Here we go again! According to AV Rev.Com, Led Zeppelin are the best rock band of all time. No kidding it’s on the Internet so it must be true. According to Blabbermouth the site  used the same type of analytical tools as sports franchises and looked at things like U.S. Sales (100 points), Songs/Songwriting (100), Technical Ability (100), Live Performance (50), Consistency vs. Longevity (50) and Random (50).

The Top 10 are as follows:

01. LED ZEPPELIN - 525 points

02. THE BEATLES - 514 points

03. PINK FLOYD - 506 points

04. THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - 503 points

05. VAN HALEN - 496 points

06. QUEEN - 493 points

07. THE EAGLES - 479 points

08. METALLICA - 468 points

09. U2 - 455 points

10. BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS - 454 points

The complete list can be found here. OK now Journey, Foreigner and The Carpenters are on the list but The Ramones are not? Sounds real analytical to me.
Later.

(more…)

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This year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival set for December 8-10 at Butlins Minehead in Somerset, England will be featuring the remaining members of the MC5 (Michael Davis, Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson) on the same bill as fellow pioneer Detroit rawkers Iggy Pop and the Stooges according to MTV. If you are wondering, ya Iggy’s still got it.

Later.

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June 28, 2006  Austin, TX  On July 22nd, GoGirlsMusic.com will present the hottest female bands in the country as they battle it out for the BATTLE OF THE GOGIRLS title and over $2500 in cash and prizes. The showdown will take place at Trophy’s, an Austin landmark, before a panel of judges and audience. Sponsors include Disc Makers, Daisy Rock Guitars, Sonicbids, The Musician’s Atlas, and others.

Chosen from female-led bands across the nation, GoGirlsMusic.com has narrowed it down to six finalists. They are Emily Herring (Portland, OR), The Platforms (Austin, TX), Shanti (Los Angeles, CA), Pike (Cincinnati, OH), Red Lotus (Brooklyn, NY) and 3 Kisses (Brenham, TX).

The event will be hosted by Madalyn Sklar, founder of GoGirlsMusic.com. Judges are singer/songwriter Susan Gibson who wrote the Dixie Chicks hit "Wide Open Spaces" and last year’s BATTLE OF THE GOGIRLS winning band Something for Jess (now known as Fine Lines). Additional judges to be announced soon.

Since 1996, GoGirlsMusic.com has been promoting, supporting and empowering indie women in music online and at their high profile events around the country. In the last 6 years, GoGirls has produced over 100 benefit showcases for various organizations including the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls, MusiCares, American Liver Foundation, The Lynne Cohen Foundation for Ovarian Cancer Research and more.

For more information, please visit www.GoGirlsMusic.com or contact Madalyn Sklar at madalyn@gogirlsmusic.com or (281) 541-0981.

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Born out of more than 20 years of music industry experience, the founders of The B. Sharp Showcase have acquired friends and associates in every aspect of the business from production to publishing, and from garage bands to Grammys.

Shortly after being introduced to the MySpace music community, former recording studio manager, B.J. Barratt, stumbled upon two artists whose enormous talent, and lack of exposure, inspired the creation of the B. Sharp Indie Showcase.

Christopher Dallman’s "Nighttime In The City" and Michael Logen’s "Mystery�" says Barratt, were just too good to get lost in the music industry quagmire. I was so moved by these artists, I felt I had to do something to help them be heard.

That something has become the multi-faceted B. Sharp Showcase which will host six superior independent (not signed to a major label) musicians from across the country at the premiere event which is scheduled for July 18th at The Living Room on Ludlow St. in New York City

The goal now is making sure all the right industry people come out to hear what the showcase promises will be "The Best Music You’ve NEVER heard."

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Takeover Records’ third "Sign My Band" contest is already in full effect, but this time around a new twist has been added to the competition: There’s no guarantee one band will be offered a record deal from the label. "I want to use the contest more as platform to showcase ten amazing unsigned bands and help jump-start their careers," said Takeover Records owner Ben Harper. "I may or may not sign one of them."

After seeing previous "Sign My Band" contest finalists picked up by labels like Virgin (The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus), Nitro (Hit The Switch), SideCho (Stars of Track and Field) and Outlook (Daphne Loves Derby), it became apparent that the contest had some clout. "Takeover will be recommending all finalists in the contest to other labels were affiliated with," Harper said. Though it’s uncertain if a record deal will be offered up, one song from each of the ten finalists chosen will be featured on an up-and-coming Takeover Records compilation CD, and the winner of the contest will get to tour the U.S. with bands on the label’s roster in 2007.

Demo submissions for the "Sign My Band" contest are being accepted all summer at the Takeover Records tent on any stop of the Vans Warped Tour, and the ten finalists will be selected by Takeover staffers. The finalists can expect to be promoted on PureVolume.com and receive prizes from Ambiguous Clothing, The Wedge Studios and Wonka Candy, as well as have one of their songs on the compilation to be released by Takeover. Oh, and a full recommendation by Takeover Records is also part of the deal.

For more details and further updates on the "Sign My Band" contest, visit www.takeoverrock.com.

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A STATEMENT FROM THE BARD HIMSELF. PLEASE LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT MYSPACE IS SAFE AGAIN! BELOW THE STATEMENT IS A COPY OF THE NEW CLAUSE:

I am very pleased to see that MySpace have changed their terms of agreement from a declaration of their rights into a declaration of our rights as artists, making it clear that, as creators, we retain ownership of our material. Having been adopted by the biggest social networking site on the block, I hope their recognition of the right of the artist to be sole exploiter of their own material now becomes an industry standard because there is much more at stake here than just the terms and conditions of a website.

