Saturday, October 25, 2008

Michael Perlowin Presents Unique-Sounding Classical Music Inspired By Spain


Michael Perlowin breaks new ground with innovative and enjoyable music performed primarily and surprisingly on the pedal steel guitar.

As with his forays into the world of Debussy, Stravinsky and Broadway with his Firebird Suite and West Side Story albums, Michael Perlowin is again shattering the stereotype of the pedal steel guitar as a country-and-western-only instrument. In his new album, Spanish Steel, he presents 20 tracks from or about Spain, featuring works by Manuel de Falla, Isaac Albéniz, Joaquín Rodrigo, Julio Martinez Oyanguren, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

This new album sees Perlowin continuing to alternate between the use of the pedal steel as both a featured and ensemble instrument. However, this CD features Perlowin’s guitar work more than his previous outings, as the guitar is such an integral part of Spanish music. It is fair to say that this is not so much a "pedal steel guitar album" as it is an album of music in which the steel is predominantly featured for its unique expressive sound.

Perlowin, a veteran guitarist of the folk and rock music scene around L.A., became enamored of the pedal steel guitar after unexpectedly finding himself working on a country and western band during the mid-70s. His infatuation blossomed into an all-consuming love affair, an intensely passionate obsession that continues to this day. Perlowin jokingly calls himself a "steel-aholic," and adds that the intricacies and mysteries of the instrument cause most other players to feel the same way.

As a working guitarist, Perlowin had played just about every type of popular music, from standards, to folk, rock, country, blues, reggae and even disco. Playing pedal steel guitar, however, Perlowin found he was unhappy when confined to country and western music. He began playing the steel with musicians from various genres, including an all instrumental experimental music band, and a blues rock band ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkSnoeTWR4I ).

Eventually, it was the world of classical music that attracted Perlowin’s interest. A recording of Debussy’s "The Maid With the Flaxen Hair" by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith introduced him to the world of literate music. Perlowin explains, "As soon as I heard this piece, I realized that this was what I wanted to play." Perlowin’s own recording of the piece, which clearly shows Smith’s influence, can be heard on his first classical pedal steel album Firebird Suite.

"Everyone who plays classical music should be required to listen to this recording," said Mark Laycock, Music Director, Orchestra London, The Princeton Chamber Symphony and Guest Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony. "Mike Perlowin is a musical genius who I am proud to know and learn from, and honored to have for a friend. I love this instrument, and this music and the beauty of these sounds delights my soul."

Perlowin had been marginally exposed to classical music when he was young, and has no formal musical or production training. Perlowin’s second album, West Side Story, shows his growth not as a player, since he had already mastered the instrument, but as a producer, arranger, and recording engineer.

However, it is with this third album that his mastery of the recording studio blossomed to match his talents as a virtuoso musician. On Spanish Steel, Dave Beyer played drums and percussion, while Bill Watkins contributed timpani samples to complement Perlowin on pedal and lap steel guitars, electric and acoustic guitars, fretted and fretless basses, sitar, mandolin, mandocello, 5-string banjo, autoharp and additional percussion.

Spanish Steel is a totally unique and original album fulfilling Perlowin’s goal of showing the beauty and expressiveness of the pedal steel guitar. Replete with fascinating liner notes, it is the best example to date of the depths of Perlowin’s enormous talent. Find it along with his other albums at CDBaby.com, SteelGuitarMusic.com, Amazon.com; for reviews and images visit his artist website at http://www.mikeperlowin.com

TRACK LIST:

Michael Perlowin, SPANISH STEEL: Music from Spain by Manuel de Falla, Joaquín Rodrigo, Isaac Albéniz and others.

El Amour Brujo (Manuel de Falla)
1. Introduccion Y Escena (0:30)
2. En La Cueva (1:46)
3. Cancion Del Amor Dolido (1:25)
4. Danze Del Terror (2:03)
5. El Circulo Magico (2:45)
6. Danza Ritual Del Fuego (3:52)
7. Escena (1:00)
8. Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo (1:21)
9. Pantmima (4:14)
10. Danza Del Juego De Amor (2:23)
11. Las Campanas Del Amanecer (1:18)

Asturias (Isaak Albéniz)
12. Asturias (Leyenda) (5:43)

Conceirto Andeluz for 4 guitars (Joaquín Rodrigo).
13. Conceirto Andeluz for 4 guitars- Third Movement ( 7:05)

Fantasia Inca (Julio Martinez Oyanguren)
14. Fantasia Inca (3:12)

Capriccio Espagnol (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov)
15. Alborada (1:15)
16. Variazioni (4:20)
17. Alborada (1:17)
18. Scena (2:16)
19. Canto Gatano (2:22)
20. Fandango Asturiano (3:38)

MusicDishTV: Tyla Durden - "Fellas"

Tyla Durden, figurehead of the stylistically Confident Underground. Sex, Drugs and Bold-Beats – a Mix of smoky- subtle voice, Staged self-performance, Glam, Cat-walks, Comics, Street life and other Pop-Culture Influences. Her Debut-Album will go by the name "IN TYLA WE TRUST". So let’s follow her to the Musical Mount Olympus. www.myspace.com/intylawetrust

"'Fellas' by Tyla Durden is electro-pop at its finest. While Tyla seduces you with her charming vocals and a catchy chorus, hard-hitting synthesizers threaten to knock you out. The video is a collection of slides that reinforce the song's lyrical content - and show off some amusing pictures in the process. Stay on the lookout for this rising electro star." - MusicDishTV

MusicDishTV is more than an online video channel; it is the place to find out what's happening in the music world and hear brilliant new talent before they hit the radio airwaves. Artists & bands can submit their videos at http://tv.musicdish.net

Friday, October 24, 2008

'Kerouac' By Tim Young Band Featured On Dan Herman's RCB Novus Ordo

Well known internet radio host Dan Herman made the choice to showcase the song 'Kerouac' from Tim Young Band's new CD The Cost.
http://www.timrocksweb.com

Dan Herman is best known for his Radio Crystal Blue programs. His Novus Ordo venture exists to bring to light brand new CD releases from independent artists. Here are the details:

Radio Crystal Blue/RCB Novus Ordo 10/19/08 audio and links
Radio Crystal Blue: Novus Ordo spotlights CDs that are debuting on my standard freeform radio program, Radio Crystal Blue. This is a live internet radio show, heard each week on Live365. The show airs on Sundays 5:45pm-6:45pm before Radio Crystal Blue which airs at 7pm.

You can listen to this show after-the-fact with one of these options:

(1)via Archive: http://cblue.lunarpages.com Stream this show with the free
RealOne player with this link:
http://cblue.lunarpages.com/RCBnew101908.ra
mp3: http://cblue.lunarpages.com/RCBnew101908.mp3
This show will be kept on the page for at least 4 weeks.

(2)Podcast: RSS : www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu/rss
Subscribe inside the FeedPlayer at http://cblue.lunarpages.com which contains links to feeds for iTunes, MyYahoo, Google, Miro, Newsgator, myAOL

(3) the BigContact FeedPlayer at the main page at http://cblue.lunarpages.com
You can also put the player up on your website or blog with this link:
http://bigcontact.com/feedplayer.phpxmlurl=http://www.bigcontact.com/radiocrystalblu/rssaudio
Check out www.bigcontact.com for more ways you can get the audio of each show.

(4) Syndicated via Moozikoo Radio, a sister station on Live365.
www.moozikoo.com
Follow instructions for listening via Live365.
Each edition of RCB: NOVUS ORDO is rebroadcast on Tuesdays 6pm EDT and Fridays noon EDT. This program wil be rebroadcast Tuesday 10/21 6pm EDT and Friday 10/24 noon EDT

Kira Fontana "Still" - The Inner Revolution CD www.kirafontana.com
Anne McCue "We Are The Same" - East Of Electric CD www.annemccue.com
The Nightrats "Wonderland" - s/t CD www.thenightrats.com
Soft War "Fear Of Flying" - s/t CD www.softwartheband.com
Tim Young Band "Kerouac" - The Cost CD www.timrocksweb.com
David Glaser "Walk This Road" - Cars And Lovers CD www.davidglaser.com
Randall Williams "War Stories" - praying for land CD www.whereisrandall.com
Janet Bates "Silver Dollars" - For All Of His Wealth CD www.janetbates.com

Running time 1 hour 2 minutes

All audio used under Creative Commons 3.0, non-attributive, non-commercial.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Hollywood Edge Sound Effects Library Now Available For Instant Download At Sonomic

Sonomic, the world's largest library of downloadable sound effects, samples, and royalty-free music, today announced that it has signed a major distribution deal with The Hollywood Edge, the legendary sound effects library long favored by professionals working at the highest levels in film, television, radio and advertising. Starting today, Sonomic's customers can search through, listen to, and instantly download any sound in the Hollywood Edge's vast collection of meticulously recorded and edited sounds.

“The Hollywood Edge is universally acclaimed for its unsurpassed quality and innovative content, so we're exceptionally pleased be able to offer it to our customers,” says Sonomic CEO Adam Strauss. “This represents a major addition to our online database, which already includes Sound Ideas, BBC Sound Effects, and virtually every other major library.”

Downloading The Hollywood Edge from Sonomic is fast and easy. Users can search by category or keyword using the Sonomic SoundEngineTM, Sonomic's custom search engine designed just for sounds. All results can be listened to using QuickTime or Windows Media Player. Sounds can be purchased individually or as part of a subscription package, and downloaded instantly as CD-quality WAV files. All purchased sounds are automatically added to the user's SoundBayTM, where they can be organized and downloaded again wherever and whenever they are needed.

About Sonomic

Sonomic ( www.sonomic.com ) is the leading provider of audio asset management and distribution technologies. Headquartered in the heart of New York City, Sonomic's clients include the biggest names in broadcast, film, advertising, education, animation, and videogame production including NBC, CBS, Sony, Ogilvy, Grey Advertising, and Microsoft Games. The Online LibraryTM is the world's largest database of professional samples and sound FX.

The Total Library ServerTM integrates the Online Library with a facility's in-house audio assets, providing seamless access to both through a single interface.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Tim Young, Bringing New York Rock'n'Roll Back To Its Roots

Rocker Tim Young is a veteran to the New York music scene. Influenced over the years by artists of all styles from Marvin Gaye to Jefferson Airplane to Elvis Presley, Young has been writing music for nearly two decades now. He started releasing albums in 2002 with No Stranger, a collection of nine original instrumentals that were self-produced and recorded at his home studio. His 2005 album, Red, was his debut as a singer/songwriter, and now in 2008 he has released his newest album, The Cost, that is a straight up rock 'n roll record. MusicDish had the chance to speak with Tim in this exclusive interview about his new album, his influences, his future and other related topics.

[MusicDish] When did you begin creating music, and when did you begin to seriously pursue a music career?

[Tim Young] I was a junior at Mansfield State University in Mansfield, PA. Actually, I had accordion lessons when I was a kid from eleven years to fifteen. But at Mansfield I began to write my own songs. Then I was nineteen. Peter, Paul and Mary were the easy ones to pick up then and everybody loved them.

Once I put my first band together, which was the early 80's, I became serious about my music. My first band, just for the record, was named Signals. Unfortunately there are no recordings of this music. Or maybe that's a good thing. I did always think I've got a bunch of hits in me.

[MusicDish] What were your earliest musical influences?

[Tim Young] Probably Elvis and Elvis clones like Fabian and Bobby Rydell. There was also this guy Buddy Knox who had this record, 'Party Doll', which I loved. The Beatles hit when I was fourteen and that was the heyday of great AM radio which was always on the instant I stepped foot into the family car. After I earned my driver's license and could drive on my own, I would drive as fast as the music would take me and turn it way up. I remember Tommy James's 'Hanky Panky' and Arthur Connolly's 'Sweet Soul Music' being particularly great to drive fast to.



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[MusicDish] Do you find that songwriting or lyric writing comes most naturally to you?

[Tim Young] I think they both come naturally to me but both are difficult to get right. I began writing some poetry in high school but I didn't play guitar then. However, I was encouraged by a few fellow students to go on with my writing. I guess melodies did come kind of easy for me once I had mastered a few chords. It was and still is so fascinating to see and hear the words take on a new life in the context of the music. Plus I had memorized every lyric and melody nuance to every Beatles song that was released. I poured that stuff into my head. I know that helped me in many ways.

The late 60's and early 70's brought the counterculture to a head. I mean there was a lot in the air then that one could take to support the habit of writing music and putting words to it. It seemed there was always something that needed to be said. And for me the longer I kept writing the better I became.

[MusicDish] What music do you currently listen to?

[Tim Young] Mostly my own stuff. When I've completed a new project I get so much satisfaction in hearing it. It's like food. I need it to sustain myself. I also listen to artists I find on MySpace and other places I stumble onto on the web. I should probably branch out more with my listening but mostly I'm just disappointed. However, right now I am also pretty hot on Patti Smith after just seeing the brand new doc on her life, which was an excellent film.

[MusicDish] As I listen to 'The Cost,' I am clearly reminded of the twangy blues of Elvis, combined with the overwhelming vibe of heartbreak, mastered by Johnny Cash. Would you consider your music to be modeled after them?

[Tim Young] Not consciously. But Johnny Cash is someone I look up to because he was more of a writer than Elvis, and in the past few years before his death, Cash was really reborn again. It's no secret. Just listen to those last few albums. Stellar performances, in my opinion. And even though he did cover a lot of songs, if you didn't know you would probably think that Johnny wrote them. That's the kind of artist I can aspire to. It seems to me that his music was not a part of his life but was his life and in that respect I guess you could say I have modeled myself after Johnny Cash. I also dig the wearing of the black.

[MusicDish] What do you feel is the overall message of your album? Do the themes of pain and loss correspond with personal experiences, and do you feel that the album can serve as therapy for those who also experience similar situations?

[Tim Young] I don't know if there is a message, but it seems to me as the good stuff and bad stuff comes along it's better to deal with it somehow rather than sweeping it under the rug. If you lose someone dear to you then howl about it. When things get ugly, move away from them. The individual is responsible for him(her)self. It's too easy to blame somebody else. When things are great, celebrate. It's so much more wise, I think, to roll with the punches. Have fun. Not having fun? Get drunk.

I'd have to say that almost all my songs are pretty personal. They all trigger a personal response in me that no one else would know about. I think that happens to everyone - an individual response that lives in the mind. On the other hand, there can be a more shared response between people and that's what makes a song resonate and become popular. The sharing of the emotions the music allows to come through. There is real power in those kinds of emotional reactions.

I'm certainly no therapist, but I know from experience that the right song at the right moment is capable of lifting spirits and/or putting you in a mood that may somehow alleviate or bring into focus whatever situation one might be going through. I can say without any hesitation or trepidation that this record, 'The Cost', makes me feel great, and a big part of that reason is I think it touches on a lot of shared inner emotions.

[MusicDish] Which track is the most meaningful to you? And which do you think will be your biggest hit?

[Tim Young] I go back and forth on this but today I'd have to say the title track, 'The Cost', is the most meaningful. I could not have written this song without the amazing relationship I share with my girlfriend. 'The Cost' is the worst case scenario. What if things all fell apart? Disaster. I would never want to face that, but what if? Nobody knows.

If 'The Cost' was to be the biggest hit... Wow. I could see that. (I think the sleeper hit could be 'Wishing.')

[MusicDish] On 'Drifting Cowboy,' can you offer some insight as to whether the cowboy is a fictional character, or if he is autobiographical at all?

[Tim Young] I suppose a combination. That word 'cowboy' pops up in my songs sometimes. I dig that word because it represents freedom to me. Someone with no ties; whose only possessions are a horse and whatever is in the saddle bags - the ability to just split without notice. Maybe because I'm a city dweller part of me yearns for the openness of what the West used to be - what it meant to head West.

