.com Styles/Specialties: jazz - B3 organ, blues Distribution: hard goods: Allegro Media Group (North America); digital: IODA CLEOPATRA RECORDS 11041 Santa Monica Blvd., PMB 703 Los Angeles, CA 90025 310-477-4000 Fax 310-312-5653 Web: www.cleopatrarecords.com Contact: Brian Perera, Tim Yasui Styles/Specialties: gothic, rock, metal, rap, R&B, dance, classics, soundtracks CLICKPOP RECORDS P.O. Box 5765 Bellingham, WA 98227 E-mail: dave@clickpoprecords.com Web: www.clickpoprecords.com CMH RECORDS 2898 Rowena Ave., #201 Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-663-8073 E-mail: info@cmhrecords.com Web: www.cmhrecords.com Styles/Specialties: country, bluegrass, electric, children’s, Christmas COAST RECORDS 2530 Atlantic Ave., Ste. C Long Beach, CA 90806 310-325-2800 E-mail: coast@logginspromotion.com Web: www.logginspromotion.com Contact: Paul Loggins Styles/Specialties: all styles
Nashville, TN 37203 615-321-9532 Web: www.curb.com *No unsolicited material accepted
Albuquerque, NM 87108 505-266-8274 E-mail: dsbp@dsbp.cx Web: www.dsbp.cx
DAEMON RECORDS P.O. Box 1207 Decatur, GA 30031 E-mail: hello@daemonrecords.com Web: www.daemonrecords.com
DUALTONE RECORDS 3 McFerrin Ave. Nashville, TN 37206 615-320-0620 E-mail: info@dualtone.com Web: www.dualtone.com
DANGERBIRD RECORDS 3801 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90039 E-mail: info@dangerbird.com Web: www.dangerbirdrecords.com Roster: Silversun Pickups, T. Hardy Morris, Sea Wolf, Broadheds DEAD TRUTH RECORDINGS 9238 N.W. 13th Pl. Coral Springs, FL 33071 954-247-4584 E-mail: deadtruthrecordings@gmail.com Web: www.deadtruthrecordings.com DECAYDANCE MUSIC E-mail: see website for demo submission Web: www.decaydance.com DEEP ELM RECORDS P.O. Box 792197 Paia, HI 96779 E-mail: info@deepelm.com Web: www.deepelm.com Styles: indie, emo, post-rock, post-hardcore DEF RO INC 33 Prospect St., Ste. 1R Bloomfield, NJ 07003 973-200-8247 Web: http://sirro.tripod.com/id2.html E-mail: defroinc@msn.com Contact: Ro Smith Styles: R&B, Hip-hop, pop Clients: Mary J. Blige, Fabollous Tre Songz, Akon Jaheim and MJB *submit your demos of at least 3 traces MAIL ONLY: Will Strickland A&R DEEP SOUTH RECORDS P.O. Box 17737 Raleigh, NC 27619 919-844-1515 E-mail: info@deepsouthentertainment.com Web: www.deepsouthentertainment.com DELMARK RECORDS 4121 N. Rockwell Chicago, IL 60618 773-539-5001 Fax 773-539-5004 E-mail: jazzpromo@delmark.com Web: www.delmark.com DELOS PRODUCTIONS P.O. BOX 343 Sonoma, CA 95476 800-364-0645, 707-996-3844 E-mail: orders@delosmus.com Web: www.delosmusic.com Styles/Specialties: classical
COMPASS RECORDS 916 19th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212 800-757-2277, 615-320-7672 Fax 615-320-7378 E-mail: info@compassrecords.com Web: www.compassrecords.com
DISCHORD RECORDS 3819 Beecher St. N.W. Washington, DC 20007 703-351-7507 E-mail: dischord@dischord.com Web: www.dischord.com
CONCORD RECORDS 100 N. Crescent Dr., Garden Level Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-385-4455 E-mail: Press@concordmusicgroup.com Web: www.concordrecordsgroup.com Roster: Karrin Allyson, George Benson, Casey Abrams, Nat Adderley
D’MAR ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 7723 Tylers Place Blvd., Ste. 275 West Chester, OH 45069 513-617-2392 E-mail: dmarentertainment@fuse.net Web: www.dmarentertainment.com Contact: Sheila A. Jordan Styles/Specialities: smooth jazz, R&B, gospel *Accepts unsolicited material
COURTHOUSE RECORDS P.O. Box 8462 Richmond, VA 23226 804-320-7067 E-mail: FcrestMus@aol.com Web: www.courthousecds.com CRACKNATION Lombard, IL 60657 E-mail: info@cracknation.com Web: www.cracknation.com
DOMO RECORDS 11340 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. 270 Los Angeles, CA 90064 310-966-4414 E-mail: dino@domomusicgroup.com Web: www.domomusicgroup.com Contact: Dino Malito Styles/Specialties: new age, world music, rock, soundtrack, ambient, electronic
CROSSROADS ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 829 Arden, NC 28704 828-684-3066 E-mail: care@crossroadsmusic.com Web: www.crossroadsmusic.com
DRAG CITY RECORDS P. O. Box 476867 Chicago, IL 60647 312-455-1015 E-mail: press@dragcity.com Web: www.dragcity.com
CURB RECORDS 48 Music Sq. E.
DSPB 237 Cagua N.E.
ENTERTAINMENT ONE MUSIC US 740 Broadway, 8th Fl. New York, NY 10003 Web: www.entertainmentone.com EARWIG MUSIC COMPANY, INC. 2054 W. Farwell Ave., Garden Unit Chicago, IL 60645-4963 773-262-0278 Fax 773-262-0285 E-mail: mfrank@earwigmusic.com Web: www.earwigmusic.com ELEVATOR MUSIC 1601 Penn Ave. Apt. 409e Pittsburgh, PA 15221 914-509-5870, 914-573-9452 E-mail: fernando@elevatormusic.com Web: www.elevatormusic.com EMPEROR JONES RECORDS P.O. Box 4730 Austin, TX 78765 E-mail: brutus@emperorjones.com Web: www.emperorjones.com EPITAPH RECORDS 2798 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026 213-413-7353 E-mail: publicity@epitaph.com Web: www.epitaph.com Styles/Specialties: alt-rock, punk Distribution: Indies *No unsolicited material ESTRUS LLC P.O. Box 2125 Bellingham, WA 98227 E-mail: website@estrus.com Web: www.estrus.com EQUAL VISION RECORDS P.O. Box 38202 Albany, NY 12203-8202 518-458-8250 Fax 518-458-1312 E-mail: info@equalvision.com Web: www.equalvision.com Styles/Specialties: punk, hardcore, indie, emo, rock, pop, metal *Save some trees! Don’t mail physical demos. Instead please e-mail links to stream your music (no downloads), with a biography EVIDENCE MUSIC, INC. 1100 E. Hector St., Ste. 392 Conshohocken, PA 19428 610-832-0844 E-mail: information@evidencemusic.com Web: www.evidencemusic.com FAT POSSUM RECORDS P.O. Box 1923 Oxford, MS 38655 662-234-2828 Fax 662-234-2899 E-mail: matthew@fatpossum.com Web: www.fatpossum.com FAT WRECK CHORDS 2196 Palou Ave. San Francisco, CA 94124 E-mail: mailbag@fatwreck.com Web: www.fatwreck.com Contact: Mark Tamo Styles/Specialties: punk *Unsolicited materials accepted FAVORED NATIONS ENTERTAINMENT 17328 Ventura Blvd. #165 Encino, CA 91316 818-385-1989 Web: www.favorednations.com Roster: See web Styles/Specialties: all styles are welcome (Label is co-owned by Steve Vai) FEARLESS RECORDS 5870 W Jefferson Blvd. Studio E Los Angeles, CA 90016 310-730-6655 Fax 310-730-6659 Web: http://fearlessrecords.com E-mail: demos@fearlessrecords.com Distribution: RED FERRET MUSIC 1290 Ave of the Americas, 24th Fl. New York, NY 10104
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Annual Directory of Everything Indie Web: http://www.ferretstyle.com E-mail: ferretstyle@ferretstyle.com Distribution: Roadrunner Records, RED *See web for submission guidelines FERVOR RECORDS 1810 W. Northern Ave., Ste a-9 Box 186 Phoenix, AZ 85021 602-870-1788 E-mail: christy.spencer@fervor-records.com Web: fervor-records.com FEVER RECORDS P.O. Box 219 Yonkers, NY 10710 212-586-6900, Fax 914-725-3485 Attn: Sal Abbatiello E-mail: info@feverrecords.com Web: www.feverrecords.com FIELDCREST MUSIC P.O. Box 8462 Richmond, VA 23226 804-320-7067 E-mail: fcrestmus@aol.com Web: www.courthousecds.com FOLK ERA RECORDS 705 S. Washington St. Naperville, IL 60540 1-800-232-7328 E-mail: kerry@folkera.com Web: www.rediscovermusic.com FONOVISA RECORDS Miami, FL 33166 Web: www.fonovisa.com FOODCHAIN RECORDS 6464 Sunset Blvd. Ste. 920 Hollywood, CA 90028 323-957-7900 Fax 323-957-7911 Web: www.foodchainrecords.com Note: Please submit demos by mail FREDDIE RECORDS 5979 S. Staples Corpus Christi, TX 78413 361-992-8411 Fax 361-992-8428 E-mail: info@freddierecords.com Web: www.freddiestore.com FRONTIER RECORDS P.O. Box 22 Sun Valley, CA 91353 818-759-8279 E-mail: info@frontierrecords.com Web: www.frontierrecords.com Styles/Specialties: hardcore punk, OC punk, punk-pop, alternative rock Roster: Adolescents, Middle Class, Eddie & the Subtitles *Only reissuing vintage, punk material, no new artists. G2 RECORDS 14110 N. Dallas Pkwy., Ste. 365 Dallas, TX 75254 972-726-9203 Fax 972-726-7749 E-mail: info@g2records.com Web: www.g2records.com GEARHEAD RECORDS P. Box 2375 Elk Grove, CA 95759 916-897-2451 E-mail: info@gearheadrecords.com Web: www.gearheadrecords.com Contact: Michelle Haunold Styles/Specialties: rock & roll, outlaw country, punk, garage, rockabilly and sleaze metal. *We accept unsolicited material, but please don’t call or write bugging us, we’ll get in touch when we listen to it! GEORGE TOBIN MUSIC 102 N.E. 2nd St. Boca Raton, FL 33432 E-mail: Georgetobinmusic@gmail.com Web: http://www.headlinerrecords.com GET HIP, INC. 1800 Columbus Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15233 412-231-4766 Fax 412-231-4777 E-mail: gregg@gethip.com Web: www.gethip.com GO GIRLS MUSIC P.O. Box 2628 Bellaire, TX 77402 E-mail: gogirlsmusic@gmail.com Web: www.gogirlsmusic.com Styles/Specialties: We are all genres for women in music.
