Friday, May 26, 2017

Welcome To The New Age

Artist: Les Fradkin
Record Label: RRO Entertainment
Album: "Welcome To The New Age"
Release Date: 4.25.17

RRO Entertainment is extremely excited to announce the New Age Album music release of Les Fradkin. "Welcome To The New Age".

Les Fradkin takes his Starr Labs Ztar Midi Guitar into futuristic realms of Composition and Midi Guitar performance as he combines influences as diverse as Yanni, The Beatles, The Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra, TransGlobal Underground, Kaleidoscope and Jean Michel Jarre to realize an exciting New Age Musical vision. This album offers fresh new and exciting sounds, all performed by Les from his Starr Labs Ztar and Hallmark 60 Custom Les Fradkin Signature Guitar.

Les Fradkin is a prolific Composer, producer and a Pioneer of MIDI Guitar. He captured headlines as the Original Cast George Harrison in the mega-hit Broadway show "Beatlemania" in the 1970s, and Les has played with The Ventures, enjoyed 16 #1 Instrumental hits at mp3.com, won several awards at the Indie Music Channel, including 2017 Best Instrumental Producer, 2016 Best Instrumental Recording and Best 2014 Classical Recording. He is also a member of the Television Producers Music Production Hall Of Fame as a Composer.

RRO Entertainment is an independent record label since 2003. The label distribution and promotions is worldwide.

RRO Entertainment and Fradkin 2000 Music Publishing are owned and operated by Les Fradkin and Loretta Pieper Fradkin.

Artist Web Site: www.lesfradkin.com
Label Web Site: www.rroentertainment.com
Producers: Les Fradkin and Loretta Pieper Fradkin
Composers: Les Fradkin and Loretta Pieper Fradkin
All Instruments played by Les Fradkin
Studio: RRO Entertainment, Parker, Colorado
Sounds Like: Yanni, The Moody Blues, Jean Michel Jarre
UPC: 191061587590

Music: http://www.reverbnation.com/lesfradkin

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Bachot Muna Jazzes Up 2017 With His Soulful New Single 'A Muto 'The Woman''

On his new single 'A Muto,' Cameroonian Jazz impressario Bachot Muna brings soulful, sexy vibes to heat up your snow-filled February in a sumptuous mix of Afro Soul and Latin Jazz. Bachot's music is like nothing else in the charts at the moment and acts as an irresistibly catchy soundtrack to life's more enjoyable moments.

This song does not contain the autotune and computer-engineered sounds which are so common in modern music. Bachot uses real instruments to provide his unique sound and demonstrate his immense talent. This talent has seen him work with some of the most decorated professionals in the music industry, such as 13-time Grammy Winner Mike Makowski and legendary trombonist Eduard Akulin.

'A Muto' is the lead track from Bachot's latest and fifth album 'Back To The Roots.' The four albums which preceded 'Back To The Roots' saw Bachot master his craft, passing through Abidjan, Brussels and Montréal, while teaching himself to be his own sound engineer, in order to allow the world to hear his unique, vibrant sound. However, these travels have not been limited to music production. Bachot gave an acclaimed performance at the 2013 Montréal International Jazz Festival. Bachot is no stranger to critical acclaim, having won awards everywhere from Cameroon to LA over his storied career.

'A Muto' is available on iTunes right now https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/a-muto-the-woman-single/id1195813945 and can be viewed on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I77Jach3sg4

Bachot's latest album 'Back To The Roots' can be purchased here https://bachotmuna.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-the-roots

Connect With Bachot on social media
Twitter - @Bachot2Bachot
Instagram - @bachot_muna
https://www.facebook.com/JazzDreams
Or via his official site -
http://www.bachotmusic.com/

​ Listen: https://soundcloud.com/bachot-muna/a-muto-the_woman

Andy Scott Resurrects The Goat For The First Time In Nearly 20 Years To Release His 4th Album, LL Goat

New York multi instrumentalist Goat will release his long-awaited 4th album LL Goat on March 31, 2017. Along with the album, Goat is looking to take the act out on the road and "bring these songs to the world." LL Goat features tracks culled from an especially creative period in the 1990s, songs that were supposed to be released on his Interscope debut. Record company politics and a changing music industry led to these tracks being lost for almost 20 years, until now.

