Thursday, February 3, 2011

SB Live Music Presents Soul Spaceship CD Release At Soho Santa Barbara On Feb. 6th


Soul Spaceship will be hosting a CD Release Party at Soho in Santa Barbara this Super Bowl Sunday. With several local bands on the bill, the show should be an excellent representation of Santa Barbara Live Music on February 6th.

Soul Spaceship's unique sound is a blend of hip hop beats, reggae melodies, funk rock guitar and rap by C-Los Flow. The new album can be downloaded free at the Soul Spaceship Website

Hosted by on-line music library Music for Film and Television, the evening will feature live music performances by local Santa Barbara musicians including: Soul Spaceship, Coyotes and Bourbon, Electro Hippy Drum Circle, DJ QuestionMark and special guests.

Show starts at 8pm with the acoustic songs of Coyotes and Bourbon. Soul Spaceship will play from 9 to 10pm, performing songs from their recently completed album "DJ ? Presents Soul Spaceship". The show will continue with Electro Hippy Drum Circle, an experiment in collective improvisational groove, controlled chaos and spontaneous metaphysical combustion. DJ QuestionMark, host of Santa Barbara's Channel 17 Live Roots TV, will perform hip hop, reggae and house beats with special guests for the remainder of the evening.

Cover charge is $5. The new CD from Soul Spaceship will be given free with entry before 9:30pm.

Santa Barbara Independent Music Review: Coyotes and Bourbon
- "This Santa Barbara-produced album of 'acoustic groove' fits perfectly between our sandy shores and craggy peaks."
- "(Coyotes and Bourbon) straddles the line between acoustic-fueled Jack Johnson surf rock and funky, hip-hop a la Beck."

Soho Restaurant & Music Club provides Santa Barbara with live music seven nights a week and offers a full dinner menu featuring California faire with unique pasta dishes, steaks, fresh seafood, gourmet pizzas, vegetarian entrees and a variety of desserts. Soho SB is located at 1221 State Street Suite 205, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, and can be reached at 805-962-7776.

http://www.soulspaceship.com/
http://www.soulspaceship.com/itwasjah_soulspaceship.mp3

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

We Will Rock You!!! (The AIS), (Rustic), (Nucleus) At Yugong Yishan In Beijing On The 18 Of February 2011 At 9PM


Three of Beijing's top indie acts join forces. After winning the China Battle of the Bands, Amazing Insurance Salesmen continue to astound with their tight live performances. Last year's Global Battle of the Bands winners Rustic open alongside the psychedelic metal of Nucleus. RMB50 (presale)-RMB60 (door).

The Amazing Insurance Salesmen, Rustic, Nucleus @ YuGong YiShan
Date and Time: February 18, 2011, Friday, 20:30
Venue: YuGong YiShan
band:The Amazing Insurance Salesmen?Rustic?Nucleus

The Amazing Insurance Salesmen
The Amazing Insurance Salesmen is a band lead by French man Zhang Si'an, with ZIYO drummer Maomao from China and bass player Maikel from Holland. After winning the 2010 GBOB in Beijing and China, they will represent the Beijing music scene for the World Final of the GBOB in February 2011 in Kuala Lumpur.The band plays original experimental music and songs inspired by bands such as Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimi Hendrix and music genres like Jazz, Blues, Bossa nova, Fusion, Classical music etc...