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GO-KUSTOM REKORDS & FILM P.O. Box 77750 Seattle, WA 98177 E-mail: gokustom@gmail.com Web: www.go-kustom.com GREEN LINNET 916 19th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212 615-320-7672 800-757-2277 E-mail: info@greenlinnet.com Web: www.greenlinnet.com HACIENDA RECORDS 1236 S. Staple Corpus Christi, TX 78404 361-882-7066 E-mail: sales@haciendarecords.com Web: http://hacienda-records.myshopify.com HEADS UP INTERNATIONAL Concord Music Group 100 N. Crescent Dr., Garden Level Beverly Hills, CA 90210 E-mail: press@concordmusicgroup.com Web: http://concordmusicgroup.com/labels/ Heads-Up HOLOGRAPHIC RECORDS Longworth Hall 700 West Pete Rose Way, Ste. 390 P.O. Box 18 Cincinnati, OH 45203 E-mail: info@holographicrecords.com Web: www.holographicrecords.com HOMESKILLET RECORDS Sitka, AK, Portland, OR E-mail: galanin@gmail.com Web: http://www.homeskilletfest.com HOMESLICE MUSIC 5060 SW Philomath Blvd., #301 Corvallis, OR 97333 541-760-3009 E-mail: tony@debraarlyn.com Web: www.debraarlyn.com Contact: Tony Styles/Specialties: pop, R&B, AC Roster: Debra Arlyn HORROR HIGH 3727 W. Magnolia Blvd., 766 Burbank, CA 91505 E-mail: info@horrorhigh.com Web: https://www.facebook.com/HorrorHigh HOT TOMATO RECORDS DEEP SOUTH ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 17737 Raleigh, NC 27619 919-844-1515 E-mail: info@deepsouthentertainment.com Web: www.deepsouthentertainment.com HYENA RECORDS 4658 Wortser Ave. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-789-4483 E-mail: billedern@aol.com Web: https://www.facebook.com/ hyenarecords Contact: Bill Dern Styles/Specialties: jazz, roots, blues, Americana, reissues Distribution: E-1 *No Unsolicited Material IAMSOUND RECORDS 850 S. Broadway, #801 Los Angeles, CA 90014 E-mail: niki@iamsoundrecords.com Web: www.iamsoundrecords.com Roster: Bleeding Knees Club, Banks, The Black Ghosts, Charli XCX, Florence and the Machine, Fools Gold, IO Echo, Kate Boy, Little Boots, Lord Huron, Men, MS MR, Newvillager, Nikki Lane, Salem ICEHOUSE MUSIC 952 Echo Lane, Ste. 380 Houston, TX 77024 713-463-6931, Fax 713-463-6929 E-mail: david@icehousemusic.com Web: www.icehousemusic.com Distribution: Brick and Morter, Itunes IDOL RECORDS P.O. Box 140344 Dallas, TX 75214 E-mail: info@idolrecords.com Web: www.idolrecords.com INDIANOLA RECORDS 3014 Shelton Rd. Valdosta, GA 31606 Web: http://www.indianolarecords.com Styles: hardcore, metal, rock Distribution: E1 Entertainment
INTEGRITY LABEL GROUP 4050 Lee Vance View Colorado Springs, CO 1-888-888-4726 Contact: David C. Cook E-mail: CustomerCare@integrityMusic.com Web: www.integritymusic.com INVISIBLE RECORDS P.O. Box 16008 Chicago IL 60616 773-523-8316 E-mail: studio@invisiblerecords.com Web: https://www.facebook.com/ InvisibleRecords IPECAC RECORDINGS E-mail: info@ipecac.com Web: www.ipecac.com Contact: Greg Werckman Distribution: Fontana Roster: Fantomas, Melvins, Northern State, Dalek, Skeleton Key, Peeping Tom, Dub Trio IRONWORKS MUSIC Los Angeles, CA E-mail: Jenn.johnson@ironworksmusic.com Web: www.ironworksmusic.com Contact: Jenn Johnson Styles/Specialties: a full facility entertainment company JAGGO RECORDS 10061 Riverside Dr., Ste. 718 Toluca Lake, CA 91602 323-850-1819 E-mail: jaggo@jaggo.com Web: www.jaggo.com Styles/Specialties: pop, rock, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, soul, World music *Unsolicited material accepted JAZZ LINK ENTERPRISES 3721 Columbia Dr. Longmont, CO 80503 303-776-1764 E-mail: info@jazzlinkenterprises.com Web: www.jazzlinkenterprises.com JONKEY ENTERPRISES 663 W. California Ave. Glendale, CA 91203 818-247-6219 1-800-259-6004 E-mail: chuck@sonicsafarimusic.com Web: www.jonkey.com Contact: Chuck Jonkey Styles/Specialties: environmental, world, traditional, ethnic Distribution: Indies Roster: Chuck Jonkey, Carl Malone *No unsolicited material KALIMBA MUSIC, INC. 15260 Ventura Blvd. Ste. 1750 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 818-528-7443 E-mail: admin@kalimbaentertainment.com Web: www.kalimba-music.com Styles/Specialties: adult contemporary jazz, smooth jazz, R&B Distribution: Online KEMADO RECORDS 87 Guernsey St. Brooklyn, NY 11222 E-mail: info@kemado.com Web: www.kemado.com Roster: The Sword KILL ROCK STARS 107 SE Washington St., Ste. 155 Portland, OR 97211 E-mail: krs@killrockstars.com Web: www.killrockstars.com KOCH RECORDS See E1 Music Group K RECORDS P.O. Box 7154 Olympia, WA 98507 360-786-1594 E-mail: info@krecs.com Web: www.krecs.com Contact: Mariella Luz Roster: Kimya Dawson, The Curious Mystery, Joey Casio LAMON RECORDS CORPORATION 2550 Meridian Blvd. Ste. 200 Franklin, TN 37067 615-379-2121 ext. 101 Fax 615-379-2122 E-mail: dave@lamonrecords.com Web: www.lamonrecords.com Additional locations: Hollywood, CA 310-494-0101
Charlotte, NC 704-282-9910 LAZY BONES RECORDINGS 9594 First Ave. N.E., Ste. 449 Seattle, WA 98115 206-447-0712, Fax 425-821-5720 E-mail: info@lazybones.com Web: www.lazybones.com Additional locations: Los Angeles 310-281-6232 Sydney, Australia Ste. 59, 78 William St. Sydney, NSW 2011 +61.2.8005.1236 New Plymouth, New Zealand P.O. Box 3361 New Plymouth, NZ 4341 +64.21.458.939 LAZY S.O.B. RECORDINGS P.O. Box 4084 Austin, TX 78765 512-480-0765 Fax 512-499-0207 E-mail: LazySOB1@aol.com Web: www.lazysob.com LEG (Loggins Entertainment Group) 5018 Franklin Pike Nashville, TN 37220 310-325-9997 E-mail: staff@backstageentertainment.net Web: www.backstageentertainment.net LEVIATHAN RECORDS P.O. Box 745 Tyrone, GA 30290 770-257-8697 E-mail: general@leviathanrecords.com Web: www.leviathanrecords.com LITTLE FISH RECORDS P.O. Box 19164 Cleveland, OH 44119 216-481-1634 E-mail: info@littlefishrecords.com Web: www.littlefishrecords.com LIZARD SUN ENTERTAINMENT 310-505-3958 Contact: Floyd Bocox, CEO & President E-mail: floyd@lizardsunentertainment.com Web: www.lizardsunentertainment.com Styles: country, pop, rock LOVECAT MUSIC P.O. Box 548, Ansonia Sta. New York, NY 10023 646-304-7391 E-mail: license@lovecatmusic.com Web: www.lovecatmusic.com LOVEPUMP UNITED RECORDS 61 Greenpoint Ave., #508 Brooklyn, NY 11222 347-469-0627 E-mail: info@lovepumpunited.com Web: www.lpurecords.com/v1/index.php Distribution: Secretly Canadian Distro LUAKA BOP 195 Chrystie, Ste. 901F New York, NY 10002 212-624-1469 E-mail: iwasthinking@luakabop.com Web: www.luakabop.com Styles/Specialties: pop, world *No unsolicited materials MAGGIE’S MUSIC P.O. Box 490 Shady Side, MD 20764 410-867-0642 Fax 410-867-0265 E-mail: mail@maggiesmusic.com Web: www.maggiesmusic.com MAGNA CARTA RECORDS A-1 Country Club Rd. East Rochester, NY 14445 585-381-5224 E-mail: info@magnacarta.net Web: www.magnacarta.net Styles/Specialties: progressive metal *submit physical promo materials to above address Demo Submissions see website for details MALACO MUSIC GROUP, THE P.O. Box 9287 Jackson, MS 39286 601-982-4522 Fax 601-982-4528 E-mail: malaco@malaco.com Web: www.malaco.com
Download at www.musicconnection.com/digital MAMA RECORDS P.O. Box 26850 Tempe, AZ 85285 1-800-543-5156 E-mail: sales@summitrecords.com Web: www.summitrecords.com Styles/Specialties: jazz - big band, contemporary Distribution: hard goods: Allegro Media Group (North America); digital: IODA
Web: www.jonbare.net Styles/Specialties: blues and rock
MANIFESTO RECORDS 1180 S. Beverly Dr., Ste. 510 Los Angeles, CA 90035 310-556-9800, Fax 310-556-9801 E-mail: info@manifesto.com Web: www.manifesto.com Contact: Evan Cohen (Business Affairs) Styles/Specialties: rock, indie, Brit-pop, punk Roster: Dead Kennedys, Tom Waits, Tim Buckley, The Turtles Distribution: MVD *No unsolicited material
MERGE RECORDS Chapel Hill, NC E-mail: merge@mergerecords.com Web: www.mergerecords.com
MARSALIS MUSIC 323 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02139 617-354-2736 Web: www.marsalismusic.com MATADOR RECORDS 304 Hudson St., 7th Fl. New York, NY 10013 212-995-5882 Fax 212-995-5883 Web: www.matadorrecords.com Styles/Specialties: all styles *Unsolicited material accepted MAXJAZZ 115 W. Lockwood Ave. St. Louis, MO 63119 800-875-8331 E-mail: info@maxjazz.com Web: www.maxjazz.com MEGA TRUTH RECORDS P.O. Box 4988 Culver City, CA 90231 Contact: Jon Bare E-mail: jonbare@aol.com
MENLO PARK RECORDINGS 16 W. 16th St., #6RN New York, NY 10011 E-mail: menlopark@menlopark recordings.com Web: www.menloparkrecordings.com Roster: Deerhoof, Japanther
METAL BLADE RECORDS 5737 Kanan Rd. #143 Agoura Hills, CA 91301 E-mail: metalblade@metalblade.com Web: www.metalblade.com Styles/Specialties: heavy metal, progressive, rock *Unsolicited material accepted Additional location: Metal Blade Records GMGH Marstallstrasse 14 73033 Goppingen, Germany METER RECORDS 106, 7620 Elbow Dr. S.W. Calgary, Canada AB T2V 1K2 E-mail: info@meterrecords.com Web: www.meterrecords.com
MINT RECORDS P.O. Box 3613, M.P.O. Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 3Y6 604-669-MINT E-mail: info@mintrecs.com Web: www.mintrecs.com Roster: Hot Panda, Immaculate Machine, Carolyn Mark, Fanshaw, Kellarissa, Maow, John Guliak MORPHIUS RECORDS 100 E. 23rd St. Baltimore, MD 21218 410-662-0112 E-mail: info@morphius.com Web: www.morphius.com MOTION CITY RECORDS 1424 4th St. #604 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-434-1272 E-mail: editor@motioncity.com Web: www.motioncity.com Styles/Specialties: alternative rock Roster: Velvet, Voodoo, Brent Fraser, 10 Pound Troy, UFO Bro, Drag, Wendy Bucklew MOTORIZED MUSIC GROUP P.O. Box 3154 Glendale, CA 91221 818-548-7989 E-mail: info@motorizedmusic.com Web: www.motorizedmusic.com Contact: Randy Nicklaus, Laure Dunham
METROPOLIS RECORDS P.O. Box 974 Media, PA 19063 610-595-9940 E-mail: info@metropolis-records.com Web: www.metropolis-records.com
MOUNTAIN APPLE COMPANY, THE 1330 Ala Moana Blvd., Ste. 001 Honolulu, HI 96814 808-597-1888, 800-882-7088 Web: www.mountainapplecompany.com Styles/Specialties: traditional & contemporary Hawaiian
MILAN ENTERTAINMENT Burbank, CA 91505 E-mail: jc.chamboredon@milanrecords.com Web: www.milanrecords.com Styles/Specialties: soundtracks, electronic, world
MOUNTAIN HOME RECORDS P.O. Box 829 Arden, NC 28704 800-966-7664 Fax 828-684-4495 E-mail: care@crossroadsmusic.com Web: www.crossroadsmusic.com
Styles/Specialties: bluegrass *No unsolicited material MRG RECORDINGS E-mail: info@mrgrecordings.com Web: www.mrgrecordings.com, facebook.com/mrgrecordings Contact: A&R Styles/Specialties: rock, electronic, ambient, folk N. E. H. RECORDS 7915 Oxford Rd. Niwot, CO 80503 303-652-0199 E-mail: mmcpherson@nehrecords.com Web: www.nehrecords.com NEW PANTS PUBLISHING INC. & OLD PANTS PUBLISHING INC. 102 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Ste. 200 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 719-632-0227 Fax 719-634-2274 E-mail: rac@crlr.net Web: www.newpants.com, www.oldpants.com Contact: Robert A. Case Styles/Specialties: pop, rock, rap, R&B, country Roster: Stephanie Aramburo, Chad Steele, C. Lee Clarke, Tech T, James Becker, Kathy Watson, Lisa Bigwood, George Montalbano, Silence, Sherwin Greenwood, Joel Diehl, John Ellis and Phyllis Shaw. *Unsolicited material through management or lawyer only. Please call or e-mail before submitting. NEW WEST RECORDS 3723 W Olive Ave. Burbank, CA 91505 818-433-3500 E-mail: publicity@newwestrecords.com Web: www.newwestrecords.com Roster: see web NITRO RECORDS 7071 Warner Ave., Ste. F736 Huntington Beach, CA 92647 E-mail: info@nitrorecords.com
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Annual Directory of Everything Indie Web: www.nitrorecords.com Styles/Specialties: punk/pop Roster: see web NO ALTERNATIVE RECORDS 729 S. 2nd St. Mankato, MN 56001 507-344-8985 E-mail: info@noalternativerecords.com Web: www.noalternativerecords.com Additional location: Minneapolis Office 3148 Bryant Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-375-1113 NOISEY BY VICE E-mail: media@noisey.com Web: www.noisey.com NONESUCH RECORDS 1290 Ave. of the Americas, 23rd Fl. New York, NY 10104 212-707-2900 Fax 212-707-3207 E-mail: info@nonesuch.com Web: www.nonesuch.com Roster: Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Gipsy Kings, kd lang, Randy Newman, Wilco, Brian Wilson, Stephen Sondheim, Kronos Quartet, Youssou N’Dour, Buena Vista Social Club, Laurie Anderson and more. OGLIO RECORDS 23759 Madison St. Torrance, CA 90505 310-791-8600 E-mail: getinfo4@oglio.com Web: www.oglio.com Contact: Carl Caprioglio, Mark Copeland Roster: George Lopez, the Sparks, Jackie the Jokeman Martling, reissues, novelty, soundtracks, Beatallica OH BOY RECORDS 33 Music Sq. W., Ste. 102B Nashville, TN 37203 800-521-2112 E-mail: jon@ohboy.com Web: www.ohboy.com *no unsolicited material accepted PAPER GARDEN RECORDS 104 Emerson Pl., 3rd Fl. Brooklyn, NY 11205 E-mail: demos@papergarden.com Contact: Bryan Vaughn Web: papergardenrecords.com Roster: Alcoholic Faith Mission, Darla Framer, Mighty Tiger, Pree PARMA RECORDINGS 223 Lafayette Rd. North Hampton, NH 03842 603-758-1718 E-mail: info@parmarecordings.com Web: www.parmarecordings.com PAUL WINTER P.O. Box 72 Litchfield, CT 06759 860-567 8796, 800-437-2281 E-mail: info@livingmusic.com Web: www.paulwinter.com PHIRE MUSIC 1912 Point Breeze Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19145 267-519-3710 E-mail: info@phiremusiconline.com Web: www.phiremusiconline.com Media Contact: Jamie Burrell Other Contact: Brian McDaniel Styles/Specialties: artist development/ marketing & promotion, hip-hop, R&B, production Roster: Blackanese, StrictBizz Distribution: Independent PINCH HIT ENTERTAINMENT 2400 W. Carson St., Ste. 223 Torrance, CA 90501 Web: www.pinchhit.com Contact: Mike Naylor Styles/Specialties: all styles POSI-TONE P.O. Box 2848 Los Angeles, CA 90294 310-871-2652 E-mail: info@posi-tone.com Web: www.posi-tone.com Styles/Specialties: jazz Roster: Orrin Evans, Jim Rotondi, Ralph Bowen, Sam Yahel, Jared Gold, David Gibson, Ehud Asherie, Doug Webb