In the past, songwriters and performers needed a record company to manufacture, market and distribute their work, and in exchange for that, the company expected to own the rights to exploit the recordings for as long as the material was capable of earning royalties - life of copyright in legalese which currently means 50 years.

I’ve always had a problem with that arrangement, arguing that the recordings I’ve made should provide my pension not that of some record company executive. In order to achieve this, I have held on to my rights, signing licensing deals in which ownership of the records reverts to me after a stipulated period, usually ten years. I figure that if a company cant make their money back after that time, they dont deserve to put out my records anyway.

Every few years, the reversion clause kicks in, my back catalogue returns to my ownership and I begin the licensing process all over again. Not only does this strengthen my hand in contract negotiations, it also allows me to take account of new technologies in a rapidly changing industry.

Now that the popularity of downloading has made physical manufacturing and distribution no longer necessary, the next generation of artists will not need to surrender all of their rights in order to get their music into the marketplace. It is therefore crucial that they understand, from the moment that they first post music on the internet, the importance of retaining their long term right to exploit the material that they create. This is doubly important on a networking site where many of the songs posted will be by unsigned artists. Ownership of the rights to such material is somewhat ambiguous. Thats why I hope that the groundbreaking decision of MySpace to come down on the side of the artists rights will be followed throughout the industry.

I also welcome the new wording of the terms and conditions in which MySpace clarify exactly why they require specific rights and how they intend to use them. Again, I hope more sites follow the lead of MySpace in ensuring the use of clear and transparent language in contracts. The last thing any of us wants to see is a situation in which everyone posting a song on the site has to have a lawyer sitting next to them.

Im glad my music is available to the community again and Im glad that MySpace chose to act on my concerns. In order that we might avoid any such confusion in future, can I suggest that MySpace notify its members of any changes in the terms and conditions whenever they take place.

Billy Bragg

(more…)

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If you can’t be in London this July 2nd to catch The Who (or what remains of the Who) live in concert, the Hard Rock Cafe chain are making the show available live as it happens via webstream at http://thewholive.tv for 99 cents. The money will go to the Double-O Charity, a  a private dispersal charity focused on ’survival’ of drug and alcohol damage, domestic violence, sexual abuse, music education, emergency relief for International disasters, and young people’s prison reform.

Later.

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One of the best rock and roll radio shows around, The Wayback Machine has finally made available archived episodes of their shows. According to a post on the Bomp! List from Kopper, this is the scoop:

It’s been a long time coming, but you can now FINALLY listen to
archived episodes of The Wayback Machine anytime you damn well please.
No need to rearrange your Monday night schedules to listen live
anymore (although you’re still welcome to do that, as if…). So, to
hear how crappy and unprofessional I sound on FM radio in St. Louis,
just hit the link below, then click the "STREAM" button next to the
date of the show you wanna hear…

Stay sick,

kopper

The Wayback Machine

KDHX-FM 88.1
St. Louis Community Radio

http://waybackmachine.garagepunk.com

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According to Aversion, Thom Yorke of Radiohead has indicated to the Los Angeles Times that the band may forgo releasing their record with a label next time around and might just release it independently. Now that would be an interesting development and would have quite an impact in the biz due to the popularity and influence that Radiohead has in the "marketplace." This will be an interesting development to watch.

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Just a reminder that today, June 30, 2006 is your last chance to vote for your favourite unsigned band on the Zippo Hot Tour. Over 1000 bands from across the U.S. have signed up for this year’s edition with the final winners being announced in September. Check out their site and vote today.

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Tody CASTILLO - Self Titled Chula Records (www.todycastillo.com)

Le tout premier album de ce jeune songwriter natif de San Antonio et vivant à Houston. Il cite Costello et Wilco comme influences et on lui accorde d’entrée beaucoup de crédit pour cela. Le résultat est à la hauteur de nos espérances, un album rempli de belles mélodies servies par une voix qui s’imprime dans votre cerveau. Surtout les 14 titres sont d’égale valeur et donne une unité globale de qualité. Premier essai transformé. On attend la suite avec impatience…

The first album from this young San Antonio native currently living in Houston. He cites Elvis Costello and Wilco as influences and he gets a lot of credit just for that. The result matches our high expectations as he produced an album filled with beautiful melodies and a voice that will imprint itself in your brain. All 14 songs are equally good and together they form an album of uniform quality. His first album is brilliant. We look forward to what he comes up with next with impatience….

Bill RICCHINI “Tonight I Burn Brightly” Transdreamer Records

Déjà dans mon viseur avec son premier opus “ordinary time” en 2002, je salivais d’avance à l’idée de retrouver l’ami Bill et sa voix de tête si marquante. Musique rêveuse et aérienne, souvent articulée par un piano (à l’inverse de bon nombre de songwriters qui mettent plutot la guitare en vant) intelligent. Subtilement épaulé par le batteur de Luna et le bassite de Spacehog, cet album est tout simplement magnifique. Son écoute vous remplit de bonheur avec ses arrangements brillants (dignes de la Pop orchestrale des 60s) et cette légèreté qui donne envie de siffloter à tout bout de champ. Elliot Smith vous manque ? l’album de Bill est pour vous!

Already in my sights since his first opus “Ordinary Time” that came out in 2002, I anxiously looked forward to rediscovering Bill and his extraordinary voice. Music that elevates itself above the fray, often just accompanied by piano (the opposite of a number of songwriters who often put the guitar front and center). Subtly accompanied by the drummer for Luna and the bassist of Spacehog, this album is simply magnificent. When you listen to it you hear some brilliant arrangements evocative of the orchestral pop of the ‘60s with a wonderful that will have you whistling while you walk long after you listened to the record. Do you miss Elliot Smith? Then this album by Bill is just for you!