Rustic
member: Lucifer / Ricky / Li Fan
Music Genre: Rock
Company: Maybe mars and GBOB international

Nucleus
member: Li Xia / Shi Zhenkai / Liu Miao
Music Genre: Rock
Company: 2kolegas

Ticket: Rmb 50 / 40 (presale)
Tel: 010-64042711
Address: West Courtyard Former Site of Duan Qirui Government, Zhang Zizhong Road 3-2, Dongcheng district, Beijing
http://www.zhangsian.com
http://site.douban.com/baoxianchaoren/#

CANADIAN CONNECTION JOINS SWURVRADIO.COM ALL-STARS


Swurvradio.com, one the world's most popular internet radio stations has just added Canada's mixtape guru @DJ Bankrupt, and his Mixtape Mailbox show to its all-star lineup. @swurvradio and @DJBankrupt are both trending topics on the powerful social network Twitter, as well as many of the more popular social sites. DJ Bankrupt, a.k.a. Jason Hill, of Edmonton Alberta, Canada has made a huge splash with his unique method of marketing artists and projects using the Twitter network. Swurvradio.com has led the internet radio market for more than six years and its brand is recognized in more than one hundred fifty-five countries worldwide.

Swurvradio.com has received multiple award nominations so far in 2011; Nominated for the 2011 A&R Award from the United DJ Alliance, a coalition of some of the most influential DJ organizations in the United States; Nominated for 2011 SEA Award in the top Internet/Satellite Radio category (3rd nomination). Swurvradio.com has been the leader in internet radio for more than six years and has distinguished itself as the first and only station to have a "Clean" rotation From 6am to 6pm as well as "Uncut" from 6pm to 6am. Swurvradio is a fully licensed ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and Sound Exchange Internet Radio Station as well as a featured station on ITunes; Nokia; and a four-time "Editor's Pick" on Microsoft's, "Windows Media" internet radio channel.

Over a 6 year period, Swurvradio.com has grown to create an online home for both Independent and Major-label artists seeking to increase listener-ship and viral exposure. Swurvradio.com is dedicated to becoming the #1 Internet-radio destination for listeners of Hip-Hop, R&B Classic Hits and Top 40. Serving as the home for critically acclaimed DJ's and legendary personalities, the SWURVRADIO DJ's convene to identify and support the music industry's next mega-star.

DJ Bankrupt is the manifestation of the saying, "necessity is the mother of all invention"! Known to his family as Jason Hill, this master of mix tape creation and marketing was on the verge of actual bankruptcy when an artist named JQ, from Burbetto Productions, suggested he turn his extraordinary talents to the realm of music promotion and mixtape production. Investing some of his waning financial resources into the necessary equipment needed to get started and pulling together some of his contacts from the music world, Hill transformed himself into the now highly sought after persona of "DJ Bankrupt" and began the process of creating one of the most unique and influential promotional networks in independent music history.

Canada's DJ Bankrupt, who became known as the "Canadian Connection" in urban music circles, specializes in helping unsigned artists and independent record labels and has created one of the most influential urban music networks on the web over the past 2 years. His 12,000 + followers on twitter are mostly working DJ's and artists which create a formidable movement once this personality gets behind a project. Utilizing social media and internet marketing strategies, DJ Bankrupt and his network cover just about every possible avenue for an artist to promote their music and gain worldwide market share. His efforts on behalf of indie artists have now begun to draw the attention of major artists and their labels looking to take advantage of the groundwork he has laid in creating this aggressive and effective marketing strategy which combines social media, blogs and live video broadcast outlets and uniquely branded email blasts to his opt-in subscribers.

DJ Bankrupt's Swurvradio.com version of Mixtape Mailbox is set to launch Saturday February 12, 2011 at 10pm PST and will continue with its concentration on exposing independent artists and their projects to Swurvradio's international audience of more than 117,000 users.
Merging DJ Bankrupt's loyal follower's with the Swurvradio audience and platform, artists in the Mixtape Mailbox rotation, gain a unique opportunity to increase their exposure and market share via an established internet-radio platform that has proven its reach and distinguished itself as a recognized world wide leader and innovator in the radio industry, whether internet-radio or terrestrial.

Second home to many of the radio industry's major market DJ's, Swurvradio, looks to continue its leadership role in the internet market and welcome's it newest member DJ Bankrupt and the Mixtape Mailbox Show to the Swurvradio Family in 2011.
http://www.swurvradio.com
http://www.swurvradio.com/drops/swurvdrop.mp3

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Thoughts About Taiwan Music And MIDEM

I am not yet very familiar with Taiwanese music, though I hope to find out more later. Some of what I want to say is fairly general and some is specific.