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PPL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. 468 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 200 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 261488 Encino, CA 91426 310-860-7499, 818-506-8533 E-mail: pplzmi@aol.com Web: www.pplzmi.com Contact: Maxx Diamond *No unsolicited material accepted. Must first e-mail or write with SASE for permission. PRA RECORDS 1255 Fifth Ave., Ste. 7K New York, NY 10029 212-860-3233 E-mail: pra@prarecords.com Web: www.prarecords.com Contact: Patrick Rains Styles/Specialties: jazz Distribution: Ryko PRAVDA RECORDS P.O. Box 268043 Chicago, IL 60626 773-763-7509 Fax 773-763-3252 E-mail: info@pravdamusic.com Web: www.pravdamusic.com PRIMARILY A CAPPELLA P.O. Box D San Anselmo, CA 94979 415-455-8602 E-mail: harmony@singers.com Web: www.singers.com Styles/Specialties: a cappella *Unsolicited material accepted RAMP RECORDS Santa Barbara, CA E-mail: Info@ramprecords.com Web: www.ramprecords.com Styles/Specialties: Eclectic Roster: Michael McDonald, Jeff Bridges *No unsolicited material RAP-A-LOT RECORDS P.O. Box 924190 Houston, TX 77292 800-861-7272 E-mail: info@rapalotrecords.com Web: www.rapalotrecords.com RADAR MUSIC VIDEOS 42-48 Charlbert St. St Johns Wood, NW8 7BU London, UK Contact: Caroline Bottomley E-mail: caroline@radarmusicvideos.com Web: www.radarmusicvideos.com Clients: Red Light Management, Partisan Records, Phantasy, Tiesto, Jessie J, Kacey Musgraves, Public Service Broadcasting, Alt-J RAZOR & TIE ENTERTAINMENT 214 Sullivan St., 4th Fl. New York, NY 10012 212-598-2229 E-mail: rrifkin@razorandtie.com Web: www.razorandtie.com Roster: see website REBEL WALTZ / TIME BOMB RECORDINGS 31652 2nd Ave. Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-499-4497 E-mail: info@rebelwaltz.com Web: www.rebelwaltz.com Styles/Specialties: punk, alt. rock *No unsolicited material RED EYE MUSIC GROUP 449-A Trollingwood Rd. Haw River, NC 27258 877-733-3931 Web: www.redeyeusa.com Note: no unsolicited material RED HOUSE RECORDS P.O. Box 4044 St. Paul, MN 55104 651-644-4161 E-mail: customerservice@redhouser ecords.com Web: www.redhouserecords.com RELAPSE RECORDS P.O. Box 2060 Upper Darby, PA 19082 USA 610-734-1000 Fax 610-734-3717 E-mail: relapse@relapse.com Web: www.relapse.com Roster: High on Fire, Jucifer, Origin, Brutal Truth
REMBA RECORDS P.O. Box 611 Montrose, CA 91021 818-244-5661 E-mail: michael@rembarecords.com Web: www.rembarecords.com Contact: Jennifer Russell, Michael Gayle Styles/Specialties: all styles REVELATION RECORDS P.O. Box 5232 Huntington Beach, CA 92615 714-842-7584 E-mail: webmaster@revhq.com Web: www.revelationrecords.com Styles/Specialties: hardcore, punk, emo and metal Roster: See website *Unsolicited material accepted RHYMESAYERS ENTERTAINMENT Minneapolis, MN 55405 E-mail: info@rhymesayers.com Web: www.rhymesayers.com ROADRUNNER RECORDS 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 28th Fl. New York, NY 10104 212-274-7500 Fax 212-505-7469 E-mail: publicity@roadrunner.com Web: www.roadrunnerrecords.com Styles/Specialties: rock *Unsolicited materials accepted, see web for details. ROCKZION RECORDS 673 Valley Dr. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-379-6477 E-mail: rockzionrecords@rockzion.com Web: www.rockzion.com Styles/Specialties: Christian and crossover rock and film music ROIR (say ROAR!) (Reachout International Records) P.O. Box 150-460 Van Brunt Station Brooklyn, NY 11215 718-852-7647 E-mail: info@roir-usa.com Web: www.roir-usa.com Styles/Specialties: punk, reggae, rock *Unsolicited material accepted, but look at our website so you know who we are. ROTTEN RECORDS P.O. Box 56 Upland, CA 91785 909-920-4567 E-mail: radio@rottenrecords.com Web: www.rottenrecords.com Styles/Specialties: rock, punk, heavy metal *Unsolicited material accepted. No phone calls please. ROUNDER RECORDS One Rounder Way Burlington, MA 01803 617-354-0700 E-mail: info@rounder.com Web: www.rounder.com RRO ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 4263 Parker, CO 80134 E-mail: les@lesfradkin.com Web: www.rroentertainment.com SHANGRI-LA PROJECTS P.O. Box 40106 Memphis, TN 38174 901-359-3102 E-mail: sherman@shangrilaprojects.com Web: www.shangrilaprojects.com SHUT EYE RECORDS & AGENCY 483 Moreland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30307 678-986-5110 E-mail: pete@peteknapp.com Web: www.shuteyerecords.com SIX DEGREES RECORDS P.O. Box 411347 San Francisco, CA 94141 415-626-6334 Fax 415-626-6167 E-mail: licensing@sixdegreesrecords.com Web: www.sixdegreesrecords.com Roster: See web Distribution: Fontana SONG PLACEMENT INTERNATIONAL 615-274-5553 E-mail: Kate@SongPlacement International.com Web: www.songplacementinternational.com Contact: Kate Taylor
Styles/Specialties: Film, TV, Commercials, Video Games, and Other media outlets. SONIC IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 12400 Ventura Blvd., #268 Studio City, CA 91604 323-650-4000 Fax 323-650-4028 E-mail: sonicimagesrecords@sonic images.com Web: www.sonicimages.com SONIC PAST MUSIC, LLC 3157 Oakcrest Drive Los Angeles, CA 90068 E-mail: joeystec@sonicpastmusic.com Web: www.sonicpastmusic.com Specialties: Label specializes in unreleased material by famous artists as well as cult based musicians of the ‘60s through the ‘90s. Huey Lewis, Rick Springfield, Delaney Bramlett, Richie Sambora, Randy Meisner. We also feature many of the best soft pop/ sunshine pop artists of the ‘60s, artists like the Millennium, Curt Boettcher, Gary Usher, Sandy Salisbury, Les Emerson, Jackdawg SOUND KITCHEN STUDIOS, LLC 112 Seaboard Ln. Franklin, TN 37067 615-579-4655 E-mail: iblonder@soundkitchen.com Contact: Ira Blonder Web: www.soundkitchen.com Specialities: All Genres *Unsolicited material accepted SPARROW RECORDS (Capitol CMG Label Group) 101 Winners Circle Brentwood, TN 37027 615-371-4300 Web: www.sparrowrecords.com Styles/Specialties: Christian *No unsolicited materials SST 406 Talbot St. Taylor, TX 76574 512-352-8165 Fax 512-352-8178 E-mail: orders@sstsuperstore.com Web: www.sstsuperstore.com Styles/Specialties: rock, jazz, punk, progressive rock *Unsolicited material accepted STANLEY RECORDINGS 2126 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 213-483-0778 E-mail: info@stanleyrecordings.com Web: www.stanleyrecordings.com STREETBEAT RECORDS/PANDISC MUSIC CORP. 247 S.W. 8th St., Ste. 349 Miami, FL 33130 305-557-1914 Fax 888-493-7778 *Unsolicited material accepted SUB POP 2013 Fourth Ave., 3rd. Fl. Seattle, WA 98121 206-441-8441 Fax 206-441-8245 E-mail: info@subpop.com Web: www.subpop.com Styles/Specialties: rock, alt. rock *No unsolicited material SUMMIT RECORDS, INC. P.O. Box 26850 Tempe, AZ 85285 480-491-6430, 800-543-5156 E-mail: sales@summitrecords.com Web: www.summitrecords.com Styles/Specialties: jazz, classical, brass, winds, educational, kids SUPREME ENTERPRISES INTERNATIONAL CORP. P.O. Box 1373 Agoura Hills, CA 91376 818-707-3481 E-mail: supreme2@earthlink.net Web: www.raggaforce.com Contact: J. Sarmiento Styles/Specialties: trance, Latin, reggae *No phone calls, please SURFDOG RECORDS 1126 South Coast Highway 101 Encinitas, CA 92024 760-944-8000 Fax 760-944-7808 E-mail: demo@surfdog.com Web: www.surfdog.com Contact: Anita Strine Roster: Brian Setzer, Stray Cats, Richard Cheese, Gary Hoey, Rusty Anderson, Slightly
Download at www.musicconnection.com/digital Stoopid, Dan Hicks, Butthole Surfers, Gibby Haynes, Dylan Donkin, the Wylde Bunch *Unsolicited material accepted SYMBIOTIC RECORDS P.O. Box 88456 Los Angeles, CA 90009 424-245-0416 E-mail: sn@symbioticnation.com Web: www.symbioticnation.com Contact: Eric Knight Syles/Specialties: All Roster: Ignacio Val, Eric Knight Services: Record Label *Accepts unsolicited material email links only - no phone calls SYMPATHY FOR THE RECORD INDUSTRY 120 State Ave., N.E. 134 Olympia, WA 98501 E-mail: sympathy13@aol.com Web: www.sympathyrecords.com TANGENT RECORDS P.O. Box 383 Reynoldsburg, OH 43068 614-751-1962 Fax 614-751-6414 E-mail: info@tangentrecords.com Web: www.tangentrecords.com Contact: Andrew J. Batchelor, President Styles/Specialties: contemporary instrumental, rock instrumental, electronic, jazz-rock, world beat Distribution: self-distributed *Unsolicited material accepted THIN MAN ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 322 Torrance, CA 90507 310-320-8822 E-mail: AR@thinmanentertainment.com Web: www.thinmanentertainment.com Contact: Jeremy Meza Styles/Specialties: alternative rock, darkwave, deathrock, gothic, industrial, jazz, junk, punk, and psychobilly THIRD MAN RECORDS 623 7th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37203 615-891-4393 Web: http://thirdmanrecords.com THUMP RECORDS P.O.Box 9605 Brea, CA 92822 909-595-2144 E-mail: info@thumprecords.c om Web: www.thumprecords.com Contact: Bill Walker, CEO Styles/Specialties: Latin rap, old skool, rap, R&B, Latin, oldies, disco Distribution: UNI TREASURE ISLE RECORDERS, INC. 2808 Azalea Pl. Nashville, TN 37204 615-297-0700 E-mail: fredvail@treasureislenashville.com TRIPLE X RECORDS P.O. Box 862529 Los Angeles, CA 90086-2529 323-221-2204 Fax 323-221-2778 Contact: Peter Huer Styles/Specialties: alt. rock, reissues, goth, rap
Distribution: Navarre *Call before sending material URBAND & LAZAR Los Angeles, Miami E-mail:i nfo@urbandlazar.com Web: http://urbandlazar.com/faq.php Styles/Specialities: indie rock, alternative, s-s *We do no accept unsolicited material VAGRANT RECORDS 5566 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016 323-302-0100 E-mail: licensing@vagrant.com Web: www.vagrant.com VAN RICHTER RECORDS 2145 East Tahquitz Canyon Way 4-219 Palm Springs, CA 92262 858-412-4329 E-mail: manager@vanrichter.net Web: www.vanrichter.net Styles/Specialties: industrial, gothic, metal *Accepts unsolicited material VAPOR RECORDS 1460 4th St. #300 Santa Monica, CA 90401 E-mail: webstar@vaporrecords.com Web: www.vaporrecords.com VICTORY RECORDS 346 N. Justine St., Ste. 504 Chicago, IL 60607 312-666-8661 Fax 312-666-8665 E-mail: info@victoryrecords.com Web: www.victoryrecords.com WICKED COOL RECORDS 434 6th Ave., Ste. 6R New York, NY 347-229-2960 E-mail: scott@wickedcoolrecords.com Web: www.wickedcoolrecords.com XL RECORDINGS 304 Hudson St., 7th Fl. New York, 10013 E-mail: your@email.com Web: www.xlrecordings.com Roster: MIA, Friendly Fires, Ratatat, Vampire Weekend, Peaches, The White Stripes YEP ROC RECORDS 449-A Trollingwood Rd. Haw River, NC 27258 877-733-3931 E-mail: info@yeprocmusicgroup.com Web: http://www.yeproc.com
AFFORDABLE IMAGE 2515 N. 7th St. Phoenix, AZ 85006 866-824-3309, 602-265-2299 E-mail: sales@affordableimage.com Web: www.affordableimage.com
Atlanta, GA 31139 404-577-8686 Fax 404-577-8644 E-mail: info@360media.net Web: www.360media.net 919 MARKETING COMPANY 102 Avent Ferry Rd. Holly Springs, NC 27540 919-557-7890 Fax 919-557-0041 E-mail: media@919marketing.com Web: www.919marketing.com A1 INDIEPOWER 11054 Ventura Blvd., #333 Studio City, CA 91604 818-505-1836 E-mail: info@indiepower.com Web: www.indiepower.com Contact: Jay Warsinske CEO (40+ year veteran) Styles/Specialties: All styles, worldwide, maximum PR, promotion, marketing, & major distribution services by top pros ABC PROMOTIONAL MARKETING 20531 Rhode St. Woodland Hills, CA 91367 818-999-2226 Fax 818-999-2236 E-mail: andrew@shopabcpromo.com Web: www.shopabcpromo.com AIM MARKETING SOLUTIONS 530 Means St., N.W., Ste. G10 Atlanta, GA 30318 404-581-7131 Fax 404-588-9244 Contact: Kristi Atkins, CEO Web: www.aimmarketingsolutions.com Styles/Specialties: sports and entertainment marketing A.D.D. MARKETING & ADVERTISING 6600 Lexington Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-790-0500 Fax 323-790-0240 E-mail: info@addmarketing.com Web: www.addmarketing.com Styles/Specialties: rock, hip-hop, electronic *No unsolicited material **No phone calls please
AIRPLAY ACCESS 310-325-9997 E-mail: staff@airplayaccess.com Web: www.airplayaccess.com Contact: Paul Loggins Styles/Specialties: all styles ANDERSON MARKETING 3260 Ramos Cir. Sacramento, CA 95827 916-361-3682 E-mail: a4@a4promo.com Web: www.amipromo.com ARIEL PUBLICITY, CYBER PROMOTIONS, ROCKGIRL MARKETING 389 12th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 212-239-8384 E-mail: contact@arielpublicity.com Web: www.arielpublicity.com ARISTOMEDIA 1620 16th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212 615-269-7071 Fax 888-894-4934 E-mail: info@aristomedia.com Web: www.aristomedia.com ARTISTS HOUSE MUSIC Web: www.artistshousemusic.org AUTHENTIK ARTISTS 4310 West Kling St. Burbank, CA 91505 714-321-1371 E-mail: bob@authentikArtists.com Web: http://authentikartists.com AWARD WINNERS 8939 Reseda Blvd. Northridge, CA 91324