THE DAYLIGHT TITANS -Self Titled (http://www.daylighttitans.com/)

Attention talent!!!! cet album est en train d’user mon lecteur cd!!! le premier album de ce combo d’Austin me fait tourner la tete régulièrement tant son champ d’action est important : de la pop 80s circa early REM (Dangle/burlingame) au presque Stoogien “whistling in the dark” tout un album de post power pop/punk music (comme dit sur leur site) exceptionnel quasimment sans production. La voix d’Andy Smith est le porte drapeau de cet ensemble tour à tour légère et envoutante, presque Morrisonienne sur certains titres. Cette recherche constante du morceau qui tue est très palpable, ce qui donne la sensation que ce groupe évolue sans cesse sans souci d’étiquette musicale. Coup de coeur du moment haut la main!

Attention bands! This album is wearing out my CD player! The first album from this combo from Austin turned my head as soon as I heard it. It sounds like early ‘80s pop circa early R.E.M. (Dangle/Burlingame) or perhaps Stoogien (Whistling in the Dark) this an album of post power pop/punk (as they state on their website). The voice of Andy Smith carries the flag through and through with a voice that is light and bewitching, sounding very Morrison-like on a number of tracks. The constant search for the killer song or line is palpable and it shows a group evolving beyond their musical influences. An album that just compels you to put up your hands and rock!

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Tody CASTILLO - Self Titled Chula Records (www.todycastillo.com)

Le tout premier album de ce jeune songwriter natif de San Antonio et vivant à Houston. Il cite Costello et Wilco comme influences et on lui accorde d’entrée beaucoup de crédit pour cela. Le résultat est à la hauteur de nos espérances, un album rempli de belles mélodies servies par une voix qui s’imprime dans votre cerveau. Surtout les 14 titres sont d’égale valeur et donne une unité globale de qualité. Premier essai transformé. On attend la suite avec impatience…

The first album from this young San Antonio native currently living in Houston. He cites Elvis Costello and Wilco as influences and he gets a lot of credit just for that. The result matches our high expectations as he produced an album filled with beautiful melodies and a voice that will imprint itself in your brain. All 14 songs are equally good and together they form an album of uniform quality. His first album is brilliant. We look forward to what he comes up with next with impatience….

Bill RICCHINI "Tonight I Burn Brightly" Transdreamer Records

Déjà dans mon viseur avec son premier opus "ordinary time" en 2002, je salivais d’avance à l’idée de retrouver l’ami Bill et sa voix de tête si marquante. Musique rêveuse et aérienne, souvent articulée par un piano (à l’inverse de bon nombre de songwriters qui mettent plutot la guitare en vant) intelligent. Subtilement épaulé par le batteur de Luna et le bassite de Spacehog, cet album est tout simplement magnifique. Son écoute vous remplit de bonheur avec ses arrangements brillants (dignes de la Pop orchestrale des 60s) et cette légèreté qui donne envie de siffloter à tout bout de champ. Elliot Smith vous manque ? l’album de Bill est pour vous!

Already in my sights since his first opus “Ordinary Time” that came out in 2002, I anxiously looked forward to rediscovering Bill and his extraordinary voice. Music that elevates itself above the fray, often just accompanied by piano (the opposite of a number of songwriters who often put the guitar front and center). Subtly accompanied by the drummer for Luna and the bassist of Spacehog, this album is simply magnificent. When you listen to it you hear some brilliant arrangements evocative of the orchestral pop of the ‘60s with a wonderful that will have you whistling while you walk long after you listened to the record. Do you miss Elliot Smith? Then this album by Bill is just for you!

THE DAYLIGHT TITANS -Self Titled (http://www.daylighttitans.com/)

Attention talent!!!! cet album est en train d’user mon lecteur cd!!! le premier album de ce combo d’Austin me fait tourner la tete régulièrement tant son champ d’action est important : de la pop 80s circa early REM (Dangle/burlingame) au presque Stoogien "whistling in the dark" tout un album de post power pop/punk music (comme dit sur leur site) exceptionnel quasimment sans production. La voix d’Andy Smith est le porte drapeau de cet ensemble tour à tour légère et envoutante, presque Morrisonienne sur certains titres. Cette recherche constante du morceau qui tue est très palpable, ce qui donne la sensation que ce groupe évolue sans cesse sans souci d’étiquette musicale. Coup de coeur du moment haut la main!

Attention bands! This album is wearing out my CD player! The first album from this combo from Austin turned my head as soon as I heard it. It sounds like early ‘80s pop circa early R.E.M. (Dangle/Burlingame) or perhaps Stoogien (Whistling in the Dark) this an album of post power pop/punk (as they state on their website). The voice of Andy Smith carries the flag through and through with a voice that is light and bewitching, sounding very Morrison-like on a number of tracks. The constant search for the killer song or line is palpable and it shows a group evolving beyond their musical influences. An album  that just compels you to put up your hands and rock!

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The BBC is blaming the cancellation of Top of the Pops on the proliferation of downloading as reported in Pocket Lint. It sites a release from the BBC stating:

"Over recent years the show has faced ever increasing competition from multi-media and niche musical outlets which enable viewers to consume music of their choice any time night or day in a way that Top of the Pops simply cannot deliver in its current weekly format."

It’s really not hard to believe that a show like this would be killed by things such as podcasts, videoblogs and the like. It’s a whole new world out there and it will take a hell of a lot for old media to figure out how to deal with all the competition. It’s about time I say.

Later.

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Check out this very cool tour being organized by Special Group Tours. Called I’m with the Band! - Go On Tour with Os Britos!, you would be joining Brazillian supergroup Os Britos as they play and tour around the UK. You will get to attend gigs and visit historical rock and roll landmarks in cities like London, Liverpool, Manchester and Dublin. On top of that the band wants fans to be part of the recording so only 40 people will be accepted on this special tour. If you consider yourself a Beatles fan then you really might want to check this out. Some of the proceeds go to Jimmy Page’s ABC Trust which is also pretty cool. Check out the website of Special Group Tours for more info. Sounds like it will be quite the party!

Later.

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The full line-up for this year’s Ben and Jerry’s Sundae to be held on London’s Clapham Common on July 29-30, 2006 is as follows:

JULY
29- Badly Drawn Boy, Echo And The Bunnymen, Larrikin Love, The Pipettes, Liam Frost And The Slowdown Family, Roland Shanks, Tiny Dancers, Lisa Lindley-Jones

JULY 30- Jose Gonzales, The Wonder Stuff, Nerina Pallot, Captain
Vincent Vincent and The Villains, Breaks Co-op, Blue Sky Research

Later.

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Just a reminder to any interested bands that the New England Pop Festival has set a deadline of July 3, 2006 for band applications.

The festival is scheduled to take place September 14-16, 2006 at the Abbey Lounge in Sommervile, Massachusets, USA (just outside of Boston). The NE PopFest is an annual music festival celebrating and showcasing the pop music of New England musicians. Each of the past two years’ festivals ran in three evenings, Thursday through Saturday, with 6 bands will performing full sets each evening.

Further information for bands can be found here.

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It has been awhile since I have featured some record reviews from the Rock and Roll Report’s “European Rock Correspondent” Gérard Girard while the site was sputtering along over the last few months but now that things are running back to normal and he is back with some of his always informative record reviews that will certainly help guide you to rock and roll nirvanna. Today he reviews the latest releases from The Maharajas, Fugu and Steven Mark. Tomorrow he will review Tody Castillo, Bill Ricchini and The Daylight Titans.

THE MAHARAJAS “A Third Opinion” (Low Impact Records)

3e album pour ce quatuor suédois et confirmation qu’ils sont les gardiens de la flamme concernant les 60s proto garage rock. Des compositions brillantes et percutantes avec une entrée en matière étincelante (”i’m cracking up“) et au total 14 titres incontournables. Les Maharajas évitent facilement l’écueil du revivalisme un peu aigre de pas mal de combos qui évoluent dans ce domaine musical. C’est probablement la grande force de “a third opinion” qui fait chauffer ma platine cd depuis plusieurs semaines. Grand, très grand album.

Third album for this Swedish foursome and this album all but confirms that they are the guardians of ‘60s proto-garage rock. With brilliant and hard hitting songs and material like I’m Cracking Up (click for the MP3) that just sparkles there are a total of 14 songs that are impossible to ignore. The Maharajas easily avoid the tendency to be mere copy-cats unlike some bands that play in this genre. It is the sonic power of “A Third Opinion” which is the reason that this CD hasn’t left my player in many weeks. A great, great record.

FUGU “As Found” (Third Side Records)

Une véritable joie pour moi de vous présenter le deuxième album magnifique de Mehdi Zannad aka Fugu, véritable pépite Pop de cette fin d’année 2005. Magnifiquement épaulé par Tahiti 80, Mehdi nous propose un véritable feu d’artifice de mélodies franches, de refrains accrocheurs et de ponts lumineux. De ces albums qui donnent encore leurs lettres de noblesse à cette Pop magnifiée dans les 60s grâce à Brian Wilson et Lennon Mc Cartney. De l’ouvrage artisanal dont on a bien besoin dans cette période morose et froide. On ne peut que remercier chaleureusement Mehdi pour ce lustrage impeccable de la lettre “p”. Cocorico!!! Magnifique.

It is a total joy for me to present to you the second magnificent album from Mehdi Zannad aka Fugu and the veritibale pop nugget that he produced at the end of 2005. Magnificently produced by Tahiti 80, Mehdi produces a veritable fireworks of fresh melodies, refrains with hooks galore and luminous bridges throughout. It is one of those albums that pays a gifted tribute to ‘60s pop luminaries like Brian Wilson and Lennon and McCartney. It is this kind of artistic craftsmanship that we need in this cold and morose age. We can only generously thank Mehdi for returning the luster back to Pop. Cocorico!!! Magnificent.

Steven MARK “Aloneaphobe” Basset Records (www.stevenmarkmusic.com)

la galerie des héros de Steven Mark est classique mais de bon ton : Lennon, Dylan, Townshend, Morrison. On est bien au rayon des songwriters avec le deuxième album de ce new yorkais. Une voix suave et apaisante avec une pointe de mélancolie qui illlumine 14 titres sans faiblesse. On peut citer Elliot Smith mais aussi James Taylor pour la douceur des mélodies et des harmonies vocales. Aloneaphobe fait partie de ces albums qu’on écoute dans leur intégralité comme un bon bouquin ou un alcool rare, avec délectation.

The list of heros of Steven Mark are classic but songwriting giants: Lennon, Dylan, Townsend, Morrison. We get a nice effect from the influence of these songwriters on the second album of this New Yorker. With a suave and illuminating voice that adds a touch of melancholy to these 14 songs yet this only makes them stronger. You can hear perhaps the influence of Elliot Smith but also perhaps James Taylor in the gentle melodies and vocal harmonies throughout this CD. Aloneaphobe is one of those albums that we listen to that is to be savoured from beginning to end much like a good book or a fine bottle of expensive wine, with delight.