Clearly the first market to look at for Taiwanese music is mainland China and the Greater Chinese overseas market. I understand that Taiwan is already strong in these markets, but the problem in mainland China is the state of the market , where getting paid for the use of recorded music is a continuing problem.

I would just say that every effort should be made to encourage the authorities to find a way to monetise the use of music, which is consistent with consumer behaviour. I would encourage this effort to focus on the huge musical potential on the mainland and on the Taiwanese desire to engage with this development to help and stimulate it. But without sensible and reliable revenue sources for the use of recorded music, the domestic market will never achieve its potential. The developments in Taiwan are an example of the possibilities that open up for both creators and investors when there is a coherent market for recorded music.

When going beyond the Chinese market, the first challenge is clearly that of language. There will be few artists who are sufficiently at ease with English that they can hope to make real contact with the mass market outside of the Greater China, and/or south East Asia. Obviously, there are exceptions to this as there are many types of music that do not rely on lyrics for their sales appeal.

There is one thing that all commercial music needs for a truly successful and long life, and that is having a unique sales proposition. This uniqueness is both a positive and negative challenge. If it sounds unlike anything else, many will find it strange and not be willing to make the effort to get into it and make it part of their lives. However, those that do will find that there is nothing else quite like this. In my personal experience, the Pink Floyd, T Rex, Ian Dury, The Clash and Billy Bragg are all artists who were distinctive and if you got to like them, you wanted to keep coming back to them. Their works could be built on and developed, whilst maintaining their uniqueness. I think virtually any long-lived international artist has that unique quality which leads them to long lasting success.

It is, of course, not just a matter of uniqueness but also of hard work from the artist, and their professional advisors, which leads to finding new markets and keeping the artist's appeal continuing and developing. Balancing between keeping true to previous success and styles, whilst providing fresh ideas and interpretations are crucial. International artists are rarely overnight sensations, their careers have usually been built up at home for some time before they achieve national and then multi-national success.

However, it was also very good to have had the Taiwanese delegation attend my 'round table', which was addressing the issues of data and metadata coming from the announcement of the International Music Registry which was announced by Mr Francis Gurry. Mr. Tsutsu Wu made clear that he felt sure that the Taiwanese industry and government would be keen to play their part in this project. Furthermore, he said that the Government and industry were continuing to explore ways of monetizing the use of music on line, and to develop appropriate technologies to help to deal with the challenges arising from the digital challenge.

In assessing the possibilities for Taiwanese music in the rest of the world, one can look at the acts who came to Midem this year. Desert & Algae is an accomplished singer and is fluent in English. The problem is that there are, at this moment, so many wonderful female singer/songwriters and her Chinese-ness is not of much relevance to her music. Either she has a big hit overseas or she will get lost in all the other singer songwriters. It is hard to see a really distinctive character in her music, which differentiates her from the competition. Clearly she is very talented and her music is very good, but... competition is fierce in a declining market.

1976 seem like a very decent band but bringing a band that is modeled on English indie music is a severe marketing challenge, when there are so many other English and American Indie bands competing for the same space, which seems to be a shrinking space. I like the fact that they are singing in Chinese and addressing their own young people, and I suspect that they could do well in Chinese speaking markets. It would not be a solution for them to try to sing in English as their sort of music relies on authenticity, and a feeling for their audience. If there was a more 'Chinese' feel to their music it might help to differentiate them for the competition.


Finally, we come to SUMING who is drawing on his tribal and local roots to provide both colour and feel. At the moment, I do not feel the quality of the songs is quite there, but I do like his energy and the fact that he is drawing on his unique cultural background. If he can get some more powerful songs and combine that with the language and the traditions of his people, combined with his feel for colour and movement, and there could be real international possibilities. In the West, he would probably have to go via the 'world music' market initially as that market enjoys and appreciates cultural diversity and dance.