MARKETERS / PROMOTERS 1 SEO EXPERTS Los Angeles, CA 888-736-1489 Web: http://1seoexperts.com Contact: Kelly Guy Services: Providing cutting edge media & marketing TWO SHEPS THAT PASS 401 Broadway, Ste. 804 New York, NY 10013 646-613-1101 E-mail: info@twoshepsthatpass.com, vera@ twoshepsthatpass.com Web: www.twoshepsthatpass.com 360 MEDIA P.O. Box 725188
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Annual Directory of Everything Indie 818-349-3932 1-888-95award E-mail: awrdwinrs@aol.com Web: www.awardwinners.net Contact: Jacque Styles/Specialties: gold records, specialties, t-shirts and tour jackets BIG 10 INDUSTRIES, INC. ROCK CITY MERCH 149 S. Barrington Ave. Ste. 812 Los Angeles, CA 90049 310-280-1610 E-mail: info@big10.com Web: www.big10.com BLACK DOG PROMOTIONS 9920 S. Rural Rd., Ste. 108 Tempe, AZ 85284 480-206-3435 E-mail: scott@blackdogpromotions.com Web: www.blackdogpromotions.com BRYAN FARRISH PROMOTION 1828 Broadway, 2nd Fl. Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-998-8305 E-mail: airplay@radio-media.com Web: www.radio-media.com Styles/Specialties: In-house and field staff to handle regular rotation on every commercial station in the U.S. and Canada, generating up to 3,000,000 listens per week on a single station in a single city. Also, college radio, specialty/mixshow radio, and www.gigchart. net for gigs in CA. CORNERSTONE 830 Traction Ave. #3F Los Angeles, CA 90013 213-217-4500 E-mail: info@cornerstonepromotion.com, pr@cornerstonepromotion.com Web: www.cornerstonepromotion.com Contact: Rob Stone and Jon Cohen Additional locations: New York 71 W 23rd St. Fl 13 New York, NY 10010 212-741-7100 London +44-0-207-729-2637 CREATIVE BRAND CONSULTING 1429 N. 1st St., Ste. 100 Phoenix, AZ 85004 (o) 888-567-0522, 916-662-5179 E-mail: ron@creativebrandconsulting.com Web: www.creativebrandconsulting.com DAN DEL CAMPOS / CONSULTANT PopMusicConsultants.com P.O. Box 873 Venice, CA 90294 E-mail: info@popmusicconsultants.com Web: www.popmusicconsultants.com DISTINCTIVE PROMO P.O. Box 95 Hewlett, NY 11557 516-792-1498 E-mail: promo@distinctivepromo.com Web: www.distinctivepromo.com EVOLUTION PROMOTION 7 Arlene Ave. Wilmington, MA 01887 978-658-3357 E-mail: info@evolutionpromotion.com Web: www.evolutionpromotion.com Contact: Karen Lee FANSCAPE 4721 Alla Road Marina de Rey, CA 90292 323-851-3267 E-mail: info@fanscape.com Web: http://fanscape.com Other locations: 1999 Bryan St., Ste. 1800 Dallas, TX 75201 711 Third Ave., 11th Fl. New York, NY 10017 FILTER CREATIVE GROUP 350 E. 30th #6a New York, NY 10016 646-202-1683 Fax 646-290-7082 E-mail: miller@filtermmm.com Web: www.filtercreativegroup.com
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Additional location: 5908 Barton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-464-4170 Fax 323-464-4294 2649 N Troy St., Unit 2 Chicago, IL 60647 773-294-0052 FLANAGAN’S RADIO PROMOTIONS 323-876-7027 E-mail: submissions@Flanagan Promotions.com Web: www.flanaganpromotions.com Contact: Jon Flanagan, Taylor W., Tom S. Styles/Specialties: AAA, rock, AC, consult before pressing CD, building a band’s buzz! FUTURE STAR MUSIC GROUP Los Angeles and Miami E-mail: info@futurestarmusic.com Web: http://futurestarmusic.com Services: We are a full service music company: Management, record label, music publishing, marketing & promotions, DJ coalition, consulting and marketing. G5 MUSIC MEDIA Miami, FL 305-917-5145 E-mail: wiggins@g5musicmedia.com Web: www.g5musicmedia.com Contact: Joe Wiggins GAIL ROBERTS P.R. & INTERNET MARKETING 10061 Riverside Dr., Ste. 1400 Burbank, CA 91602 310-734-8193 E-mail: gailrobertspr@gmail.com Web: www.gailrobertspr.com Contact: Gail Roberts Styles/Specialties: longstanding music PR firm with marketing and online promotion, internet publicity, social networking. Firm also handles marketing and media for painters, authors, corporations and ecological projects. GARY GROUP, THE 2040 Broadway Santa Monica, CA 90404 310-449-7626 E-mail: rick@garygroup.com Web: www.garygroup.com Styles/Specialties: all styles *No unsolicited material GIANT STEP 62 White St., Ste. 3R New York, NY 10013 212-219-3567 E-mail: editor@giantstep.net Web: www.giantstep.net GIRLIE ACTION MEDIA & MARKETING, INC. 243 W. 30th St., 12th fl. New York, NY 10001 212-989-2222 E-mail: submissions@girlie.com Web: www.girlieaction.com GONZALEZ MARKETING 4450 Cordova St., Ste. 110 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-562-8640 E-mail: steveg@gonzalezmarketing.com Web: www.gonzalezmarketing.com Contact: Steve Gonzalez GREG STEFFEN National Music Marketing Services 78 Derby St. Salem, MA 01970 978-594-0328 E-mail: gregsteffen@aol.com Web: www.gregsteffen.com HANDS ON PR & MARKETING 310-341-3201 E-mail: handsonpr@aol.com Web: http://www.expertiseinmedia.com/ hands_on_pr_marketing/index.html Contact: Craig Melone Styles/Specialties: all styles/indie labels are our forte HOWARD ROSEN PROMOTION 1129 Maricopa Highway, Ste. #238, Ojai, CA 93023 805-382-2200 E-mail: info@howiewood.com Web: www.howiewood.com Contact: Howard Rosen Styles/Specialties: CHR/Top 40, AC, Hot AC, AAA, Alternative Specialty, Mainstream Rock,
Modern AC, College for artists of all label sizes including Independent. Social Media, Video, Production, Song Placement. IFANZ.COM (McCartney Multimedia, Inc.) 322 Culver Blvd., Ste. 124 Playa Del Rey, CA 90293 E-mail: info@ifanz.com Web: www.ifanz.com IMAGINE PR Washington, DC 202-713-0735 Web: http://imaginepr.net J&H PROMOTIONS P.O. Box 295 Indian Rocks, FL 33785 615-792-3502 E-mail: jhpro@att.net Web: www.jandhpromotions.com Contact: Mary Christopher, President Styles/Specialties: Award-winning promotions, brand management, ad agency, radio promotions, press/PR, representing all genres, from indie to major label. Clients: ABC Radio Networks, Dreamworks Records, Harrah’s Casino, MCA Records, Jones & Thomas Advertising Agency, Naxos Music, Stringtown Records, Town of Los Altos Hills, Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, Polk County Utilities, 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines, Main Street Bank & Trust and Virgin Records. JJ ENTERTAINMENT 323-653-5438 E-mail: Joddith@aol.com Web: www.lanninggold.com/jjhome.htm Contact: Jodi Jackson Styles: All JEROME PROMOTIONS AND MARKETING, INC. 5300 Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA 30341-2434 770-982-7055 Web: www.jeromepromotions.com E-mail: hitcd@bellsouth.net Contact: Bill Jerome, Pres., Laura Hollister, Sr. Talent Coordinator Web: www.jeromepromotions.com Services: Independent radio promotion JON KONJOYAN PROMOTION 4464 Moorpark Way, Ste. 104 Toluca Lake, CA 91602 818-980-9217 E-mail: jonkonjoyan@aol.com Web: www.linkedin.com/in/jonkonjoyan Contact: Jon Konjoyan Styles/Specialties: AC and Hot AC *Unsolicited material accepted KAREN MORSTAD & ASSOCIATES 79 E. Putnam Ave. Greenwich, CT 06830 203-661-1090 Fax 203-661-1091 E-mail: kbeauchamp@karenmorstad.com Web: www.karenmorstad.com KBH ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Van Nuys, CA 91405 818-786-5994 E-mail: info@kbhentertainment.com Web: kbhentertainment.com Contact: Brent Harvey Styles/Specialties: consulting, artist management, event production, music licensing & placement, publicity, talent buying & booking LANE TERRALEVER 999 18th St., Ste. 3210S Denver, CO 80202 602-258-5263 E-mail: info@laneterralever.com Web: laneterrralever.com Additional location: 733 W. McDowell Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85007 LARRY WEIR National Record Promotion 137 N. Larchmont Blvd. S-#500 Los Angeles, CA 90004 323-658-7449 E-mail: lweir@larryweir.com Web: www.larryweir.com Specialties: Need radio airplay? Multi-format radio promotion LOGGINS PROMOTION 2530 Atlantic Ave., Ste. C Long Beach, CA 90806
310-325-2800 E-mail: info@logginspromotion.com Web: www.logginspromotion.com Contact: Paul Loggins Styles/Specialties: all styles LOTOS NILE MARKETING P.O. Box 90245 Nashville, TN 37209 615-298-1144 E-mail: info@lotosnile.com Web: www.lotosnile.com LUCKIE & COMPANY 600 Luckie Dr., Ste. 150 Birmingham, AL 35223 205-879-2121 E-mail: info@luckie.com Web: www.luckie.com Additional location: 1325 Satellite Blvd., Suite 803 Suwanee, GA 30024 205-879-2121 LUCK MEDIA & MARKETING, INC. 8581 Santa Monica Blvd, #426 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 818-232-4175 E-mail: info@luckmedia.com Web: www.luckmedia.com Contact: Steve Levesque THE MB AGENCY Getting you the exposure you deserve 817-239-7407 E-mail: TheMBAAgency@Gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/thembagency Styles/Specialties: All styles, advertising & management MELODY MAKER PRODUCTIONS 453 S. Spring St., Ste. 937 Los Angeles, CA 90013-2089 213-283-7485 E-mail: info@melodymakerproductions.com Web: melodymakerproductions.com Services: Logo creation, press kit design, album cover art, promo materials (stickers, flyers, etc.) audio post production, composition for TV/films/games, songwriting arrangement, record production, engineering, mixing, mastering, prepping, albums for duplication/replication, vocal coaching, vocal production, career consultation MIA MIND MUSIC 254 6th St., Ste. #2 Hoboken, NJ 07030 800-843-8575, Fax 201-216-1186 E-mail: mimimus@aol.com Web: www.miamindmusic.com, www.myspace.com/miamindmusic MILES HIGH PRODUCTIONS P.O. Box 93157 Hollywood, CA 90093 323-806-0400 Fax 818-845-4805 E-mail: chip@mileshighproductions.com Web: www.mileshighproductions.com Contact: Chip Schutzman Styles/Specialties: Social Marketing and digital press company catering to both indie and established artists. Styles/Specialties: We specialize in rock, pop, dance, jazz, blues, country/roots, soul/ urban and new age. Established in 2002. MIXED MEDIA Cranston, Rhode Island E-mail: mixedmediapromo@me.com Web: www.mixedmediapromo.com MOTION CITY RECORDS 1424 4th St., #604 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-434-1272 E-mail: witt@motioncity.com Web: www.motioncity.com Styles/Specialties: alternative rock Roster: Velvet, Voodoo, Brent Fraser, 10 Pound Troy, UFO Bro, Drag, Wendy Bucklew MRY 11 West 19th St. New York, NY 212-274-0470, 888-847-5321 E-mail: info@MRY.com Web: mry.com Additional location: 1888 Emery St., N.W., Ste. 400 Atlanta, GA 30318 404-267-7600
Download at www.musicconnection.com/digital 2001 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94133 415-839-6400
615-327-0100 E-mail: info@plamedia.com Web: www.plamedia.com
NERLAND AGENCY 808 “E” St. Anchorage, AK 99501 907-274-9553 Fax 907-274-9990 E-mail: lisa.king@nerland.com Web: www.nerland.com
POP CULTURE IMAGEP P.O. Box 873 Venice, CA 90294 310-314-2790, 310-650-7161 E-mail: daniel@popcultureimage.com Web: www.popcultureimage.com Contact: Dan Del Campos
NEW MUSIC WEEKLY 137 N. Larchmont Ave., Ste. 500 Los Angeles, CA 90004 310-325-9997 E-mail: staff@newmusicweekly.com Web: www.newmusicweekly.com Contact: Paul Loggins, Larry Weir, Chuck Dauphin, John Loggins, Jon Hudson, Masika Swain, Debi Fee Styles/Specialties: all styles *National music magazine specializing in radio airplay charts, artist spotlights/ interviews and entertainment based editorials Additional location: 5018 Franklin Pike Nashville, TN 37220 615-323-2200 NO PROBLEM! MARKETING Ed Bunker 24303 Woolsey Canyon Rd. Space 126 West Hills, CA 91304 818-436-6486 E-mail: Ed@noproblemmarketing.com Web: www.noproblemmarketingcom NOCTURNAL MOVEMENTS P.O. Box 5583 Vancouver, WA 98668 613-596-4996, 613-266-2488 Vancouver, WA 98668 E-mail: jeff@nocturnalmovements.net Web: www.nocturnalmovements.net NOT EVIL MUSIC Virontörmänkatu 15 D 20 33310 Tampere, Finland +358 40 772 6551 Web: http://notevilmusic.com PACIFIC MARKETING LLC 2745 19th St., S.E. Salem, OR 97302 888-677-7658, 503-362-4020 Fax 503-362-8227 E-mail: sales@pacificmarketingllc.com Web: www.pacificmarketingllc.com PEARCE CREATIVE SERVICES P.O. Box 892 Stinson Beach, CA 94970 415-706-3800 E-mail: drew@drewpearce.com Web: http://drewpearce.com Contact: Drew Pearce PEOPLE’S REVOLUTION, INC. New York & L.A. 212-274-0400, 323-651-3500 E-mail: nycinfo@peoplesrevolution.com, lainfo@peoplesrevolution.com Web: www.peoplesrevolution.com Styles/Specialties: Fashion and lifestyle pr, marketing and events. This includes fashion show planning and production PERMANENT PRESS RADIO PROMOTION P.O. Box 26622 Rochester, NY 14626 585-764-0150 E-mail: raypaul@permanentpress.net Web: www.permanentpress.net Contact: Ray Paul Styles/Specialties: AAA Radio (commercial & non-commercial), college/alternative and specialty shows. Industry consulting services in label set-up and distribution. PFA MEDIA 285 Broadway Ste. 630 New York, NY 10013 212-334-6116 Web: www.pfamedia.com PINCH HIT ENTERTAINMENT 2400 W. Carson St., Ste. 223 Torrance, CA 90501 Web: www.pinchhit.com Contact: David Lebenthal Styles/Specialties: guitar-oriented rock, pop. Specializing in national radio promotion, distribution and press campaigns PLA MEDIA, INC. 1303 16th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212