I took the title from the name of Hank Williams' band, The Drifting Cowboys. By the way, the details listed in the song are facts about Hank: born in Alabama, quit school in Montgomery, played in bars and on the radio, made it big in Nashville.

[MusicDish] How do you feel about the current state of the music industry? Do today's artists compare with the legends of the past, like Elvis or Johnny? Do you have hope for the future generations of American music?

[Tim Young] I think generally the industry is healthy because there are more artists than ever working and creating new music. I believe the consensus is that the internet has leveled the playing field some. The major labels no longer have the stranglehold on the business they used to.

I still think it's very difficult to have people pay attention to new artists and part of this is because there are more artists than ever and it's very difficult to get through most of the muck to find something of value. This has probably always been true, but with the internet it has become so much more obvious.

Great artists are rare. I know there are some out there but I don't want to be told who they are. Supposedly greatness rises to the surface and if that's true then I'll see them when they appear. Today it's too much of what I call the 'toothpaste effect': one brand today, a different brand tomorrow. The music doesn't stick; it just washes down the drain. Spit out.

Hope doesn't cost a dime.

[MusicDish] What is the next step in your music career going to be? What can fans expect?

[Tim Young] More music! I've never done any kind of major touring and I would like to do that. I want to put out one album a year. Right now I'm in the middle of writing songs for the next record. I want 'The Cost' to make a difference in my career so that I can accomplish some of these goals more easily.

My fans can always expect the kind of emotional no holds barred shows that I always deliver, and new songs and ideas are always a part of that. Performing is a high priority.

[MusicDish] Can you speak a bit about your current performance schedule? Where can fans see you live?

[Tim Young] This is an area I need to improve. I don't have a satisfactory performance line up. Right now I have a solo gig at the Vintage Bar, which is located on the corner of 51st Street and 9th Avenue. I perform there once a month, in about the middle of the month. The dates always change but I always post them on my site and on MySpace. Vintage is a great intimate setting and I love playing there.

My band, which is a duo, with Sand Edwards on drums, is on the lookout for gigs. I wear a lot of hats running this project and sometimes the booking agent hat has a tendency to fall off, but like all the others I pick it right up again.

http://www.timrocksweb.com
http://www.myspace.com/timnycyoung

10th Midemnet Welcomes Back Hilary Rosen, Eric Nicoli & Michael Robertson

The 10th edition of MidemNet (17-18 January, MIDEM, Cannes) will be the occasion for the forum dedicated to new technologies and business models in the music industry to look back on a decade of profound change and examine the current and future shape of the industry.

Three leading figures will come together for the opening MidemNet session: the former Chairman and Chief Executive of the EMI Group and current Chairman of VUE Entertainment and R&R Music, Eric Nicoli; Hilary Rosen, former Chairman and CEO of the RIAA, currently commentator for CNN; and the Founder of MP3.com, today CEO of MP3Tunes, Michael Robertson.

"Hilary Rosen, Eric Nicoli and Michael Robertson are emblematic figures of the decade, each of whom in very varied fields - at the head of an institution, of a major and in technological innovation - have left their imprint on the history of the industry. We are honoured that these major players have accepted to return to deliver keynotes for the 10th MidemNet so they can give their analysis of the past changes and the future direction of the sector," said Dominique Leguern, Director of MIDEM.

A clear vision of the future will also be on offer with the second edition of the Music Ally/MidemNet "New Business Showcase," which will present six of the most innovative ideas likely to create value for the music industry, selected from submissions to the consulting and research company Music Ally.

Ranging from recently created companies and those at project stage to new services, facilities and concepts, more than 100 candidates applied last year, which resulted in showcasing new ideas such as the Spanish-made collaborative electronic music instrument, the Reactable, which went on to win four prizes. Submissions for the next edition can be made until 17 November on: http://www.musically.com/newbusiness

MidemNet, whose central theme this year will be the creation of value around the artist/fan relationship, will also bring together numerous key players in the sector, such as David Eun, pilot of content strategy for Google, and Jin-Young Park, leading South Korean producer of Asian superstars including Rain, Wonder Girls and Jacky Cheung, and the Founder and President of JYP Entertainment.

http://www.midem.com