This is clearly a very superficial and instant assessment of those three artists. But there is a greater challenge and that is to present these artists to the wider world. In the context of todays recorded music market, it is going to be very difficult to get record companies to pick up on these artists and promote them in the West. So what is required is to work out how one can present these artists in the West and build an audience. It will clearly rely a lot on digital promotion and the giving away of music to attract fans in the public and in the media. It will also require marketing and promotion around live events/concerts. But this approach requires a consistent and long term commitment to markets. It is probably fair to say that the UK and US are the only major markets that drive sales and interest outside of their own borders, but equally they are the hardest to break into as the local talent and industry are both so strong. So maybe working other markets is a good way to develop the artists', and their teams, confidence and skill in breaking into foreign markets.

But one thing is for sure: just coming in to do a festival or a conference might help to get started, but there is a need to have persistent follow up activity. There is no question that the attention span of the music industry is very short, as is that of the audience who are fed a continuous diet of 'new sensations'.

Working out who to get behind can be gauged by the impact an artist has in showcases, but it is only likely to be the start of a successful career is there is a carefully conceived development plan and substantial resources, both of money and manpower, behind that plan. Much of this can be done from Taiwan, but a regular contact with the targeted market is vital. Determination, reliability, commitment and an ability to work to budgets and schedules are as important as money and talent in turning an artist into a major hit act. The character of the artist and the support team are what counts as much as anything else in the international market.

By Peter Jenner
http://china.musicdish.com

NexGen Music Goes Digital With 15 Long Awaited New Releases


One of the most highly respected New York & London based indie labels, NEXGEN MUSIC went live in just about every global digital music store this morning, following its 4 week exclusive release campaign with iTunes.

Amongst the long-awaited stack of new releases expect to find the highly acclaimed 'Tilt' by Koto featuring the lush vocals of Suree. Also released are high in demand tracks including 'Affectionizm' by D.A featuring the legendary vocals of Dru-Hill (DEF SOUL), 'I Like You' by Earth Leakage Trip, 'Seasons of Change' by Qumulus, 'Superbad' by Intelligent Manners, 'Voltage' by CJ Styles, 'Hold You' by EastColors and 'So Hush' by Undersound & Andy Sim.

Conceptualized in UK now headquartered in the US - since 2004 NEXGEN has become a globally distinguished music house, dedicated to creating barrier-breaking musical compositions across over 10 mainstream, and many more sub-genres of electronic and underground music. NEXGEN offers curious listeners a new 'comfort-zone' particularly for audiences not typically familiar or interested in electronic music. NEXGEN's frequencies ooze a distinct and sophisticated diversity in its sound, so that if you're a clubber or everyday music listener you can always count on a dose of NEXGEN to provide you with that alternative daily music fix.

NEXGEN's services are fervently sought after by major / independent film houses and their reach even goes as far as the New York fashion industry, regularly featuring their music in runway shows. NEXGEN also receives regular support from top DJ's on BBC 1-Xtra, internet, satellite & FM radio.

A sample of producers from their master class include: Earth Leakage Trip, Chris Paul & Mia V, D.A, Qumulus, Kyro, Kubatko, CJ Styles, Intelligent Manners, Stolen Identity, EastColors, Stereotype, Koto, Dynamic, Undersound, ATP, Andy Sim, Neveready, Rob Sparx, TKR, Suree, Tiiu and Greg Diamond producing; Down-tempo, Drum & Bass, Future-Jazz, Dubstep, Hip-Hop, Nu-Jazz, Chill, Deep House, Funk, Soul, Leftfield plus much more!

NEXGEN MUSIC is now available at all good online stores: Beatport, Juno, Trackitdown, 7-Digital, Tesco, Nokia plus many others.

