MEOW Con Seeks 100 Female Artists To Perform

May 1 is the final deadline for the opportunity for female musicians in all styles of music to apply for an official showcase at MEOW Con � the inaugural international three-day music conference on the state of women in music.



Produced by Musicians for Equal Opportunities for Women (aka MEOW), the conference will be held October 24-26, 2013 at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin, Texas. There is a total of 100 available performance slots and artists in all genres of music are encouraged to apply. Selected artists will receive complimentary registration for the conference.



Keynote speaker for MEOW Con is legendary "rock chick" Suzi Quatro (pictured left). Since beginning her career as a bass player 50 years ago, Quatro has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. She will also receive the prestigious Woman of Valor Award at a dinner in her honor on October 24th. Past Woman of Valor Award recipients are Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart (2000), Patti Smith (2005) and Fanny (2007).



MEOW Con is the only conference of its kind. Not only will it feature panel discussions, workshops, performances, a trade show and networking opportunities, but it will also examine the cultural impact of how women in music are perceived through the lens of film, literature, blogs and traditional music journalism.



Showcase applications will be taken in three ways, through Sonicbids, PayPal and through the mail. All entries must be postmarked or completed by midnight on May 1 to be considered. Applications will be selected by a team of industry experts.



"Our goal is to elevate the state of women in music in every way," explains MEOW Director Carla DeSantis Black. "We want to ensure that women have opportunities to achieve success on their own terms, and that artists at every level of their career have a voice. MEOW Con is the place for everyone to strategize ways to end sexism in this industry."



The cost to attend MEOW Con is $200 through June 30th. Women of Valor Dinner tickets are $125 and sold separately through www.meowcon.eventbrite.com.



To apply to perform or for more information, visit the official MEOW Con web site at www.meowcon.com.

Passion For Music And The Arts Brings Local Guitar Builder And North Carolina Non-Profit Together

For the fourth year running, custom guitar builder Jay Lichty has painstakingly crafted an heirloom quality guitar and donated this treasure to the Western North Carolina based non-profit LEAF for a fundraising raffle. Lichty has crafted over 100 instruments (guitars and ukuleles), and professional musicians from Japan to Nashville are playing and praising Lichty's handcrafted instruments.



LEAF is an organization established to build community and enrich lives through the arts and music, both in North Carolina and internationally. Given the tremendous success of the first guitar raffle, Lichty decided to make this donation an annual tradition. The LEAF staff "is thrilled with the amount of money raised through the annual guitar raffle and with the generosity of both the Lichty and LEAF communities." To date, over $10,000 dollars have been raised by the annual Lichty Guitar Raffle.



The 2013 Lichty raffle guitar was crafted by Jay Lichty in his Tryon, North Carolina shop. Every guitar Jay builds is a one-of-a-kind, and this year's raffle guitar is no exception. It is a dreadnought-sized acoustic guitar with beautifully figured Ambrosia maple wood for the sides and back, Englemann spruce top, a cherry burl rosette and camel bone nut and saddle. Ambrosia Maple is the result of a beautiful collaboration in nature. Maple trees, environmental conditions, tiny beetles, and fungus create just the right palette and the result is a stunning foundation for a guitar, both visually and acoustically. The list price for this guitar is $4,200.



Raffle tickets are $10 each and may be purchased via phone at (828) 686-8742, online at http://leafticketsales.org (online sales include a $5.99 processing fee) or at the Lake Eden Arts Festival. Total sales are limited to 500 and the winning ticket will be drawn at the fall 2012 LEAF Festival in Black Mountain, NC on October 20th. The winner does not have to be present.



Learn more about the raffle, see images of the guitar, and hear sound bites at:

* http://lichtyguitars.com/2013/03/13/win-a-guitar-2013-guitar-raffle-leaf/

* Learn more about LEAF, an amazing non-profit providing quality programming both in Western NC and globally and purchase tickets at http://www.theleaf.org.



###



Handcrafted and built-to-order by North Carolina luthier Jay Lichty, Lichty instruments combine the highest quality materials with premium exotic and domestic tonewoods for heirloom quality custom-crafted acoustic guitars and ukuleles. Lichty single-handedly builds each of the 25 instruments he produces a year - creating award-winning works of art played and praised by professional musicians from Japan to Nashville.

http://www.lichtyguitars.com

iTunes Distributor Pays $1.5 Million To Indies

Venzo Digital Pays $1.5 Million To Indie Artists



PRESS RELEASE � (BIRMINGHAM, MI) � April 25th 2013 � Xeinge Group, the parent company of Venzo Digital, the state-of-the-art distribution technology platform has reported substantial growth in music sales to date. Venzo Artists has generated over $1.5 Million in gross music sales since its official launch in January 2012. More than 3.5 million units generated from digital content.



Venzo Digital is an online music platform that helps people sell their music online to stores like iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and eMusic for free. Artists using the service are able to sell unlimited music while earning 80% royalties on their music sold.



"Venzo Digital has shown great promises for us as a barrier to entry into the new music business. To be able to generate over $1.5 million and 3.5 million units in one year since its launch without any venture capital funding is truly unprecedented. More than 90% of our gross sales milestone came from iTunes, 5% coming from Spotify, and the other 5% coming from the rest of our digital partners. We look forward to reproduce these kind of results from this business with our app business by the end of 2015." Says Kevin Rivers, Founder/CEO of Xeinge Group.



Venzo Digital was recently awarded the "Top 25 Companies to Watch in 2012" from AlwaysOn. Apart from its digital music business, Xeinge Group wholly owns NZOD, Rivers Bank, and its upcoming business AvertizeMe. Each businesses focus on iOS apps, investments, and marketing respectively.



About Venzo Digital

Venzo Digital is a web platform that enables users to sell music online to stores like iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and eMusic for FREE! Users are able to deliver unlimited music, music videos, and ringtones while earning 80% royalties from their music.


http://www.venzodigital.com

Delirium Celebrate Aurovine Accelerator Win

Aurovine is a music platform for independent and unsigned bands and labels. It differs from most other music services in that it offers promotion and exposure to bands who engage with the platform.

The accelerator series rewards bands who get the most streams and downloads over a fixed period. To be eligible artists and bands simply need to be registered on Aurovine.




Delirium were formed late 2009 and the 3 piece grew up together with a common love of music. Band members - Matthew Hindley, guitarist and lead vocalist. Alex Kamentschuk, bass and backing vocals. Lee Watkinson, drums and backing vocals.



Matt started playing instruments when he was 8 while Lee started playing drums when the band formed and Alex started bass around the same time. As well as thier close friendship and similar music tastes - they do admit that the attraction of the rock and roll lifestyle helped fuse their inception and work ethic.



In terms of musical influences they cite Green Day, Sum 41, Status Quo, The Raymones, The Sex Pistols, The Yardbirds, The Rezillos, Clint Mansell, Misfits, Drop Kick Murphys, CKY, The Clash, Eminem, Hollywood Undead, and The Arctic Monkeys, just to name a few.



They are currently gigging regularly across multiple venues in the West Midlands and would like to move out further and reach more people.



They rehearse every weekend at Matt's garage where they have their own little set up. This is because they all have standard day jobs and university on the week days and so it helps them to reduce the costly lifestyle of an unsigned band.



The Accelerator package included a professionally produced 250 x CD package (in association with Gillies Audio), stage banner, promotional package, Pro press release and Gold promotional package (in association with Mi2N), Pin badges and social media promotion.



Listen to Drama Queen



The Delirium song Drama Queen topped the accelerator charts when the points period ended. Points were awarded for streams, downloads and paid purchases. The CD that formed part of the prize included 4 tracks:



1. The Murder of Anna Marie

2. Happy Hour

3. Hybrid Moments

4. Drama Queen









Aurovine have just launched a new accelerator award details here. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning you just need to join Aurovine by registering here.

Beloved L.A. Children's Music Songwriter Nancy Levy Releases New Set Of Bedtime And Morning Music And Companion Book For Families

Getting your child ready for bedtime and excited to begin a brand new day has never been easier. Children's music favorite Nancy Levy has released a set of new bedtime and morning time music for families under her Nancy's Circle of Friends moniker, and it's available worldwide now.



The set includes a going-to-bed album called "Is It Bedtime Already?," a waking up album called "Brand New Day," and a companion sing along book, designed by Nancy with art by Cindy Casino. Levy started this double album and book project years ago by writing music for her son Jacob. As the songs matured, so did Jacob, and he has orchestrated and arranged the music making it a true family album.



As an early childhood educator and preschool music teacher in Los Angeles for more than 25 years, Levy's music has touched the lives of thousands of children, and she brings that experience with her to this release. With her inviting voice, Levy's songs range from warm and gentle to playfully rocking, making great listening for kids of all ages. From the welcoming optimism of "Spaceship to the Moon" to the grooving "Rockin' Rooster," there's something here for everybody.



"I believe that children's music is not just for kids," Levy said. "I hope the whole family will sing and dance along to these albums."



