Thursday, June 10, 2010

"Own Your Own" Shows The Vocal Brilliance Of Music Artist, Rachel Fine, With Her Debut CD Due To Hit Stores This Summer!


Website: http://www.rachelfine.sunsetrecordings.com/

Sunset Records sets up "Own Your Own" by Rachel Fine, the debut CD that will be in stores all over the world on July 27th!

A consummate vocalist, Sunset Recording artist Rachel Fine delights fans to a mesmerizing full length album of eclectic "Trip Hop" and "Neo Soul" music. "Own Your Own" is an eleven (11) track album that is filled with songs written to feed ones intellect, essence, heart, soul, strength and overall spirit, with music aficionados welcoming this neo soul vocal music artist. "Her vocals are absolutely alluring," says Don Lichterman, head of Sunset Records, "you hear that right away when you see her play live, let alone what they laid down on the CD."

Those dark, intimate vocals make up what has become the signature sound of the US-born singer and songwriter. "The 11 new tracks on "Own Your Own" is a great addition to the Sunset Records repertoire; "Hey Hey Hey" is already impacting a few formats on radio starting this week." says Lichterman. But if Rachel Fine seems unaffected by the success of her music career over the last half year, it may be because she is also the Co-Host of Howard Stern's weekly comedy news series "The Bonus Show" for the iN DEMAND Networks, available on every cable system around the world. On his discovery of Rachel, Lichterman goes on to say he "watched her host "The Bonus Show" for one minute and thought she was incredibly professional at her gig" and that "it reminded me of someone who is a host on E! or Bravo, yet she was talking about the antics of [Howard Stern's] the 'Wack Pack'."

That initial sighting by Lichterman eventually led to a meeting in New York City, which led to the recording deal signed by Rachel and Sunset earlier this year. The label is treating the "Own Your Own" CD as a brand new release with a street date set for July 27, this summer. The completed CD has welcomed surprises from the known television host. Songs like "Forgiveness" and "Care & Closure" are intimate, brooding, soulful ballads that help create that 'Rachel Fine Signature Sound'. Songs like these show off Fine's vocals and her gentle ability to say quite a lot in song. "Much of that is because of her vox," says Don Lichterman, "Rachel [and songwriting partner Timothy Schletter's] ability to write accessible songs are what make this album great. The song "Fly By" is another sentimental track that's also coated with that 'Rachel Fine'; a layered groove that you find in every song on this CD."

The CD is a velvety blend of neo soul and trip hop sounds that is neither pure "smooth jazz", nor straight up "R&B." The songs are arranged in a very precise way to draw the listener in with Fine's vocals. Fine wrote all the lyrics on the album. While the overall matter seems to be about love and life, there is also a haunting sense of lament, solitude and isolation — a secret, whispered, confessional intimacy which is clearly written from the pain felt in her life. Born in Ohio before moving to Arizona, California, Florida, and then New York, Rachel grew up surrounded by music from a very young age. From those early years, she played drums as a percussionist in a nationally competitive band, and the young talent started showing off her vocals by singing National Anthems at varied events, including the inaugural game for the XFL.

The label (Sunset Records) is planning some unique ways to promote and market Rachel's new CD. "We have great things in mind for Rachel," says Lichterman, "My plan is to get her out of her element a bit, starting this month by doing things like playing live with other established pop, jazz, classical and singer / songwriters." The label will release those new live recordings at Sunset Live. Rachel is also being featured on Fantourage.com starting next month. Lichterman continues, "the label and Rachel are awarding her BIGGEST fan with 2 FREE TICKETS to next year's Grammy Award Show in Los Angeles!" That will be a half year campaign starting in July for Rachel, Sunset Records and Fantourage.com. There are also plans to shoot a new music video this August with acclaimed photographer, Studio X.

With obvious influences of Sade, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, Portishead, and Jill Scott, Rachel is the next fine addition to the neo soulful vocal music world. Now that the wait is over, Rachel Fine fans have expressed their gratitude in so many ways: starting a 'Betty White to host SNL'-like campaign on Facebook to get Maxim Magazine to feature the model/TV Host/vocal music artist, pre orders at online retailers (Amazon), special pre sales at sites that sell downloads, streams and ringtones (iTunes), plus her growing popularity as the TV show Co-Host for Howard TV on Demand's "The Bonus Show" (new shows air weekly beginning every Monday at Midnight). As her popularity grows, one thing is certain. Rachel Fine's new album, "Own Your Own", is one of the finest full length vocal CDs that has been released in the last decade.