For more information, licensing and interview requests, contact Dan at +1 (718) 844-0172, press@nexgenmusicgroup.com , and visit http://www.nexgenrecs.com and www.soundlcoud.com/nexgenrecs

Streaming MP3's

Koto Feat Suree – 'Tilt': http://www.nexgenrecs.com/promoweb/Tilt.mp3
Dynamic – 'Cosmic Soiree': http://www.nexgenrecs.com/promoweb/Cosmic_Soiree.mp3
Neveready - 'Ruychayer': http://www.nexgenrecs.com/promoweb/Ruychayer.mp3
Undersound & Andy Sim - 'So Hush': http://www.nexgenrecs.com/promoweb/So_Hush.mp3

Logos:

http://www.nexgenrecs.com/promoweb/NEXGEN_LOGOS_FOR_PARTNERS.zip

PRESS KIT:

http://www.nexgenrecs.com/promoweb/NEXGEN_MUSIC_PRESS_KIT_2011.pdf

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Russell Simmons Uses MySpace To Deliver Exclusive Message From President Barack Obama


Hip-Hop icon Russell Simmons delivered a direct message from the President of the United States, Barack Obama, today, January 28, 2011, via MySpace. Simmons, founder of GlobalGrind.com and the author of the best-selling book, "Super Rich," has been this week's celebrity participant in the MySpace Hijack. He extended his week long take-over as the celebrity "Editor-In-Chief" of MySpace in order to facilitate the message's delivery and impact.

The Myspace Hijack is a progrom developed by Myspace where celebrities take over the editorial content for the week, populating the site with content that is interesting to them . Recently, Myspace has partnered with Black Eyed Peas and Jack Black.

Russell Simmons' message from the President can be viewed at http://www.myspace.com/everything/article/2011/01/27/an-exclusive-message-from-russell-simmons-and-president-barack-obama and is captioned below:

"Over the past week, I have had the great pleasure of taking over Myspace, which was suppose to end on Thursday, but I just couldn't let go. I have shared my musical influences, exclusive excerpts from my new book, Super Rich, inspiring content from GlobalGrind, the best in art and culture, and even a little yoga. I couldn't let go because I had one more thing to share. Nothing makes me prouder than what I received late last night from a hero of mine, the President Of The United States, Barack Obama, and I am overjoyed to deliver his exclusive message to young people of this great nation. As we move forward, let us move forward together as one."

With great love, all things are possible.
-Russell Simmons

"I've always believed that here in America, every young person should be able to set goals and reach them; to discover their passions and follow them; and to earn their piece of the American Dream. That's why, during the last two years, my Administration has worked hard to give people like you the opportunities you need to reach your potential and win the future. We passed the Affordable Care Act that allows young people to stay on their parents health care plan until they're 26 - allowing more time to find a job that carries insurance. We reformed the student loan system to put billions of dollars back into the pockets of students paying for college instead of watching it pad the profits of big banks. We've invested in clean energy and encouraged a generation of innovators working to start the companies and build the technologies of the future. We've ended combat operations in Iraq and brought more than 90,000 troops home from the battlefield, and also made sure they get the care they have earned when they got back. And, even though there's still a tremendous amount of work to be done, I promise that every decision I make in the years ahead will be made with you in mind. Each of you represents our hope for this country. Your generation will be the one leading America into the future. And if we do our part, I know you'll make us proud."

~President Barack Obama

About Myspace

Myspace, Inc. is a leading social entertainment destination powered by the passions of fans. Aimed at a Gen Y audience, Myspace drives social interaction by providing a highly personalized experience around entertainment and connecting people to the music, celebrities, TV, movies, and games that they love. These entertainment experiences are available through multiple platforms, including online, mobile devices, and offline events. Myspace is also the home of Myspace Music, which offers an ever-growing catalog of freely streamable audio and video content to users and provides major, independent, and unsigned artists alike with the tools to reach new audiences. The company is headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA and is a division of News Corporation. (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV).