INDIE NEWS BEAT

October 31, 2006 Edition

* The New 2007 Edition Of The Indie Bible Has Been Released

* Little Nashville Aims For The Big Time

* New Stoneman CD Release

* New Organisation For MIDEM Classique & Jazz

* Charlie Peacock And Bob Hutchins Partner To Launch Premium Digital Content

* The Majestic Twelve Are New Artists You Need To Know Now According To MSNBC.com

* AirPlay Direct Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

* Author Reveals How To Use Video Clips To Promote Indie Music

* ReverbNation.com Sets The Stage For A Music Revolution

The New 2007 Edition Of The Indie Bible Has Been Released

David Wimble, musician and founder of The Indie Bible, announced the release of the 2007 edition of the ever-popular music industry resource. Listing over 4200 publications that will review artists’ music and 3500 radio stations that will play their songs, the 8th edition of The Indie Bible has become an indispensable tool for recording artists looking to take the DIY route to success.

“The first edition was a photocopied spiral bound book with a plain white cover,” reminisced David Wimble, Publisher. “Even though its appearance was unimpressive, the feedback was amazing! Now in its 8th Edition, The Indie Bible continues to grow! It still remains as the only resource totally dedicated to those artists that have recorded a CD or demo.”

The Indie Bible has 330 pages of valuable contacts and informative articles:

- 4200 Publications that will REVIEW your music!

- 3500 Radio Stations that will PLAY your songs!

- 600 Labels & Distributors looking to SIGN artists!

- 500 Websites where you can UPLOAD your music!

- 50 articles that will help your career

* Listings with email, web url and physical address, phone and fax

* Worldwide listings in US, Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, etc.

* Sorted by genre and location for precise targeting

* Local and international press

John Foxworthy of GarageRadio.com has called The Indie Bible “a 330-page collection of the most useful resources on the planet and presented in an easy-to-follow format … quite possibly the most valuable piece of literature to occupy any recording artist’s library.”

David Wimble is a Singer/Songwriter from Ottawa, Canada. His band, Big Meteor, put out their first CD in 2000. The CD, titled “Wild River,” received rave reviews from around the world. “Wild River” features a wide blend of music ranging from Acoustic Rock to Blues to Old Time Country. To date, songs from the “Wild River” CD have been used in one made-for-TV movie and 50 television shows on networks such as NBC, A&E, MTV and VH1.

Source:

Little Nashville Aims For The Big Time

J Juliano and Adrienne Grove, the Illinois State Winners, from Chicago walked away with the Midwest Regional title and an all-expense paid trip to the National Final of the 25th Annual Colgate Country Showdown in Nashville, Tennessee. The Midwest Regional was held at Royal River Casino in Flandreau, South Dakota. The six other acts who competed in this Regional won their local and state competitions were Bryan Popp & the River Divide WDMP Dodgeville, WI; Shawn Mayer KODY North Platte, NE; Christina Thomas KZPK St. Cloud, MN; Greg Amundson KKWS Wadena, MN; Jennifer Thompson KBXB Sikeston, MO and Carrie Joy KYLS Farmington, MO.

Before winning the Illinois State Final, Juliano and Grove won their local competition sponsored by WUSN of Chicago, IL. As an award-winning songwriter/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist, Juliano began guitar at just 5 years old. In 1998 he opened for Toby Keith in Chicago and realized his love of the Windy City. He began performing throughout the Southeast and Midwest, sharing the stage with Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Diamond Rio and Sawyer Brown, to name a few. When Juliano and his wife learned they were expecting their first child, he began “Little Nashville” ­ country music for kids that teaches important lessons and values with a bit of rock at the same time.

“Little Nashville” went from the studio to the road, bringing Adrienne Grove into the mix. The singer/actress began belting out The Star-Spangled Banner also at a young age ­ 3. The Southwestern University graduate received a Bachelor¹s Degree in Music Education, and plays the guitar, flute and piano. She has performed with Starlight Theater, Park Ridge Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Savoy-aires and several others. Since joining forces in “Little Nashville,” Grove and Juliano have performed in front of thousands together. They have opened for Josh Gracin and have been honored with the title of Best Children¹s Act of 2006 by the On the Waterfront Festival in Rockford. Displaying their songwriting talents in Saturday¹s competition they performed an original piece, Dry County, Charlie Daniels¹ The Devil Went Down to Georgia.

In January, Juliano and Grove will compete in the National Final at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The five regional winners from across the country will receive an all expense-paid trip to the National Final to compete for $100,000 and the coveted National Title of Best New Act in Country Music. The National Final will be televised nationally in March and April 2006.

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New Stoneman CD Release

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Stoneman has released his second R&B/Hip-Hop solo CD titled “Stoneman Avenue.” This CD includes this years first place winning song in the Unisong International Songwriting Contest “Danger!!” (Reggae/World Category). Once again all music and vocals on the Stoneman Avenue CD are written and produced by the multiple award winning songwriter known worldwide as Stoneman. Currently available for purchase at the Stoneman Avenue website, Stoneman’s CD will soon have worldwide distribution and will be available at all retail chains shortly.

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New Organisation For MIDEM Classique & Jazz

MIDEM announces the appointment of Christophe Capacci as Artistic Director for Midem Classique & Jazz. Capacci will be responsible for programming the artists and musicians to perform in the classic and jazz concerts during MIDEM.

Christophe Capacci is Artistic Consultant for Jérôme Deschamps at the Theatre National de l’Opéra Comique in Paris, a role he will continue in addition to his newly acquired position for MIDEM.

