ExploreTalent.com Is Turning The Winner Of Their "ExploreTalent Idol" Contest Into An Overnight Star

Hollywood, Calif. - ExploreTalent.com announced today that their first ExploreTalent Idol contest has officially launched, and the music community is already buzzing. The ExploreTalent Idol contest will take place between July 23 and August 18th - the winners will be picked shortly thereafter. All competing performers/groups must upload a music video or MP3 of one of their songs to Explore Talent's website and fit within the urban music genre (R&B, Hip-Hop or Rap). Complete rules of the challenge are listed on ExploreTalent.com.

The newly crowned ExploreTalent Idol will open the concert just before today's top urban artists pay tribute to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The Grand Prize winner will be flown to Miami's luxurious Eden Roc Hotel for 2 nights and be announced at the press conference the night before the event. The winner will participate in the meet-and-greet with Akon, T-Pain, Ne-Yo and Flo Rida before the show starts at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Immediately following the meet-and-greet, the winner will perform up to 12 minutes to kickoff the concert. The winner will be performing in front of 13,000 fans and share the stage with urban icons Akon, T-Pain, Ne-Yo, Ms. Keri and Flo Rida, to name a few. The value of the Grand Prize package and promotional campaign is estimated at approximately $250,000. There will be two runner-up prizes awarded as well. The first runner-up will receive an all-access pass to the event and the second runner-up will receive a premium ticket to the show.

Ami Shafrir, CEO of ExploreTalent.com offered, "No more cramming in long lines and spending all of your hard earned dollars on travel to a destination where you may not even have a chance to audition, now you can become an Idol from your laptop." Ami added, "This is the first of many weekly contests for ExploreTalent Idol with the same objective...not just finding stars, but creating them."

About ExploreTalent.com
Established in 2003, ExploreTalent.com is the largest talent website/resource on the planet with a growing membership of nearly 3 million registered members. Aspiring actors, models, dancers, musicians and all those searching for entertainment-related opportunities interact with industry professionals looking to hire them or simply submit to the 50,000 new auditions and job openings posted each month. To learn more, visit www.ExploreTalent.com.

Power Move Records And DFW Muzik Introduces Mike E.D. And Father's Day!

Mike E.D. is not your average rap artist. As DFW Muzik he has serviced several independent labels in the Southern Region with mixing, recording and production credits ranging from DSR, Paulwall, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Lil' Flip, Chalie Boy, Tite, and several others. His talent for paring voices, song melodies and instrumentals have given him an ability to create well put together final products in studios.

Now he has come from behind the scenes to use his talents to create what is being dubbed "The New Chronic". Every song or product has been carefully selected and created with the intent to create an experience for the listener. "Father's Day" is the newest release from Power Move Records and DFW Muzik. "Walk the Walk feat. Treasure and Jayda Nicole" is a journey into the crates with an old MJ favorite "Bille Jean" performed by Mike E.D. and Mr. Gin. "She Fine" is becoming a favorite in the hip-hop based clubs, events, and gentlemen establishments. "It's a matter of time before this song POPS!" says area record promoters. DFW Muzik also pays tribute to the hip-hop culture with upcoming songs, "That's What's Up", "I Got My Money Right", "Rappin' Wit' My Dawg" (this record was done with all humna instruments!), and live instrumentation on "Average Rap Nigga / feat. Next Movement". Father's Day captures the essence of the hip-hop culture with new creative songs as well as throwback classics. The CD was recorded and mixed at Maximedia Studio in Dallas, TX and Digital Insight Recording Studio in Las Vegas, NV with mastering done at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

http://www.myspace.com/dfwmuziklive
http://airplaydirect.com/music/band.php?mode=band_profile

Kerchoonz Showcasing Indie Talent At Our House

Kerchoonz, the social media networking group, is partnering with cult Mancunian online TV show, "Our House", in a bid to help promote regional UK musical talent.

The announcement follows on from the "Kerchoonz Live" sessions in December last year, when indie artists were invited to upload their music onto the Kerchoonz.com site, the winners going on to perform in front of a live studio audience at the House of Rock studios in Glasgow and receiving cash prizes, promotion in hard press, world-wide blog networking, professional live studio recordings and interview sessions with top journalists around the globe.

Our House is fast becoming recognised as the platform for showcasing indie musical talent. A mixture of music, guests and celebrity guest presenters, with interviews being held on the sofa and live performances in the living room, acts lined up for this year include:

* Tim Scott, a guitarist who works alongside Judge Jules in Ibiza
* Frank Bembini of the Fun Lovin Criminals
* Kristyna Miles, who has toured with Simply Red
* The 66, Violet Youth, Donna Marie, Darren Poyzer, Kranius and The Harks

In addition to this line-up, special guests will include Terry Longden, the TV and radio celebrity who also happens to be the nephew of Ozzy Osbourne, and Alan Fletcher, aka Dr Karl Kennedy in Neighbours, whose band is touring the UK this year.

Indiana Gregg, co-founder of Kerchoonz, says: "The Kerchoonz Live sessions are dedicated to supporting live entertainment and showing off some of the world's best raw talent. Similarly, Our House has exactly the same philosophy, cutting through the bull that often fuels the music industry and setting its sights firmly on giving musicians a helping hand, whilst providing entertainment to music lovers everywhere. We have joined forces to do just that, and the signs suggest that Our House is set to really take off".

Claire Curran, producer and presenter of Our House agrees. She says: "Mancunians are truly some of the most passionate music lovers in the world, indeed producing some of the best bands from the last twenty years and so it is fitting that Our House is filmed in Manchester. With the help of Kerchoonz, we will continue to attract and air bands worthy of attention from around the UK, giving them much needed publicity, as well as having our legendary in-depth conversations on the sofa with fascinating guests. We believe that both Kerchoonz and Our House will show musicians that the traditional process of finding an agent and a record deal is not the only route to success."

The episodes will be aired weekly, with the first episode being shown on 30 July at http://www.kerchoonz.com/ourhouse

Kerchoonz, founded by Indiana Gregg and Ian Morrow in 2008, is a group of veteran record producers, artists, songwriters , music and technology industry professionals. Kerchoonz.com is a social networking platform that allows free exchange of music, art, ideas and entertainment. It enables fans to search and discover new music, play games, meet people, watch and upload video, keep up with news and post blogs.

Kerchoonz.com is an ad-funded model that allows artists and musicians to be paid for their audio and video streams, as well as their free downloads.
http://www.kerchoonz.com

Our House is an independent television show, directed by Paul McCarthy and produced in Manchester, offering the best of unsigned talent and featuring a mixture of music, guests and celebrity guest presenters. It is produced in a house with guest interviews on the sofa and live performances in the living room!
http://www.ourhouse-manchester.co.uk

Amy Speace's CD Release Event For 'The Killer In Me'

Amy Speace, a power-house of country rock, took to the stage before a full house at Joe's Pub in New York City on June 19th, 2009. The singer/songwriter celebrated the upcoming release of her new album, The Killer in Me, and it is a winner, fitting right in between energetic pop-rock, and the melancholy harmonies of country. At first glance, the perky and smiley Speace doesn't seem like a singer/songwriter fighting a recent heartache, but that's just what she accomplishes with her new album.

Playing guitar alongside a four-piece band, Speace was sharp right from the start, as rock-and-roll intertwined with her vivacious alternative country style. Speace was seemingly effortless in displaying her traditional subject matter of soul-searching. Like many singer/songwriters, Speace's compositions begin with life stories, and her set list was fittingly compiled of these stories within her songs. The album's title track, "The Killer in Me," had the perfect amount of twang and tragedy to compliment her silky, achy voice, while her performance of the understated "Haven't Learned A Thing," prompted everyone in the audience to rethink the constant plight we all have to better ourselves. Through the sounds of triumph and defeat, Speace dared to show vulnerability and shed light on the state of mind of someone who has loved and lost.

During the rest of the set, we watched Speace easily switching back and forth between tantalizing and dark songs like "Blue Horizon" and the very vulnerable "The Weight of the World," a disheartening and powerful acoustic tune of sorrow and unfairness. Though Speace has pulled inspiration from musicians such as Judy Collins and Lucinda Williams, she undoubtedly has enough of her own personality throughout her work as a strong, confident woman with a voice to be heard. This was unmistakably present in her performance, as Speace has composed a body of work with enough variety to keep everyone's eyes and ears on her music at all times.

From here until the end of her nearly two-hour show, Speace left us with some of her best stuff as she and her band produced wonderfully intense, dazzling rock, a truly fitting end to a night of music shared between Speace and her New York City audience. Her music may be filled with heart-breaking honesty and aching openness, but Amy Speace is such a genuine and joyful personality that a night spent watching her perform has proved to be anything but a downer. The Killer in Me was released on June 30th, 2009.

www.amyspeace.com
www.facebook.com/amyspeacemusic

TryXo Indie Invasion Tour: Derek Jordan, The J.U.S. Evolution, 9Lies & DEIN Ex

Four bands from three countries descended on Germany in June to rock out on the first leg of the TryXo Indie Invasion Tour. Thanks to TryXo (www.tryxo.com), an online music store geared toward independent artists, this unsigned talent had the chance to show a large audience what they're made of. Here you'll see a video collage of each of the four band's performances. They {Derek Jordan, The J.U.S. Evolution, 9Lies, and DEIN Ex} each brought unique styles and sounds to the stage and the crowd responded with wild enthusiasm.

Watch The Video

Derek Jordan leads one of two American groups that will play on the Tour. Derek's music is all about individualism. He believes strongly in the fight against conformity and his music is his main weapon. He combines crunchy distorted guitar with heartfelt vocals for a sound all his own. The J.U.S. Evolution also hails from the States. They combine rock, replete with Jimi Hendrix-style guitar solos, and heavy hip-hop influences giving this Brooklyn born band an eclectic and unique style.

http://www.tryxo.com/derekjordan
http://www.tryxo.com/thejusevolution

Europe is well-represented at the TryXo tour. 9Lies, from Northern Ireland, brings in music influences ranging from Nirvana to U2. They blend ethereal sounds with hard rocking guitars and phenomenal solos. Representing Germany and the continent is DEIN Ex (translated as Your Ex). This Wendlingen group sings about their relationships past. Their high emotion and defiant songs are consistent crowd pleasers.

http://www.tryxo.com/9lies
http://tryxo.com/deinex

These four bands, representing three countries, two continents and rocking out in two languages all shook the house. The first leg of the TryXo Indie Invasion Tour was an incredible musical event. The second leg of the tour will take place this October and November so mark your calendars.

http://www.tryxoindieinvasion.com

By Jon Peritz, MusicDishTV

Save The World Award Goes To Michael Jackson And SOS Children's Villages

On July 24, SOS Children's Villages will receive the SAVE THE WORLD AWARD 2009 as part of an international television gala. SOS Children's Villages president Helmut Kutin will collect the award in person on behalf of the organisation. The major media event is to take place at the nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf near Vienna, the only nuclear power plant in the world which was built but then never put into operation.

For the first time, the Save the World Awards are to be awarded to organisations and people who promote human welfare or devote themselves to the conservation of the planet. The Save the World Awards will be presented by the World Awards Association, which Mikhail Gorbachev co-founded in 2000. And it was the Nobel Peace Prize laureate himself who presented the Women's World Award to the 5,000 SOS mothers working across the globe in 2005, in recognition of their exceptional commitment to children. The award was collected by a representative mother from the German SOS Children's Village in Ammersee.

The Save the World Award 2009 is set to be presented to the whole SOS Children's Villages organisation. SOS Children's Villages president Helmut Kutin, who is to accept the award on 24 July, said of the accolade: "I would like to thank you for acknowledging our decades of work in this way, particularly on behalf of all the children and young people, our staff members and on behalf of our friends and patrons. For SOS Children's Villages is supported first and foremost by civil society, which should reassure us that we are all collectively capable of looking out for each other and of standing up against violence, neglect, indifference and ostracism. This award drives us on, on the occasion of our 60th anniversary, to carry on building a society in which children are treated well and to create conditions which will enable children all over the world to have a safe and secure upbringing in a respectful and loving environment with others. Only those who have grown up in peace are capable of passing peace on to others."

The World Awards committee bases its decision for SOS Children's Villages to receive the award on the fact that SOS Children's Villages offers thousands of children who have lost their main carer a new home, allowing them to realise their dreams, goals and visions. The committee also highlights the fact that not only did Helmut Kutin take over Hermann Gmeiner's legacy, but also that he has reinforced SOS Children's Villages' position worldwide and has worked tirelessly for its expansion.

The Save the World Awards have no fixed categories. There is a focus on twelve topic areas which are each introduced by a prominent 'ambassador'. There is then one prize winner for each area. The twelve focus areas are: climate, hunger & poverty, water, tolerance, energy, peace & security, health, democracy and civil society, dignity, education, pollution and biodiversity.

Other award winners include Carl Lewis, whose Carl Lewis Foundation is being honoured for its commitment to helping children in need, and Greenpeace, whose climate project leader Thomas Henningsen will be accepting the Save the World Award in the name of the organisation for its dedication to protecting the climate. Jermaine Jackson will receive the coveted award in lieu of his sadly deceased brother Michael, who is being honoured posthumously.

The nuclear power plant at Zwentendorf is a significant choice of venue. It is the only nuclear power plant in the world which, despite its completion, was never put into operation following the outcome of a nationwide referendum. The power station, built 30 years ago, will for the first time play host to an event which attempts to be a symbol for the careful management of our natural resources and for commitment to our global society, justice and peace.

Countless international celebrities from the world of politics, economics, culture and society are expected to attend the gala, which will be covered by numerous television stations and, according to the organisers, will be broadcast in over 50 countries. The well-known actress Andie MacDowell will be hosting the event. Prior to the gala, a congress will take place at Grafenegg Castle covering sustainable development and the link between environmental degradation and mining, social inequality, the financial crisis and climate change.

Please support us with your donation in order we can keep up our good work!
http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org