Based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Fastlane Records is a great indie label which not only pumps out cool, unabashed melodic hard pop to hard rock and roll but they think big. I recently chatted with Fastlane Records owner and CEO Shawn C. Lane on what makes the label tick, what kind of music they are looking for and life in the iTunes generation. Part 1 runs today, Part 2 concludes tomorrow.

RRR: Tell me a bit about the label. How long its been going, what the mission of it is and what kind of music makes the FastLane grade?

SCL: FastLane Records originated in 1994 when I was managing a local band that was starting to take off at the time called Erotic Suicide. There was a buzz from Japan to England on this band as MTV-Europe called them one of America’s brightest hope in music, but remember at this time grunge had really reared it’s ugly head and had taken over the radio and MTV among others and gritty/sleazy rock and roll that we were doing at this time had all but died. We decided in 2000 to bring FastLane Records to fruition 24/7 as an actual Label and open our doors to find the best newcomers and undiscovered/upcoming talent we possibly could in the hard pop to hard rock genre with a guitar edge/crunch.

Our mission from day one is what it still is, which is straight-up, non-apologetic, slap-across-the-face rock and roll with a flair for showmanship as well as great musicianship..’audio for your ears and a visual for your eyes’ we like to say. Gone are the days of what I call ‘Shoegazer’s’..bands that look like the brother’s of a frat house. Anytime you can’t tell the band onstage from the kids in the crowd..it’s a problem (laughs). We stay away from the cookie-cutter approach as other major/indie labels go for which is the flavor-of-the-week, I personally think that’s about as contrived and artificial as you can get. We recieve many demos per week/month and it would be so easy to sign everything that comes across your desk, but I’m to old-school and believe in ‘quality not quanity’.

The kind of music we strive and look for is the kind that gives you that heart-pumping, unadulterated feeling of a ‘real’ rock show when you paid your hard earned money and you got a band that looked and sounds like a rock and roll band. Image is just important as the music to us..it’s actually 50/50 concoction that’s why it’s so hard to scour the globe for the band that meets the criteria. We specialize in hard pop to hard rock, but were a very guitar oriented driven label.

RRR: One of the things you state that you are trying to bring back to rock and roll is showmanship. What do you mean about that and how are you going about achieving it?

SCL: Showmanship is such a lost art form. In the last ten plus years we have been de-sensitised in thinking that everything you see on the video channels look like the neighbor’s kid practicing in the garage, etc. I’m a product/child of the 80’s and weened on Motley/Ratt, etc and I also know the big hair and over-the-top antics, big hair and lipstick will never come back, but it also made Hollywood and the world take notice between 1984-1990 or so. Everyone borrows/steals from someone else and if your going to steal..do it right (laughs). We like to think we borrow from the yesteryear bands (circa 70’s/80’s) and add a modern day twist to the mix. The audience have grown weary of today’s products and with the absence of rock videos on MTV, etc it really has taken away from a lost art that used to move product. I think that’s why all the nostalgia acts from the 80’s do so well on packaged tours because people want to be entertained visually as well as by the music..it really is a univeral language.

We just basically incorporate that mindset into the millinium and set-forth to put out a great product that will sell itself on it’s own strengths and hope it appeals to the masses.

RRR: What are the bands currently signed to the label?

SCL: As of now we have American Anthem (which you may remember toured with Bret Michaels in 2003 as his opening band as well as his band for his set playing the Poison songs). We also have a great band from N.Y. called The Meddling Kids which are great power-pop/edged rockers that are just fantastic. We also have from Nashville the Red Carpet Rats who just are incredible in their songwriting and performance as their finishing up their record with Jim Ebert (Butch Walker fame) and it’s just a mind-blower. We also house Annex from Green Bay, WI..these guys are over-the-top showman with a awesome stage-show as they deliver a fury of anthemic structures songs that stick in your head for days. As of now their first single were releasing (uncensored/censored versions of the audio as well as a video to accompany it) called ‘Brought It On Yourself’ has been a staple on the podcast network for the last few weeks in the top ten world-wide of podcasters and climbing everyday. Radio will be serviced with the radio-edit version this month..this could really be the break-out song of this year indie wise. (Rock and Roll Report Radio has already played the “radio unfriendly” version a few times already! ed.) We also have other bands were finalising as we speak.

We also have some great tributes we have out, such as the NY Dolls tribute ‘Jetboys Of Babylon’ we did in 2005 that features David Johansen himself redoing ‘Babylon’ (at the time we did this the NY Dolls reunion was on the table and I was the one speaking with the late great Arthur Kane about doing something for this tribute, I was also the one to make him aware of the Dolls reunion show in England put together from Morrissey) it also featured FLIPP/Steve Jones/ The Alarm and many more. Right now, we have just finished a Rick Springfield tribute called ‘Working Class Dogs’ and it flat-out rocks and modernizes his hits into the millinium. In the works (on the subject of tributes) we have one to Cheap Trick called ‘Tricked Out’ which we have pictures and liner notes supplied to us by none other than CREEM magazine (for you older readers, CREEM was a major staple in rock magazines throughout the 70’s and part of the early 80’s) and there’s talks about one to the Beatles called ‘Beatle-Esque’ and also the SWEET called ‘Sweetness’..those latter mentioned are still in the planning stages.

RRR: I like the fact that Fastlane artists tend to have great hooks and harmonies, something that almost seems old fashioned in this day and age. Is this a concsious decision?

SCL: Absolutely, 100% on purpose and we stand by it as well as resemble that remark (laughs). Rock and roll has always meant to be fun, tongue-in-cheek, raunchy and full-on debauchery at it’s finest. You take great hooks/harmonies with a soaring, guitar laden crunchiness for the structuring and your not only appealing to the college kids/power-popsters, but also metal fans who appreciate the guitar playing and musicianship as well…really, something for everyone. It’s designed for universal appeal..hate it/love it, but you can’t deny/ignore it.
We feel were onto a formula that is timeless and has a market in every major outlet you can find our releases in the rock/pop section and not the Indie section nor the Alternative (god, I hate that term) section way in the back that know one can find/see.

RRR: With the record industry in such disarray and the sales of CDs declining according to most estimates, how do you see a small indie like FastLane surviving and even thriving in this iTunes world?

SCL: You roll with the punches and keep up with the modern changes in technology as well as anything in cutting-edge. I wouldn’t exactly call FLR a small Indie. Maybe a medium Indie (laughs). We also take pride in our packaging of the CD’s (remember the old Alice Cooper/KISS packaging) we incorporate all the visuals as well as adding props to go inside. We also have taken upon ourselves audio-wise to master all our releases in high-definition which is a huge plus as most Indies do not want that costs it takes for this process..it’s costly, but well worth-it in our book. Only afew Majors have dabbled in the HDCD format. It might change now as the popularity is growing from HDTV’S/HDDVD’S to HD Radio, but we have been doing it since 2004 and will continue to do so..more bang for your buck. iTunes we have totally embraced as well as other knock-off companies..the more the better. Word-of-mouth will always be the best form of advertisement no matter how many thousands of dollars you spend on print ads, etc. If something sucks, it sucks…you can’t shine shit.

Check back tomorrow for part 2 of our interview with Shawn as we talk about everything from podcasting and the power of the amplified guitar. See you then!

Mark

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Based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Fastlane Records is a great indie label which not only pumps out cool, unabashed melodic hard pop to hard rock and roll but they think big. I recently chatted with Fastlane Records owner and CEO Shawn C. Lane on what makes the label tick, what kind of music they are looking for and life in the iTunes generation. Part 1 runs today, Part 2 concludes tomorrow.

RRR: Tell me a bit about the label. How long its been going, what the mission of it is and what kind of music makes the FastLane grade?

SCL: FastLane Records originated in 1994 when I was managing a local band that was starting to take off at the time called Erotic Suicide. There was a buzz from Japan to England on this band as MTV-Europe called them one of America’s brightest hope in music, but remember at this time grunge had really reared it’s ugly head and had taken over the radio and MTV among others and gritty/sleazy rock and roll that we were doing at this time had all but died. We decided in 2000 to bring FastLane Records to fruition 24/7 as an actual Label and open our doors to find the best newcomers and undiscovered/upcoming talent we possibly could in the hard pop to hard rock genre with a guitar edge/crunch.

Our mission from day one is what it still is, which is straight-up, non-apologetic, slap-across-the-face rock and roll with a flair for showmanship as well as great musicianship..’audio for your ears and a visual for your eyes’ we like to say. Gone are the days of what I call ‘Shoegazer’s’..bands that look like the brother’s of a frat house. Anytime you can’t tell the band onstage from the kids in the crowd..it’s a problem (laughs). We stay away from the cookie-cutter approach as other major/indie labels go for which is the flavor-of-the-week, I personally think that’s about as contrived and artificial as you can get. We recieve many demos per week/month and it would be so easy to sign everything that comes across your desk, but I’m to old-school and believe in ‘quality not quanity’.

The kind of music we strive and look for is the kind that gives you that heart-pumping, unadulterated feeling of a ‘real’ rock show when you paid your hard earned money and you got a band that looked and sounds like a rock and roll band. Image is just important as the music to us..it’s actually 50/50 concoction that’s why it’s so hard to scour the globe for the band that meets the criteria. We specialize in hard pop to hard rock, but were a very guitar oriented driven label.

RRR: One of the things you state that you are trying to bring back to rock and roll is showmanship. What do you mean about that and how are you going about achieving it?

SCL: Showmanship is such a lost art form. In the last ten plus years we have been de-sensitised in thinking that everything you see on the video channels look like the neighbor’s kid practicing in the garage, etc. I’m a product/child of the 80’s and weened on Motley/Ratt, etc and I also know the big hair and over-the-top antics, big hair and lipstick will never come back, but it also made Hollywood and the world take notice between 1984-1990 or so. Everyone borrows/steals from someone else and if your going to steal..do it right (laughs). We like to think we borrow from the yesteryear bands (circa 70’s/80’s) and add a modern day twist to the mix. The audience have grown weary of today’s products and with the absence of rock videos on MTV, etc it really has taken away from a lost art that used to move product. I think that’s why all the nostalgia acts from the 80’s do so well on packaged tours because people want to be entertained visually as well as by the music..it really is a univeral language.

We just basically incorporate that mindset into the millinium and set-forth to put out a great product that will sell itself on it’s own strengths and hope it appeals to the masses.

RRR: What are the bands currently signed to the label?

SCL: As of now we have American Anthem (which you may remember toured with Bret Michaels in 2003 as his opening band as well as his band for his set playing the Poison songs). We also have a great band from N.Y. called The Meddling Kids which are great power-pop/edged rockers that are just fantastic. We also have from Nashville the Red Carpet Rats who just are incredible in their songwriting and performance as their finishing up their record with Jim Ebert (Butch Walker fame) and it’s just a mind-blower. We also house Annex from Green Bay, WI..these guys are over-the-top showman with a awesome stage-show as they deliver a fury of anthemic structures songs that stick in your head for days. As of now their first single were releasing (uncensored/censored versions of the audio as well as a video to accompany it) called ‘Brought It On Yourself’ has been a staple on the podcast network for the last few weeks in the top ten world-wide of podcasters and climbing everyday. Radio will be serviced with the radio-edit version this month..this could really be the break-out song of this year indie wise. (Rock and Roll Report Radio has already played the “radio unfriendly” version a few times already! ed.) We also have other bands were finalising as we speak.

We also have some great tributes we have out, such as the NY Dolls tribute ‘Jetboys Of Babylon’ we did in 2005 that features David Johansen himself redoing ‘Babylon’ (at the time we did this the NY Dolls reunion was on the table and I was the one speaking with the late great Arthur Kane about doing something for this tribute, I was also the one to make him aware of the Dolls reunion show in England put together from Morrissey) it also featured FLIPP/Steve Jones/ The Alarm and many more. Right now, we have just finished a Rick Springfield tribute called ‘Working Class Dogs’ and it flat-out rocks and modernizes his hits into the millinium. In the works (on the subject of tributes) we have one to Cheap Trick called ‘Tricked Out’ which we have pictures and liner notes supplied to us by none other than CREEM magazine (for you older readers, CREEM was a major staple in rock magazines throughout the 70’s and part of the early 80’s) and there’s talks about one to the Beatles called ‘Beatle-Esque’ and also the SWEET called ‘Sweetness’..those latter mentioned are still in the planning stages.

RRR: I like the fact that Fastlane artists tend to have great hooks and harmonies, something that almost seems old fashioned in this day and age. Is this a concsious decision?

SCL: Absolutely, 100% on purpose and we stand by it as well as resemble that remark (laughs). Rock and roll has always meant to be fun, tongue-in-cheek, raunchy and full-on debauchery at it’s finest. You take great hooks/harmonies with a soaring, guitar laden crunchiness for the structuring and your not only appealing to the college kids/power-popsters, but also metal fans who appreciate the guitar playing and musicianship as well…really, something for everyone. It’s designed for universal appeal..hate it/love it, but you can’t deny/ignore it.
We feel were onto a formula that is timeless and has a market in every major outlet you can find our releases in the rock/pop section and not the Indie section nor the Alternative (god, I hate that term) section way in the back that know one can find/see.

RRR: With the record industry in such disarray and the sales of CDs declining according to most estimates, how do you see a small indie like FastLane surviving and even thriving in this iTunes world?

SCL: You roll with the punches and keep up with the modern changes in technology as well as anything in cutting-edge. I wouldn’t exactly call FLR a small Indie. Maybe a medium Indie (laughs). We also take pride in our packaging of the CD’s (remember the old Alice Cooper/KISS packaging) we incorporate all the visuals as well as adding props to go inside. We also have taken upon ourselves audio-wise to master all our releases in high-definition which is a huge plus as most Indies do not want that costs it takes for this process..it’s costly, but well worth-it in our book. Only afew Majors have dabbled in the HDCD format. It might change now as the popularity is growing from HDTV’S/HDDVD’S to HD Radio, but we have been doing it since 2004 and will continue to do so..more bang for your buck. iTunes we have totally embraced as well as other knock-off companies..the more the better. Word-of-mouth will always be the best form of advertisement no matter how many thousands of dollars you spend on print ads, etc. If something sucks, it sucks…you can’t shine shit.

Check back tomorrow for part 2 of our interview with Shawn as we talk about everything from podcasting and the power of the amplified guitar. See you then!

Mark

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The music “contest” and charity program, Download For The Cure®, combines the ability for the independent music artist to both get heard and have their music serve a bigger purpose. Partnered with the most recognizable name in the fight against cancer, the American Cancer Society, Download For The Cure® is offering a national music search to select a 12 to 15 song virtual album exclusively available through iTunes.

All download proceeds from that virtual album will be directly donated to the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. Music artists have until May 15, 2007, to submit their two best songs to both further their career and help the fight against cancer. Please visit www.downloadforthecure.org for more information and to submit your music.

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The music “contest” and charity program, Download For The Cure®, combines the ability for the independent music artist to both get heard and have their music serve a bigger purpose. Partnered with the most recognizable name in the fight against cancer, the American Cancer Society, Download For The Cure® is offering a national music search to select a 12 to 15 song virtual album exclusively available through iTunes.

All download proceeds from that virtual album will be directly donated to the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. Music artists have until May 15, 2007, to submit their two best songs to both further their career and help the fight against cancer. Please visit www.downloadforthecure.org for more information and to submit your music.

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Adrenaline Nation Entertainment, Inc., which produces Adrenaline Nation TV, the leading channel for cutting edge independent music TV, innovative short films, motor sports, and adrenaline sports for the highly coveted 18-49 demographic announced today that it is asking all fans, artists, and music heads to help bring indie rock to the masses by conducting their own personal interview with their favorite up and coming indie band.

That’s right - ANTV wants you to conduct your own interview that will be played worldwide on Adrenaline Nation TV. The company’s highlight reel is at www.brandedentertainment.tv/antv.

To submit your favorite indie artist, please mail the video interview to: ANTV, 810 Dominican Drive, Nashville, TN 37228 — Attn: My Favorite Indie Artist. All videos must be in Beta, DVD or DV Cam

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Don’t forget to tune in tonight to CKUT 90.3 FM for our 3 Amigos Fundraising spectacular on the Drastic Plastic Program. Have a listen to great songs you know by bands you have never heard of. Enjoy and if you can kick in a few bucks for the station all the better!

Later.

Amigo Mark

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RockPop Cover Story: “Frampton Comes Alive” by Richard E. Aaron

“Frampton Comes Alive”, a photograph taken in 1974 by Richard E. Aaron, used on the cover of Peter Frampton’s 1976 2-record set titled “Frampton Comes Alive”, released on A&M Records

by Mike Goldstein,

The biggest-selling live double album of all time (such a big-seller that, in the movie “Wayne’s World 2″, Mike Myers’ character Wayne states that “everybody in the world has ‘Frampton Comes Alive’. If you lived in the suburbs, you were issued it free along with samples of Tide.”), the record made Frampton, who’d made a name for himself as a “teen idol” in the UK with his band The Herd and then with his guitar chops both in the studio and with the band Humble Pie, a household name. His band’s powerful live performances, as well as his use of the “Talk Box” effects device, made hit singles of songs such as “Show Me The Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do”.

The record was a compilation of a number of performances recorded in 1975, including shows in California at the Winterland Ballroom and the Marin County Civic Center, as well as 2 New York area performances. There was so much material available that A&M decided to make it a 2-record set, doubling the studio workload of the band and master engineer/remixer Chis Kimsey (see photos, below). Once it was decided that this would be a double album, A&M’s art department needed to create an eye-catching package, and so our story begins…

In Richard’s words - “One day Peter Frampton, whom I had photographed many times by the early 70’s, called and asked if he could take my photo portfolio of him to A&M headquarters in Los Angeles. The senior art director was looking for a photograph for Peter’s next record, a live concert album. Of course I agreed but thought nothing more of it. Although I was already in demand as a photo-journalist, I had pretty much given up on ever having an album cover credit; art directors, it seemed, preferred studio shots.

A few weeks later, I got a message on my answering service that Peter had called and that it was “very important” that I return his call in L. A. By this time, his career was beginning to take off, and the answering service operator was impressed that he had called — “Do you really know Frampton?”

The message came in at 9:30 a.m., which made it only 6:30 a.m. in Los Angeles. I reached Peter immediately, and he said, “Richard are you standing or sitting?” ” Why?” I asked. “Well you should sit. You not only got the cover of my LP but you also got three out of four of the shots inside the double album. ” (Editor’s note - Richard’s photographs of Frampton, guitarist and keyboard player Bob Mayo and bassist Stanley Sheldon were used on the inside of the gatefold). I was in shock. Finally, after three years, I got my first album cover, and it was from a musician who’s music I actually liked and who was also a friend. He knew that it was my first album cover and he congratulated me.

A few months later at a party for Peter in New York, he showed me a mock-up of the cover — a gatefold with a performing shot of Peter that extended over both outer sleeves. This was the first time I had seen the photo A&M had picked (Ed. Note #2 - interestingly, the shot used was taken at an earlier concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC and is not from one of the shows featured on the recording). The art department had put an extra diffusion filter over the photo to give the hypnotic effect to the viewer, a dreamy effect. The two background stage lights to the side of Peter’s head had been re-positioned to make it more symmetrical, and also some coloring added in selected areas on the print. At the time, the only thing that really bothered me was that the focus wasn’t sharp; I was trained to believe that every photo had to be technically perfect — no exceptions. What would my professors at New York School of Visual Arts and the Brooks Institute say when they saw it?

Through the years, colleagues would good-naturedly kid me about the focus. At first, I would say that I had purposely used a diffusion filter. Then, about 10 years later on a radio interview, I came clean — I told everybody it was out of focus. The album went on to become the biggest selling live LP in history, which just goes to show you: teachers, and critics, aren’t always right”.

BONUS MATERIAL - For this story, Richard went into his archives and provided us with 2 additional never-released photos he took to document the making of this classic recording. Both images were taken at Electric Lady studios in New York City in late 1975 during the mixing sessions for the “Frampton Comes Alive” record.

The first photo shows Peter with his then-girlfriend Penny McCall (long before their famous palimony suit), the late Bob Mayo, and studio/mix wizard, producer Chris Kimsey. Richard was invited by Peter to the studio - his first visit to the Hendrix-built complex - and asked if he could bring along his camera.

The second photo shows the three lads in deep concentration - they’d just been notified that this record was going to be a double LP and now they had twice the work to do!

Richard E. Aaron biography -

In a career that spans over three decades, Richard E. Aaron has shot still photography for a wide variety of media, ranging from feature films, television and video to corporate public relations, entertainment publicity and album covers.

Perhaps best known for his music photography, he was honored by Modern Photography Magazine as one of the “10 Best Rock Photographers” in the world, he has more than 50 album covers to his credit including “FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE,” still the biggest selling double live LP. He shot the first photographic rock ‘n’ roll cover of Time magazine - Paul McCartney/Wings Over America. All told, his work has appeared in more than 6,000 magazines, newspapers and books worldwide.

His extensive work in music photography (4,000 groups photographed) led to his first tour assignment, “Fleetwood: The Visitor in Africa” (RCA Records), a tour shot on location in Ghana West Africa. Similar projects for many top rock & roll groups around the world followed. He traveled through the People’s Republic of China for several months in 1986, where he documented the first Western rock group to record an album and tour.

He still he shoots music - as in music videos, CD jackets and publicity. A native of New York, Mr. Aaron and his photo agency have been located in Los Angeles since 1980.

He is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts (New York City) and of Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara, California) - BA,BFA,MA.

Click here to see all of Mr. Aaron’s works in the RockPoP Gallery collection.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2007 - Republished with Permission

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RockPop Cover Story: “Frampton Comes Alive” by Richard E. Aaron

“Frampton Comes Alive”, a photograph taken in 1974 by Richard E. Aaron, used on the cover of Peter Frampton’s 1976 2-record set titled “Frampton Comes Alive”, released on A&M Records

by Mike Goldstein,

The biggest-selling live double album of all time (such a big-seller that, in the movie “Wayne’s World 2″, Mike Myers’ character Wayne states that “everybody in the world has ‘Frampton Comes Alive’. If you lived in the suburbs, you were issued it free along with samples of Tide.”), the record made Frampton, who’d made a name for himself as a “teen idol” in the UK with his band The Herd and then with his guitar chops both in the studio and with the band Humble Pie, a household name. His band’s powerful live performances, as well as his use of the “Talk Box” effects device, made hit singles of songs such as “Show Me The Way” and “Do You Feel Like We Do”.

The record was a compilation of a number of performances recorded in 1975, including shows in California at the Winterland Ballroom and the Marin County Civic Center, as well as 2 New York area performances. There was so much material available that A&M decided to make it a 2-record set, doubling the studio workload of the band and master engineer/remixer Chis Kimsey (see photos, below). Once it was decided that this would be a double album, A&M’s art department needed to create an eye-catching package, and so our story begins…

In Richard’s words - “One day Peter Frampton, whom I had photographed many times by the early 70’s, called and asked if he could take my photo portfolio of him to A&M headquarters in Los Angeles. The senior art director was looking for a photograph for Peter’s next record, a live concert album. Of course I agreed but thought nothing more of it. Although I was already in demand as a photo-journalist, I had pretty much given up on ever having an album cover credit; art directors, it seemed, preferred studio shots.

A few weeks later, I got a message on my answering service that Peter had called and that it was “very important” that I return his call in L. A. By this time, his career was beginning to take off, and the answering service operator was impressed that he had called — “Do you really know Frampton?”

The message came in at 9:30 a.m., which made it only 6:30 a.m. in Los Angeles. I reached Peter immediately, and he said, “Richard are you standing or sitting?” ” Why?” I asked. “Well you should sit. You not only got the cover of my LP but you also got three out of four of the shots inside the double album. ” (Editor’s note - Richard’s photographs of Frampton, guitarist and keyboard player Bob Mayo and bassist Stanley Sheldon were used on the inside of the gatefold). I was in shock. Finally, after three years, I got my first album cover, and it was from a musician who’s music I actually liked and who was also a friend. He knew that it was my first album cover and he congratulated me.

A few months later at a party for Peter in New York, he showed me a mock-up of the cover — a gatefold with a performing shot of Peter that extended over both outer sleeves. This was the first time I had seen the photo A&M had picked (Ed. Note #2 - interestingly, the shot used was taken at an earlier concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC and is not from one of the shows featured on the recording). The art department had put an extra diffusion filter over the photo to give the hypnotic effect to the viewer, a dreamy effect. The two background stage lights to the side of Peter’s head had been re-positioned to make it more symmetrical, and also some coloring added in selected areas on the print. At the time, the only thing that really bothered me was that the focus wasn’t sharp; I was trained to believe that every photo had to be technically perfect — no exceptions. What would my professors at New York School of Visual Arts and the Brooks Institute say when they saw it?

Through the years, colleagues would good-naturedly kid me about the focus. At first, I would say that I had purposely used a diffusion filter. Then, about 10 years later on a radio interview, I came clean — I told everybody it was out of focus. The album went on to become the biggest selling live LP in history, which just goes to show you: teachers, and critics, aren’t always right”.

BONUS MATERIAL - For this story, Richard went into his archives and provided us with 2 additional never-released photos he took to document the making of this classic recording. Both images were taken at Electric Lady studios in New York City in late 1975 during the mixing sessions for the “Frampton Comes Alive” record.

The first photo shows Peter with his then-girlfriend Penny McCall (long before their famous palimony suit), the late Bob Mayo, and studio/mix wizard, producer Chris Kimsey. Richard was invited by Peter to the studio - his first visit to the Hendrix-built complex - and asked if he could bring along his camera.

The second photo shows the three lads in deep concentration - they’d just been notified that this record was going to be a double LP and now they had twice the work to do!

Richard E. Aaron biography -

In a career that spans over three decades, Richard E. Aaron has shot still photography for a wide variety of media, ranging from feature films, television and video to corporate public relations, entertainment publicity and album covers.

Perhaps best known for his music photography, he was honored by Modern Photography Magazine as one of the “10 Best Rock Photographers” in the world, he has more than 50 album covers to his credit including “FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE,” still the biggest selling double live LP. He shot the first photographic rock ‘n’ roll cover of Time magazine - Paul McCartney/Wings Over America. All told, his work has appeared in more than 6,000 magazines, newspapers and books worldwide.

His extensive work in music photography (4,000 groups photographed) led to his first tour assignment, “Fleetwood: The Visitor in Africa” (RCA Records), a tour shot on location in Ghana West Africa. Similar projects for many top rock & roll groups around the world followed. He traveled through the People’s Republic of China for several months in 1986, where he documented the first Western rock group to record an album and tour.

He still he shoots music - as in music videos, CD jackets and publicity. A native of New York, Mr. Aaron and his photo agency have been located in Los Angeles since 1980.

He is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts (New York City) and of Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara, California) - BA,BFA,MA.

Click here to see all of Mr. Aaron’s works in the RockPoP Gallery collection.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2007 - Republished with Permission

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Well another edition of Rock and Roll Report Radio on the Drastic Plastic Program has come and gone and nobody was killed or maimed in the excercise (that I know of!). I suppose now is as good a time as any to reiterate what the show and this very website/blog are trying to do.

There are a ton of bands and artists out there playing rock and roll for the sheer passion of it. They are on small indie and DIY labels with meager publicity budgets that almost always fall under the regal gaze of commercial rock radio’s programming overlords. Yet, when you listen to this stuff, you quickly realize how good it really is. You like the Stones? Have a helping of the Blessings or the Sleepers. Pearl Jam more your thing? Check out the Dead City Riots. A bit of glam for your breakfast? The Atomic Swindlers fit the bill perfectly. I could go on but you get my point. The quality is there, the energy is abundant but most of all, the music shines because of their passion. It is almost criminal that these musicians do not get their fair shake and so this is why I continue to write the Rock and Roll Report and produce Rock and Roll Report Radio (with a baby podcast on the way!). All of the songs that I play on Rock and Roll Report Radio would slot in no problem into a commercial rock radio playlist. People want to get their kicks with rock and roll but they are sick and tired of hearing the same tracks from the same artists played with the same dreary monotony. Hopefully, the Rock and Roll Report will give you one of many places to go to help you discover some truly great rock and roll. It is not intended to be THE destination but merely a signpost along the way on your musical journey. There is more than enough rock and roll to satisfy all of us, we just have to dig a little to find it. And when we do, man are the rewards worth it.

For an example, this is what I played last night:

Name - Album - Artist

“Good Storm” - The Mainliners - The Mainliners
“You Brought It On Yourself” - From their forthcoming Fastlane Records release - Annex
“Jacknife Judy” - Push It Nationwide - The Sleepers
“Under My Skin” - Bare Bones - The Blessings
“I Want More” - On An Empty Stomach - The Apple Bros
“Sex66″ - Coming Out Electric - Atomic Swindlers
“Hysteria” - Because I’m Awesome - The Dollyrots
“Regional Heats” - Taste - The Capes
“Don’t Waste Time” - You Can’t Change the World - The Morning Stars
“Strange” - Kasablanca Blvd - Kasablanca Blvd
“What’s My Pill?” - Always is Never the Same - Dead City Riots
“Killed Last” - It Starts Right Here - Three Quarter Stone
“Manic Boogie” - Kick It - The Shake
“Inflatable Girl” - Poets & Pornstars - Poets & Pornstars

drastic plastic 128kbps Podcast (podcast link good for one week from date of broadcast. You can stream it from www.ckut.ca after that)

Later.

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Rock and Roll Report Radio is back on the air tonight from 10:00 - 11:00 PM EST on CKUT 90.3 FM here in Montreal as part of the Drastic Plastic Program. You can listen online at www.ckut.ca.

Tonight I’ll be playing some cool stuff by the Mainliners, Atomic Swindlers, The Apple Bros, The Capes, The Morning Stars and more.

Tune in and give your woofers the workout that they so deserve.

Later.

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So you bought yourself one of those fancy video iPods or maybe one of those brand new Apple TV boxes and you are looking to get your rock and roll video fix. You’ve long given up on MTV and you are looking for something different, exciting and definitely not something corporate. Well, you have some choices that are pretty cool and they will likely only increase increase at a rapid pace in the months to come.

Video podcasting is taking off and some argue it is leaving its audio cousin in the dust. Now I would have to argue that the audio podcast will always have an important roll to play in discovering new musical niches but rock and roll video podcasts, done right can be a lot of fun and a great source of musical discovery. I have two I would like to focus on here but there are more out there and they are growing every month.

The Unsigned TV Show is a great concept that is fast breaking out of its Cleveland area roots and taking on the world. The idea behind the Unsigned TV Show is quite simple. Unsigned bands submit their full-length videos of live concert appearances, already produced music videos or band documentaries or you can create your own video using some of the suggestions from the site. You send this to Randy at Unsigned TV and he will review for possible inclusion in the upcoming season of Unsigned TV. This is a great way for fans to get exposure to new talent that has yet to get their “big break” and it is also a great opportunity for bands to get wonderful exposure through the MySpace ecosystem for free. It’s a win-win proposition in my view.

Another great rock and roll video podcast is Rock ‘n’ Roll TV. This is an amazingly weel done Internet TV show originating out of Hollywood, California and hosted by Share Ross of Bubble. To quote a recent article about Rock n Roll TV on Podcast Alley:

Rock n Roll TV specializes in bringing live punk/rock/garage bands to your computer along with interviews with the bands. Since we’re in Hollywood, we get a lot of up and coming bands here that might never make it to MTV and this is the place to check them out. We also show indie music video clips and some episodes are strictly ‘pop culture’ pieces with stories on sex toy warehouses, tattoos, craft fairs and more.

Very professionally done and a lot of fun to watch, Rock n Roll TV is what, well rock and roll TV should be all about which is the music but with visual flare and style and most of all, with a strong sense of fun.

There you go, two reasons to not give up hope that rock and roll on TV is not doomed. Welcome to rock and roll television version 2.0. I hope you like its new direction. I know that I do.

Later.

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So you bought yourself one of those fancy video iPods or maybe one of those brand new Apple TV boxes and you are looking to get your rock and roll video fix. You’ve long given up on MTV and you are looking for something different, exciting and definitely not something corporate. Well, you have some choices that are pretty cool and they will likely only increase increase at a rapid pace in the months to come.

Video podcasting is taking off and some argue it is leaving its audio cousin in the dust. Now I would have to argue that the audio podcast will always have an important roll to play in discovering new musical niches but rock and roll video podcasts, done right can be a lot of fun and a great source of musical discovery. I have two I would like to focus on here but there are more out there and they are growing every month.

The Unsigned TV Show is a great concept that is fast breaking out of its Cleveland area roots and taking on the world. The idea behind the Unsigned TV Show is quite simple. Unsigned bands submit their full-length videos of live concert appearances, already produced music videos or band documentaries or you can create your own video using some of the suggestions from the site. You send this to Randy at Unsigned TV and he will review for possible inclusion in the upcoming season of Unsigned TV. This is a great way for fans to get exposure to new talent that has yet to get their “big break” and it is also a great opportunity for bands to get wonderful exposure through the MySpace ecosystem for free. It’s a win-win proposition in my view.

Another great rock and roll video podcast is Rock ‘n’ Roll TV. This is an amazingly weel done Internet TV show originating out of Hollywood, California and hosted by Share Ross of Bubble. To quote a recent article about Rock n Roll TV on Podcast Alley:

Rock n Roll TV specializes in bringing live punk/rock/garage bands to your computer along with interviews with the bands. Since we’re in Hollywood, we get a lot of up and coming bands here that might never make it to MTV and this is the place to check them out. We also show indie music video clips and some episodes are strictly ‘pop culture’ pieces with stories on sex toy warehouses, tattoos, craft fairs and more.

Very professionally done and a lot of fun to watch, Rock n Roll TV is what, well rock and roll TV should be all about which is the music but with visual flare and style and most of all, with a strong sense of fun.

There you go, two reasons to not give up hope that rock and roll on TV is not doomed. Welcome to rock and roll television version 2.0. I hope you like its new direction. I know that I do.

Later.

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Continuing their amazing Cover Story series, the RockPop Gallery presents to you this week the story behind Bob Dylan’s “Infrared” photo by photographer Elliott Landy. If you look at the last issue of Rolling Stone magazine, you will see this very photo in the background as Bryan Ferry talks about his music and his muse, Bob Dylan.

A wonderful look into the making of some of the finest cover art in rock and roll. Great series.

Later.

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Continuing their amazing Cover Story series, the RockPop Gallery presents to you this week the story behind Bob Dylan’s “Infrared” photo by photographer Elliott Landy. If you look at the last issue of Rolling Stone magazine, you will see this very photo in the background as Bryan Ferry talks about his music and his muse, Bob Dylan.

A wonderful look into the making of some of the finest cover art in rock and roll. Great series.

Later.

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Hamilton, Ontario brothers Mars and Michael Ivic, the brains behind The Morning Stars, must have an incredibly diverse set of musical influences judging from a listen to their Volume Records release You Can’t Change the World. Get the CD and have a listen to Hearts for the Living, Wrong and Don’t Waste Time and consider their stylistic differences. From that great Get Your Ya’s Ya’s Out feel to opening track and straight ahead Brtipop-style rocker Hearts for the Living to the cool Beach Boys like sweet but sad power pop gem of Wrong to the early U2 sounding Don’t Waste Time and that great chiming Edge-like guitar, this is a wonderful sound excursion pulling up rock roots from far and wide.

As usual when throwing out comparisons, your mileage may vary but the descriptions are appropriate if not to describe the style of the music than at least to impart on you the quality of the songs on this CD. Wonderful sonic soundscapes, alternating jangling and crunchy guitar and sweet vocal duties shared by both brothers equally throughout make this CD one of those you will savour as time goes by.

I have been listening for a little over a week now and I keep zeroing in on a different song every time. Will it be the slightly funky All Coming Down or the beautiful ballad Fall? Maybe you can’t change the world but for about 40 minutes you can change your world, one song at a time. Great CD.

Later.

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Hamilton, Ontario brothers Mars and Michael Ivic, the brains behind The Morning Stars, must have an incredibly diverse set of musical influences judging from a listen to their Volume Records release You Can’t Change the World. Get the CD and have a listen to Hearts for the Living, Wrong and Don’t Waste Time and consider their stylistic differences. From that great Get Your Ya’s Ya’s Out feel to opening track and straight ahead Brtipop-style rocker Hearts for the Living to the cool Beach Boys like sweet but sad power pop gem of Wrong to the early U2 sounding Don’t Waste Time and that great chiming Edge-like guitar, this is a wonderful sound excursion pulling up rock roots from far and wide.

As usual when throwing out comparisons, your mileage may vary but the descriptions are appropriate if not to describe the style of the music than at least to impart on you the quality of the songs on this CD. Wonderful sonic soundscapes, alternating jangling and crunchy guitar and sweet vocal duties shared by both brothers equally throughout make this CD one of those you will savour as time goes by.

I have been listening for a little over a week now and I keep zeroing in on a different song every time. Will it be the slightly funky All Coming Down or the beautiful ballad Fall? Maybe you can’t change the world but for about 40 minutes you can change your world, one song at a time. Great CD.

Later.

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INDIE NEWS BEAT
April 12, 2006 Edition
* Music Talks Sessions Hosts Live Tele-Video
* Backbone And IBS Creating First Internet Student Radio Network
* MusicWorld3D Mobile Live Concert Streaming Rig is on the Road!
* The Soul Jazz Festival Announces Line Up
* “All Things Digital” Artist Contest
* MusicDish Network To Provide Email Management Through FanBridge
* MusicDish Network & Airplay Direct Renew Strategic Partnership
* Eric de Fontenay Ready To Shake Things Up At ‘Strategies for Success’

Music Talks Sessions Hosts Live Tele-Video “Online Gigs” Demonstration Session & “Marketing Madness” Panel

MUSIC TALKS SESSIONS (MTS), the New York City based educational forum focused on musical entrepreneurship and personal development for recording artists has expanded its services to Los Angeles California. Now in its second year, MTS produces two special sessions rounding out what has been a productive 2007 season! “We are humbled to see West Cost recording artists embrace Music Talks Sessions”, said David Knight, founder of Music Talks Sessions.

In the first of the two special sessions, MTS and Onlinegigs.com team up to host its first “Live” Tele-Video presentation session (NY: May 29). Onlinegigs.com founder and CEO, Jay Flanzbaum will remotely demonstrate to the MTS community, the one-of-a-kind features Onlinegigs.com provides. Onlinegigs Version 4 is a real time Internet-based booking, promotional and management tool. It fully automates the booking and promotional process for bands, booking agents, record companies and music managers. Online Gigs is a comprehensive Artist & Event management solution that is revolutionizing the way gig opportunities are tracked, booked and promoted; from finding the right venue to automatically updating website gigs and tour dates, Myspace page, or contacting fans about upcoming performances right on their cell phones. Onlinegigs offers a powerful answer to artists seeking new nationwide venues, tour management, fan communications, and much more.