Capacci takes over from Hervé Corre de Valmalète who has held the position of Artistic Director for Midem Classique & Jazz since 1990 with distinction. Hervé Corre de Valmalète asked to be released from his position as Artistic Director of Midem Classique & Jazz to give more time to his artist-management activities at Concerts de Valmalète in Paris and TransArt UK in Great Britain. He will also continue to produce and head-up the artistic direction for the live music festivals Flâneries Musicales de Reims and TransClassiques and run the record label TransArt Live.

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Charlie Peacock And Bob Hutchins Partner To Launch Premium Digital Content

Grammy winning record producer Charlie Peacock and Internet marketing veteran Bob Hutchins announced their partnership in a new online company, Premium Digital Content (PDC). PDC will uniquely combine entertainment with the four primary consumer technology categories: HOME, PC, HANDHELD DEVICE, and CAR ­ each one corresponding to four branded and highly optimized “WatchListen” websites.

The PDC approach will enable millions of consumers to discover, use, and enjoy entertainment and technology at home, on the go, and in the car.

“I can’t think of a more natural partnership than this one with Charlie Peacock, a musician and entertainment executive who has always been a leader in new technology and entertainment,” said Bob Hutchins, President/Owner of BuzzPlant, a multipurpose Internet marketing firm. “Connecting consumers with amazing entertainment as well as tech products and services for their home, PC, handheld device, and car is a mission we both strongly believe in.”

“I see the home, PC, handheld device, and car–all of them as dynamic and ultimately inter-related delivery systems for entertainment. Bob Hutchins has the marketing skill to make this connection for online consumers early on, securing PDC’s future, as online sales and digital delivery continue to radically alter consumer behavior and needs,” said PDC partner Charlie Peacock.

“Billions of people rise every day looking for entertainment, information, products and services related to their home, PC, handheld, and car. We live in a time of phenomenal opportunity to reach entertainment and technology lovers anywhere and everywhere,” said Hutchins.

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The Majestic Twelve Are New Artists You Need To Know Now According To MSNBC.com

Wilmington, North Carolina rock band and resident pains in the arses, The Majestic Twelve, were recently acknowledged on MSNBC.com in an independent study of reader feedback about America’s favorite indie rock acts.

A loyal fan remarked that the Twelve are “one of the hardest working bands around today. They take the idea of DIY (Do It Yourself), and they completely embrace it. Plus, their music is very catchy and fits well on your iPod.”

“We’re honored to be mentioned as a favorite indie rock band, despite the fact that people need to stop talking about indie vs major labels, and start talking about true independence,” comments frontman Kenyata Sullivan. “We’re humbled by it, and it means a lot. We’re gonna keep working hard and trying not to suck.”

The Majestic Twelve hovers among the top 100 unsigned bands in the country at the moment. Critically lauded by tastemakers like Blender.com and CMJ along with blogosphere writers like Fake Jazz and Culture Bully, The Majestic Twelve’s underground hit album, Schizophrenology has been downloaded over 12,000 times since releasing independently for free in July. Schizophrenology is co-produced by Sullivan and Jerry Kee (Superchunk, Ryan Adams).

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AirPlay Direct Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

AirPlay Direct is an easy to use digital music promotion system that was developed to streamline label and artist promotion activities for today’s music industry. AirPlay Direct’s free services replace the unnecessary time and expense of putting together and sending out costly traditional artist packages and press kits via “snail mail.”

In just one year, AirPlay Direct has experienced exponential growth to become a global leader in digital music delivery services directly to radio stations, saving independent artists over $1,000,000 in postage and material costs to date. To celebrate, AirPlay Direct is offering a contest to artists that create a free account in the next six weeks‹a winner will be chosen every two weeks to receive an AirPlay Direct prize package that includes a “Featured Artist” spot on the web site, free marquee banner ads on the site and 15 “broadcast-quality” track uploads, a package valued at over $1,500.

AirPlay Direct offers two free digital content delivery services: digital music and Digital Promo Kits directly to radio professionals. AirPlay Direct’s securely delivers broadcast-quality music files from thousands of independent artists and record labels directly to radio programmers around the world. Artists can access free, real-time tracking reports to see which stations are downloading their songs, alleviating the need for sending costly promotional packages. The best part? This service is 100% free to artists, labels, and radio programmers.

Digital Promo Kits can be emailed to any music industry professional around the world. This concept may sound familiar, but AirPlay Direct takes it one step further in offering links to three broadcast- quality songs along with a visually appealing layout. But what makes AirPlay Direct truly different? The entire package is free! AirPlay Direct empowers artists to promote their music without the cost and effort associated with physical press kits.

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Author Reveals How To Use Video Clips To Promote Indie Music On YouTube, Google, Yahoo & More

No doubt about it. Video is huge on the Internet. Over the past six months alone, video has exploded online. YouTube alone now delivers about 100 million videos a day to its users. And much of it is music.

“It’s like 1981 all over again,” says Bob Baker, author of a new special report called “How to Use Video to Promote Your Music Online.” He’s referring to the year that MTV hit the cable airwaves and changed the way music was marketed at the time. “Only it’s better, because now — 25 years later — everyone has equal access to the ‘airwaves,’” he adds.

Baker cites the recent treadmill video from the band Ok Go as one example. “It was a simple but creative concept that spread like crazy online and primed music fans for the band’s debut CD release,” Baker says.

Or how about the regular video clips published by indie rock artist Terra Naomi? During a two-month period in 2006, webcam music videos she produced in her apartment were viewed 2.5 million times on YouTube. Because of this exposure, Naomi sold 2,000 copies of her new CD in eight days.

“Don’t kid yourself,” Baker implores. “Online music video promotion is hot — and getting hotter! That’s why I created this short, info-packed report: To help independent artists create, promote and profit from online video.”

Source:

ReverbNation.com Sets The Stage For A Music Revolution

Music’s “working class” is about to see the value of its creative equity grow exponentially, empowered by groundbreaking networking and music-discovery tools for performers, fans, venues ­ and yes, even record labels and the entertainment industry ­ all available free on www.ReverbNation.com.

The artist-centric, online music community, which went live in September, will celebrate its official launch at the CMJ (College Music Journal) Music Marathon in New York City, Oct. 31 ­ Nov. 4. In addition to exhibiting at the festival’s trade show at Lincoln Center, ReverbNation.com will host its inaugural artist showcase party at the downtown rock venue Crash Mansion on Thursday, Nov. 2. The Web site is currently inviting artists in all music categories to register as members.

Combining the power of viral networking with next-generation marketing tools, ReverbNation.com is a true music community designed solely to help musicians succeed. With faster, more intelligent ways to connect artists with fans, venues, labels and other artists, ReverbNation.com offers the richest experience available on the Internet for musicians seeking new markets and new paths to popular success.

“We serve the artist’s needs first, unlike other sites that are more focused on the social aspect of viral networking,” said Jed Carlson, chief marketing officer and co-founder of ReverbNation.com. “By giving them ways to immediately expand the marketplace for their music, we’re opening doors that used to take years to get through.”

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

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A broad group of consumers, artists, innovators, and technology companies announced the launch of the Digital Freedom campaign, a national effort to fight back against efforts by the big record labels and movie studios to ban new digital technologies. The campaign will target legislation and lawsuits designed to place crippling restrictions or impose excessive fees on technologies that allow individuals to enjoy lawfully obtained music, video, and other content.

More than a dozen organizations, representing consumers, film producers, independent recording artists, and electronics and computer manufacturers have joined together to launch the campaign, which will seek to educate policy makers, innovators, parents, students and other consumers about the lawsuits and legislation that threaten to revoke individuals’ rights to use digital technology.

"New technologies are under fierce attack from the big recording labels and studios, and those attacks go right to the heart of our basic right to use digital technology without unreasonable government restrictions or the threat of costly lawsuits," said Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) President and CEO Gary Shapiro. "We believe that we have to protect the rights of consumers, artists, innovators, producers and creators to use digital technology when, where, and how they choose."

(more…)

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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a cool museum but completely an irrelevant institution that is supposed to determine who rocks and who doesn’t has announced the 9 artists that will be considered for induction in 2007. And they are (drumroll please):

R.E.M.
The Stooges
Patti Smith
The Dave Clark Five
Van Halen
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Chic
The Ronettes
Joe Tex

Okay fine. Still no Rush this year of course but that is par for the course. A completely ridiculous excercise in my books. Just put on a yearly mega-concert mixing it up like Bill Graham used to do in the old Fillmore days while making it free for one and all. Celebrate rock and roll, don’t institutionalize it!

Later.

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2007 marks the 15th anniversary of the seriously cool San Fran based Noise Pop Festival and for 2007 they have just announced their first couple of confirmed bands. For the festival set to take place from February 27 - March 4, 2007 the organisers are please to announce that  a reunited Sebadoh will take the stage in addition to Teo Leo/Pharmacists, John Vanderslice, and Jolie Holland with more bands to be confirmed.

In addition they will be putting together their first ever Noise Pop Expo featuring "a day stage, Indie Night School panels, Noise Pop and Shop, art installations, a poster show, and much more" so 2007 is shaping up to be an even better Noise Pop than usual. Check out their website at http://www.noisepop.com for all the details.

Later.

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I like The Blue Van because they are distinctive and I mean that as a supreme compliment. Once I heard the track “Independence” off their sophomore release “Dear Independence” I knew that the band that put out last year’s supremely satisfying “The Art of Rolling” were only getting better with age. No sophomore jinx here.

Probably Denmark’s finest rock and roll export, The Blue Van have been compared to extensively to bands like The Kinks in their prime but that retro tag really is unfair to the band. What these four guys bring to the rock and roll table is pure, unadulterated rock and roll for those of us who like it rough, unvarnished and real. Often ignoring the obvious hook for their own distinctive sound, “Dear Independence” is a sonic adventure that gets better with each listen. Set to be released tomorrow, October 31, 2006, The Blue Van show that they are continuing to roll towards hopefully bigger and better things. Nice, fresh rock and roll from a band that gets it. Great stuff.

Later.

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I like The Blue Van because they are distinctive and I mean that as a supreme compliment. Once I heard the track “Independence” off their sophomore release “Dear Independence” I knew that the band that put out last year’s supremely satisfying “The Art of Rolling” were only getting better with age. No sophomore jinx here.

Probably Denmark’s finest rock and roll export, The Blue Van have been compared to extensively to bands like The Kinks in their prime but that retro tag really is unfair to the band. What these four guys bring to the rock and roll table is pure, unadulterated rock and roll for those of us who like it rough, unvarnished and real. Often ignoring the obvious hook for their own distinctive sound, “Dear Independence” is a sonic adventure that gets better with each listen. Set to be released tomorrow, October 31, 2006, The Blue Van show that they are continuing to roll towards hopefully bigger and better things. Nice, fresh rock and roll from a band that gets it. Great stuff.

Later.

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I like The Blue Van because they are distinctive and I mean that as a supreme compliment. Once I heard the track “Independence” off their sophomore release “Dear Independence” I knew that the band that put out last year’s supremely satisfying “The Art of Rolling” were only getting better with age. No sophomore jinx here.