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It has been awhile since I have featured some record reviews from the Rock and Roll Report’s "European Rock Correspondent" Gérard Girard while the site was sputtering along over the last few months but now that things are running back to normal and he is back with some of his always informative record reviews that will certainly help guide you to rock and roll nirvanna. Today he reviews the latest releases from The Maharajas, Fugu and Steven Mark. Tomorrow he will review Tody Castillo, Bill Ricchini and The Daylight Titans.

THE MAHARAJAS "A Third Opinion" (Low Impact Records)

3e album pour ce quatuor suédois et confirmation qu’ils sont les gardiens de la flamme concernant les 60s proto garage rock. Des compositions brillantes et percutantes avec une entrée en matière étincelante ("i’m cracking up") et au total 14 titres incontournables. Les Maharajas évitent facilement l’écueil du revivalisme un peu aigre de pas mal de combos qui évoluent dans ce domaine musical. C’est probablement la grande force de "a third opinion" qui fait chauffer ma platine cd depuis plusieurs semaines. Grand, très grand album.

Third album for this Swedish foursome and this album all but confirms that they are the guardians of ‘60s proto-garage rock. With brilliant and hard hitting songs and material like I’m Cracking Up (click for the MP3) that just sparkles there are a total of 14 songs that are impossible to ignore. The Maharajas easily avoid the tendency to be mere copy-cats unlike some bands that play in this genre. It is the sonic power of “A Third Opinion” which is the reason that this CD hasn’t left my player in many weeks. A great, great record.

FUGU "As Found" (Third Side Records)

Une véritable joie pour moi de vous présenter le deuxième album magnifique de Mehdi Zannad aka Fugu, véritable pépite Pop de cette fin d’année 2005. Magnifiquement épaulé par Tahiti 80, Mehdi nous propose un véritable feu d’artifice de mélodies franches, de refrains accrocheurs et de ponts lumineux. De ces albums qui donnent encore leurs lettres de noblesse à cette Pop magnifiée dans les 60s grâce à Brian Wilson et Lennon Mc Cartney. De l’ouvrage artisanal dont on a bien besoin dans cette période morose et froide. On ne peut que remercier chaleureusement Mehdi pour ce lustrage impeccable de la lettre "p". Cocorico!!! Magnifique.

It is a total joy for me to present to you the second magnificent album from Mehdi Zannad aka Fugu and the veritibale pop nugget that he produced at the end of 2005. Magnificently produced by Tahiti 80, Mehdi produces a veritable fireworks of fresh melodies, refrains with hooks galore and luminous bridges throughout. It is one of those albums that pays a gifted tribute to ‘60s pop luminaries like Brian Wilson and Lennon and McCartney. It is this kind of artistic craftsmanship that we need in this cold and morose age. We can only generously thank Mehdi for returning the luster back to Pop. Cocorico!!! Magnificent.

Steven MARK "Aloneaphobe" Basset Records (www.stevenmarkmusic.com)

la galerie des héros de Steven Mark est classique mais de bon ton : Lennon, Dylan, Townshend, Morrison. On est bien au rayon des songwriters avec le deuxième album de ce new yorkais. Une voix suave et apaisante avec une pointe de mélancolie qui illlumine 14 titres sans faiblesse. On peut citer Elliot Smith mais aussi James Taylor pour la douceur des mélodies et des harmonies vocales. Aloneaphobe fait partie de ces albums qu’on écoute dans leur intégralité comme un bon bouquin ou un alcool rare, avec délectation.

The list of heros of Steven Mark are classic but songwriting giants: Lennon, Dylan, Townsend, Morrison. We get a nice effect from the influence of these songwriters on the second album of this New Yorker. With a suave and illuminating voice that adds a touch of melancholy to these 14 songs yet this only makes them stronger. You can hear perhaps the influence of Elliot Smith but also perhaps James Taylor in the gentle melodies and vocal harmonies throughout this CD. Aloneaphobe is one of those albums that we listen to that is to be savoured from beginning to end much like a good book or a fine bottle of expensive wine, with delight.

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If you are a musician struggling to get yourself heard you are no doubt at least vaguely aware of the many different ways that you can gain exposure for your music since the arrival of the Internet and especially the so-called Web 2.0. Blogs, podcasts, social networking sites like My Space, playlist trading sites, streaming internet only radio, newsletters, RSS feeds, the list goes on and on. The amount of websites that currently exist pointing you in the right direction are almost too numerous to list but for an example of what you can do check out the blog Getting Your Music Out There for some hints, tips and links to sites that you can use to get your music out there.

Later.

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International Pop Overthrow head honcho David Bash has posted the IPO schedules for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and
Vancouver at the IPO My Space site. Just check out this link: www.myspace.com/internationalpopoverthrow for all the details.

According to David highlights include:

Of course, there are hundreds of other great bands, just waiting to be
discovered by Auditeers and other pop fans!

An IPO is a rock and roll event not to be missed.
Later.

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These days record stores don’t know whether to embrace or fear new technology. As the Washington Post reports in With Online Music, It’s a Buyer’s Market there is a growing demand for obscure and unknown music that just now record labels and record stores are figuring out how to satisfy. It looks like 2006 is shaping up to be the year of the playlist.

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All summer long there are some cool free films at 7 Dudley Cinema in Venice, California showing things the way they used to be. Check out the Dumb Angel website for more details.
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INDIE NEWS BEAT

June 26, 2006 Edition

* Bandit A&R Newsletter Redefines "A&R"!

* Lee Lindsey Warms Rainy Pacific Northwest With Sunny Acoustic Pop At Borders

* ‘By The Tree’ To Perform June 29th in Phoenix

* New Group Lunapark Records with Fran Ashcroft

* Latin Music Download Site Rolls Out Reggaeton Internet Radio Station

* Rob Zombie On The ‘American Witch’ Tour With Special Guest Anthrax

* NYC’s Hottest Indie Female Rock Showcase Hits The Road This Summer!

* Olympic Champion Launches Music Career

Bandit A&R Newsletter Redefines "A&R"!

A&R has always stood for Artists & Repteroire, ie. the person or dept that puts together the creative output of a company. Now, The Bandit A&R Newsletter which has been bringing world-wide A&R opportuinties to the attention of acts, songwriters and producers for over 18 years has redefined the abbreviation to focus on what the Newsletter actually provides to its songwriter, band, singer and producer subscribers.

A&R is - Access (to opportunity) & Research.

Access

The world-wide music industry is a huge thing with tens of thousands of music companies and individuals inventing, developing, and marketing new music every day in a wide range of genres aimed at diverse markets. Bandit A&R Newsletter provides acts, writers and producers access to the much smaller set of companies and people who are ready to listen to and sign new projects in any month. Anyone with a viable act or songs, who takes a subscription, gains a ready and continuous audience of people looking to invest in new talent.

Research

As a writer or performer you could spend vast amounts of time or money promoting your music to music companies in the hope that they will sign you. The average directory will have thousands of listings under labels, publishers, managers etc and every country will have at least one directory. Its impossible to send demo’s to every listing. You can try to filter the information through phone calls and email but this again takes massive amounts of time and money. Research is what the Bandit A&R Newsletter is doing all the time, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year to identify those people and companies that are ready to receive new music and talent.

The end result is the monthly edition of the Bandit A&R Newsletter which can be received as a pdf attachment to an email or as a paper publication in the regular mail. Bandit aims to include detailed information from 30 companies every month spilt across all kinds of company and all commercial genres, in the UK, US and world-wide.

The Internet and technology has made doing all kinds of thing easier - recording, promotion, distribution so that artists can get a long way on their own - if they have the range of talent needed. To reach the mass audiences though and therefore the top revenues it helps to have the backing of a person, company or companies which can provide the capital, contacts and committment to open those big national and international media and distribution doors.

Bandit does not promise instant major label deals, in fact it rarely features major labels as the chances of it happening for someone with little of no track record is almost nil. Bandit concentrates on REAL opportunities which can get you established in the business perhaps though single song deals with a publisher, a development deal with a manager, a production deal with an up and coming producer, a one off record deal with an indie rock label or a track licensing deal on a compilation. All these are paths that lead to bigger things as your reputation and profile expands.

If you are a singer, songwriter, band or producer that has got tot the stage where you know you have a commercial act or material check out The Bandit A&R Newsletter. Regular subscriptions come with your first 2 monthly issues free!

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Canadian Singer/Songwriter Lee Lindsey Warms Rainy Pacific Northwest With Sunny Acoustic Pop At Borders

The beginning of summer is marked not only by the sun’s heat but by the arrival of Canadian singer/songwriter Lee Lindsey and her style of folksy acoustic pop, an intoxicating mix of golden harmonies, jangling guitars, and upbeat, invigorating songs. Blessed with a pleasingly melodic and soaring voice, the blonde beauty recently performing at Borders locations in the following mocations: 

Friday 6/9 - Redmond

Saturday 6/10 - Everett

Friday 6/16 - Tacoma

Saturday 6/17 - Puyallup

Friday 6/23 - Federal Way

Friday 6/30 - Redmond

Already receiving airplay on local radio stations such as KAOS 89.3 FM and KSER 90.7 FM, these free, all-ages performances will mark Lindsey’s Washington State debut.

For Lee Lindsey, life began on the Ottawa River in Canada. At the age of 15, having difficulties with her father, she ran away from home. Since that time Lindsey has modeled and performed around the world, from New York to Paris and Nashville to London. It was in London where Lindsey formed her own label Tall Poppy Records with renowned producer Jack Guy of INXS and All Saints fame.

Lindsey’s new album, Above the Madding Crowd, is being played on Triple A and Americana radio stations nationwide. Soaked in folk, roots rock, and country flavors, Lindsey’s music is a refreshing anecdote to the rage and gloom that defines most contemporary music. From the exhilarating soul searching of "Journey" to the unapologetic confessions of "Wild Child," Lindsey writes with a poet’s ear and an adventurer’s heart.

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Two Time Dove Award Winner, ‘By The Tree’ To Perform June 29th in Phoenix

Black Dog Promotions announced that By The Tree will be performing at Mountain Park Community Church in Phoenix on Thursday, June 29th at 7 p.m.

Two-time Dove Award winning By The Tree mixes the splendor of quality pop-rock melodies with the redeeming character of honest worship. Beyond the entertaining value of the band’s hook-laden tunes lies a truly refreshing breath of air for the soul. Check out By The Tree at www.myspace.com/bythetree.

This will also be the CD Release Show for local artist, Jeff Eaton (www.myspace.com/jeffeaton) for his latest release, ‘Wish You Were Here.’ Eaton’s new release has been garnering rave reviews and airplay throughout the country and he is beginning his national tour in support of this release.

Additional performers include, Reigndown, Wahba, Kelly McAnly, & Gabriel Seacrest.

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New Group Lunapark Records with Fran Ashcroft

Lunapark are Polina Golubkova (21, vocals) & Dmitry Demchenko (21, guitars, keys, lyrics, music). There is also a third member Oleksa Volinsky (22) who creates drums & bass. Between the members, personal influences range from Avril Lavigne, Dido and Joan Osborne to Keane, James Blunt or Nickelback. Combination of tastes, perception of music & skills of members create Lunapark’s music. They use to call it Rock’a'Pop style.