Marketing Madness is the grand finale for the 2007 Music Talks Sessions season (NY: Jun 26, LA: Jun 24). It brings twelve marketing professionals together to participate on panels during the New York and Los Angeles June Music Talks Sessions. Each selected panelist brings a specific style of marketing to the session. Marketing styles include grassroots, online marketing/website design, print media, retail and corporate marketing. NY Panelists include Business Week best selling author of “Your Marketing Sucks”, Mark Stevens (MSCO); Founder of The ONswitch, Nancy A. Shenker; and Editor-in-chief of The Deli Magazine, Paolo DeGregorio. Panelists in LA include the Editor of All Access Magazine, Debra Stocker; Sales Director of Audiomidi.com, Tony Adams; and owner of Soundstruck.com, Dina Gathe to name a few. The Marketing Madness sessions were created to broaden the spectrum of marketing concepts to artists. “Marketing continues to be the center of discussion during our monthly Music Talks Sessions. Many recording artists are confused or lack the knowledge and tools on how to run a successful marketing campaign for their music business”, says Knight.

Music Talks Sessions is committed to creating and producing educational sessions and to building an interactive community for artists seeking a full-time career in the music and recording industries. Our mission is to cultivate “musical entrepreneurship” and personal development for artists, songwriters, producers and musicians.

Source:

Backbone And IBS Creating First Internet Student Radio Network

Backbone Networks Corporation announced that, in cooperation with the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS), it is launching the first true Internet radio network, one that specifically aims at enhancing the student radio experience. The IBS Digital Radio Network will use Backbone’s advanced client-server radio software to enable student operated stations to syndicate live and produced programming among member stations, as well as automatically access a vast amount of royalty-free programming from worldwide third-party sources such as Trakheadz.com.

Network stations will be offered collections of news feeds, royalty-free music from emerging and alternative independent artists, and other programming that will be available only to stations on the Network. Member stations will be able to draw programming from one another through shared server databases, as well as have access to each other’s live feeds, including sporting events and concerts. A simple laptop computer with a wireless card will enable a school correspondent to cover remote events, including play-by-play coverage of “away” games.

“This type of network and the sharing it enables is what college radio is all about”, said Fritz Kass of the Intercollegiate Broadcast System, “we look forward to the new and innovative programming this network will enable for our member stations”. “Internet webcasting and streaming is another medium to get radio out to the masses.”, said Michael Keith, Professor of Communications at Boston College and the author of The Radio Station, “Establishing an Internet radio network is an event that will transition the future of broadcasting and enable more independent voices to be heard.”

The IBS Digital Network builds upon (Apple’s QuickTime) MPEG-4 AAC, the worldwide streaming standard, as its streaming format. Conforming to this standard not only ensures universal acceptance across all listening platforms, but it also enables each school to partner with the Apple’s iTunes store in preparing material, including artist/album annotation and cover art images that display to listeners’ free QuickTime or iTunes players. Stations only need an Apple Macintosh computer, a microphone and a simple DSL connection to be on the air. All program automation software is provided by Backbone, as well as all server storage, streaming broadcast bandwidth and automated reporting software.

Although there has recently been substantial industry-wide consternation regarding webcasting royalties, IBS Digital Network member stations, as non-commercial entities, will be covered by a maximum royalty obligation of $500 per year, according to the recent CRB ruling. Stations will, with a mouseclick, be able to generate RIAA-compliant listener logs precisely specifying the per-performance records required by the CRB.

A 25-school proof-of-concept pilot project commences this spring and runs through early September. Upon this successful pilot run, additional IBS member schools will be added to the network in the fall.

Backbone Networks personnel will be available at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exhibition, booth SL6709, to discuss the IBS Digital Network in detail with interested parties, including schools and content providers.

Source:

MusicWorld3D Mobile Live Concert Streaming Rig is on the Road!

Over the past year, many have enjoyed the live streaming concerts featured by the Metro Underground, a Virtual Venue in the 3D Music Community known as Musician’s Playground 3D including artists such as Vocal Drop, Matt O’Ree, Mr Bella, Madison Fair, and Veronica’s Veil to name a few. Our newest Virtual Venue is Ybor Cigar and Spirits in Lakeland Florida, and soon we will be adding many others. This gives a plethera of concert choices to our 3D users that can be enjoyed free of charge in the comfort of their homes, will providing a social setting due to the interactive nature of our Virtual Music Community.

New to our Net TV programming is the “LIVE MOBILE” streaming concerts. Featuring artists performing in Florida club venues, MusicWorld3D.com is bringing the concert experience directly to the homes of “citizens” of the 3D multi user Virtual Reality Music Cummunity that is at the center of our concept.

Our concerts are streamed to video screens in various concert venues within the 3D World. Users simply click the screen to connect to the stream to enjoy the show. This experience is enjoyed in real time with other concert goers who can interact via the built in chat included with the free 3D Browser which can be downloaded from our main website http://musicworld3d.com . And best of all, there is no charge to join the community or to visit as a “tourist” to enjoy these live events which are featured nearly every week. The shows are also archived and can be viewed “on demand” upon request.

Utilizing two high resolution cameras connected to special video proccessing equipment enables our on location technicians to incoporate scene fades, wipes, resolves and other special effects in real time to further enhance the viewer’s experience. The audio is embedded in the stream in CD quality, and is also “in 3D”. If you turn left or right, the sound will pan just as if you were standing right in front of the stage, making the experience totally immersive.

We have had the pleasure of streaming artists such as Bitter Edge, The 7th Floor, and Matt O’Ree to name a few, and have upcoming events including Tammy Hatch, Ruby James, Billy Norris among many others. We are excited to be bringing a concert event May, 20th from Revolutions in Ft Lauderdale Florida featuring more than twenty bands on two stages.

Source:

The Soul Jazz Festival Announces Line Up

MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, announced that it has joined The Soul Jazz Festival as a media sponsor. The Soul Jazz Festival is a two-day music event being held on May 6 at the Crown Canyon Park to celebrate the worlds of jazz, soul and other forms of jazz influenced rhythms.

The festival features an illustrious line-up, including MusicDish’s own Kobo Town, Ray Brown Jr. (Ella Fitzgerald’s son), Johnny Holiday, Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, Brian Jackson Original Guerilla Band, MO’ Rockin Project and Kim Hoyer. A portion of the proceeds generated from ticket sales will be donated to Active Music and GEN Art.

MusicDish has noticeably expanded its outreach effort in 2007, sponsoring major conferences such as MIDEM, Popkomm and NXNE as well as launching its ‘10th Anniversary’ showcase series in Toronto during Canadian Music Week. “MusicDish has always maintained a presence on the conference circuit,” said MusicDIsh founder Eric de Fontenay. “But as we evolve into artist development and management, we’ve felt it necessary to be much more aggressive on all fronts, from industry showcases to festivals and tours.”

Soul Jazz Festival Info:
When: Saturday, May 26th, 2007
Memorial Day Weekend
Times: Gates open 11:00am
Performances Start 12:00 noon ­ 8:00pm

Where: Crow Canyon Park, Castro Valley
8000 Crow Canyon Road
Castro Valley, CA 94552
www.crowcanyonpark.com

Tickets: $45.00 General Admission
Tickets On Sale Now Call: 800-594-8499
Order Tickets Online At www.souljazzfestival.com

Source:

“All Things Digital” Artist Contest

AirPlay Direct is pleased to announce our first “All Things Digital” artist contest.

Throughout the month of April, AirPlay Direct and Holland Media Promotions will be co-sponsoring our first “All Things Digital” artist promotion contest for our artist / label members. We will be awarding one Grand Prize package, winner takes all. The winning song / artist will receive the Grand Prize package which will include a digital radio / media promotion campaign from HMP and a premier “Featured Artist” advertising package from AirPlay Direct. The Grand Prize package is valued at over $3,000…! We will combine the industry expertise of HMP with the power and speed of AirPlay Direct’s digital “smart-tools” to promote the winning single globally.

This contest is FREE and very simple… the best song wins. You must be an AirPlay Direct member to enter; all genres of music are welcome. Pick your best songs, you can submit from 1 to 3 tracks. Submit your AirPlay Direct Digital Promo Kit / DPK to HMP at daniel@hollandmediapromotion.nl . If you are not already an AirPlay Direct member please visit www.AirPlayDirect.com to register for our FREE digital services.

Deadline for submissions is April 25th. The winner will be announced and “Featured” in the AirPlay Direct Radio Programmers Newsletter for May, as well as in a company press release to all media outlets.

Source:

MusicDish Network To Provide Email Management Through FanBridge

MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, has partnered with FanBridge, a state of the art email and mobile fan list management solution, to help support its expanding roster of acts under its artist development arm, MusicDish Network.

“As a decade-old online magazine publisher, we know all too well the power of email in developing brand and community,” noted MusicDish founder Eric de Fontenay. “Unfortunately, most artists are unable to effectively manage their list over time. This partnership will help us leverage the full power of email for our acts.”

Through FanBridge, MusicDish will be able to build and maintain their rosters’ fan lists as well as monitor all email and mobile campaigns, whether newsletters or promotional. Of particularly benefit to its touring artists is the ability to geo-target by zip code and schedule emails/text messages to be sent while on the road.

As a MusicDish partner, FanBridge will receive prominent exposure through all its online media properties and newsletters as well as events. MusicDish will also be providing the FanBridge site with music related content as well as a branded newswire featuring up-to-date coverage of the independent music community.

“We are excited to be working with MusicDish,” commented FanBridge co-founder Spencer Richardson. “In addition to helping support the MusicDish roster, this partnership will allow us to offer our own global user base greater access to the valuable career building resources that MusicDish has to offer.”

Source:

MusicDish Network & Airplay Direct Renew Strategic Partnership

MusicDish Network, the artist development arm of MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, and digital music promotions company AirPlay Direct have renewed their strategic partnership for 2007.

Under the agreement, MusicDish will reinvigorate its promotional support for Airplay Direct through all its online properties, including its syndication Network. In addition to branding opportunities through the Airplay Direct site, both parties will collaborate to conduct special promotional campaign targeted to radio programmers. A case in point, Airplay Direct will be promoting Mashed Buddha’s latest EP slated for release digitally this spring, including through its Radio Programmers newsletter sent out monthly to over 1,300 radio station members in 71 countries around the world.

“Airplay Direct will significantly increase our ability to reach and influence radio programmers, giving us the ability to test a single or album before doing a full radio promotion campaign,” noted MusicDish founder Eric de Fontenay.

“The MusicDish Network has a great track record and has done a tremendous job of helping artists achieve success on many levels and across varied platforms. We look forward to working closely with the MusicDish Network to help them deliver their music globally in a faster, more secure, and extremely cost effective manner,” said Robert Weingartz, CEO of AirPlay Direct.

Source:

Eric de Fontenay Ready To Shake Things Up At ‘Strategies for Success’ Seminar & Showcase

MusicDish Founder and President Eric de Fontenay has been invited to speak at the ‘Inside the Music Business’ Strategies for Success Seminar & Showcase being held on Saturday April 28th at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale. Eric will be participating on the ‘Marketing and Promotion’ and ‘The Online/Digital Music Business’ panels.

Inside the Music Business ‘Strategies for Success’ will be co-hosted by Eric Kline, President of the Inside the Music Business brand of products and services and Adam Gaynor, Grammy nominated and multi-platinum recording artist formerly of Matchbox Twenty. The seminar presents a new paradigm in the ever-changing music industry ­ a true insider’s view of how the business really works. The all-encompassing music community event features more than 30 artists, producers, songwriters, attorneys, programmers from the worlds of Rock, Urban, Country, Pop, Latin, Dance, Americana/Folk and Christian music… all converging for an explosive one-day experience of education, networking, and showcasing. Unsigned artists who sign up by April 12th, are put into consideration to be a part of the showcase. Winners will be a part of the event DVD, radio show special and will win an �Inside the Music Business’ prize package.

Eric de Fontenay has also been invited to present his seminar “Are You Ready To Innovate In The Digital Marketplace?” at NewMusicWest 2007, being held in Vancouver, Canada on May 2-6. The seminar was originally developed for and presented at MIDEM 2007, held recently in Cannes, France. He will also be giving one of the keynotes at “The Future of Music,” being held in conjunction with the SPOT Music Festival in Aarhus, Holland on May 31.

Source:

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2007 - Republished with Permission

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INDIE NEWS BEAT
April 12, 2006 Edition
* Music Talks Sessions Hosts Live Tele-Video
* Backbone And IBS Creating First Internet Student Radio Network
* MusicWorld3D Mobile Live Concert Streaming Rig is on the Road!
* The Soul Jazz Festival Announces Line Up
* “All Things Digital” Artist Contest
* MusicDish Network To Provide Email Management Through FanBridge
* MusicDish Network & Airplay Direct Renew Strategic Partnership
* Eric de Fontenay Ready To Shake Things Up At ‘Strategies for Success’

Music Talks Sessions Hosts Live Tele-Video “Online Gigs” Demonstration Session & “Marketing Madness” Panel

MUSIC TALKS SESSIONS (MTS), the New York City based educational forum focused on musical entrepreneurship and personal development for recording artists has expanded its services to Los Angeles California. Now in its second year, MTS produces two special sessions rounding out what has been a productive 2007 season! “We are humbled to see West Cost recording artists embrace Music Talks Sessions”, said David Knight, founder of Music Talks Sessions.

In the first of the two special sessions, MTS and Onlinegigs.com team up to host its first “Live” Tele-Video presentation session (NY: May 29). Onlinegigs.com founder and CEO, Jay Flanzbaum will remotely demonstrate to the MTS community, the one-of-a-kind features Onlinegigs.com provides. Onlinegigs Version 4 is a real time Internet-based booking, promotional and management tool. It fully automates the booking and promotional process for bands, booking agents, record companies and music managers. Online Gigs is a comprehensive Artist & Event management solution that is revolutionizing the way gig opportunities are tracked, booked and promoted; from finding the right venue to automatically updating website gigs and tour dates, Myspace page, or contacting fans about upcoming performances right on their cell phones. Onlinegigs offers a powerful answer to artists seeking new nationwide venues, tour management, fan communications, and much more.

Marketing Madness is the grand finale for the 2007 Music Talks Sessions season (NY: Jun 26, LA: Jun 24). It brings twelve marketing professionals together to participate on panels during the New York and Los Angeles June Music Talks Sessions. Each selected panelist brings a specific style of marketing to the session. Marketing styles include grassroots, online marketing/website design, print media, retail and corporate marketing. NY Panelists include Business Week best selling author of “Your Marketing Sucks”, Mark Stevens (MSCO); Founder of The ONswitch, Nancy A. Shenker; and Editor-in-chief of The Deli Magazine, Paolo DeGregorio. Panelists in LA include the Editor of All Access Magazine, Debra Stocker; Sales Director of Audiomidi.com, Tony Adams; and owner of Soundstruck.com, Dina Gathe to name a few. The Marketing Madness sessions were created to broaden the spectrum of marketing concepts to artists. “Marketing continues to be the center of discussion during our monthly Music Talks Sessions. Many recording artists are confused or lack the knowledge and tools on how to run a successful marketing campaign for their music business”, says Knight.

Music Talks Sessions is committed to creating and producing educational sessions and to building an interactive community for artists seeking a full-time career in the music and recording industries. Our mission is to cultivate “musical entrepreneurship” and personal development for artists, songwriters, producers and musicians.

Source:

Backbone And IBS Creating First Internet Student Radio Network

Backbone Networks Corporation announced that, in cooperation with the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS), it is launching the first true Internet radio network, one that specifically aims at enhancing the student radio experience. The IBS Digital Radio Network will use Backbone’s advanced client-server radio software to enable student operated stations to syndicate live and produced programming among member stations, as well as automatically access a vast amount of royalty-free programming from worldwide third-party sources such as Trakheadz.com.

Network stations will be offered collections of news feeds, royalty-free music from emerging and alternative independent artists, and other programming that will be available only to stations on the Network. Member stations will be able to draw programming from one another through shared server databases, as well as have access to each other’s live feeds, including sporting events and concerts. A simple laptop computer with a wireless card will enable a school correspondent to cover remote events, including play-by-play coverage of “away” games.

“This type of network and the sharing it enables is what college radio is all about”, said Fritz Kass of the Intercollegiate Broadcast System, “we look forward to the new and innovative programming this network will enable for our member stations”. “Internet webcasting and streaming is another medium to get radio out to the masses.”, said Michael Keith, Professor of Communications at Boston College and the author of The Radio Station, “Establishing an Internet radio network is an event that will transition the future of broadcasting and enable more independent voices to be heard.”

The IBS Digital Network builds upon (Apple’s QuickTime) MPEG-4 AAC, the worldwide streaming standard, as its streaming format. Conforming to this standard not only ensures universal acceptance across all listening platforms, but it also enables each school to partner with the Apple’s iTunes store in preparing material, including artist/album annotation and cover art images that display to listeners’ free QuickTime or iTunes players. Stations only need an Apple Macintosh computer, a microphone and a simple DSL connection to be on the air. All program automation software is provided by Backbone, as well as all server storage, streaming broadcast bandwidth and automated reporting software.

Although there has recently been substantial industry-wide consternation regarding webcasting royalties, IBS Digital Network member stations, as non-commercial entities, will be covered by a maximum royalty obligation of $500 per year, according to the recent CRB ruling. Stations will, with a mouseclick, be able to generate RIAA-compliant listener logs precisely specifying the per-performance records required by the CRB.

A 25-school proof-of-concept pilot project commences this spring and runs through early September. Upon this successful pilot run, additional IBS member schools will be added to the network in the fall.

Backbone Networks personnel will be available at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exhibition, booth SL6709, to discuss the IBS Digital Network in detail with interested parties, including schools and content providers.

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MusicWorld3D Mobile Live Concert Streaming Rig is on the Road!

Over the past year, many have enjoyed the live streaming concerts featured by the Metro Underground, a Virtual Venue in the 3D Music Community known as Musician’s Playground 3D including artists such as Vocal Drop, Matt O’Ree, Mr Bella, Madison Fair, and Veronica’s Veil to name a few. Our newest Virtual Venue is Ybor Cigar and Spirits in Lakeland Florida, and soon we will be adding many others. This gives a plethera of concert choices to our 3D users that can be enjoyed free of charge in the comfort of their homes, will providing a social setting due to the interactive nature of our Virtual Music Community.

New to our Net TV programming is the “LIVE MOBILE” streaming concerts. Featuring artists performing in Florida club venues, MusicWorld3D.com is bringing the concert experience directly to the homes of “citizens” of the 3D multi user Virtual Reality Music Cummunity that is at the center of our concept.

Our concerts are streamed to video screens in various concert venues within the 3D World. Users simply click the screen to connect to the stream to enjoy the show. This experience is enjoyed in real time with other concert goers who can interact via the built in chat included with the free 3D Browser which can be downloaded from our main website http://musicworld3d.com . And best of all, there is no charge to join the community or to visit as a “tourist” to enjoy these live events which are featured nearly every week. The shows are also archived and can be viewed “on demand” upon request.

Utilizing two high resolution cameras connected to special video proccessing equipment enables our on location technicians to incoporate scene fades, wipes, resolves and other special effects in real time to further enhance the viewer’s experience. The audio is embedded in the stream in CD quality, and is also “in 3D”. If you turn left or right, the sound will pan just as if you were standing right in front of the stage, making the experience totally immersive.

We have had the pleasure of streaming artists such as Bitter Edge, The 7th Floor, and Matt O’Ree to name a few, and have upcoming events including Tammy Hatch, Ruby James, Billy Norris among many others. We are excited to be bringing a concert event May, 20th from Revolutions in Ft Lauderdale Florida featuring more than twenty bands on two stages.

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The Soul Jazz Festival Announces Line Up

MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, announced that it has joined The Soul Jazz Festival as a media sponsor. The Soul Jazz Festival is a two-day music event being held on May 6 at the Crown Canyon Park to celebrate the worlds of jazz, soul and other forms of jazz influenced rhythms.

The festival features an illustrious line-up, including MusicDish’s own Kobo Town, Ray Brown Jr. (Ella Fitzgerald’s son), Johnny Holiday, Ladybug Mecca of Digable Planets, Brian Jackson Original Guerilla Band, MO’ Rockin Project and Kim Hoyer. A portion of the proceeds generated from ticket sales will be donated to Active Music and GEN Art.

MusicDish has noticeably expanded its outreach effort in 2007, sponsoring major conferences such as MIDEM, Popkomm and NXNE as well as launching its ‘10th Anniversary’ showcase series in Toronto during Canadian Music Week. “MusicDish has always maintained a presence on the conference circuit,” said MusicDIsh founder Eric de Fontenay. “But as we evolve into artist development and management, we’ve felt it necessary to be much more aggressive on all fronts, from industry showcases to festivals and tours.”

Soul Jazz Festival Info:
When: Saturday, May 26th, 2007
Memorial Day Weekend
Times: Gates open 11:00am
Performances Start 12:00 noon ­ 8:00pm

Where: Crow Canyon Park, Castro Valley
8000 Crow Canyon Road
Castro Valley, CA 94552
www.crowcanyonpark.com

Tickets: $45.00 General Admission
Tickets On Sale Now Call: 800-594-8499
Order Tickets Online At www.souljazzfestival.com

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“All Things Digital” Artist Contest

AirPlay Direct is pleased to announce our first “All Things Digital” artist contest.

Throughout the month of April, AirPlay Direct and Holland Media Promotions will be co-sponsoring our first “All Things Digital” artist promotion contest for our artist / label members. We will be awarding one Grand Prize package, winner takes all. The winning song / artist will receive the Grand Prize package which will include a digital radio / media promotion campaign from HMP and a premier “Featured Artist” advertising package from AirPlay Direct. The Grand Prize package is valued at over $3,000…! We will combine the industry expertise of HMP with the power and speed of AirPlay Direct’s digital “smart-tools” to promote the winning single globally.

This contest is FREE and very simple… the best song wins. You must be an AirPlay Direct member to enter; all genres of music are welcome. Pick your best songs, you can submit from 1 to 3 tracks. Submit your AirPlay Direct Digital Promo Kit / DPK to HMP at daniel@hollandmediapromotion.nl . If you are not already an AirPlay Direct member please visit www.AirPlayDirect.com to register for our FREE digital services.

Deadline for submissions is April 25th. The winner will be announced and “Featured” in the AirPlay Direct Radio Programmers Newsletter for May, as well as in a company press release to all media outlets.

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MusicDish Network To Provide Email Management Through FanBridge

MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, has partnered with FanBridge, a state of the art email and mobile fan list management solution, to help support its expanding roster of acts under its artist development arm, MusicDish Network.

“As a decade-old online magazine publisher, we know all too well the power of email in developing brand and community,” noted MusicDish founder Eric de Fontenay. “Unfortunately, most artists are unable to effectively manage their list over time. This partnership will help us leverage the full power of email for our acts.”

Through FanBridge, MusicDish wi