Levy also recently recorded a song exclusively for Operation Gratitude, a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that annually sends 100,000+ care packages to U.S. Service Members deployed in harm's way, to their children left behind, and to Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors and their Care Givers. The song, "Carry My Love," tells the story of a child receiving a parent's letter from overseas, and the emotional impact of a parent receiving such letters back. All proceeds from the song benefit Operation Gratitude.



For more information, visit http://nancyscircleoffriends.com.



BFM Digital, Inc.

BFM Digital is a global digital music company committed to serving the independent music community and delivering quality music, spoken word and video content to leading online retailers worldwide. Representing a diverse catalog of indie labels, artists and publishers, BFM distributes to all of the major music services including iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic, Napster, Walmart, Nokia and many more. With an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, BFM works closely with their content providers from around the world to ensure maximum exposure of their catalog by customizing marketing efforts and building strong relationships with BFM's digital store partners.


http://nancyscircleoffriends.com

Serial Killer Starts Blog Ahead of 2MCH4YA Book Completion

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) April 24, 2013 With Obamacare going into full effect in 2014, the most prominent question bloggers will ask after engaging Dale, RN online will be 揑s it safe to go to the hospital anymore.� Dale, a fictional Registered Nurse character in the novel taRNished by Willie Stewart RN, President of 2MCH4YA, started a blog to interact with the public. Access the blog now http://www.tarnished-novel.com/blog, approximately four months ahead of the completion of the novel taRNished. Dale will engage the public in lively blog debates on a number of different current topics, and will occasionally appear in the chat room live.



Willie Stewart, RN penned more than half of the novel taRNished http://www.tarnished-novel.com prior to releasing the fictional character Dale, RN onto the public in an attempt to entertain while exposing potential deadly pitfalls of the healthcare system in the United States. Dale, RN is a serial killer flying under the radar. Dale抯 mother plays a critical role in the novel as he makes his impact on an unaware public and she may occasionally appear on the blog. A healthcare Nursing shortage that is impacted by several demographic factors, along with the full implementation of Obamacare in 2014, will leave the public wondering if it is safe to go to the hospital.



The United States is projected to have a nursing shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. Compounding the problem is the fact that nursing colleges and universities across the country are struggling to expand enrollment levels to meet the rising demand for nursing care and there are not enough nurse educators. The average age of Registered Nurses is greater than 44 � baby boomers are nearing retirement and needing more critical care � undocumented immigrants in the millions are soon to have a pathway to citizenship which will add millions to the healthcare crisis � Obamacare goes into full effect in less than one year which will dump an additional 3.6 million more insured into the already overburdened healthcare system.



Willie Stewart RN抯 novel taRNished http://www.tarnished-novel.com promises to put a glaring spotlight on the crisis that looms, by entertaining the public with a serial killer who has been able to take advantage of his position of trust. The taRNished blog http://www.tarnished-novel.com/blog will allow the public to chime in on key issues and to address areas in healthcare that are potential pitfalls, spotlighted by a fictional killer抯 actions.


http://www.tarnished-novel.com/blog

Dance Music Supergroup COMPANY FREAK Debuts With Infectious Single "ANDR� LEON TALLEY" - An Orchestral Disco Ode To The Legendary Fashion Icon

NEW YORK桰nternational dance music outfit COMPANY FREAK has released its first official single "ANDR� LEON TALLEY" on April 16th 2013. A dance-floor anthem celebrating individualism and self-pride, the buoyant tune doubles as an homage to fabulous fashion superstar Andr� Leon Talley, the former editor-at-large of Vogue and America's Next Top Model television personality. The single is released on new indie label Superlatude, and it's currently digitally distributed on online portals like Amazon, iTunes and Spotify.



Company Freak's catchy dance pop and sophisticated songcraft is a throwback to 1970s orchestral disco soul and 1980s post-disco, when bands like Chic, Change, Kool and the Gang, Boney M, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Midnight Star first made their potent mark. Mixed by Eric Broucek (LCD Soundsystem, Sam Sparro) and engineered by Alex Nizich (Hercules and Love Affair, Antony and the Johnsons), Company Freak's retro pop recalls the freewheeling sound of Studio 54 and the Paradise Garage just as much as it recalls the glistening nu-disco of contemporary bands like Scissor Sisters and Daft Punk. With a revolving multi-generational cast of vocalists and session players梐 surprise return of actual dance music legends from the 1970s and 1980s performing alongside up-and-coming 21st century stars桟ompany Freak is its own unique superband.



Producer, musician, DJ, journalist and scholar JASON KING is the anchor behind Company Freak: he writes, arranges and produces all of the band's original material. The chief architect of impresario Clive Davis' innovative undergraduate music program at New York University and the former manager to electronica wizard Jimmy Edgar (Azealia Banks, Theophilus London), King is no stranger to great dance music. "The idea for Compay Freak came a couple of years ago," he recalls, "when I was living in Asia and getting inspired again by global dance music. I basically grew up on disco; that was when music on the radio had arrangement, structure, drama, sophistication, and style. I wanted to recapture that sound that initially inspired me."



King drew on the talents of his world-class musician friends in the US, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe to develop the sound for Company Freak's debut project. "For me, disco was always international. I'm thinking of the music of artists like Manu Dibango, Cerrone, Giorgio Moroder. So the sound of Company Freak has that authentic cosmopolitan element to it. It's global."



King discusses the inspirational lyric of Company Freak's debut single "Andr� Leon Talley" as follows: "I think one of the most important gifts you can give yourself in this life is to be unapologetically and proudly yourself at every moment, at every turn, with everyone in your life. Andr� Leon Talley seems to be one of those people. He's such a memorable and unique celebrity, and far as I can tell, he seems to have always been 100% authentic and honest about himself at every given moment. He never seems like he's trying to be someone he's not. So though I've never met him, Andr� seems like a cultural hero who deserves to be celebrated, especially at a time when the whole world seems to be fighting for recognition and equal rights."



Vocals on "Andr� Leon Talley": Shayna Steele (Rihanna, NBC's Smash), Melissa Musique (Chrisette Michelle, Jessie J.) and Jason King himself on falsetto duties. Instrumentalists include bassist Steve Styles (Alicia Keys, Demi Lovato), keyboardist John Stanley (Patti Labelle, Luther Vandross), drummer Gintas Janusonis (Ultra Nat�, Masters at Work), and horn players Casey Benjamin (Robert Glasper Experience) and Kenyatta Beasley (Prince, Lauryn Hill). The witty promotional video for "Andr� Leon Talley," posted on Company Freak's YouTube channel, features a stream of hilarious clips of the eccentric fashion legend, edited to the beat.



Company Freak's first EP drops later this summer, and the debut full-length album is slated for release by the end of the year.



Band site www.companyfreak.com

Twitter @companyfreak

How To Make Big Money Selling Loops On Your Music Website

Music isn't just something you listen to. It isn't just a hobby, something you do in your spare time. Music is passion, it can change your life, it can make you feel on top of the world! We want to promote this and help you with your love of music, and with this in mind, we've come up with a fantastic new idea that's sure to get you jumping to the beat!



If you're online and want to get involved with the music industry, then this is the perfect opportunity to you. DJ's, music bloggers, music site owners, here it comes � how would you like to earn an absolutely massive 30% commission through people purchasing our loop/sample packs from your website? That's right, 30% commission! The earning potential is huge, you control how much you make. There's no pushy sales tactics, no nasty small print and best of all, absolutely no cost to you!



You read it right � absolutely free!



It couldn't be simpler. It's super easy to set up, and we even provide you with support tools that'll have you up and running in no time. It's the perfect opportunity to make some money just by being on the internet! Combine that with your passion for music and � hey presto � you're essentially going to get paid for loving music!



This is genuinely a massive opportunity for anyone with a website or blog dealing with music.



On top of that, we make sure that your customers (yes � YOUR customers!) never get bored or run out of products to buy from you. New products are added to the site on a weekly basis from some of the best EDM and Urban music producers. All products are created from scratch and are 100% completely royalty free, so once they're bought, that's it! They're yours! Imagine telling the visitors to your site that � being able to use loops as much as they want with absolutely no legal ramifications.



Now the important part � payouts to you as the seller are automatic via Paypal every single Wednesday, so you will require a Paypal account to get set up with us. Everything is automatic, so there's no need to wait on any invoicing or release of funds from us, it's all done for you.



And that's really all there is to it! It is genuinely that simple. You set up our loops and sample packs on your site or blog, we pay you 30% commission from every sale every Wednesday guaranteed. That's it! Have you ever seen such a fantastic, massive deal anywhere else? We doubt it!



慡ell beats the smart way, become an affiliate provider'



For more information, please go to www.manvloops.com

Kenny Wesley DEBUTS 'The Real Thing' On May 15, 2013

(Washington, D.C.) Kenny Wesley, the North Carolina born, D.C.-based artist is known for his impressive vocal range, his love for other cultures (he speaks 5 languages), and as a passionate purveyor of ballads who has opened shows for the likes of Alice Smith, Stephanie Mills, Carl Thomas and Anthony David. But he's taking a turn for the funkier on his official DEBUT album, "The Real Thing," his collaboration with L.A.-based Noah Lifschey, widely respected within the industry as a prolific producer of sizzling music for TV shows such as "America's Best Dance Crew" and the MTV Movie and Music Awards programs. Since teaming up in the summer of 2011, Kenny and Noah have taken the funk feel of the 70's and created a remarkably hip and progressive hybrid of sorts.



Pre-sales are available NOW for a limited time at a discounted rate of $1.07.



Pre-sale link: http://kennywesley.bandcamp.com/



Kenny's songs have been featured on radio, TV (Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance", ABC's "The View"), video games and film.



"The Real Thing" will be released on May 15, 2013 and features appearances by Kid Koala, Butterscotch, Chris Bruce and Grammy-nominated songstress Wayna.



For more Kenny updates, stay connected with him at his Website (www.kennywesley.com),

Twitter: @KennyWesley, Facebook: /SoulfulNerd, and YouTube: /KennyWesley.



Upcoming Events

May 15 Bohemian Caverns

Washington D.C.

May 17 WEAA FM(in-studio) Baltimore, MD

May 18 WDGP Radio Upper Marlboro, MD

May 21 Canal Club Richmond, VA

May 24 Billie抯 Black (listening party) Harlem, NY

May 25 DROM Manhattan, NY

May 30 Renaissance Arlington Hotel Arlington, VA



Tracklisting

The Real Thing (feat. Butterscotch)

Feels Good

The Window

Closer

Woman (feat. Wayna)

Tangled

Sophisticated

Missin� You (Intro)

So Sublime

Won抰 Let It Go

Taffy (feat. Kid Koala)



ABOUT KENNY

With an acclaimed EP, a dozen collaborations, seven compilation features, ad campaign features (2013 and 2012 揝upercuts Rock The Cut Artist Ambassador� and 2012 Notion Music抯 揧ou Are Next�), and a slew of high-profile performances under his belt, Kenny Wesley has firmly placed his stamp on the modern Soul movement. He has shared the stage with numerous artists including Alice Smith, Anthony David, Kindred, Eric Roberson, Sy Smith, Maysa, N扗ambi, Vikter Duplaix, and Leela James.



ABOUT NOAH

To balance life in the TV world, Noah also maintains a solid foot in the music business, with a fresh approach and style � in addition to Kenny, recently Noah has been producing and writing for/with Cherri Bomb (Hollywood Records), and Karina Hanssen. For more information about Noah, visit: http://www.stereolif.com.



For more information about Kenny or to schedule an interview, please contact:

Sherri Thompson

vbgventures@hotmail.com


http://www.kennywesley.com

Homegrown Canadian Singer/Songwriter Mariannie Ompoc To Release Debut EP '1993'

(ONTARIO, Canada) April 16, 2013 - '1993' is Mariannie Ompoc's highly anticipated debut project, due to come out June 24, 2013. The EP consists of seven self-composed and self-produced songs most notably 'Fly, Miles Away, A Little, and Let it Go'. Effortlessly blending pop, r&b, and soul, '1993', showcases the singer's undeniable vocal talents and resounding passion for composition and soul music. The EP's title derives from the year her family immigrated to Canada from the Philippines: "All of the songs in the EP that I've written to be a part of 1993 are intertwined with the emotions that surfaced when my family left and arrived in Canada. Loss, letting go, and realizations are the central themes of this EP. This is my very first solo project, and I am very excited about each and every one of the songs included".



'Fly' is her first single, an upbeat and infectiously rhythmic track. It is lyrically recessional, fitted for take-off. 'A Little' is a string-led mid-tempo track on constant crescendo: "This song narrates the feelings of a girl who succumbs to being numb instead of feeling everything in an unrequited love." 'Miles Away' is the ultimate ballad of the EP, and 'Let It Go', a no-holds-back letter in song-form to her estranged father. '1993' is mixed and engineered by One Ink Studios (JRDN, Sese, American Hell), and Tim Dolbear (Eclectica Studios) as well as Mariannie herself. 'Fly' is currently up for a listen on Mariannie.ca, and '1993' will be available for download on Itunes.



Track Listing:



A Little

Fly

Miles Away

Let It Go

No Fool For You

Try Again

The One You Want (feat. Meccagodzilla)



'1993' CAMPAIGN TO INCLUDE:

� College radio campaign

� First single: 'Fly' to debut on radio May 2013

� Targeting print press and online promotions with Youtube, Facebook, and others in addition to a consistent stream of fan engagement through Mariannie.ca

� Featured cover of Niagara Magazine, Spring Issue 2013 (May)

� Performance dates to be announced



For Media Inquiries:



E: info@mariannie.ca

P: +1 (905) 246-9694

http://www.mariannie.ca


http://www.mariannie.ca