Sensitive voice, sometimes calm, sometimes powerful with unusual soft timbre enchantingly melodies & emotions of love happyness in all its variety If you close your eyes, while listening to their music, you will find yourself in the world of colourful images and love, full of bright and light emotions calm happyness Lunapark’s songs are finished with modern pop-rock sound.

Polina, Dmitry and Oleksa were friends long before they became Lunapark. Dmitry met Oleksa on the party dedicated to finishing the record of the band called dominion (Dmitry’s first band). Many beer, conversations about music and the next day they tried to play together. They were both pleasently surprised with the result. Polina & Dmitry knew each other since school. Once Polina stayed in Italy at her friends. There she took part in singers competition, just for fun. And to her own surprise she won. When Polina came home, they play together and the result was amazing.

‘I write songs based on my owm emotions and life situations’ ‘ Dmitry says. And Polly adds. ‘There is always a place for positive way of thinking and accepting things in our life. Music is something that comes from the inside’

In 2005 Lunapark had a chance to work with a famous british producer Fran Ashcroft, who’s credits include such bands as Damon Albarn (Gorrilaz), Dandy Warhols and others. ‘We have sent him a demo-cd’ ‘ Dmitry remembered ‘ ‘He liked our music and proposed to work together’. The result was ‘PopSong / BeatifullStares’ single. This cooperation brought Lunapark’s music to a brand new level. Finally it contributed to signing the digital distribution deal with Black Wasp LLC/IODA (USA company ran by former manager of Eminem’s  Band D12). And a record deal with Clearstream records (USA).

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Latin Music Download Site Rolls Out Reggaeton Internet Radio Station

Latin music download store, Musica360, announces the beta launch of it’s free "Reggaeton Radio" streaming internet radio station. Reggaeton Radio’s target market listeners who are fed up with the same old songs being played on terrestrial radio day in and day out and are searching for variety.

"We aim to please listeners by playing songs from their favorite artist such as Calle 13, Daddy Yankee, and Don Omar along with those of the next breed of up and coming talent." states Christoper English, Musica360’s CEO.

Launched as a beta program, Musica360 will expand it’s programming to include more sub-genre based stations as well as user customization features.

Musica360.com is a bilingual Spanish-English download music store and online community that focuses on the Hispanic market. Unlike other music services who target a broad market and try to encompass every genre, Musica360.com’s focus is mainly on independent Latin music artists. Instead of promoting and selling the same mainstream hits that you hear every day on the radio or see on MTV, we cater to an under-served market segment, users seeking great Latin music that’s outside the commercial mainstream. We cater to customers looking to discover new music.

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Rob Zombie On The ‘American Witch’ Tour With Special Guest Anthrax

Rob Zombie’s single American Witch hit the airwaves April 24th and is the latest release off the Educated Horses CD (Geffen Records). American Witch is currently on Billboards Top 20 Mainstream chart after only five weeks out. Educated Horses entered the Billboard Top 200 at #5.

The American Witch Tour slated to start June 30th in El Paso, TX at the County Coliseum. Joining Zombie will be metal icons Anthrax.

AMERICAN WITCH TOUR DATES ‘ MORE TO COME:

Date: City/State: Venue:
6/30/06 El Paso, TX County Coliseum
7/01/06 Lubbock, TX Lone Star Amphitheater
7/02/06 Wichita Falls, TX Kay Yeager Coliseum
7/05/06 McAllen, TX La Villa Real Special Events Ctr.
7/07/06 North Little Rock, AR North Shore Riverwalk
7/08/06 Springfield, MO Jordan Valley Festival Grounds
7/09/06 Wichita, KS Kansas Coliseum
7/11/06 Council Bluffs, IA Mid-America Center
7/12/06 Oklahoma City, OK Fairgrounds Arena
7/14/06 Grand Rapids, MI DeltaPlex
7/15/06 Cleveland, OH Tower City Amphitheater
7/16/06 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County War Mem. Coliseum
7/18/06 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
7/19/06 Moline, IL The Mark Of The Quad Cities
7/20/06 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
7/22/06 Mankato, MN Midwest Wireless Civic Center
7/23/06 Fargo, ND Fargo Civic Memorial58102
7/24/06 Sioux Falls, SD Ramkota Exhibit Hall57103
7/26/06 Rapid City, SD Rushmore Hall
7/27/06 Casper, WY Casper Events Center
7/28/06 Billings, MT Shrine Auditorium
7/30/06 Saskatoon, SK Prairieland Park
7/31/06 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Center
8/01/06 Calgary, AB Stampede Corral
8/03/06 Vancover, BC Pacific Coliseum
8/4/06 Salem, OR Salem Armory Auditorium

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NYC’s Hottest Indie Female Rock Showcase Hits The Road This Summer!

Girls Rock & Girls Rule (GRGR) will hit the road this summer and continue its mission of creating awareness and exposure for independent female artists while at the same time helping women in the community. GRGR will make multiple stops along the East Coast with several events currently scheduled in NY, NJ, and PA. The showcase has a history of featuring the best female rock musicians on the music scene today. Past shows have raised thousands of dollars for local charities and this tradition will continue. Most of this summer’s events will benefit local chapters of Habitat for Humanity’s Women Build program and other local charities.

At each GRGR event Revolutionary Records partners with local organizations and charities to offer a fantastic evening of entertainment by featuring both local bands as well as artists from previous GRGR shows. This insures a strong local audience and gives bands the opportunity to gain exposure with new fans while offering live music lovers fresh new bands they might not otherwise have had a chance to hear. Some of this summers featured artists include; Emiko (NYC), Edible Red (NYC), Loki the Grump (NYC), Tang (NJ), Head PA), Lindsay Rush (PA), G-spot (NYC), Hollis (PA), SuperDrive (Upstate NY), Black Flamingo (NYC), The Others, Haunted by Voices (Upstate, NY) , Terminal Inertia (PA), Bern (NJ) and many more to be announced in the coming months.

The tour is currently scheduled to kickoff at the Sterling Hotel in Allentown, PA on July 15 with stops in upstate NY, NJ, Long Island and Philadelphia (see schedule below). We are finalizing the itinerary and more shows are being added, so be sure to visit www.myspace.com/girlsrockgirlsrule for updates and details and to see if GRGR is coming to your town. If we don’t make it this year, don’t worry, plans are in the works to grow GRGR year after year till it’s a national tour so we’re bound to get there eventually.

Tour Schedule

Date Venue City/State

July 15, 2006 The Sterling Hotel Allentown, PA

July 29, 2006 The Hot End Elmira, NY

August 3, 2006 Maxwell’s Hoboken, NJ

TBA Eisenhower Park Long Island, NY

TBA TBA Philadelphia,PA

Sept. 29, 2006 The Haunt Ithaca, NY

November 30, 2006 - 5th Anniversary Show The Canal Room NY, NY

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Olympic Champion Launches Music Career

Olympic boxing gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. has teamed up with longtime buddy Ray Brown (Tokyo Flash) to form the "Tokyo Flash - Howard Davis Jazz Project". Ray is a former member of the hit disco band Ecstasy,Passion & Pain and the legendary funk band The Jimmy Castor Bunch.

Unknown to most of his fans, Howard played drums and bass guitar  in his own band early in his career and has always had a burning desire to show off the creative side of his personality through his music. He has joined the Tokyo Flash Band as his vehicle to express himself musically. The Tokyo Flash Band is made up of Ray Brown (Keyboards), Ron Richardson (Bass), Chango Everett (Drums), Robert Wells (Guitar) and Carlos Figue (Percussion). Collectively, these musicians have performed with artists such as Roy Ayers, Phyllis Hyman, P-Funk, Mary J. Blige, Stacy Lattisaw, and Johnny Gill.

Howard’s music is a blend of funk and cool jazz. His creative sense of rhythm and melody together with Ray Brown’s arrangements sends listeners on a mystical journey that touches the roots of many cultures.

The "Tokyo Flash - Howard Davis Jazz Project" will be debuting in New York City later this summer.

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Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2006 - Republished with Permission

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SEMI-PRECIOUS-WEAPONS: The-Precious-EP “Disarmingly passionate rock…” -Time Out NY “Garage-Glam-Tastic.” NY Magazine

THE SUTRAS: Thousandaire Neo-psychedelia 2003 pastiche of 1960’s pop icons and 1970’s rock ethic; these indie rock hipsters take years of music lessons to a much better state

THE SUNSHINE WILL: The Escapist alternative garage indie rock for weirdos.

SUFFRAJETT: Suffrajett New York based rock act, Suffrajett, cranks out fuzzy, distorted rock with enough melodies to keep you hooked, and enough garage roughness to get the hip kids drooling.

TITAN GO KING’S: Ultrasonic Wave 01 pop girls punk garage surf & death~*

THINGS THAT GO POP: Things That Go Pop! Electro-garage-dance-punk-new wave-trash-rock-noise-synth-pop for people who hate electro-garage-dance-punk-new wave-trash-rock-noise-synth-pop

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I make no secret in my admiration for Little Steven Van Zandt. He certainly talks the rock and roll talk but more importantly he walks the rock and roll walk. Ya sure he plays guitar for that Bruce guy but his very cool show Little Steven’s Underground Garage takes some of what is so great about rock and roll radio that is mostly heard on community radio and on the ‘Net and brings it right to the odious heart of bland, boring commercial radio (as well as on satellite with Sirius).

If you are looking forward to something cool to do in the U.S. this July then check out one of the two Underground Garage Fireworks a Go-Go taking place in Florida July 2nd and 3rd, 2006. The first is at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood and features the legendary Shadows of Knight as well as a reborn Buzzcocks in addition to The Chesterfield Kings, Gore Gore Girls and Fortune and Maltese. The July 3rd event takes place in Tampa and features the same bands but Shadows of Knight but adds The Unrequited Love. And don’t forget that girls in bikinis get in free!

One other cool thing that Little Steven has been doing is a weekly Garage Chart in Billboard magazine. Here’s his current chart for the week of June 21, 2006:

COOLEST GARAGE SONGS

1. "Country Girl," Primal Scream

2. "King of the Freaks," the Maggots

3."If It Takes a Lifetime," Cheap Trick

4. "After the Garden," Neil Young

5. "Everyone Knows," Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

6. "Are You Ready For It?" the Holograms

7. "Hands," the Raconteurs

8. "Nothing Terribly New," the Hellacopters

9. "World Wide Suicide," Pearl Jam

10. "Life Wasted," Pearl Jam

COOLEST GARAGE ALBUMS

1. "Broken Boy Soldiers," the Raconteurs

2. "Pearl Jam," Pearl Jam

3. "Sinner," Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

4. "Living With War," Neil Young

5. "Rockford," Cheap Trick

6. "First Impressions of Earth," the Strokes

7. "Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not," Arctic Monkeys

8. "Flat-Pack Philosophy," Buzzcocks

9. "Monkey Time!" the Maggots

10. "Riot city Blues," Primal Scream

Later.

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