About Sunset Records
Sunset is a privately owned Don Lichterman Company. Sunset is one of the leading independent record labels and entertainment companies in the world. The Sunset Group of Entertainment Companies, and its global operation, acquire, develop, and distribute major music recording artists, home visual entertainment products, online-digital entertainment technologies and music and filmed entertainment worldwide. Sunset's four major divisions are the Sunset Distributed Label Group, the Sunset Strategic Marketing and Licensing Division, the Radio Sunset Network and the Sunset Filmed Entertainment Division.

D-22: The Mother of Beijing - and China's - Indie Music Scene

By Eric de Fontenay


UNiXX rocks out D-22 on the final leg of their 7 Deadly Sins tour

Website: http://china.musicdish.com
A prime objective on my recent trip to Beijing was to connect with the leading force behind the city's burgeoning independent music scene: D-22. Anyone who is anyone... and many no-ones... have played Beijing's version of CBGB, and in the process, China's most pioneering and vibrant indie music scene was born.

I was running late to meet Nevin Domer, who manages daily operations at D-22, in no small part due to Beijing cabbies' utter ignorance of the city they are meant to drive you around. In my experience, it doesn't matter whether you have that slip of paper with the address in chinese characters or not as they will get lost anyway.

I finally arrive at a relatively modest doorfront that belies the club's influence. D-22 is a warm mix of dark red walls, wood and brick which fits well with its low-key, easy-going style. No flash or pretense here. And all along the balcony are pictures of the bands that have become household names in China's indie scene thanks to D-22: Hedgehog, Carsick Cars, White, PK-14,...


Up-and-coming rock trio Ourselves Beside Me
Your eyes quickly catch sight of 'Mike', the owner of D-22. You can't miss him with his exuberant NY personality and downright love for the music and young bands that play it. He not only is the father of Beijing indie rock, he acts the part, hugging and encouraging musicians throughout the club as if they were the prodigal children returned. He proceeds to point out a 16 year old kid whose band he predicts will shake Beijing's scene and tells me to keep an eye out for all-girl band Ourselves Beside Me. But my treat would be that night's headliner UNiXX, a Hong Kong-based band on Lona Records I've been following since I launched MusicDish*China (more on both of them in an upcoming article).

Actually, it's more likely that they were at D-22 no more than a few days ago. You see, D-22 is not just a club, it is the heart of Beijing's indie community. Bands performing that night often come during the day to practice - D-22's doors are always open. And half those people attending that night were themselves members of various bands, supporting and learning from each other. So much so that I got the rare pleasure to catch a veteran of the scene who was there from the beginning: Hedgehog guitarist and vocalist ZO(子健).

"At D-22, we are tied to each other and grow together," he explained of the late 2006 series of gigs at the club that propelled the band out of obscurity. "Many creative artists and new bands played there every week and we released our album "Noise Hit World" in 2007. That year, the Beijing scene bubbled to the surface." On a personal note, I think Hedgehog is one of the most exciting acts in China and has become part of my daily musical diet.

At the center of that community is Mike (Michael Pettis), a NY finance banker expat who opened the club on May 1, 2006. As Matthew Niederhauser writes in the preface of his photographic anthology of Beijing's indie scene "Sound Capital":

"The new club's foremost priority was finding and developing new talent, regardless of its musical style and commercial appeal. It demanded originality from musicians and was willing to go to great lengths to indulge them."

And that they did, literally reshaping Beijing's musical landscape. Michael went on to launch the Maybe Mars label with PK-14's Yang Haisong as an natural extension of D-22 to support the scene it had created. Nevin Domer, who had given me a tour of the club and introduced that night's performing acts, is a member himself of Fanzui Xiangfa (who we first featured in MusicDish*China Sounds Pod#2) and works at both the club and label. And all the bands on the label's roster developed and grew in D-22's embrace.

It's ironic that I would have to fly halfway across the world to China to find such a rare pearl as D-22. The analogy to New York's CBGB's is striking. Just as CBGB's did in the 80's, D-22 has given birth to China's hardcore and punk rock scene. Like CBGB's, D-22 is more than a club: it is like a mother, feeding, caring and educating each individual band in this movement. Ironically, many of the t-shirts in the crowd paid homage to NY bands of that CBGB's era like The Cramps and Souxie and The Banshees.

Now don't get me wrong, D-22 ain't perfect. They definitely need to work on the sound. And while this is a serious though correctable flaw, what Michael has done to find and nurture the incredible talent that might otherwise opt to go C-Pop or just not pick up an instrument is immeasurable. None of it would have been possible without his personal and financial commitment to the cause. So, speaking for myself - who would otherwise not have much to write about or play in my podcasts - a big thank you to the entire D-22 crew and bands who went along for the party.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Luna Chica Records International Launches With Diverse Roster, Progressive Business Model


Website: http://www.lunachicarecords.com

(Nashville, Tenn. - June 8, 2010) New independent record label, Luna Chica Records International, has officially opened its doors in Nashville with a fearlessly diverse roster of artists and a contemporary approach to traditional music business practices.

"In today's digital age, we have to completely switch gears when thinking about music and the business of music," says Brenda Cline, Luna Chica Records General Manager/A&R Director. "We are prepared to do that and we are doing that. We're not bogged down in rhetoric and red tape. We make decisions and move quickly."

With emphasis on targeted Internet marketing, digital distribution and online sales, Luna Chica Record's business model typically offers artists more flexibility and a larger percentage of established and emerging revenue streams than conventional record label contracts. Through its strategic partnerships, the label is able to offer a full range of artist services, including video production, artist and songwriter development, sales and distribution, record production, new media marketing, career consultation and more.

Luna Chica's debut roster includes all-star Country and Americana outfit, Burrito Deluxe, hard rock band Hip Kitty, Contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Tommy Job and the label's newest signing, Memphis rocker Ty Crook.

"We are going back to the way labels used to operate," says Cline. "They used to go out and scout talent and develop it. Artists used to be judged on their talent, not their age. Being uniquely different was an asset for an artist, and we think it still is. LCR will seek out unique, great music and give fans something that they want, not something they are force-fed. Artists understand our concept and find it very refreshing."

Founded by Colorado businessman and music entrepreneur Paige Cofrin, Luna Chica Records International is staffed by a host of music industry veterans, led by General Manager and A&R Director Brenda Cline. Cline, former owner of artist development company Artist Concepts and management and development company NashRock Entertainment, oversees all day-to-day label operations.

A contact list for Luna Chica Records International follows below. Contact the LCR offices at 2826 Dogwood Place, Nashville, TN, 37204 or at 615-383-0103.

Paige Cofrin - President & CEO - paige@lunachicarecords.com

Brenda Cline - General Manager & Director of A&R - brenda@lunachicarecords.com

Kimberly Maiers Shaw - Artist Relations & Marketing - kimberly@lunachicarecords.com

Sheldon Bradley - Director of New Media - sheldon@lunachicarecords.com

Stephanie Koehn - Creative Services - stephanie@lunachicarecords.com

Gigi Swanson - Project Management - gigi.swanson@gmail.com

Rod Parkin - Songwriter Development Consultant - rod@renegadewriterworks.com

Wayne Halper - Legal and Business Affairs - lawofficeofwaynehalper@comcast.net

Upcoming Luna Chica Records digital releases include Hip Kitty and Tommy Job (summer 2010) and Ty Crook (fall 2010). For more information about Luna Chica Records International and its artists, visit www.LunaChicaRecords.com

About Luna Chica Records International:
Luna Chica Records International (LCR) is a Nashville-based independent record label. Its unique technology and service-driven business model provides new ways for independent artists to promote, market, distribute and sell their music. It also allows artists' access to top industry professionals in all areas of the business. The non-conventional model of LCR includes online sales and distribution, a network of strategic partners who offer a multitude of consultation and artist development services and impressive new media technology driven toward marketing. For more information, visit www.LunaChicaRecords.com

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

System Of Freaks Tour Dates And Acts Finalized

Website: http://www.myspace.com/marymagdalan

Mary Magdalan has finalized the dates and supporting acts for the first leg of their upcoming System of Freaks Tour, which is being toted as the hottest club tour of the summer. "I'm excited to announce that we will be heading out across the USA to over 20 cities with our good friend Metal Sanaz hosting all the events", says Magdalan from the Junkies Den, the bands official headquarters.

She goes on to state that the System of Freaks Tour is not your average rock show. "System of Freaks is more of a circus than it is a rock show. We plan on pushing the boundaries of what a rock show should really be. We want it to feel more like an experience than a show, so we are making sure to pull out all the stops and do something different than what you would expect".

The band will be taking out midwest rockers Obsidian and Slipknot and produced shock metal group Blue Felix for the entire tour along with industrial metal mainstays Rickets for select dates. The tour kicks of in Amarillo on June 3rd to primarily all aged crowds.

Tour Dates:

Friday June 3-Club Khaos-Amarillo, TX
Santurday June 4-Oz Cafe-Wichita, KS
Tuesday June 8-The Marquee-Tulsa, OK
Thursday June 10-The Blue Goat-Salina, KS
Friday June 11-Aftershocks-Kansas City, KS
Saturday June 12-1st Ave. Live-Cedar Rapids, IA
Monday June 14-The Rock-St. Paul, MN
Wednesday June 16-Reggies-Chicago, IL
Thursday June 17-Planet Rock-Battle Creek, MI
Friday June 18-The Cove-Geneva on the Lake, OH
Saturday June 19-Blondies-Detroit, MI
Wednesday June 23-Webster Hall-New York, NY
Friday June 25-Majo 13-Wilmington, DE
Saturday June 26-Wings-Chesapeake Bay, VA
Tuesday June 29-The Milestone-Charlotte, NC
Wednesday June 30-The Local-Marietta, GA
Friday July 2-Riverside Warehouse-Shreveport, LA
Saturday July 3-Trees-Dallas, TX
Sunday July 4-BFE-Houston, TX

For ticket information please visit: www.myspace.com/marymagdalan
For More Information: Suzey Van Ness (702) 328-3866, suzey@acmebrandequity.com
JP Artist Management & Publicity in association with Acme Brand Equity.

New Revenue Streams For Artists


Shoutomatic is best described as an audible Tweet where you can record and then broadcast an actual voice message to be "heard" within your Facebook status updates as well as across all social networks and web spaces. Using ShoutOmatic is a much more compelling and engaging proposition versus that of a 140 character text message; especially for Fans of Artists and Celebrities that most believe an intern is typing them.

Artists can Shout-Out about upcoming gigs, album drops, TV appearances, charity events, etc. The ShoutOmatic platform is FREE and easy to use and is available right now at http://ShoutOmatic.com.

Celebrities, at their option, and for any desired dollar amount, can offer their Fans "Personal Shouts" to "buy". Fans can order Personal Shouts for themselves or as a gift and is more lucrative for the Artist than selling Albums. ex: "Hey Norm, it's Chuck D giving you a Happy Birthday Shout! Bring the Noise this coming year and tell your friends Chuck D says Hello!"

Furthermore, with ShoutOmatic, you can "Follow" other people, Re-Shout other Shouts, Shout-Back to other shouts and Direct-Message (DM) audibly to each other.

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Website: http://ShoutOmatic.com
Fans hearing the Artists' voice is more compelling and engaging than 140 characters of text typed by an intern.
Sell more Music. Sell more Tickets.

Contact: Norm Levy (normlevy @ shoutOmatic . com)

Monday, June 7, 2010

Jahmings Maccow - Free The Pain


Jahmings Maccow - Free The Pain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGqNUEy8VOI

Anguillan born singer-songwriter Jahmings Maccow is presenting his new music video for 'Free The Pain'. The song is available on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/man-redemption/id319093101

Maccow grew up in New York City, where he hooked up and played with various New York bands in The Big Apple. Now based in L.A., one of the the projects that he's planning to embark upon is a world tour that will bring him and his band to Asia by the end of 2010.

His standing against commercialization of the music began in the '80s and it has since then developed into a pure vintage reggae sound, very similar to the music of the Jamaican superstar, Bob Marley. His stories, the way he sings about social issues, love, and pain, are all coming deeply from the heart of a man. His songwriting is not something built to impress; it touches you because of its simplicity and its authenticity.

To listen to more of his repertoire go to http://www.myspace.com/jahmings