Probably Denmark’s finest rock and roll export, The Blue Van have been compared to extensively to bands like The Kinks in their prime but that retro tag really is unfair to the band. What these four guys bring to the rock and roll table is pure, unadulterated rock and roll for those of us who like it rough, unvarnished and real. Often ignoring the obvious hook for their own distinctive sound, “Dear Independence” is a sonic adventure that gets better with each listen. Set to be released tomorrow, October 31, 2006, The Blue Van show that they are continuing to roll towards hopefully bigger and better things. Nice, fresh rock and roll from a band that gets it. Great stuff.

Later.

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I like The Blue Van because they are distinctive and I mean that as a supreme compliment. Once I heard the track “Independence” off their sophomore release “Dear Independence” I knew that the band that put out last year’s supremely satisfying “The Art of Rolling” were only getting better with age. No sophomore jinx here.

Probably Denmark’s finest rock and roll export, The Blue Van have been compared to extensively to bands like The Kinks in their prime but that retro tag really is unfair to the band. What these four guys bring to the rock and roll table is pure, unadulterated rock and roll for those of us who like it rough, unvarnished and real. Often ignoring the obvious hook for their own distinctive sound, “Dear Independence” is a sonic adventure that gets better with each listen. Set to be released tomorrow, October 31, 2006, The Blue Van show that they are continuing to roll towards hopefully bigger and better things. Nice, fresh rock and roll from a band that gets it. Great stuff.

Later.

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Can anyone tell me why “Someone Else’s Name” by Red Seven is not a huge fuckin’ hit on commercial radio? Oh ya, that might be because Red Seven aren’t signed to a label, indie or major and that is a real shame. On their debut album “Anywhere But Here” this band from Chicago have managed to combine crafty songwriting with crisp production and a satisfying heavy backbeat to put together a 10 song hard rock opus that would not be out of place AT ALL on commercial rock radio if it would just get its collective head out of the major labels’ asses and play something a bit off the beaten track, you know something that the commercial radio “personalities” would have to discover by maybe going to a small rock club or at the very least checking out MySpace once in awhile.

The way I discovered the band is a testament to the power of the Internet and Web 2.0 and all that cool stuff available to music fans these days. I checked in with Iain, the host of the Unsigned Rock Podcast and asked him who has floated his boat lately and he pointed me towards Red Seven. Two clicks later I’m on their MySpace site listening to some tracks off of “Anywhere But Here” and after a couple of e-mails I had my own copy sitting in my grubby little hands.

With a satisfying mix of mid-tempo contemplative rockers including the phenomenal “She Don’t Know” and “Gone” and the excellent 3 song blast at the end with the aforementioned “Someone Else’s Name”, “Wanna Hold You” and “DUI/Drinkin’ All Night” this CD just begs to get out to a wider audience and that is frustrating in its on right. This stuff would be lapped up by the rock and roll masses if they could only hear it so I’ll do my part. “Someone Else’s Name” is my MySpace “Song of the Week” and make sure you check out Rock and Roll Report Radio on November 20th for more Red Seven. It astonishes me that there is so much good sounding rock and roll out there that still remains unsigned. A travesty to be sure. Have a listen on the CD Baby link below and if you like, buy.

Later.

RED SEVEN: Anywhere But HereWARNING: Listening to this CD may be habit forming. Contains traces of catchy pop/punk, hard-driving rock and soulful ballads that may cause uncontrollable head bobbing, repetition of lyrics and finger tapping. Highly addictive even in moderation.

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Can anyone tell me why “Someone Else’s Name” by Red Seven is not a huge fuckin’ hit on commercial radio? Oh ya, that might be because Red Seven aren’t signed to a label, indie or major and that is a real shame. On their debut album “Anywhere But Here” this band from Chicago have managed to combine crafty songwriting with crisp production and a satisfying heavy backbeat to put together a 10 song hard rock opus that would not be out of place AT ALL on commercial rock radio if it would just get its collective head out of the major labels’ asses and play something a bit off the beaten track, you know something that the commercial radio “personalities” would have to discover by maybe going to a small rock club or at the very least checking out MySpace once in awhile.

The way I discovered the band is a testament to the power of the Internet and Web 2.0 and all that cool stuff available to music fans these days. I checked in with Iain, the host of the Unsigned Rock Podcast and asked him who has floated his boat lately and he pointed me towards Red Seven. Two clicks later I’m on their MySpace site listening to some tracks off of “Anywhere But Here” and after a couple of e-mails I had my own copy sitting in my grubby little hands.

With a satisfying mix of mid-tempo contemplative rockers including the phenomenal “She Don’t Know” and “Gone” and the excellent 3 song blast at the end with the aforementioned “Someone Else’s Name”, “Wanna Hold You” and “DUI/Drinkin’ All Night” this CD just begs to get out to a wider audience and that is frustrating in its on right. This stuff would be lapped up by the rock and roll masses if they could only hear it so I’ll do my part. “Someone Else’s Name” is my MySpace “Song of the Week” and make sure you check out Rock and Roll Report Radio on November 20th for more Red Seven. It astonishes me that there is so much good sounding rock and roll out there that still remains unsigned. A travesty to be sure. Have a listen on the CD Baby link below and if you like, buy.

Later.

RED SEVEN: Anywhere But HereWARNING: Listening to this CD may be habit forming. Contains traces of catchy pop/punk, hard-driving rock and soulful ballads that may cause uncontrollable head bobbing, repetition of lyrics and finger tapping. Highly addictive even in moderation.

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Can anyone tell me why "Someone Else’s Name" by Red Seven is not a huge fuckin’ hit on commercial radio? Oh ya, that might be because Red Seven aren’t signed to a label, indie or major and that is a real shame. On their debut album "Anywhere But Here" this band from Chicago have managed to combine crafty songwriting with crisp production and a satisfying heavy backbeat to put together a 10 song hard rock opus that would not be out of place AT ALL on commercial rock radio if it would just get its collective head out of the major labels’ asses and play something a bit off the beaten track, you know something that the commercial radio "personalities" would have to discover by maybe going to a small rock club or at the very least checking out MySpace once in awhile.

The way I discovered the band is a testament to the power of the Internet and Web 2.0 and all that cool stuff available to music fans these days. I checked in with Iain, the host of the Unsigned Rock Podcast and asked him who has floated his boat lately and he pointed me towards Red Seven. Two clicks later I’m on their MySpace site listening to some tracks off of "Anywhere But Here" and after a couple of e-mails I had my own copy sitting in my grubby little hands.

With a satisfying mix of mid-tempo contemplative rockers including the phenomenal "She Don’t Know" and "Gone" and the excellent 3 song blast at the end with the aforementioned "Someone Else’s Name", "Wanna Hold You" and "DUI/Drinkin’ All Night" this CD just begs to get out to a wider audience and that is frustrating in its on right. This stuff would be lapped up by the rock and roll masses if they could only hear it so I’ll do my part. "Someone Else’s Name" is my MySpace "Song of the Week" and make sure you check out Rock and Roll Report Radio on November 20th for more Red Seven. It astonishes me that there is so much good sounding rock and roll out there that still remains unsigned. A travesty to be sure. Have a listen on the CD Baby link below and if you like, buy.

Later.

RED SEVEN: Anywhere But Here WARNING: Listening to this CD may be habit forming. Contains traces of catchy pop/punk, hard-driving rock and soulful ballads that may cause uncontrollable head bobbing, repetition of lyrics and finger tapping. Highly addictive even in moderation.

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Details are out on the retail version of the new U2/Green Day collaboration on the Skids classic “The Saints are Coming.” There will be two versions, the live version they performed at the NFL’s New Orleans Saints home opener last month and a studio version recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Rick Rubin. All proceeds are to be donated to Music Rising, an organization that is replacing the musical instruments lost in the floods caused by Hurricane Katrina last year in New Orleans.

While I have been a fan of Green Day since their earliest indie days, I have a somewhat ambivalent attitude to U2. I definitely admire them on a number of levels but I just have never been able to really dig into their music aside from a bunch of the obvious “hits.” I am trying to change this by essentially re-examining all their albums and try and make up for lost time. I think the other major factor is that I have never seen them live and that is another thing I would like to rectify next tour. That is my U2 confession for the year!

Later.

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Details are out on the retail version of the new U2/Green Day collaboration on the Skids classic "The Saints are Coming." There will be two versions, the live version they performed at the NFL’s New Orleans Saints home opener last month and a studio version recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Rick Rubin. All proceeds are to be donated to Music Rising, an organization that is replacing the musical instruments lost in the floods caused by Hurricane Katrina last year in New Orleans.

While I have been a fan of Green Day since their earliest indie days, I have a somewhat ambivalent attitude to U2. I definitely admire them on a number of levels but I just have never been able to really dig into their music aside from a bunch of the obvious "hits." I am trying to change this by essentially re-examining all their albums and try and make up for lost time. I think the other major factor is that I have never seen them live and that is another thing I would like to rectify next tour. That is my U2 confession for the year!

Later.

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KENNY HOWES AND THE YEAH!: Until DawnRockin’ Power Pop; snappy, poppy, crackly, and touched by influences like the Beatles and Cheap Trick.. may cause unexpected floating.

APE HOUSE: Tired of StyleDC power-pop sensations combine rocking, yet smart guitar work, catchy vocals, top-notch bass and ferocious drumming. Think Ramones meets the Byrds.

THE SKYLINE DRIVE: Get It TogetherPower Pop Rock with a hardcore influence; think Cheap Trick, Foo Fighters, and Local H

THE BLACK MOLLYS: Overnight DisgraceLike a battle of the bands between Cheap Trick and the Beatles in a biker bar on “ladies drink free” night.

THE HUTCHINSONS: Plastic Fruit & PopcornSibling powered heavy pop/rock trio with LOUD drums & guitars, bold songwriting, and brotherly harmonies… “POWERPOP WITH PLENTY OF HEART AND HEAT.”- L.A. Weekly

THE DAVENPORTS: Hi-Tech Lowlifemelodic song driven pop/ rock with elements of 60’s and 70’s production

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KENNY HOWES AND THE YEAH!: Until Dawn Rockin’ Power Pop; snappy, poppy, crackly, and touched by influences like the Beatles and Cheap Trick.. may cause unexpected floating.

APE HOUSE: Tired of Style DC power-pop sensations combine rocking, yet smart guitar work, catchy vocals, top-notch bass and ferocious drumming. Think Ramones meets the Byrds.

THE SKYLINE DRIVE: Get It Together Power Pop Rock with a hardcore influence; think Cheap Trick, Foo Fighters, and Local H

THE BLACK MOLLYS: Overnight Disgrace Like a battle of the bands between Cheap Trick and the Beatles in a biker bar on "ladies drink free" night.