PPL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP INC. 468 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 200 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310 860-7499 818-506-8533 E-mail: pplzmi@aol.com Web: www.pplzmi.com Contact: Maxx Diamond PRTHATROCKS.COM 17 Greenwood Cove Dr. Tiburon, CA 94920 USA 415-233-7350 E-mail: rockme@prthatrocks.com Web: www.prthatrocks.com Contact: Christopher Buttner, President Styles: hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock, indie, new age, electronic, jazz, instrumental (as well as events, concert tours, stage productions and technology) Clients: Dream Theater, Jordan Rudess, John Petrucci, Greg Kihn, Steven Halpern, Point Break LIVE!, SF MusicTech Summit, PRSummit.org, Frank Serafine, Pyramind. com, Berklee Press, TJ Martell Foundation PROPELLER PUBLICITY 214 N. 11th St., #4M Brooklyn, NY 11211 718-387-1301 E-mail: Angie@propellerpublicity.com Web: http://www.propellerpublicity.com Contact: Angie Carlson PYRAMID COMMUNICATIONS 239 N.W. 13th Ave., Ste. 215 Portland, OR 97209 503-241-2341 Fax 503-238-5788 E-mail: connect@pyramid communications.com Web: pyramidcommunications.com Additional location: 1932 First Ave., Ste. 507 Seattle, WA 98101 206-374-7788 Fax 206-374-7798 RANDOLPHE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 429, Lenox Ave Miami Beach, FL 33139 877-202-1940 E-mail: contact@randolphe.com, serge@randolphe.com Web: http://randolphe.com RELAX MUSIC GROUP New York, NY 11377 646-755-5627 E-mail: patrick@relaxmusicgroup.com Web: myspace.com/allprobackup Contact: Patrick Rule, Chris Lewis, E-mail: chris@relaxmusicgroup.com Web: www.relaxmusicgroup.com RIOT ACT MEDIA 411 NE 22nd Ave., Ste. 14 Portland, OR 97232 206-890-9906 E-mail: joan@riotactmedia.com Web: www.riotactmedia.com ROCKSTAR PROMOTIONS 1926 Hollywood Blvd., #202 Hollywood, FL 33020 954-767-8385 Contact: Aaron Schimmel E-mail: service@rockstarpromos.com Web: www.rockstarpromos.com Styles/Specialties: CD/DVD replication, merchandise production (T-shirts, stickers, posters, postcards, merch items), and graphic design. ROCK STEADY 5042 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 295 Los Angeles, CA 90036 310-927-5416 E-mail: info@wearerocksteady.com Web: www.wearerocksteady.com RUDER FINN CREATIVE EDGE 301 E. 57th St. New York, NY 10022 212-593-6400 E-mail: spielmann@ruderfinn.com Web: www.ruderfinn.com
Contact: Rachel Spielman, Global Head of Corporate Communications
E-mail: info@thirstyear.com Web: www.thirstyear.com
SOLID PR based out of New York Metropolitan area and Southeast Florida E-mail: derek@solidpr.com Web: www.solidpr.com Clients: Clutch, Russian Circles, Pepper, O’Death, Foxy Shazam
THOMAS PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC. 734 Walt Whitman Rd. #206 Melville, NY 11747 631-549-7575 E-mail: info@thomaspr.com Web: http://thomas-pr.com Contact: Karen Thomas
SOLUTIONS IN MARKETING 2124 Plymouth Ln. Marietta, GA 30062 770-977-9778 E-mail: sherry@aiasim.com Contact: Sherry Hersh, CEO & President
TIM SWEENEY & ASSOCIATES 31805 Temecula Parkway #551 Temecula, CA 92592 951-303-9506 E-mail: timsweeney@tsamusic.com Web: www.TimSweeney.com Styles/Specialties: all styles
so much MOORE media 1819 Tula Pace Rd. Pleasant View, TN 37146 615-746-3994 Fax 615-746-2073 E-mail: martha@somuchmoore.com Web: www.somuchmoore.com Contact: Martha Moore Clients: Mike Aiken, APA Nashville, LiveWire, Lisa Matassa, Joanna Mosca, The Roys SONG PLACEMENT INTERNATIONAL 615-274-5553 E-mail: Kate@SongPlacement International.com Web: www.songplacementinternational.com Contact: Kate Taylor Styles/Specialties: Film, TV, Commercials, Video Games, and Other media outlets. SONICBIDS CORPORATION 500 Harrison Ave., 4th Fl. Boston, MA 02118 617-502-1300 E-mail: needhelp@sonicbids.com Web: www.sonicbids.com Styles/Specialties: electronic press kits (EPKs) for all styles of music SPEAKEASY PR Los Angeles, CA 818-363-1315 Web: facebook.com/speakeasypr E-mail: Monica@Speakeasypr.com Contact: Monica Seide SPINLAB COMMUNICATIONS 12198 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 210 Studio City, CA 91604 818-763-9800 E-mail: info@spinlab.net Web: www.spinlab.net Styles/Specialties: branding campaigns, corporate communications, crisis communications, event planning & execution, public relations, publicity SPINS TRACKING SYSTEM 2530 Atlantic Ave., Ste. C Long Beach, CA 90806 310-325-9997 Web: www.spinstrackingsystem.com Styles/Specialties: Country, AC, hot AC, top 40, hip-hop, rap, AAA, Christian, college, loud rock, jazz, smooth jazz, RPM, record pools, world, Americana SUNSHINE SACHS & ASSOCIATES 136 Madison Ave., 17th Fl. New York, NY 10016 212-691-2800 E-mail: info@sunshinesachs.com Web: www.sunshinesachs.com Contact: Jeff Okeefe Additional location: 8409 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 323-822-9300 1200 18th St., S.W., Ste. 700 Washington, DC 20036 202-280-2398 THINK TANK 5405 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036 212-221-7020 E-mail: info@thinktankmktg.com Web: www.thinktankmktg.com Additional location: 28 West 44th St., 16th Fl New York, NY 10036 THIRSTY EAR 22 Knight St. Norwalk, CT 06851 203-838-0099
TIWARY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LTD 1 Irving Pl., Ste. P8C New York City, NY 10003 Fax 212-477-5259 E-mail: info@tiwaryent.com Web: www.tiwaryent.com TOTAL ASSAULT 3272 Motor Ave. #G Los Angeles, CA 90034 310-280-3777 Contact: batphone@corpta.com Web: www.totalassault.com TSC MARKETING 1030 18th Ave. S. P.O. Box 120683 Nashville, TN 37212 800-411-0494, 615-327-3277 Fax 615-329-3481 E-mail: ideas@tscmarketing.com Web: www.tscmarketing.com TSUNAMI GROUP INC. 314 York St., Ste. 3 Jersey City, NJ 07302 856-269-9518 E-mail: inquiry@tsunamigroupinc.com Web: www.tsunamigroupinc.com Styles: Specializing in entertainment, music, producers, fashion, sports and products Clients: Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Eva Longoria, Paris Hilton, etc. UNLEASHED MUSIC MEDIA MUSIC MARKETING E-mail: contact@unleashedmusic.com Web: www.unleashedmusic.com, www. unleashedradiopromotion.com Contact: Geordie Gillespie - Managing Director VITRIOL INDEPENDENT PROMOTION 3421 5th Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-871-4916 E-mail: jerry@vitriolpromotion.com, jesse@vitriolpromotion.com Web: www.vitriolradio.com WICKED PR 145 Pier Ave. Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 424-226-6568 E-mail: what@wicked.is Web: wicked.is
PUBLICISTS 2:30 PUBLICITY 304 Hudson St., 7th Fl. New York, NY 10013 212-675-8959 E-mail: lisag@230publicity.com Web: www.230publicity.com Additional location: 1027 Bellevue Ct. E. #305 Seattle, WA 98102 206-902-7514 A1 INDIEPOWER 11054 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 333 Studio City CA 91604 818-505-1836 E-mail: info@indiepower.com Web: www.indiepower.com Contact: Jay Warsinske Styles/Specialties: All styles, worldwide, PR, promotion, & distribution ABC PUBLIC RELATIONS Los Angeles, CA 818-990-6876 E-mail: amanda@abc-pr.com Web: www.abc-pr.com, www.facebook.com/ abcpublicrelations Contact: Amanda Cagan
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Annual Directory of Everything Indie ALBRIGHT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, THE 3070 Windward Plaza, Ste. F-770 Alpharetta, GA 30005 661-478-6325 E-mail: rockstarpr@aol.com Web: www.rockstarpr.com Contact: Jeff Albright ALEX TEITZ MEDIA 1550 Larimer St., Ste. 511 Denver, CO 80202 720-341-8567 E-mail: alexteitzmedia@yahoo.com Web: www.alexteitzmedia.com ALLURE MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT 34 E. Germantown Pike, Ste. 112 Norristown, PA 19401 Web: www.allureartists.com ANNE LEIGHTON MEDIA MANAGEMENT MOTIVATION P.O. Box 670922 Bronx, NY 10467 718-881-8183 E-mail: anne@anneleighton.com Web: www.anneleighton.com ARIEL PUBLICITY 389 12 St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 212-239-8384 E-mail: contact@arielpublicity.com Web: http://arielpublicity.com/campaigns ARISTOMEDIA 1620 16th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212 615-269-7071 E-mail: info@aristomedia.com Web: www.aristomedia.com ARMSTRONG TROYKY 3620 E. Campbell Ste. A1 Phoenix, AZ 85018 602-476-2382 E-mail: matt@armstrongtroyky.com Web: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ armstrong-troyky-public-relationsadvertising/163800197219 ARTISANS PR 2242 Guthrie Cir. Los Angeles,CA 90034 310-837-6008 E-mail: info@artisanspr.com Web: www.artisanspr.com Additional location: 2530 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 300 Santa Monica, CA 90403 ARTISTS HOUSE MUSIC Web: www.artistshousemusic.org ASHLEY DI BUDUO Los Angeles, CA E-mail: ashley.dibuduo@gmail.com Web: www.linkedin.com/in/ashleydibuduo Clients: See web for details
BIZ 3 PUBLICITY 1321 N. Milwaukee Ave., Ste. 452 Chicago, IL 60622 773-342-3331 E-mail: information@biz3.net Web: www.biz3.net
CHIPSTER PR 356 Golfview Rd., Ste. 408 N. Palm Beach, FL 33408 561-691-1652 E-mail: info@chipsterpr.com Web: www.chipsterpr.com
BLACK ROSE PRODUCTIONS, INC. 409 Route 112 Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 631-509-0449 E-mail: admin@blackrose productions.com Web: www.blackroseproductions.com
CONQUEROO 11271 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 522 Studio City, CA 91604 323-656-1600 E-mail: cary@conqueroo.com Web: www.conqueroo.com
Additional location: 15 Gloria Ln. Fairfield, NJ 07004 631-367-8544, 973-575-7460 BLACK & WHITE PR The Lot 1041 N. Formosa Ave., Ste. 214 West Hollywood, CA 90046 E-mail: jen@blackandwhitepr.net Web: www.blackandwhitepr.net BOBBI COWAN PR P.O. Box 805 N. Hollywood, CA 91603 818-980-2372 E-mail: bobbicowan@roadrunner.com Web: www.bobbicowan.com BOBBI MARCUS PUBLIC RELATIONS & EVENTS, INC. 131 N. Bundy Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90049 310-889-9200 E-mail: admin@bobbimarcuspr.com Web: www.bobbimarcuspr.com Contact: Bobbi Marcus BROKAW COMPANY, THE 9255 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 804 Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-273-2060 E-mail: db@brokawcompany.com Web: www.brokawcompany.com BROOKES COMPANY, THE 10 W. 37th St. - 5th Fl. New York, NY 10018 212-768-0860 E-mail: Rebecca@brookspr.com Web: Brookspr.com BSG PR 20501 Ventura Blvd. Ste. 145 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 818-340-4422 Fax 818- 340-0040 E-mail: brian@bsgpr.com Web: www.bsgpr.com BURSON-MARSTELLER New York, Miami, Hong Kong, Brussels E-mail: contact@bm.com Web: www.bm.com
COSTA COMMUNICATIONS 8265 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 201 Los Angeles, CA 90046 323-650-3588 E-mail: info@costacomm.com Web: www.costacomm.com COYNE PR 5 Wood Hollow Rd. Parsippany, NJ 07054 973-588-2000 Fax 973-588-2361 E-mail: dcarter@coynepr.com, sbecker@ coynepr.com Web: www.coynepr.com Additional locations: 1065 Ave of the Americas, 28th Fl New York, NY 10018 212-938-0166 604 Arizona Ave., Ste. #10 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-395-6110 CPR (CAROLYN PUBLIC RELATIONS) P.O. Box 55 Radio City Station New York, NY 10101-0055 212-721-3341 E-mail: info@carolynmcclairpr.com Web: www.carolynmcclairpr.com CRASH AVENUE PUBLICITY 1201 Story Ave., Ste. 228 Louisville, KY 40206 502-384-3107 E-mail: jeffrey@crash-avenue.com, michael@crash-avenue Web: www.crash-avenue.com Contact: Jeffrey Smith, publicist and Michael Powell, publicist Additional location: 540 President St., #2C Brooklyn, NY 11215 502-384-3107 DANGER VILLAGE Chicago, IL 60608 217-721-3792 E-mail: therearenostupidquestions@ dangervillage.com Web: www.dangervillage.com
Client: Tom Waits, Merle Haggard, Henry Rollins DE WAAL & ASSOCIATES 7080 Hollywood Blvd., Ste. 515 Los Angeles, CA 90028 323-462-4122 Fax 323-463-3792 E-mail: info@DeWaalPR.com Web: www.dewaalpr.com Contact: Sarah J. De Bruin DIGNEY PR 1680 N. Vine St., Ste. 1105 Hollywood, CA 90028 323-993-3000 ext. 215 E-mail: jerry@digneypr.com Web: www.digneypr.com DILEMMA 9107 Wilshire Blvd. #450 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 888-485-4154 E-mail: info@dilemmala.com DL MEDIA MUSIC 1235 Hunt Club Ln. Media, PA 19063 New York, Philadelphia, Portland 610-667-0501 E-mail: info@dlmediamusic.com Web: www.dlmediamusic.com Contact: Don Lucoff, President DMG PUBLIC RELATIONS 468 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 200 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-860-7499 818-506-8533 E-mail: pplzmi@aol.com Web: www.pplzmi.com Contact: Ted Steele DMMC Greater Des Moines Music Coalition 1620 Pleasant St., Ste 248 Des Moines, IA 50314 515-657-7620 E-mail: info@desmoinesmc.com Web: www.desmoinesmc.com DOUG DEUTSCH PUBLICITY SERVICES P.O. Box 291444 Phelan, CA 92329 213-924-4901 E-mail: dougdeutschpr@gmail.com Web: www.facebook.com/ dougdeutschpublicity www.twitter.com/publiciteeguy Media Contact: Doug Deutsch Styles/Specialties: full-service artist publicity and promotion, tour pr, festivals pr (blues, rock, Americana, country, pop) Roster: Ventura County Blues Festival, California Beer Festival, High Desert Music Festival, Ventura Wine Walk, Brews Blues & BBQ Festival, John Ginty, Todd Wolfe Band, Anni Piper, JP Blues, Hornbuckle, Desert Dragon, Le Reverie, Neverwonder, The Planetary Blues Band, Richie Onori Blues Messenger, The Boys Of Summer, Solomon King, Blowinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Smoke Rhythm and Blues Band, Sky King, PEACH, Mighty Cash Cats, ellee ven, Head Honchos, Howard And The White Boys, Alastair Greene, Jeffrey Halford & the Healers, John Enghauser.
AUDIO CRUSH PR Bloomfield, NJ 07003 973-342-3259 E-mail: AudioCrushPR@gmail.com Web: www.audiocrushpr.com Clients: Cash Cash, Maniac
CAMPBELL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 416 Benton Franklin, TN 37067 615-210-3602 E-mail: info@campbellentertainment group.com Web: campbellentertainmentgroup.com
DAVIDSON & CHOY PUBLICITY 4311 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 402 Los Angeles, CA 90010 323-954-7510, 323-954-7520 E-mail: t.choy@dcpublicity.com, j.davidson@ dcpublicity.com Web: www.dcpublicity.com Contact: Judi Davidson, Tim Choy
BB GUN PRESS 9229 Sunset Blvd #306 Los Angeles, CA 90069 323-904-9094 E-mail: Bobbie@bbgunpr.com Web: www.bbgunpr.com Contact: Bobbie Gale
CAPITAL ENTERTAINMENT Washington, DC 20002 202-506-5051 E-mail: billcarpenter@capital entertainment.com Web: www.capitalentertainment.com
D. BARON MEDIA RELATIONS INC. 1411 Cloverfield Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90404 310- 315-5444 Fax 310-315-5474 E-mail: info@dbaronmedia.com Web: www.dbaronmedia.com
CDROLLOUT 5018 Lante St. Baldwin Park, CA 91706 800-811-7478 Ext 1, 800-811-7174 310-374-9208 E-mail: mike@cdrollout.com Web: www.cdrollout.com
DEGY PR 1351 Forest Glen Ct. Toms River, NJ 08755 732-818-9600 Fax 732-818-9611 E-mail: ari@degy.com Web: www.degy.com Contact: Ari Nisman
CHARM SCHOOL PR 917-593-7183 E-mail: amy@charmschoolpr.com Web: http://charmschoolpr.com, http:// linkedin.com/in/amywelch Contact: Amy Welch Clients: Vagrant, Staple Records, Evan Dando, The Hold Steady, California Wive
Additional location:
DUNN DEAL PR Los Angeles, CA 310-666-5336 E-mail: james@dunndealpr.com Web: www.dunndealpr.com Contact: Janet E. Dandridge
3803 Brookfield Dr. Champaign, IL 61822 217-359-4243 Contact: Jeff Hyman E-mail: jeff@degy.com
EARSHOT MEDIA 2629 Manhattan Ave, PMB 301 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254-2447 E-mail: mike@earshotmedia.com Contact: Mike Cubillos
DEPT. 56 818-702-6253 E-mail: tmumba@aol.com Contact: Tresa Redburn
EARSPLIT PR PO Box 142 Congers NY 10920 347-244-5055
BEAUTIFUL DAY MEDIA & MANAGEMENT 128 Coffey St. 1R Brooklyn, NY 11231 718-522-5858 Web: www.BeautifulDayMedia.com E-mail: Elizabeth@BeautifulDayMedia.com Contact: Elizabeth Freund BIG HASSLE MEDIA 40 Exchange Pl. Ste. 1900 New York, NY 10005 212-619-1360 E-mail: weinstein@bighassle.com Web: www.bighassle.com Additional location: 6351 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 323-456-3490
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CHASEN & COMPANY 310-274-4400 E-mail: info@chasenpr.com
DOMINION3 PUBLIC RELATIONS 1420 Camden Ave., Ste. #5 Los Angeles, CA 90025 323-466-3393 E-mail: kim@dominion3.com Web: www.dominion3.com Contact: Kim Dixon DRPR 707-869-1884 E-mail: dave@drpr.us Web: www.drpr.com
Download at www.musicconnection.com/digital Web: earsplitcompound.com E-mail: liz@earsplitcompound.com Contact: Liz Ciavarella-Brenner EASTWEST MEDIA 900 Dickson St. Marina del Rey, CA 90292 310-821-5858 E-mail: sheryl@eastwestmedia.net Web: www.eastwestmedia.net Additional location: 150 W. 25th St., Ste. 903 New York, NY 10001 212-924-3916 EBONY JEANETTE PR 310.256.6749 E-mail: ebonyjeanettepr@gmail.com, info@ebonyjeanette.com Web: www.ebonyjeanette.com, https://www. facebook.com/EbonyJeanettePR, https:// twitter.com/ebonyjeanettepr Contact: Ebony Jeanette ELIZABETH MEADIA LIZ MEADE 118 16th Ave. S., Ste. 3 Nashville, TN 37203 615-712-9136 E-mail: liz@elizabethmeadia.com
E-mail: submissions@girlie.com Web: www.girlieaction.com GOOD COP PR 347-491-4935 E-mail: perry@goodcoppr.com Web: www.goodcoppr.com GOLIGHTLY MEDIA 636 Broadway and Bleecker, Office 1107 New York, NY | 10012 E-mail: lily@golightlymedia.com Web: www.golightlymedia.com GORGEOUS MEDIA GROUP 7551 Melrose Ave., Ste. 7 Los Angeles, CA 90046 323-782-9000 E-mail: info@gorgeousmediagroup.com Web: www.gorgeousmediagroup.com GREG JACKSON MEDIA GROUP, LLC 520 W. 103rd St., Ste. #289 Kansas City, MO 64114 E-mail: greg@gregjacksonmedia.com Web: www.gregjacksonmedia.com twitter: @GregJackson1 Styles: pop, rock R&B, AC, urban, more Roster: 3AM Submission: Follow online submission policies found at www.gregjacksonmedia.com
ELLIS CREATIVE Nashville, TN 37212 E-mail: tamara@ellis-creative.com Web: www.ellis-creative.com
GREAT SCOTT P.R.ODUCTIONS 4750 Lincoln Blvd., #229 Marina del Rey, CA 90292 310-306-0375 E-mail: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net Web: www.greatscottpr.com
EVOLUTIONARY MEDIA GROUP 1111 N. Las Palmas Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-658-8700 Fax 323-658-8750 Web: www.emgpr.com
GREEN GALACTIC 213-840-1201 E-mail: lynn@greengalactic.com Web: www.greengalactic.com
FANATIC PROMOTION & CO. 332 Bleecker St. #G7 New York, NY 10014 917-744-1772 E-mail: info@fanaticpromotion.com Web: www.fanaticpromotion.com FLY ON THE WALL MEDIA 10002 Kent Rd. E. Bloomington, IN 47401 812-345-0342 E-mail: fly@flyonthewallmedia.com Web: www.flyonthewallmedia.com FLY PR 2658 Griffith Park Blvd., Ste. 816 Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-667-1344 E-mail: flypr@flypr.net Web: www.flypr.net Contact: Ilka Erren Pardinas FREEMAN PROMOTIONS E-mail: freeman@freemanpromotions.com Contact: Jon Freeman FRESH AND CLEAN MEDIA 12701 Venice Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066 310-313-7200 Fax 310-313-0277 E-mail: shelby@freshcleanmedia.com Web: www.freshcleanmedia.com FUTURE STAR MUSIC GROUP Los Angeles and Miami E-mail: info@futurestarmusic.com Web: http://futurestarmusic.com Services: We are a full service music company: management, record label, music publishing, marketing & promotions, DJ coalition, consulting and marketing GAIL ROBERTS P.R. & INTERNET MARKETING 10061 Riverside Dr., Ste. 1400 Burbank, CA 91602 310-734-8193 E-mail: gailrobertspr@gmail.com Web: www.gailrobertspr.com Contact: Gail Roberts Styles/Specialties: Longstanding music PR firm with marketing and online promotion, internet publicity, social networking. Firm also handles marketing and media for painters, authors, corporations and ecological projects. GIRLIE ACTION MEDIA & MARKETING, INC. 243 W. 30th St., 12th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212-989-2222 x117
HANDS ON PR & MARKETING 310-341-3201 Fax 818-508-2044 E-mail: handsonpr@aol.com Web: http://www.expertiseinmedia.com/ hands_on_pr_marketing/index.html Contact: Craig Melone Styles/Specialties: all styles/indie labels are our forte HARD PRESSED PUBLICITY P.O. Box 49001 Austin, TX 78765 512-554-2799 E-mail: jorae@hardpressedpublicity.com Web: www.hardpressedpublicity.com HARRISON & SHRIFTMAN 8523 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-855-1600 Fax 310-855-7510 E-mail: contact@hs-pr.com Web: www.hs-pr.com Additional locations: New York City 141 W. 36th St., 12th Fl. 917-351-8600 Fax 917-351-8601 Miami 1680 Meridan Ave. 305-534-0008 Fax 305-534-0158 HELIO PUBLIC RELATIONS 310-645-4246 Fax 310-933-1706 E-mail: info@heliopr.com Web: www.heliopr.com HELLO WENDY Los Angeles, CA 818-762-7063 E-mail: wendy@hellowendy.com Web: www.hellowendy.com Contact: Wendy Brynford-Jones HIGHRISE PR 59 Kent St., 2B Brooklyn, NY 11222 347-689-2461 E-mail: info@highrisepr.com Web: http://highrisepr.com/ HODGES & ASSOCIATES The Dr. Pepper Bldg., Ste. 300 2829 Second Ave. S. Birmingham, AL 35233 205-328-4357 Fax 205-328-4366 E-mail: hodges@thehighroad.com Web: www.thehighroad.com HOT SCHATZ PR 701 Harpeth Trace Dr.
Nashville, TN 37221 615-782-0078 E-mail: info@hotschatzpr.com Web: www.hotschatzpr.com Contact: Schatzi Hageman С Owner and Press Agent HOWARD ROSEN PROMOTION 1129 Maricopa Highway, Ste. #238 Ojai, CA 93023 805-382-2200 E-mail: info@howiewood.com Web: www.howiewood.com Contact: Howard Rosen Styles/Specialties: Social Media for all genres of music (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn) HOWLIN’ WUELF MEDIA 215-428-9119, 917-523-8881 E-mail: howlingwuelf@aol.com Web: www.howlinwuelf.com Contact: Howard Wuefling, Jocelyn Loebl ILENE PROCTOR INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS 9427 Charleville Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310-858-6643, 310-721-2336 E-mail: ilene@ileneproctor.com, ilene@ ileneproctor.net, ilenepr@sbeglobal.net Web: www.ileneproctor.com IMAGINE PR Washington, DC 202-713-0735 Web: http://imaginepr.net IMPRESS MEDIA 917-699-2939 E-mail: jem@imaginepr.net Web: www.imaginePr.net INDEPENDENT MUSIC MEDIA 213-864-2690 E-mail: hidanagirl@aol.com, Web: www.independentmusicmedia.com Services: Covering national & regional print, on-line, blogs and tour press ISL PUBLIC RELATIONS LLC 303 Fifth Ave., Ste. 702 New York, NY 10016 917-338-6199 Fax 917-338-6515 E-mail: islpr@aol.com, stephen@islpr.com Web: www.islpr.com Skype: isl-pr Facebook: www.facebook.com/islpr Twitter: #islpr IT’S ALIVE! MEDIA 6381 Hollywood Blvd., #540 Los Angeles, CA 90028 323-464-6314, 323-819-0913 E-mail: josh@itsalivemedia.com Web: www.itsalivemedia.com JACKIE O. & CO. INC. Atlanta, GA & New York City 718-930-8400 E-mail: jackieo@jackieo.co Web: Jackieo.co JAG ENTERTAINMENT 4265 Hazeltine Ave. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-905-5511 E-mail: jgeffen@jagpr.com Web: www.jagpr.com Contact: Jo-Ann Geffen, President JANE AYER PUBLIC RELATIONS 818-582-8481 E-mail: jane@janeayerpr.com Web: www.janeayerpr.com JAZZMYNE PUBLIC RELATIONS Hollywood, CA 90028 323-596-1522 Web: www.jazzmynepr.com Contact: Makeda Smith JENSEN COMMUNICATIONS, INC. 101 East Green St., Ste. 12 Pasadena, CA 91105 626-585-9575 E-mail: info@jensencom.com Web: www.jensencom.com JIM EIGO JAZZ PROMO SERVICES 272 State Route Rte. 94, S. #1 Warwick, NY 10990 845-986-1677 917-755-8960 E-mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com
Web: www.jazzpromoservices.com Services: Specializing in Media Campaigns for the music community, artists, labels, venues and events J J ENTERTAINMENT 323-653-5438 E-mail: joddith@aol.com Web: www.lanninggold.com/jjhome.htm Contact: Jodi Jackson JONES & O’MALLEY PUBLIC RELATIONS 10123 Camarillo St. Toluca Lake, CA 91602 818-762-8353 E-mail: jana@jonesomalley.com Web: www.Jonesomalley.com KALEIDOSCOPE MEDIA 230 4th Ave N #105 Nashville, TN 37215 615-321-3211 E-mail: angie@kaleidoscope-media.com Web: www.kaleidoscope-media.com Clients: Loveless Cafe, TomKats, Barbara Mandrell, Bonnaroo Tomato Art Fest, Nashville Music Garden, LifeWorks KAYOS PRODUCTIONS, INC. 25 E. 21st St., 9th Fl. New York, NY 10010 212-366-9970 Fax 212-366-9978 E-mail: carol@kayosproductions.com Web: www.kayosproductions.com KELLEEMACK PR P.O. Box 6152 N. Hollywood, CA 91603 818-430-8926 E-mail: Kelly@kelleemackpr.com Web: www.kelleemackpr.com KEN PHILLIPS PUBLICITY GROUP 6767 Forest Lawn Dr., Ste. 211 Los Angeles, CA 90068 323-308-5912 E-mail: kpgroup@yahoo.com Web: www.kenphillipsgroup.com KIRVIN DOAK COMMUNICATIONS 5230 W. Patrick Ln. Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-737-3100 Fax 702-737-1222 E-mail: info@kirvindoak.com Web: www.kirvindoak.com KSA PUBLICITY 234 W. 44 St., Ste. 1004 New York, NY 10036 212-764-7900 Web: www.ksa-pr.com LaFAMOS PR & BRANDING 4657 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90027 323-668-9383 Contact: Hunter Scott, Head of Marketing & Publicity E-mail: hunter@lafamos.com Web: www.LAFAMOS.com Specialty: Entertainment PR firm specializing in music. Building and expanding a fan base, creating demand for a product through album reviews, special features and interviews on TV, radio, magazines, blogs and newspapers, both print and online. Free consultations are also available. LAST CALL AGENCY 535 Albany St., Ste. 2A Boston, MA 02118 617-566-3433 E-mail: office@slabmedia.com Web: www.lastcallagency.com LATIN INDUSTRY CONNECTION Chicago, IL E-mail: angela@latinindustryconnection.com Web: www.latinindustryconnection.com THE LAVIDGE COMPANY 2777 E. Camelback Rd., #300 Phoenix, AZ 85016 480-998-2600 Fax 480-998-5525 Web: www.lavidge.com LEVENSON & BRINKER PR KPMG Centre 717 Harwood, 20th Fl. Dallas, TX 75201 214-932-6077 Contact: Anita Kasmar, VP E-mail: anita.kasmar@levensonbrinkerpr.com Web: www.levensonbrinkerpr.com
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Annual Directory of Everything Indie LIPPIN GROUP, THE 6100 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 400 Los Angeles, CA 90048 323-965-1990 Fax 323-965-1993 E-mail: losangeles@lippingroup.com Web: www.lippingroup.com
MG LIMITED 520 Eighth Ave., Ste. 2205 New York, NY 10018 212-532-3184 E-mail: tmann@mglimited.com Web: www.mglimited.com
Additional locations:
MICHAEL J. MEDIA GROUP 5 Timber Run Ct. Madison, WI 53719 608-848-9707 E-mail: mike@michaeljmedia.com Web: www.michaeljmedia.com, https://facebook.com/mjmgroup
369 Lexington Ave., 22nd Fl. New York, NY 10017 212-986-7080, Fax 212-986-2354 E-mail: newyork@lippingroup.com 31 Southampton Row London, WC1B 5HJ +44 (0) 203-008-5406 E-mail: london@lippingroup.com LIZ ROSENBERG MEDIA New York Contacts: Liz Rosenberg, President E-mail: word@lizrosenbergmedia.com Web: http://facebook.com/pages/LizRosenberg-Media/197714580253060 Contact: Karen Moss, Senior Vice President, Nadia Ali, Manager Clients: Aerosmith, Charice, Cher, David Foster, Due Voci - The Diane Warren Project, Katherine Jenkins, Madonna, Michael Buble, Stevie Nicks LOBELINE COMMUNICATIONS 8995 Elevado Ave., W. Hollywood, CA 90069 310-271-1551, 877-818-4822 E-mail: phil@lobeline.com, chris@lobeline.com, Web: www.lobeline.net Contact: Christopher Kingry LUCK MEDIA & MARKETING, INC. 8581 Santa Monica Blvd., #426 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 818-232-4175 E-mail: info@luckmedia.com Web: www.luckmedia.com Contact: Steve Levesque MAD INK, PR Los Angeles, CA 310-547-1212 E-mail: melissadragich@aol.com Web: www.madinkpr.com Contact: Melissa Dragich-Cordero MAELSTROM MUSIC PR P.O. Box 2057 Crestline, CA 92325 909-338-3875 E-mail: maelstrompr@gmail.com Web: www.maelstrompr.com MAGNUM PR 7 E. 35th St., Ste. 2G, New York, NY 10016 917-328-1593 E-mail: info@magnumpr.net Web: https://www.facebook.com/magnumprnyc MARK PUCCI MEDIA Atlanta, GA 30350 770-804-9555 E-mail: mpmedia@bellsouth.net Web: www.markpuccimedia.com THE MAVEN AGENCY 123 S. Broad St., Ste. 1645 Philadelphia, PA 19109 Cell 215-434-7190 E-mail: info@themavenagency.com Web: www.mavenagency.com Contact: Meg McLean Specialties: Publicity, Marketing & Promotions MAYO COMMUNICATIONS 7248 Bernadine Ave., 2nd Fl West Hills, CA 91307 Los Angeles, CA 91307 818-340-5300 E-mail: publicity@MayoCommunications.com Web: www.mayocommunications.com MAZUR PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC. P.O. Box 2425 Trenton, NJ 08607 609-448-7886 E-mail: michael@mazurpr.com Web: www.mazurpr.com McGUCKIN ENTERTAINMENT PR 500 Riverside Dr., Ste. 160 Austin, TX 78704 512-478-0578 E-mail: info@mcguckinpr.com Web: www.mcguckinpr.com
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MICHELLE ROCHE MEDIA RELATIONS 360 University Cir. Athens, GA 30605 706-353-3244 Fax 706-549-6454 E-mail: michelle@michelleroche.com Web: www.michelleroche.com MITCH SCHNEIDER ORGANIZATION (MSO) Los Angeles, CA 818-380-0400 E-mail: msoorg@aol.com Web: www.msopr.com Clients: Allman Brothers Band, Bob Schneider, Chevelle, Cut Chemist, David Bowie, Deadmau5, Jo Dee Messina, Lucha Vavoom, Paul Van Dyk, Slash, Public Image Ltd., Rock On the Range, the Crystal Method, Vans Warped Tour, Voodoo Experience, Ultra Music Festival. See site for complete list. MIXED MEDIA 401-942-8025 E-mail: mixedmediapromo@me.com Web: www.mixedmediapromo.com MOODSWING 360 135 W. 26th St. 12th Fl., Ste. 3B New York, NY 10001 212-582-4285 Fax 646-514-3311 Web: www.moodswing360.com MOTORMOUTH MEDIA 2525 Hyperion Ave., Ste. One Los Angeles, CA 90027 323-662-3865 E-mail: judy@motormouthmedia.com Web: www.motormouthmedia.com, www. twitter.com/motormouthmedia Contact: Judy Miller Silverman MRY 11 W. 19th St., Fl. 3 New York, NY 10011 212-274-0470 E-mail: hellonewyork@lbi.com, hellohealth@lbi.com Web: www.mry.com MSI COMMUNICATIONS 3501 Denali St., Ste. 202 Anchorage, AK 99503 907-569-7070 E-mail: info@msialaska.com Web: http://msialaska.com MT PRESS PUBLIC RELATIONS Los Angeles, CA 917-865-1731 E-mail: sera@magictreeproductions.net Web: www.magictreeproductions.net MUCH AND HOUSE PUBLIC RELATIONS 8075 W. Third St., Ste. 500 Los Angeles, CA 90048 323-965-0852 E-mail: reception@muchandhousepr.com Web: www.muchandhousepr.com Contact: Laura Ackermann, Senior Publicist NASTY LITTLE MAN 110 Greene St., Ste. 605 New York, NY 10012 212-343-0740 Fax 212-343-0630 E-mail: info@nastylittleman.com, steve@ nastylittleman.com Web: www.nastylittleman.com NET MUSIC PROMOTIONS Web: netmusicpromotions.com/nmp2 NINA GORDON PR 310-466-1531 E-mail: ngpr2@sbcglobal.net Web: https://www.facebook.com/ NinaGordonPublicRelations NOISE NY 25 Broadway, 9th Fl. New York, NY 10004
212-604-0404 E-mail: info@noisenewyork.com Web: noisenewyork.com Additional location: 156 2nd St. San Francisco, CA 94105 E-mail: info@noisesf.com 7083 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028 NORTHSTAR ENTERTAINMENT PR Entertainment PR* Consulting 501-I S. Reino Rd., Ste. 380 Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 805-498-5880 E-mail: sheryl@northstar-ent.com Web: www.northstar-ent.com Contact: Sheryl Northrop O2 IDEAS PUBLIC RELATIONS 600 University Park Pl., Ste. 200 Birmingham, AL 35209 205-949-9494 E-mail: info@o2ideas.com Web: www.o2ideas.com PAI MEDIA INK 609 Greenwich St., 6th FL New York, NY 10014 212-206-1598 E-mail: paula@paimedia.com Web: www.paimedia.com PEARCE CREATIVE SERVICES P.O. Box 892 Stinson Beach, CA 94970 415-706-3800 E-mail: drew@drewpearce.com Web: http://drewpearce.com Contact: Drew Pearce PITCH PERFECT PR 1738 W. Summerdale Ave. Chicago, IL 60640 773-271-6844 E-mail: info@pitchperfectpr.com Web: www.pitchperfectpr.com, twitter.com/ pitchperfectpr Contact: Jessica Linker PLAN A MEDIA, LLC 56 W. 22nd St., 6th Fl. S. New York, NY 10010 212-337-1406 x16 E-mail: PattiConte@planamedia.com Web: www.planamedia.com PLANETARY GROUP 6161 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 202 Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-210-3599 E-mail: info@planetarygroup.com Web: www.planetarygroup.com
Contact: Christopher Buttner, President Styles: hard rock, heavy metal, progressive rock, indie, new age, electronic, film scores, (as well as events, concert tours, stage productions and technology) Clients: Dream Theater, Jordan Rudess, John Petrucci, Steven Halpern, Point Break LIVE!, SF MusicTech Summit, Exotic Erotic Ball, Frank Serafine, Independent Distribution Collection, Rainbow Quartz Records, Pyramind.com, Berklee Press, QSCAudio. com, Peavey.com, Mackie.com, HDI3D.com, Bray, TJ Martell Foundation PUNCH MEDIA 7151 Sprague St., 3rd Fl. Philadelphia, PA 19119 215-621-6024 E-mail: punch@punchmedia.biz Web: www.punchmedia.biz RANDOLPHE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 429 Lenox Ave. Miami Beach, Fl 33139 877-202-1902 E-mail: contact@randolphe.com, Serge@randolphe.com Web: http://randolphe.com THE RAINMAKER MEDIA GROUP 398 Columbus Ave. PMB #183 Boston, MA 02116 617-445-4383 E-mail: Rockergirl363@aol.com Web: www.therainmakermediagroup.com Contact: Rhonda Brilliant RANDEX COMMUNICATIONS 906 Jonathan Ln. Marlton, NJ 08053 856-596-1410 E-mail: randex@randexpr.com Web: www.randexpr.com Contact: Randy Alexander RECKONING PR 8439 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 306 W. Hollywood, CA 90069 818-345-5234 Contact: Todd Brodginski E-mail: todd@reckoningpr.com Web: www.reckoningpr.com RED ROOSTER PUBLICITY 2507 Crestmoore Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90065 323-982-1400 Fax 323-982-1500 E-mail: roosterpub@aol.com Web: Redroosterpublicity.com RIOT ACT MEDIA Portland, OR 97211 206-890-9906 E-mail: joan@riotactmedia.com Web: www.riotactmedia.com
PRESS HERE PUBLICITY 138 W. 25th St., 9th Fl. New York, NY 10001 212-246-2640 E-mail: info@pressherepublicity.com Web: www.pressherepublicity.com
ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, INC. 511 W. 4th St. Bloomington, IN 47404 812-339-1195 E-mail: music@rockpaperscissors.biz Web: www.rockpaperscissors.biz
PRESS HOUSE, THE 302 Bedford Ave., Ste. 13 Brooklyn, NY 11211 646-322-4903 E-mail: dawn@thepresshouse.com Web: www.thepresshouse.com
ROSLAN & CAMPION LLC 424 W. 33rd St., Ste. 620 New York, NY 10001 212-966-4600 Fax 212-966-5763 E-mail: info@rc-pr.com Web: www.drcpublicrelations.com
PRESS OFFICE, THE P.O. Box #311 Shawnee-On-Delaware, PA 18356 615-419-9989 E-mail: jim@thepressoffice.com Web: www.thepressoffice.com Contact: Jim Della Croce Services: MAXIMUM PR! for the Entertainment Industry
ROGERS & COWAN 8687 Melrose Ave. 7th FL Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-854-8100 Fax 310-854-8106 E-mail: inquiries@rogersandcowan.com Web: www.rogersandcowan.com
PRESTO PUBLIC RELATIONS Bellingham, WA 360-733-2149 Contact: Linda Sherwood E-mail: presto.ls@gmail.com Web: www.prestopublicrelations.com PR THAT ROCKS 17 Greenwood Cove Dr. Tiburon, CA 94920 USA 415-233-7350 E-mail: rockme@prthatrocks.com Web: www.prthatrocks.com
Additional location: 909 Third Ave., 9th Fl. New York, NY 10022 212-878-5501 Fax 212-878-5117 2424 N. Federal Highway, Ste. 150 Boca Raton, FL 33431 561-391-5930 RUDER FINN ARTS & COMMUNICATIONS COUNSELORS, INC. 301 E. 57th St. New York, NY 10022 212-593-6400 E-mail: spielmanr@ruderfinn.com
Download at www.musicconnection.com/digital Web: www.ruderfinn.com Offices in San Francisco, worldwide Hubs in Washington DC, Boston, Basel Additional location: London 1 Bedford St. London, UK 44 207 462 8900 E-mail: nieonard@ruderfinn.co.uk SABLE SOUL ENTERTAINMENT LLC P.O. Box 22225 Nashville, TN 37202 615-258-1990 E-mail: wendy@sablesoul.com Web: www.sablesoul.com Contact: Wendy Collins Squirewell SACKS & CO. 423 W. 14th St., Ste. 429-3F New York, NY 10014 212-741-1000 Fax 212-741-9777 E-mail: joe.cohen@sacksco.com Web: www.sacksco.com Additional locations: 1300 Clinton, Ste. 205 Nashville, TN 37203 615-320-7753 E-mail: asha.goodman@ sacksco.com RHONDA SAENZ-SAENZ OF THE TIMES PR 7254 Hollywood Blvd., Ste. 17 Los Angeles, CA 90046 323-823-7870 E-mail: saenz.pr@sbcglobal.net SARAH MCMULLEN-McMULLEN & COMPANY PUBLIC RELATIONS 5715 Grape St. Houston,TX 77096 310-283-7907 E-mail: smcmullen@earthlink.net Web: www.linkedin.com/in/smcmullen SCOOP MARKETING 12754 Ventura Blvd., 2nd Fl. Studio City, CA 91604 818-761-6100 E-mail: PR@solters.com Web: www.scoopmarketing.com
SHORE FIRE MEDIA 32 Court St., Ste. 1600 Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-522-7171 E-mail: info@shorefire.com Web: www.shorefire.com Additional location: Nashville Office 615-280-5330 SNEAK ATTACK MEDIA 118 E. 28th St., Ste. 301 New York, NY 10018 212-481-3400 E-mail: info@sneakattackmedia.com Web: www.sneakattackmedia.com SOLID PR Pennsylvania E-mail: derek@solidpr.com Web: www.solidpr.com Clients: Akimbo, An Albatross, Bakerton Group, Big Business, Clues, Clutch, Cub Country so much MOORE media 1819 Tula Pace Rd. Pleasant View, TN 37146 615-746-3994 E-mail: martha@somuchmoore.com Web: www.somuchmoore.com Contact: Martha E. Moore Current Clients: FLYNNVILLE TRAIN, Todd Fritsch, Mark Wayne Glasmire, The Grascals, The Roys, Tommy Steele SONG PLACEMENT INTERNATIONAL 615-274-5553 E-mail: Kate@SongPlacement International.com Web: www.songplacement international.com Contact: Kate Taylor Styles/Specialties: Film, TV, Commercials, Video Games, and Other media outlets. Additional location: 1888 Emery St., N.W. Ste. 400 Atlanta, GA 30318 404-267-7600 2001 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94133 415-839-6400
SCORE 1216 Hill Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90041 323-254-4027 E-mail: trevor@scorepress.com Web: www.scorepress.com
SPEAKEASY PR Los Angeles, CA 818-363-1315 Web: facebook.com/speakeasypr E-mail: Monica@Speakeasypr.com Contact: Monica Seide
SECRET SERVICE PUBLICITY Austin Griswold 323-592-3241 E-mail: info@secretservicepr.com AIM: Secretservicepr Web: www.secretservicepr.com Clients: Bowling For Soup, Circle Takes the Square, Evans Blue, Polaris at Noon, Rival Sons, Social Distortion, The Wealthy West
SPINLAB 12198 Ventura Blvd.. Ste. 210 Studio City, CA 91604 E-mail: jv@spinlab.net Contact: John Vlautin
SEPTEMBER GURL MUSIC 465 18th St., #2 Brooklyn, NY 11215 718-768-3859 E-mail: patrice@septembergurl.com Web: www.septembergurl.com SERGE ENTERTAINMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS P.O. Box 5147 Canton, GA 301114 E-mail: sergeent@aol.com Web: www.sergepr.com SFPR/EASTWEST MEDIA 900 Dickson St. Marina del Rey, CA 90292 310-821-5858 E-mail: sheryl@eastwestmedia.net Web: www.eastwestmedia.net Additional location: 150 West 25th St., Ste. 903 New York, NY 10001 212-924-3916, Fax: 212-924-5751 E-mail: helene@eastwestmedia.net Contact: Helene Greece, Partner
SPINNER PR Los Angeles, CA 323-314-4203 E-mail: brosseaupr@aol.com Web: www.spinnerpr.com Contact: Deborah Brosseau STEVE MOYER PUBLIC RELATIONS P.O. Box 5227 West Hills, CA 91308 818-784-7027 Fax 818-784-7099 E-mail: moyerpr@earthlink.net Contact: Steve Moyer Services: Publicity for Musicians and Concert Artists STREET SMART MARKETING E-mail: contact@streetsmartmktg.com Web: http://www.streetsmartmktg.com Services: Marketing, social networking, new media, product management, event planning, graphic design, advertising, web design and programming, street teams, licensing, touring logistics, videography, partnerships and endorsements. Note: Street Smart Marketing is a full-service marketing team, artist management company and record label dedicated to providing specialized development, promotion and support to a wide array of artists and clients. STUNT COMPANY 20 Jay St., Unit 208
Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-222-8963 Fax 718-222-2878 E-mail: sue@stuntcompany.com Web: www.stuntcompany.com Contact: Sue Marcus SUNSHINE SACHS & ASSOCIATES 136 Madison Ave., 17th Fl. New York, NY 10016 212-691-2800 E-mail: info@sunshinesachs.com Web: www.sunshinesachs.com Contact: Tiffany Shipp Additional location: 8409 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 323-822-9300 1200 18th St., N.W., Ste. 700 Washington, DC 202-280-2398 SUSAN BLOND, INC. 50 W 57th St., Fl. 14 New York, NY 10019 212-333-7728 Web: www.susanblondinc.com TEAM CLERMONT PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION 191 E. Broad St. Ste. 310 Athens, GA 30113 706-543-9455 E-mail: publicity@teamclermont.com Web: www.teamclermont.com Services: Radio Promotion and Publicity THE OUTLET MUSIC 325 Broadway, Ste. 303 New York, NY 10013 212-777-6727 E-mail: info@TheOutletMusic.com Web: www.theoutletmusic.com, https://www.facebook.com/outletmusic THINK PRESS Los Angeles, CA E-mail: monica@thinkpress.net Web: www.thinkpress.net THOMPSON & CO. PUBLIC RELATIONS 600 Barrow St., Ste. 400 Anchorage, AK 99501 907-561-4488 E-mail: info@thompsonpr.com Web: www.thompsonpr.com Additional location: 44 West 28th St., 14th Fl. New York, NY 10001 646-794-4281 THOMAS PR 734 Walt Whitman Ste. 206 Melville, NY 11747 631-549-7575 E-mail: info@thomas-pr.com Web: http://thomas-pr.com Contact: Karen Thomas Client: Great Cat TIJUANA GIFT SHOP 42 Broadway, 22nd Fl. New York, NY 10004 917-678-4420 E-mail: info@tijuanagiftshop.net Web: www.tijuanagiftshop.net Contact: Jeff Kilgour TOOLSHED INCORPORATED 45 Belcher Rd. Warwick, NY 10990 845-988-1799 E-mail: dhuey@toolshed.biz Web: www.toolshed.biz Additional location: 13169 24th St. San Francisco, CA 94110 E-mail: peter@toolshed.biz
TRUE TALENT MANAGEMENT/PR 9663 Santa Monica Blvd. #320 Dept. WEB Beverly Hills, CA 90210 E-mail: webinfo@truetalentmgmt.com Web: www.truetalentmgmt.com Contact: Jennifer Yeko Services: Artist Management, Music Licensing, Music PR TSUNAMI GROUP, INC. 856-269-9518 E-mail: inquiry@tsunamigroupinc.com Web: www.tsunamigroupinc.com Styles: Specializing in Entertainment, Music, Producers, Fashion, Sports and Products Clients: Lil Wayne, Skyz Muzik, Jessica Simpson, ONYX, Justin Timberlake TWO SHEPS THAT PASS 401 Broadway, Ste. 804 New York, NY 10013 646-613-1101 E-mail: info@twoshepsthatpass.com, vera@twoshepsthatpass.com Web: www.twoshepsthatpass.com UNLEASHED MUSIC MEDIA MUSIC MARKETING New York, Los Angeles, Detroit Geordie Gillespie - Managing Director E-mail: contact@unleashedmusic.com Web: www.unleashedmusic.com, www. unleashedradiopromotion.com VANDENBERG COMMUNICATIONS 1900 S. Corgiat Dr. Seattle, WA 98108 206-447-1801 Fax 206-447-1848 E-mail: contact@vandenbergcom.com Web: www.vandenbergcom.com VITRIOL INDEPENDENT PROMOTION 3421 5th Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55408 612-871-4916 E-mail: jerry@vitriolradio.com Web: www.vitriolradio.com W3 PUBLIC RELATIONS 5657 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 260 Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-934-2700 Fax 323-934-2709 E-mail: w3pr@yahoo.com Web: www.w3publicrelations.com WEBB N RETAIL Sherman Oaks, CA 818-453-8777 E-mail: webnretail@cs.com Web: www.webnretail.net Contact: Gale Rosenberg Services: Music Marketing, promotion and PR. Both online and traditional WILDFIRE PUBLICITY 615-825-0019 Fax 615-825-0094 E-mail: laura.wildfirepublicity@gmail.com Web: www.wildfirepublicity.net WORKING BRILLIANTLY P.O.Box 3457 Idyllwild, CA 92549 951-659-2452 E-mail: admin@workingbrilliantly.com Web: www.workingbrilliantly.com WOLFSON ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 22201 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 207 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 818-615-0499 Fax 818-615-0498 E-mail: info@wolfsonent.com Web: www.wolfsonent.com Contact: Jonathan Wolfson XO PUBLICITY LLC KAYTEA MCINTOSH Portland, OR 97211 541-207-3872 E-mail: info@xopublicity.com Web: www.xopublicity.com
TRUE PUBLIC RELATIONS 6725 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 470 Los Angeles, CA 90028 323-957-0730 E-mail: mike@truepublicrelations.com Web: www.truepublicrelations.com Contact: Mike Liotta
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– SUSAN HYATT
How to Write a TV Theme Song
W
hile many artists have had original songs placed on film and TV soundtracks, composing a show’s theme song is a whole ’nother discipline. In the following exclusive article, singer/songwriter–– and TV theme composer––Susan Hyatt lays it all out for you. 1. First, Build Your Resume Email your resume, with links to samples of your work, to production companies that produce TV shows. A theme song is a big placement; in the TV world it can be comparable to having a radio hit. Before you embark on pitching a theme song, build your resume with easier placements, such as background music, or local/regional commercials. You may have to license your music for free at first (you will still collect PRO royalties) and build up to earning licensing fees. Subscribe to industry trade publications like Music Connection, Hollywood Reporter, Variety; they often publish news about shows seeking songs. 2. Follow the Pitch Requirements If a company believes in you and sends you a pitch for a show, read the pitch requirements carefully and follow the instructions. Do not take any liberties. If they want a song that sounds like Katy Perry or Daft Punk, make sure your song sounds that way. Some artists may think of this as selling out, but instead think of it as “selling in.” Since the beginning of time, composers have been commissioned by Courts and Kings to create music. If you can create great commissioned music then you are a true musician. Always remember you are in the “business of music” not just working in the music business.
6. Make It Catchy As A Nursery Rhyme The melody should be as catchy as a nursery rhyme—get your Mother Goose books out and review. A child should be able to sing your melody the first time they hear it. I’ve had fans tweet that their newborns wiggle their toes and smile when they hear my songs. Whoa’s and Oh’s as background vocals grab the attention of the audience when cutting in and out from commercials. A signature guitar lick or unique keyboard sound act as important sub-hooks. Shows often break down various instrumental mixes of the theme and use them throughout the show. 7. Find The Right Singer If you are not a singer, you need to find one with the right style and sound to fit the show’s criteria. A singer with attitude, flavor and personality will be chosen over a generic session singer. The performance must be memorable.
“A child should be able to sing your melody the first time they hear it.”
3. The Show, The Stars and The Sound––Do Your Research If you are sending your music to a production company that is creating a new TV pilot, first listen to the songs that this company has chosen before and see what the songs have in common. Is the BPM always the same? Do the songs have a specific sound? Do they have a quick shout-out chorus? Is the hook melody sustained or legato? Is there a pre-chorus or bridge? The right arrangement, lyrics, hook, beat and BPM are key to getting your song licensed. It is also helpful to get familiar with the show you are pitching and its characters. If you are writing for a talk show, you need to think of the host as your new BFF. What kind of music do they like? Who’s their favorite recording artist? Study published interviews and write lyrics in their voice so that the host feels personally connected to your song. 4. Know Your Audience Who will watch the show? Men? Women? What is the age range? This information will help you write the lyrics and message of your song. Most talk shows, reality shows and sitcoms use upbeat mid-tempo songs that have an uplifting message. Women mostly watch daytime talk shows, so female empowerment songs are always a good bet when pitching for them. This is the polar opposite for shows on HBO or Showtime that go for dark, edgy and artsy songs. Create a song that embodies the mood and vibe of the show without being too obvious. For example, using the word “vampire” for a show based on vampires is NOT a good idea. Great lyrics use relatable metaphors. 5. Always Start With A Title Your song will be centered around the title and the beat. Your title can be used as a marketing tool and vehicle for the show. For title ideas, research titles of old films and books for inspiration. Take out an old-school dictionary and flip through the pages and see which words pop. Tip: You can use titles and chord progressions from the past, but do not use melodies or “riffs” or “hooks” from other songs. 70 June 2014
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8. Have An Agreement In Place Make sure you have an agreement in place that states the rights and shares of the performers before you submit your song to a show. Remember the Rembrandts song “I’ll Be There For You” aka the Friends theme? Not only was this a successful TV theme song, it also became a pop hit. But guess what? The Rembrandts didn’t actually write the original song. The Rembrandts wrote additional verses and earned a piece of the writer’s share of the royalties. Smart!
9. Choose the Appropriate Performing Rights Organization (PRO) You may have already signed up with a PRO. But here’s what you may not know. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC do not pay the same rates for all types of music royalties. They have negotiated radically different rates for radio and domestic TV performances with vocals. Make sure to choose the right organization for your specialty. You could potentially lose thousands of dollars if you have joined a PRO that pays less for what it is that you do. Terminating your PRO contract is not easy and your show could be off the air by the time you are able to switch to the better paying PRO. There are strict dates for termination and some of your catalog will not be able to follow you to your new PRO. 10. Know The Terminology: Jingles & Works Made for Hire A “work made for hire” is a song that you have specifically written for a particular show. You get paid a fee for delivering the song to the production company, and now they own it. Owning it means they are in control of the master and they receive all the publishing royalties (50% of the total royalties). You retain your writer’s share of the royalty and will be paid by your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) every time the show plays your song. Theme songs for talk shows are normally commissioned as works made for hire. Radio and TV jingles are also “works made for hire.” They are the songs you hear with the product name in them and that you never hear outside of the commercial. If you are looking to get into the jingle business you need to send your work to jingle houses, or create your own music production company and connect with advertising agencies directly. For a Directory of Film/TV Music Supervisors and 1,000s of other Industry Contacts, go to http://musicconnection.com SUSAN HYATT is the singer/songwriter of “Calling All My Girls,” the theme song for Bethenny on FOX TV. Hyatt‘s cover of Olivia Newton-John’s “Magic” was the theme song for Macy’s “Find Your Magic” national TV and radio ads. She has coached artists Gina Gershon, international superstar Dev (“Like a G6”) and Youngblood Hawke (“We Come Running”). Hyatt’s current band debut album, Sirens of Soho, is on Telepictures Music (Warner Bros.). She is the author of the upcoming book Never Mind The Rules - How To Rock at Love. For songwriting and vocal coaching, visit http://susanhyatt.net or email susan@susanhyatt.net.
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