From the searing album opener, "Burning Stick," an indictment of the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, to the aggressive "Alright," which Goat calls his "line in the sand" reaction to government manipulation and war, Goat's incisive, politically-charged lyrics are as relevant as ever. LL Goat uses innovative instrumentation like hip hop beats and samples to provide a groove underneath Goat's blues and jazz-influenced rock, predating similar approaches used by Beck and Eels. But the star of the show is Goat's distorted B3 Hammond organ, sounding like the kind of fuzzed-out guitar you would hear on a Kinks b-side. On top of everything is Goat's soulful, laid-back tenor, reminiscent of a mix between Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek and Chris Cornell in his quieter moments.

Andy Scott, or Goat, has been entrenched in the music industry nearly all his life. The journey started as a sound engineer at New York's famous Power Station (now Avatar Studios). At the Power Station, he worked alongside some of the biggest names in rock, from Bruce Springsteen to Keith Richards to Jon Bon Jovi, who used Goat's B3 Hammond on his first album. Goat hit his stride in the 90s, when his single "Great Life" was featured in the I Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack and a series of Kia commercials. Goat's music continued to innovate and influence a new generation of hip hop-inspired rock.

Website: http://llgoat.com/
Music: http://llgoat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/LLGoatBabiesOnFire.mp3

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Songwriters Battle For Fair Pay From Music Streaming Services

"They have to keep commodifying things to keep the share price up, but in doing so, they have made all content, including music and newspapers, worthless, in order to make their billions. And this is what we want?" - Thom Yorke, Radiohead

The music industry has undergone a massive transformation over the past 20 years, as consumers and corporations increasingly favor digital distribution over physical music mediums. However, as CD sales dwindle and digital streaming services grow, music publishers and songwriters are paying the price.

Until 1998, digital rights were unregulated, resulting in publishers and songwriters receiving zero royalties for the use of their work on the internet, including downloads, audio streaming, video streaming, and satellite radio. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was implemented to prevent internet resources and platforms from continuing this practice, to ensure that copyright owners were paid for the use of their work in digital formats. At the same time, the infamously low rates paid by streaming services continue to threaten the livelihood of songwriters, as they receive a minuscule fraction of the royalties they earn from traditional radio, television, and physical music sales.

The music streaming business has grown dramatically over the past few years, now passing the milestone of 100 million paying subscribers globally. Reports indicate that the U.S. music industry is on track to experience a second consecutive year of growth, which hasn't occurred since 1999. And this expansion shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Goldman Sachs predicts that streaming revenues will almost double between now and 2020. However, the National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) reports that for every $6 streaming companies pay to record labels, songwriters and publishers only receive approximately $1.

The Dangers of Safe Harbors

Another massive complication in the fair distribution of digital royalties is the exploitation of the DMCA's "safe harbor" provisions. The concept is to protect online service providers from liability for copyright infringements by their website users, provided that they promptly remove content when a copyright owner informs them of infringement. However, many music industry experts believe that YouTube, one of the largest purveyors of on-demand digital music, evades paying fair market rates for the use of copyrighted content by exploiting the DMCA's safe harbor. According to a report by the Phoenix Center for Advanced Legal & Economic Public Policy Studies, market-based royalties for subscription-based services are approximately eight times higher than those paid by YouTube.

Research indicates that music accounts for 40 percent of YouTube's views, clearly making it a vital component of its platform and advertising revenues. However, it appears that the music recording industry is losing out due to distortions in the market permitted by the current regulations. According to industry data, a subscription music service pays the recording industry approximately $0.008 per song play, while YouTube pays only about $0.001 for the same play. On-demand services like YouTube are taking advantage of safe harbor permissions to negotiate licenses at an unfairly low rate based on a split of advertising revenue, thereby treating music as a commodity and avoiding the fixed per-play royalties typically seen for streaming services.

Taking It To Court

While it's encouraging to discover that the U.S. music industry is experiencing growth if artists aren't paid fairly for the use of their work on streaming services and other digital platforms, how can they earn a reasonable living that will enable them to continue creating music? Fortunately, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. The U.S. Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is currently determining details of the country's mechanical royalty rates for the next five years, and the global music community is joining together to rally for a positive outcome. As streaming increasingly becomes a primary method for the distribution of music, the results of these proceedings are crucial for rights owners.

The NMPA, along with the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), are acting on behalf of a united music community in an attempt to increase the rates paid to artists by streaming services. On the other side, technology companies like Apple, Spotify, Google, and Pandora are presenting their arguments as to why these rates should be kept at such a low level. For streaming services, the NMPA and NSAI propose a determination based on a per-stream rate, or on a percentage of advertising/subscription revenues, or both. Following the completion of the hearings, the CRB has until December 15, 2017, to determine the rates that will be in place for the next five years.

Pledging to work "to achieve better, fairer royalty rates for all songwriters and music publishers," the NMPA is asking the CRB "to adopt a structure that recognizes the inherent value of a song, the value of a subscriber's payment to access those songs, and all of the revenue that digital services generate from offering your music."

The NMPA and NSAI urged songwriters to put their name on an open letter to the technology giants and big streaming platforms. "As songwriters, we count on you to deliver our music to the fans who love it," the letter says. "We appreciate the innovative platforms you have developed to do this. However we must voice our outrage at the way you are devaluing our work in the process. Currently, you are fighting to pay us as little as possible in the Copyright Royalty Board proceedings. This is alarming not only because it threatens our livelihoods and ability to continue our craft, but also because it tells us that instead of being our business partners, you choose to be our adversaries."

Over 4,000 songwriters have signed the petition to the CRB, including Bruce Hornsby, Herb Alpert, Paula Cole and Desmond Child.

Choose Your Partners Wisely

It's clear that some corporations use music to attract consumers, but unfortunately, they remain reluctant to pay royalties to support the music industry. Although the digital revolution is helping large technology companies and streaming services thrive, the distribution of digital royalties remains complex, with rights owners being underpaid for their work.

Although these industry realities may appear grim, fortunately, there are digital platforms and streaming services that are supportive of songwriters, making it essential to choose digital business partners wisely. Some of the publishing and distribution services that are known to help rights owners effectively track royalties and generate income include CD Baby, Kobalt, the Orchard and Tunecore, all of which are built on a model of transparency and fair rates for songwriters. And the success of the model is often determined by the technology behind it.

The recorded music industry is becoming increasingly multifaceted as digital platforms and streaming services rapidly take over the market, and it proves to be tough for regulators to effectively keep up with the evolving landscape. However, as the organizations representing songwriters bring the current data to the CRB to consider in their determination of future royalty rates, music creators can remain hopeful that the industry will be singing a merrier tune by the end of this year.

About Sergey Bludov, Senior Vice President, Media & Entertainment

Sergey Bludov is Senior Vice President of Media and Entertainment Practice at DataArt. In this role, he oversees key projects, manages major client relationships, plays an essential role in developing sales strategy and ensuring revenue growth. With extensive technical background and deep commitment to the media industry, Sergey shares innovative insights in various publications. In his 10 year career with DataArt, Sergey has held a variety of leadership positions, building exceptional client teams and ensuring immaculate execution and delivery of high-profile projects serving music technology, digital and book publishing services. Sergey earned his master of science degree in computer engineering from the prestigious National Aerospace University 'Kharkiv Aviation Institute' in Ukraine.

About DataArt
DataArt is a global technology consultancy that designs, develops and supports unique software solutions, helping clients take their businesses forward. Recognized for their deep domain expertise and superior technical talent, DataArt teams create new products and modernize complex legacy systems that affect technology transformation in select industries.

DataArt has earned the trust of some of the world’s leading brands and most discerning clients, including Nasdaq, S&P, United Technologies, oneworld Alliance, Ocado, artnet, Betfair, and skyscanner. Organized as a global network of technology services firms, DataArt brings together expertise of over 2,200 professionals in 20 locations in the US, Europe, and Latin America.

Dataart.com
@dataart

http://www.dataart.com/industry/media-and-entertainment/media-and-entertainment-software-solutions

Sheila Nicholls To Hotel Cafe

Sheila Nicholls, who has released three acclaimed albums over the past ten years, will return to performing at the Hotel Café, Friday, June 2, 8pm.

Nicholls, an LA resident but originally from Essex, England, has chosen to debut her soon to be released fourth recording, "All of Nature". She has described it as "a collection of social commentary to music".

"All of Nature", scheduled for a September release isn't her first step into observing the world around us through her music. All of her albums have songs of, "desire and yearning, rousing feminist fantasies, testimonies to the failure of war, commentaries on the ridiculousness of worldwide chest-beating, anthems to the freedom gained if we just rewrote our collective mythology, and the personal eternal journey to rewrite one's own" according to the singer who produced the record and wrote or co-wrote all songs on it.

The singer's storied life has included a song on the "High Fidelity " soundtrack, appearances on such TV shows as The Tonight Show, and Conan O'Brien and touring with kd lang.

The LA weekly remarked "she has a battery acid wit, a fierce rebellious streak and is just plain seductive."

Sheila's performance will take place at 8:00 pm, June 2 at Hotel Cafe, 1623 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Tickets are $10.00.

Website: http://www.sheilanicholls.com

BMI Award-Winning, Sony/ATV Songwriter/Producer Hookman Lives Up To His Name With The Release Of The African-American Anthem, "God Got Me"

BMI award-winner Marlin "Hookman" Bonds is a Sony/ATV songwriter/producer and has written songs for many Grammy-nominated albums. He is issuing a proclamation with the release of "God Got Me," an affirming salute to the resilience and the irrepressible spirit of the African- American community.

A consistently successful and gifted songwriter known for producing the perfect hook, Hookman continues to write songs for chart-topping artists: Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Kevin Gates, Demi Lovato, Jordin Sparks, and Kid Ink, to name a few."

'God Got Me,' which features St. Louis natives Mz. 007 and King, is an anthem specifically about resilience within the African-American community," says Hookman. "This song is a reminder that though we've faced seemingly impossible odds and many other adversaries, we not only survive... we thrive!"

The music video for "God Got Me" was filmed in Hookman's hometown of St. Louis, Missouri…just a few miles from Ferguson, where the Michael Brown shooting shocked the nation. "The Ferguson unrest was a response to the discrimination that is so common in the African-American community," says Hookman. "The visual I created in "God Got Me" refutes those stereotypes and promotes tolerance and equality."

An active voting member of the Grammy Awards, Hookman continues to write for every major label, producing hit records while producing a reality TV show and managing his own artists.

ABOUT HOOKMAN:
BMI award-winner Marlin "Hookman" Bonds is a Sony/ATV songwriter/producer and has written songs for Grammy-nominated albums. He has written songs for Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Fifth Harmony, Kevin Gates, Demi Lovato, Jordin Sparks, Jay Sean and Kid Ink, to name a few. The "Hookman" moniker denotes his innate creative strength: producing the perfect hook for a song and instantly captivating his listeners. Most of Hookman's songs have hit the Top 40 Billboard Charts. It's no wonder he's taken that expertise to release music independently as well. With his latest release, "God Got Me" (featuring St. Louis natives Mz.007 and King), Hookman lives up to his name, as always. 

Website: http://www.hookmanmusic.com/
Music: http://youtu.be/Kf3AURnZsWE

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Accent On Gormley Makes Radio Debut May 22

Music Business Veteran and Journalist Mike Gormley will debut a new segment of the popular Internet show "Accent On", Monday, May 22. "Accent On Gormley" will appear the first and second Monday of each month starting at 6pm, Pacific Time. There will be studio guests and some music if it is pertinent to the guest.

"Accent On!" hosted by Ilona Europa is part of the Internet network LA Talk Radio. http://www.latalkradio.com/content/accent

Gormley's first guest will be Canadian director/writer/singer/songwriter Peter Foldy. Foldy will be talking about his new play "Penetration" which will be part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival starting June 2. Up and coming guests on "Accent On Gormley will include singer Sheila Nicholls, author/business executive Danny Goldberg and veteran performer Cidny Bullens.

For 40+ years Ottawa born Mike Gormley has been journalist, record company executive, artist manager and marketing/PR expert. He has been responsible for setting into motion many artists' International careers and his work has brought the world such successful artists as film composer Danny Elfman, massively successful pop band The Bangles. In addition Gormley has helped launch the careers of such diverse artists as Rod Stewart, Rush, BTO, The Police and Supertramp.

Website: http://www.lapersdev.com

Deadline Looms - The 22nd Annual USA Songwriting Competition

Deadline is fast approaching for the 22nd Annual USA Songwriting Competition. Songwriters vie for a chance to win a top prize of $50,000 worth of cash and merchandise such as music gear. Winning songs will be receiving radio airplay. Songwriters can enter in 15 different song categories such as: Pop, Rock/Alt, Folk, R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Instrumental, etc.

USA Songwriting Competition is sponsored by: Sony, D'Addario Strings, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, New Music Weekly, Loggins Promotion, Airplay Access, Audio-Technica, Presonus, Sonoma Wireworks, Song Trust, Soundmatters, Noisehive and Landr.

LAST YEAR'S WINNER
Spokane, Washington based songwriters Jerad Finck, David Hodges & Steven Solomon won Overall Grand Prize at past year's 21st Annual USA Songwriting Competition with their song "Criminal" The song has now received on radio airplay on various Pop radio stations in United States as well as Sirius XM Radio.

ALL TOP 3 WINNERS ARE COLLABORATIONS; SOME BIG NAMES WINNERS
Las Vegas star Terry Fator, Jesse Blaze Snider (son of "Twisted Sister" Dee Snider) and Trev Lukather (son of legendary guitarist Steve Lukather of "Toto') are some of the category winners of the 21st Annual USA Songwriting Competition. For the second consecutive year, all top 3 winners are all collaborations. All the finalists in the Country and Pop categories are collaborations as well.

Tim Gates, Brad Hull & Will Nance of Nashville, TN won the Overall 2nd Prize as well as First Prize (Country Category), he is part of a group "Due West", which had songs have hit the Billboard Country Charts.

Jesse Blaze Snider, along with his co-writer Freddy Scott won the Overall 3rd Prize as well as First Prize (Novelty/Comedy category) with his song "Fight To Death", making this the first time a Novelty/Comedy song made it to the Top Three of the USA Songwriting Competition. Jesse is the son of the legendary rock band "Twisted Sister" lead singer Dee Snider.

Las Vegas marquee star Terry Fator won First Prize in the Gospel category with his song "Horses in Heaven". He was the winner of season two of America's Got Talent, and received the million dollar prize that year.

Trev Lukather won the First Prize in the Rock category with his song "Let It Go". He is the son of legendary guitarist Steve Lukather of "Toto".

ABOUT USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
USA Songwriting Competition has been honoring songwriters from all over the world. Winners came from Australia, Japan, Canada, UK, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, USA, etc. Past winners have gotten recording contracts, getting their songs on film, TV as well as getting cuts with major artists. The 2013 Top winner rock band "American Authors" hit #1 on the Billboard Charts and went Double Platinum, selling over 2 million copies. The 2007 winner Air Gold hit Top 10 on the Billboard charts with his winning song 6 months after his win. The 2005 Winner of the Country category had his winning song cut by Country Superstar Faith Hill. The 2005 winner of the Pop category was signed by Interscope Records. Our 2008 winner appeared on David Letterman TV show and got signed to a record label.

In its landmark year, the 22nd Annual USA Songwriting Competition is currently accepting entries. This is a great opportunity for songwriters. Deadline to enter is May 31st. For more information, visit: http://www.songwriting.net

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Emerging Artist JoAnna Michelle Prepares To Launch In Dance Music Genre

Forging her way into the hearts, minds, and smart phones of Generation Z teens and music lovers everywhere, singer-songwriter musician JoAnna Michelle is poised to become the world's next top youth influencer. After her success with debut singles and videos for "My Snap Story" and "Entourage (I Am My Own)," JoAnna is now emerging from months in the studio with internationally acclaimed producer Josh Harris, with a maturing resonance and chic sound. JoAnna - a true child prodigy - has created the ultimate goal of creating art and telling stories that will make people feel good and happy inside. With the production help of Josh Harris, Dave Audé, and Moto Blanco, JoAnna's breakout dance single "Too Sophisticated," when released in May, is guaranteed to pack club floors and gain her new fans all over the globe.

"Working with Josh Harris in the studio has been an amazing process. I am grateful to Jimmy D Robinson for hooking this collaboration up," states JoAnna Michelle. "We are now ready to unleash 'Too Sophisticated.' My fingers are crossed that DJs and fans will vibe with it."

"Too Sophisticated" is written by JoAnna and is a song about facing the bullies and haters - bullies who are at school, on the Internet, and in the workplace.

"Haters are everywhere and they hide behind computer screens as INTERNET TROLLS!" adds JoAnna. "I stand up and dance around bullies and I hope 'Too Sophisticated' inspires others to do the same."

In a time where many up-and-comers are emulating Britney Spears and Selena Gomez, JoAnna Michelle's artistic presence and style is uniquely influenced by such artists and bands as: Stevie Nicks, The Beetles, Styx, The Rolling Stones and many other classic rock legends. Of today's artists, JoAnna gets inspiration from Bruno Mars, Drake, Rihanna, and Niki Minaj. This unrivaled musical brew ignites JoAnna Michelle's fiery style, clearly categorizing her as a fearless and powerful trailblazer. Icon status is imminent.

"Working with the talented JoAnna Michelle and helping to guide her development as an artist is exciting and so rewarding," states producer Jimmy D Robinson. "This girl is a powerhouse singer, songwriter, and musician and it won't be long before JoAnna's name is wagging on everyone's tongues. JoAnna truly has that 'je ne se quois'...that fabulous IT factor!"

Hot off a recent performance at Rock Island Live in Wichita, Kansas, JoAnna helped raise money for the School of Rock Scholarship Fund. Coming this May, JoAnna will be performing at several local Wichata events, including gigs with her local band Dorothy's Revenge, in which she plays drums, keyboards, guitar, and sings. A crowd favorite, Dorothy's Revenge performs 70's and 80's pop tunes featuring Boston and Styx songs. Solo dates are currently being set up and audiences will be astonished with JoAnna's high-energy shows, where she jumps from instrument to instrument and performs exciting choreography with the hottest back up dancers.

ABOUT JOANNA MICHELLE
JoAnna is a rare breath of musical and performance authenticity in today's over-produced, hyper-digitized music scene. A native of Wichita, Kansas, she spent the majority of her childhood studying and emulating hundreds of artists of both past and present generations, appreciating and "sponging" everything from southern rock to hip hop, country/western to pop, rock to rap, and everything in between. Having started ballet and tap lessons at the age of four, it soon became very clear that music, dance and performance are her passions. As early as first grade, JoAnna began piano lessons, and has since become a true multi-instrumentalist - proficient at drums, guitar, keyboards, and vocals. While developing her musical abilities, she has also continued to pursue dance studies, focusing on hip hop, ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. After years of studying and emulating others, JoAnna has found her own voice, and made her worldwide debut in 2016 with her break-through single, "My Snap Story." Her second single "Entourage (I Am My Own)" was released in October of 2016. The inspiration for "Entourage" was the recent experiences while breaking into the music industry. She plays the drums on the "Entourage" track as well as lead vocals. JoAnna loves to be on stage performing in front of people, connecting with her audience and fans. This up and coming young artist is excited to begin her musical journey, and take you along for the ride. Stay tuned.

For more information on JoAnna Michelle and her upcoming performances, please visit her website at http://www.joannamichellemusic.com.

Join JoJo's world on Instagram at @joanna.michelle25.