THE HUTCHINSONS: Plastic Fruit & Popcorn Sibling powered heavy pop/rock trio with LOUD drums & guitars, bold songwriting, and brotherly harmonies… "POWERPOP WITH PLENTY OF HEART AND HEAT."- L.A. Weekly

THE DAVENPORTS: Hi-Tech Lowlife melodic song driven pop/ rock with elements of 60’s and 70’s production

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Here is the playlist for Doug’s Plastic Plastic Program that aired October 23, 2006 on CKUT FM from 10:00 - 11:00 PM.

Artist Album Song

• the Grifters - The Kingdom of Jones - Snake Oil
• Spencer Dickson - The Man Who Lives For Love - Body
• Young Widows - Settle Down City - We Don’t Know
• Pinback - Nautical Antiques - Versailes
• Micah P. Hinson & the Opera Circuit  - Jackeyed
• Thrift Store Cowboys - Lay Low While Crawling or Creepin’  - Beneath the Shoes
• Califone  - Roots & Crowns - Pink & Sour
• M. Ward - Duet for Guitars 2 - Beautiful Car
• Sparklehorse - Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain - Shade & Honey
• A.M. Interstate - s.t - Dirty & Low
• Whiskey Biscuit - s/t - Jaybird

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(PRESS RELEASE) With product distribution, national touring, radio airplay, music video production and more, indie rock musicians have just about every service musicians signed with a major label have. One notable exception is coverage of news, information and promotional events on a national scale beyond the print medium. Finally there will be a (video) program featuring news & information exclusively for the indie rock community and fans of indie rock - the Indie Insider!

The Indie Insider is the first broadband entertainment news magazine program featuring topics relative to the indie rock musician community exclusively!

With the Indie Insider, the gap between the services signed musicians enjoy over their indie counterparts continue to shrink, plus the under-representation of a vibrant and dynamic community will be put to rest.

Some of the topics covered on the program include:

Label launches
CD releases
Music video releases
Corporate sponsored and philanthropic events
Tours, competitions, concerts, festivals, etc.
Performances at legendary clubs
Educational & informational programs (legal, marketing, etc.)
Deals

To become involved with the unique free programming opportunity the Indie Insider provides, checkout indieinsider.tv. While on the site checkout the affordable advertising vehicle the Indie Insider offers the music industry.

http://www.indieinsider.tv

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For those power pop fans that live in the New York area you should check out Sherman Boim’s New York Power Pop Page. Recently updated to include new links to NY concert venues, local bands, and general power pop resources, this site is a treasure trove for those of us who love power pop, regardless if you live close to NYC or not. Good stuff.

Later.

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INDIE NEWS BEAT

October 24, 2006 Edition

* Kobo Town Claim Their Independence

* MusicDish Network’s Miko Marks Nominated “Best New Country Artist 2006″

* Classic Rock Band Bluebeard Taps MusicDish Network For Development Campaign

* Prohibition Entertainment Releases New Traedonya Single Via Airplay Direct

* WorkshopLive Supports Music Education With Gift Of Free Annual Music Lessons

* Kirsten DeHaan - Industry Showcase R And R Oct. 26

* Nominations Now Open For Independent Music Awards: The Indies

Kobo Town Claim Their Independence

Toronto-based calypso act Kobo Town will officially release their debut album Independence to North American retail and online outlets on November 14, 2006.

Drawing heavily upon the sounds of traditional calypso, roots reggae and dub poetry, the album is a collection of stories which offer a running commentary on a wide variety of social and political themes including domestic violence, homelessness, globalization, the war on Iraq, and the various frustrations and betrayals of the post-colonial era.

Named after an historic community in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where calypso was born, Kobo Town strives to recover the social conscience, satirical storytelling and strong acoustic/organic rhythms that characterized Trinidadian music in the past. But while the group’s singer-songwriter Drew Gonsalves expresses a wish to “celebrate the musical and artistic traditions formed over the long years of our turbulent history”, the tales that fill the album could be told anywhere.

The title of this album is intended to be hopeful and ironic at the same time: some of the songs offer a critical look at the “independence experiment” and its various failures and betrayals in Trinidad and elsewhere, while others aim to celebrate the musical and artistic traditions formed over the long years of our turbulent history. One track Abatina tells the tragic story of a girl trapped in an abusive marriage by her family’s class aspirations, while another, St. James, uses a flood of rhymes and images to evoke both the desperation and celebratory spirit of a struggling neighbourhood in Port-of-Spain. And underlying the songs are bottle and spoon rhythms, syncopated flute and violin melodies, strumming cuatros, and heavy reggae bass lines which indicate a marriage between West Indian musics old and new ­ a dialogue between a fading folkloric tradition and the sounds that prevail in our time.

Independence was co-produced by Lyndon Livingstone (David Rudder, Andre Tanker, Mighty Scrunter) and Drew Gonsalves at the Razorshop in Maraval, Trinidad. Independence will be available for download through CD Baby, iTunes, Music Discovery Network, Calabash Music and select online retailers. For more information or to hear advance tracks from the album, please visit, www.kobotown.com.

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MusicDish Network’s Miko Marks Nominated “Best New Country Artist 2006″ By New Music Weekly Magazine

New Music Weekly magazine has nomimated MusicDish Network country singer Miko Marks “Best New Country Artist 2006″ for the 2006 New Music Weekly Awards being held on November 18th in Hollywood. Miko recently released the third single and first music video “Mama” (featuring Grammy winning Erykah Badu in the title role) from her full-length album “Freeway Bound”
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(i) Log onto http://www.newmusicweekly.com/nmwawards.php

(ii) Click “Vote Now”

(iii) Scroll down and cast your vote for Miko Marks as 2006 Best New Country Artist!

The announcement comes on the heels of a banner year for this country newcomer. Since signing with indie rock label Mirrome Records during CMA MusicFest, the singer/songwriter has opened for Warner Records artist, Ray Scott, and toured the states from California to Washington D.C. with the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, America’s only touring black rodeo, now in its 22nd year. The album “Freeway Bound”, recorded in Nashville with legendary producer, Ron Cornelius, has enjoyed airplay in 14 countries including the US, while the title track was used in Episode #102 of CMT’s “Home Blitz with Habitat for Humanity.”

Recognized worldwide as “New Music’s Night,” the New Music Awards represent the pinnacle of achievement for ALL Music artists, musicians, radio programmers, music directors, radio stations, and industry executives who work in America’s most popular music genre. “The New Music Awards” features a wide variety of exceptional talent and is sure to provide outstanding entertainment and excitement throughout the show.

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Classic Rock Band Bluebeard Taps MusicDish Network For Development Campaign

MusicDish, an Internet music magazine publisher and artist marketing/development firm, announced the addition of Los Angeles cult rock band Bluebeard to its MusicDish Network roster. Through its online marketing and brand development campaign, the MusicDish Network will promote Bluebeard’s first album of new material in over 25 years, “Deluxe With Reverb”
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MusicDish Network will conduct an intensive campaign in support of the band’s new album, combining content development, syndication/street team, social networking and distribution. Bluebeard has already begun to make their presence felt on social networking sites such as MySpace, Number One Music iSound and LiveDigital (to name a few), while conducting a viral distribution campaign of the band’s music and videos on major file sharing networks such as eDonkey.

Produced and published by new independent music label Shelter From the Storm Records, “Deluxe With Reverb” features a selection of new material, re-recorded and re-mastered songs from the band’s late-70s heyday, and a hard-charging cover version of INXS’ “Pretty Vegas.”

“Check out their latest timeless classic. It is a great listen. You can hear in their material how they have inspired so many over the years. And the new material sounds just as new as it does ‘classic’.” - John Haseltine, Ball Buster

Bluebeard has been around for nearly 30 years and was a mainstay of the Southern California club scene in the 70s and 80s, playing dates with everyone from Van Halen to The Motels to Steppenwolf. They recently played a sold out appearance at L.A.’s Canyon Club, sharing a bill with Blue Oyster Cult. Their last full-length album, “Bad Dream,” was released in 1978 and is a treasured collector’s item among rock connoisseurs, with asking prices up to $500 per copy on on-line auction sites. Bluebeard received widespread critical acclaim in the U.S. (from the likes of Billboard Magazine, Cash Box, BAM and Radio Report), and was an underground favorite in Japan and Europe.

The tragic death in 2004 of Robert Barry Leech, the band’s original lead singer and creative force, led the remaining members to reunite in honor of his memory with a singular focus to once and for all bring their brand of rock & roll to the world. “Deluxe With Reverb” includes a tribute to the past via a rockin’ duet of The Rolling Stone’s classic “Paint It Black,” between Leech and new frontman Ellington Erin .

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Prohibition Entertainment Releases New Traedonya Single Via Airplay Direct

Prohibition Entertainment a NYC based boutique independent record label and AirPlay Direct have formed a marketing alliance in regards to R&B /crossover vocalist TRAEDONYA. Her single “BELOVED” will be delivered to radio stations worldwide via www.AirPlayDirect.com This will allow Prohibition to save a substantial amount of money by not having to send out hard copy promotional packages to radio stations.

“Radio servicing (just packages, not promotion) is a punitive cost to most independent labels and artists. Servicing can run into thousands of dollars and you have returns which will also increase costs” says A.K Smith-Ford , Founder of Prohibition. AirPlay Direct’s FREE services will allow us to put the money saved into other key areas… marketing and promotion.

“TRAEDONYA is a Featured Artist on AirPlay Direct and radio programmers and music industry executives are able to check out TRAEDONYA at www.airplaydirect.com/music/bands/3117/

“AirPlay Direct’s approach will continue the revolution and evolution of the music industry in the digital arena. Radio is an ‘achilles heel’ to most independent labels and artists because we can’t compete for ‘Clear Channel’ against the big 4 labels. AirPlay Direct has helped to level the playing field.” said A.K.

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WorkshopLive Supports Music Education With Gift Of Free Annual Music Lessons For Music Resource Center Members

The Music Resource Center, a multi-faceted music education center for teenagers, announced a donation of online music lessons and guitar supplies from WorkshopLive, which produces the most dynamic and engaging music instruction content on the Web. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia and originally funded by the Dave Matthews Band, MRC will receive a combination of annual subscriptions and introductory “Play Free” cards and other teaching materials from WorkshopLive.

The Music Resource Center, a multi-faceted music education center for teenagers, announced a donation of online music lessons and guitar supplies from WorkshopLive, which produces the most dynamic and engaging music instruction content on the Web. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia and originally funded by the Dave Matthews Band, MRC will receive a combination of annual subscriptions and introductory “Play Free” cards and other teaching materials from WorkshopLive.

The Music Resource Center uses the recording and performing arts to create a sense of empowerment and accomplishment in the urban community. Its mission is to educate and inspire urban youth and through music equip them with life skills for the future. They accomplish this mission through music education and performance opportunities, as well as life skills mentoring.

WorkshopLive is a unique educational platform that delivers personalized and completely individualized music lessons through a broadband Internet connection. Its patent-pending technology determines how each student learns best, then delivers the teaching options, lessons and learning environment that best suits the student’s needs.

More than one thousand guitar, bass and keyboard lessons will be available to MRC players and teachers of the revolutionary Internet learning system, any time, day or night, whenever and wherever they can make a high-speed Internet connection. WorkshopLive is also making available its library of publications from the National Guitar Workshops, an affiliate of the online learning company.

“American culture and society is experiencing one of the worst times for arts education in the past 30 years,” said Sibley Johns, Executive Director. “Throughout history, the benefit of these programs to individuals and communities is indisputable. While the situation cannot be reversed overnight, this important donation from WorkshopLive is a giant step in the right direction. It’s a perfect combination of music lessons and technology, both of which appeal to students at every level. The first music lesson is the first step on a wonderful journey.”

Besides individual subscribers, local music teachers will be able to utilize the WorkshopLive services for group lessons that serve all levels of playing from beginner to advanced guitar lessons.

“From a state of the art facility to cutting edge music education programs, the Music Resource Center is poised for a period of tremendous growth internally as well as externally,” said John Ross, Director of Marketing for WorkshopLive. “Music enriches our lives, and MRC represents an example of hope. It is a privilege to be associated with this great organization, and help them achieve their goals of bringing about both individual and social transformation.”

“The demand for these community music education programs like the Music Resource Center in Charlottesville are flourishing throughout the nation,” Ross added. “The MRC works with more than 700 players annually, which more than demonstrates the demand for music lessons in a single local community. WorkshopLive wants to support as many programs as we can to be a significant part of bringing more guitar, bass or keyboard players back to music.”

Staff members and volunteers from the Charlottesville music community provide lessons to MRC members in a variety of subjects including guitar, bass, keyboard, voice, and music theory, which are all part of WorkshopLive’s current or intended curriculum offerings. All MRC lessons are free, and scheduling may vary depending on instructor availability. With WorkshopLive, the scheduling limitation is eliminated.

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Kirsten DeHaan - Industry Showcase R And R Oct. 26

Out And About In NYC: Kirsten DeHaan is a nineties-style punk-pop dynamo. Her new 3-song EP is drawing comparisons to Belly and U2, which is fair enough, but her live set is rawer and more punked out. This dualism may simply be in the nature of the pretty, driven, biker-haired Indianan-turned-New Yorker, or it may be smartly planned - or both. In any case, it makes her recorded music potentially radio-friendly in more than one circuit - grown up Gen-Xers, college rock, maybe even the Avril LaTween set. A combination of talent, personal intensity and looks might soon turn Kirsten DeHaan into a major indie rock player…
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/10/20/065800.php

Kirsten DeHaan - Industry Showcase

R and R

Thurs. Oct. 26 9pm

416 W 14th Street

9th ave and Washington

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Nominations Now Open For Independent Music Awards: The Indies

Canadian Music Week is calling all independent recording artists to apply for The Indies - the 2007 Independent Music Awards. The event will kick off the CMW 07 festivities held in Toronto on Wednesday, March 7, 2007. Applications are due on November 15, 2006.

This year’s submissions will be taken exclusively through Sonicbids at www.sonicbids.com/indies2007. Submission rules and regulations can be obtained from the CMW Web site at www.cmw.net.

Presented by inDiscover.net, The Indies celebrate outstanding achievement in sound recording. The awards are limited to independent artists and cover some 14 different genres of music. Winners in 27 of the 30 categories are decided by both a public vote and an industry vote. Four new categories have been added for 2007, including Live Artist/Group/Duo Of The Year, International Single Of The Year, International Breakthrough Artist/Group/Duo Of The Year, and International Video Of The Year.

The Indies celebrate the best in Canadian and International independent music. Last year’s sold-out event was hosted by Jian Ghomeshi and featured performances by Stars, Elliott Brood, Figurines, The Road Hammers, Rosette, Cursed, The Parachute Club, and The Pursuit Of Happiness. Past years’ winners include The Arcade Fire, Bedouin Soundclash, City and Colour, The Trews, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Alexisonfire, Kataklysm, Death From Above 1979, Hot Hot Heat, Default, The Weakerthans, Fidgital and Dashboard Confessional.

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

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I know Diana Young-Blanchard must be tired of hearing the comparison but for someone new to The DT’s like me holy shit does she sound like Janis Joplin reincarnated. When I fisrt slapped “Nice ‘n’ Ruff” on the CD player it grapped me from the first second and didn’t let go for 35 incredible minutes.

“Nice ‘n’ Ruff” is the second full-length recording by The DT’s and one consisting of an amazing variety of covers by everybody from Al Green to AC/DC. Things kick off with a kick to the shins on “Crazy ‘Bout You Baby” originally by Sonny Boy Williamson and take off like a jet plane from there with a ripping version of “The Price of Love” originally by The Artistics, “Pagan Baby” by CCR and two delightful surprises for me: “What’s Next to the Moon” by AC/DC and an amazing “Don;t Slander Me” by Roky Ericson. What really impresses me above and beyond the amazing playing and production though is the selection of covers. Aside from “The Hunter” these are all pretty esoteric selections from such a widely divergent group of musicians that they can’t help make every song their own.

The DT’s are one of those bands that you discover every once in awhile that just feel right from the get go. No getting comfortable with their CD over a couple of weeks. It just grabs you by the throat and won’t let you go for the duration. And CDs like that immediately hit heavy rotation on every iPod, car stereo and home system that you own that is capable of pumping out rock and roll. Absolutely first rate, killer rock and roll and an obvious choice for being the band featured on my MySpace “Song of the Week” feature. Cool, cool stuff. And if you want to hear Diana belt out some Janis, they cover “Move Over” as well. Amazing.

Chek out their MySpace page for some music you can listen to: http://www.myspace.com/thedts.

Later.

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