Russell Young - Take A Picture

Russell Young - Take A Picture

Russell Young is an up and coming artist from Virginia. Nominated the best "Underground Rap Artist" in the south at the "Underground Music Awards Show" in 2008, Russell Young is now releasing his video debut, showcasing his versatility and songwriting skills.

His music is a well balanced mix, influenced by 50 Cent's warm beats which add a southern flavor to them. Young's music has been praised by GarageBand.com, with his tracks receiving both Track Of The Day and Track Of The Week awards. He has been featured on various magazines and websites, which is quite a feat considering that he began his career as a professional just 2 years ago.

Please visit for more www.myspace.com/russellyoungmusic

Rachel McDonald Releases New Track "Funky"

Website: http://www.myspace.com/rachelmcdonaldsoul
Music: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/funky-mp3/id341315821?i=34131583[...]

Up-and-coming soul and R&B singer Rachel McDonald has released a new track from her debut record "The Return of Soul". In keeping with the album's theme, "Funky" is a dance tune featuring strong bass lines, catchy hooks and grooves that dare you not to shake it.

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_3024254

"Funky" features McDonald's vocal range and power. Full of flourishes and register changes, she proves here that she can hang. She sings about her love of funk and soul music and how she craves the release she feels when listening to and dancing to the music she loves. When you get down to it, it's just gotta be funky.

Lona Records Keeps The Experimental Flame in Hong Kong Alive

By Eric de Fontenay

Lona Records is a Hong Kong boutique indie label set up by Alok Leung in 2003. The label has attracted a very international and growing roster of acts focused on alternative and experimental music. I first discovered the label through four-piece rock outfit UNiXX that plies its trade in dark, shoegazing garage rock, flecked with overtones of The Horrors and circa-1993 Suede and is about to tour the mainland.

Alok is a self-taught guitarist and bassist who formed several bands in the 90s, including Pillow and Slow Tech Riddim, which combined electronic music with live instruments. He decided to go solo in 2001 and set up his own record label Lona Records the following year. Working as a producer, he released 5 albums and 5 CD singles from 2002 to 2009. He has played and participated in more than 50 shows and experimental events / projects in Hong Kong and across China.

How did you come to launch Lona Records in 2003 and how have you grown since?

At the beginning, I only set up Lona Records to release my own works. I subsequently met a number of recording artists that shared the same vision as myself. So from around early 2005, I started to release works of other artists from countries like the UK, US, Italy, Germany, Poland, Japan, Netherlands, mainland China and Hong Kong. We are also planning on releasing some works by artists from Denmark and Argentina etc.

Lona Records has also organized several concerts and exhibitions in recent years. We've gotten some very good feedback, but still there is not much room for survival here in Hong Kong.

Let me get straight to the point: how has a label focused on alternative/experimental music survived over the last 7 years in a market like Hong Kong?... no offense of course.

Every record label has to have its own direction. Experimental / alternative is my favorite music genre. Lona Records though has never looked at the Hong Kong market as a viable one - experimental music can't really survive here.

Tell me a little about the 3" CDR series you launched in 2005 "to explore the aesthetic boundaries of experimental sound."

After launching this series, I found that many people were interested in it. Personally, this idea is almost like the 7" vinyl. One shortcoming though is that Mac users cannot play these CDRs.

China is notorious for piracy. How has it affected Lona Records' business?

The problem of piracy does not really affect us a lot, because the quantities for each releases is still relatively small. I believe that the people who like our works are be willing to buy the originals. We are also planning to enter the digital download market.

I've become a huge a fan of UNiXX, which I've called one of my Hong Kong band's to watch in 2010. How do you choose which bands to add to Lona's roster?

The main directions of Lona Records include:
1) experimental, i.e. Avant-garde, Ambient, Minimal, Noise,...
2) Alternative, i.e. Alternative rock, Neo-Classical,....

With the latter, apart from UNiXX, we also have a Hong Kong band called The Yours and Jeffrey Butzer from the US. We always have an open-minded attitude when considering the demos received.

How do you see the growing independent music scene in the mainland affecting Hong Kong?

There are many excellent recording artists in mainland China. You'll notice that while these artists have been influenced by foreign cultures, they are still able to retain elements of traditional Chinese culture in their works. On the contrary, we don't have such a 'local' culture in Hong Kong. I might also explore the possibility of doing something in Beijing in the future.

United Souls New Album Of Robert Lauri

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

Think about it, taken from the album United Souls, is scheduled for airplay on several radio stations. It is difficult to hear this song with its catchy rhythm without wanting to dance.

Robert Lauri conceived the album United Souls as a melting pot where all musical cultures, a mixture of rap, soul, country and even gospel are brought together in a single album, even within a single track. The artiste has contributed his experience and his inexhaustible talent to the production of United Souls to create new worlds each time. The album is for dancing to and is aimed at both the young and the not so young.

Robert Lauri is certainly one of the most interesting artistes of the day. Offering a combination of hip hop, electronic music, pop and dance, Robert Lauri is a unique musician who does not represent any specific musical genre. The song "Bahia Dream" is an example of Robert Lauri's skill in composing a contemporary classic with multiple facets where traditional music meets hip hop.

In the album United Souls, Robert Lauri crosses various musical genres. It is unconventional music with innovative accents incorporating catchy rhythms, beautiful lyrics and superb melodies.

The maxi-single "United Souls" and the single "Last chance" are available from the major download stores and the audio-CD on Amazon.com. For discovering the songs :

http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/2492181

Koko Dozo New Electronic EP On ITunes, Amazon And EMusic

Website: http://www.kokodozo.com/
Music: http://www.myspace.com/kokodozo

"Douglas is a legitimate belter, with a big and soulful voice that could pass for a disco diva's; for another, Polarity/1's electro productions are strutting and stomping." Bruce Ttantum, TimeOut NY

"Tunes like "Lay That Body Down" and "Bastards in Bazbador" sound amazing on the pavement of the Lower East Side too" Peter Davis, Paper Magazine

New York-based electro disco duo Koko Dozo new electronic EP "Feel the Zuzz!" is now available through major online music retailers iTunes, Amazon and eMusic. The EP was released by Red Star Records, run by former New York Dolls manager, A&R/record producer Marty Thau (Suicide, The Real Kids, The Fleshtones).

Koko Dozo - "Feel the Zuzz!"
iTunes - eMusic - Amazon

Tracklisting
1. Spaceman -
2. Lay That Body Down -
3. Gangsta -
4. Grab Ya -
5. Bastards in Bazbador -

Amy Douglas & Polarity/1 launched the Koko Dozo project on Feb. 23, 2008 when Nacotheque hosted the release party for their debut, Illegal Space Aliens on subTEKst Recordings.

Polarity/1, multi-instrumentalist/arranger/composer/producer, makes songs without borders and beats for curved dancefloors using REAL SPACE-AGE COMPUTERS! In his laboratory cave, he grinds shards of lost cultural artifacts, barks and growls of ghosts in machines and luminescent sarcastic spaghetti. Then a pinch or two of the house special surreal spice. P/1 has four cult classic CDs of both electro-folk songs and all-instrumental electronica on subTEKst including Audioplasm, a duo project with Rubio. He also composes for film and for performances by Battery Dance Company and Quorum Ballet of Lisbon.

Out of this smoking brew flies Inter-Galactic Empress Amy Douglas who vaporizes the earwax of her victims with four and half octaves worth of nuclear acid lung power. She's a punky songwriting funkette who sharpened her teeth on earth at downtown NYC legendary music haunts and has worked numerous legends from George Clinton to the late great Illinois Jacquet. Her most recent venture was Red Hot Mama, a Hard Rock Vaudeville Show which featured wild cabaret rendi-tions of hard rock, punk & heavy metal classics. From jazz to funk to punk, there is nothing her tongue hasn't touched.

Kaya - Rat Race

Kaya - Rat Race

by Jon Peritz

"The new music video for Rat Race, from the UK based soul/hip-hop outfit Kaya is an in your face no nonsense dance party with a message. Shot in a single small room blanketed in old posters and graffiti, the video shows the band in their natural element. Rappers Aina and Natty rhyme about the inequities of the tax structure and the importance of working for the love and not for the money. This song has a sticky hook tied together with catchy horn lines and a number of clever verses that the band performs as they act out their words. Aina sings about working a 10-6 job as she sits, clearly frustrated, behind a desk crowded with papers and a fax machine. She vows there to turn over a new leaf. Kaya released the video for Rat Race to warm us up for their new record due to drop in August 2010."

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

Susan Barth's CD "Songs From The Suburbs" Available Today Through Major Music Retailers

Website: http://www.susanbarth.com

"Songs from the Suburbs", the latest record from Adult Contemporary singer-songwriter Susan Barth, is available for purchase today via major online retailers iTunes, Amazon, eMusic and Napster. Distributed by Oseao Media Group, this album is charming and endearing. With a retro songwriting style and a voice that ranges from sultry and sensuous, to playful and painful, always introspective and yet delightful, Susan Barth has carved a place for herself in the genre of Adult Contemporary music that recalls the glory days of 60's and 70's pop music.

"Songs From The Suburbs", is the kind of CD that almost everyone can relate to. The songs initially sound gentle and simple, but it is within the lyrics where the listener can find an entire world of hope and hurt, good and bad, all laced with catchy melodies, perfect harmonies, and just the right blend of rock and acoustic instruments. And her voice can sell every song, even when she is playing with dark suburban material.

Susan Barth - "Songs from the Suburbs"
iTunes - eMusic - AmazonMP3

"Songs from the Suburbs" track listing:

(1) Perfect Storm -
From the first line the song’s wry and self effacing charm is a pure throwback to the 60’s with a melody you can remember before the song is even halfway through and harmonies and tubas on the bridge that remind you of the golden age of radio songs.

(2) Sundays -
Chiming guitars, powerful piano chords mislead you for the intro and then the song turns a little sad but always keeps the melodies and the harmonies coming. A big favorite at live shows.

(3) Rainbows -
Again, a deceptive song that seems to be a wishful thinking nod to fairy land but there is a bitter twist in the lyrics that is at odds with the first impression of a simple rootsy mandolin tune.

(4) Sleeping In -
The startling, funky cello intro completely surprises the listener. A lush sweeping epic, beautifully arranged.

(5) And Yet -
Travis picked acoustic guitar, whimsical and sad it speaks to the lost dreams we all have from high school days. A gorgeous melancholy song that has echoes of Simon and Garfunkel. Another melody you will remember after hearing it once.

(6) One More Year -
The lyrics describe any suburban life, part sweet, part sour, mostly disappointed and a perfect example of a song from the suburbs.

(7) Chatsworth -
The one song on the CD that is an unapologetic electric guitar rock song, but filled with comedic descriptions of one particular suburb in Los Angeles. It rocks and it’s hilarious.

(8) 20,000 Self Help Books -
The dark and brooding intro is a clue to the quiet despair and failings of the subject in this song.

(9) How It Goes -
A whimsical fantasy of what might happen if the songwriter ever became famous, but tempered with a sad realization that it is just a fantasy.

(10) Wrong -
Nakedly emotional and raw, the song is very short and a damning reply to someone who has caused someone else a lot of pain.

(11) Gonna Do It -
A trippy little song of hope and belief that quietly affirms someone’s life despite all the dark dreams and broken promises of suburban life.

Indie Artists In Brazil: Making Music In Spite Of Major Labels And Making It Work

By Michele Wilson-Morris
During the MIDEM conference, I had an opportunity to talk with David McLoughlin of BM&A (Brasil Musica E Artes, i.e. the Brazilian Music Export Office). David had a lot of interesting information to share about the Brazilian music market, particularly how independent musicians found a very innovative way to make their voices (and music) heard - literally, without the major record labels.

The Brazilian Music Export Office is sponsored by APEX-Brasil, whose goal is to increase the number of Brazilian exporting companies and consolidate the country's presence in traditional markets, also opening new markets for Brazilian products. The Agency came into existence in November 1997 by presidential decree and operated as a special department of SEBRAE (Brazilian Support Service to Micro and Small Enterprises) until February 6, 2003, when it was renamed APEX-Brasil and began to act as an autonomous agency that works in association with the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade.

The major labels have traditionally controlled the music industry in Brazil, with local repertoire accounting for 70% of the market. The last 15 years, however, have seen a significant rise in independent producers establishing their own labels - some releasing 4 or 5 titles per year and a few releasing this each month. In recent times, through necessity, most independent artists now release their own albums - even though traditional sales outlets are a rarity; once the major labels began selling their products at reduced prices to supermarket chains, much as they did in the United States with WalMart, they sounded the death knoll. Small stores could no longer compete and began closing, so there was nowhere for independent artists to sell their products. Many of the well-established indie labels (estimated to be around 150) are diversifying into other areas, whether it be selling children's books, selling shows or undertaking cultural projects.

In more recent years, new technology combined with the utilization of the internet (as both a business and promotional tool) has seen a massive rise in the number of independent artists who are focused on both the artistic and business aspects of their careers. Entering an industry that is either in its death- or birth-throes, depending on your point of view, they are seeking and creating new models.

In the city of Cuiabá, Mata Grosso, local cultural producers have created the Cubo Card, a barter system whereby local artists and producers exchange services. This permitted artists to gain access to studios, good quality musicians and recordings, and thus they began to make demos, record their own albums and organize shows - in a region where this had been previously out of the economic reach of most independent artists. The initiative doesn't just put musicians together with recording studios - it gives them access to journalists, designers, photographers, video-producers, even hotels and restaurants and many others. The project is now being embraced by independent sectors around the country

What's so amazing is that this has all been done within the space of the last 2-3 years. When the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone magazine announced the top 50 albums of the year, and the #1 album was by Macaco Bong, an independent instrumental rock trio. Vanguart, another independent musical group was also in the top 20. Both bands were fruit of the Cubo Card system.

Various cities now have local music festivals, and musicians from one area travel to play at other cities' festivals. To meet the demands of artists who wanted to play at festivals, festival organizers created the ABRAFIN (Brazilian Association of Independent Music Festivals). ABRAFIN coordinated festival dates to allow bands to start touring. As a means of helping bands travel from city to city to place at festivals, each individual festival demonstrated to its local government how much revenue and employment the festivals could generate. As this sector grew within each region, there was an increase in the growth of music associations or cooperatives. These groups organized the artists on both a political and professional level.

On a professional level, many local associations work with their SEBRAEs which are government entities that supply orientation and training courses for small businesses, and this now includes musicians who are now recognized as small businesses. SEBRAEs and local associations and BM&A organize training courses and conferences on issues musicians need to know about such as digital distribution, copyright, and tax incentives for cultural projects. Many of the Brazilian states are now developing export programs with the BM&A to export beyond their states and to the rest of the world. The catch phrase in Brazil is now "the economy of culture". SEBRAEs, the music associations and cooperatives map out local musical production, areas that require state investment and partners outside the state to assist in the same.

The BM&A, in association with regional partners, also hosts every six months the "Comprador & Imagem" (Buyer and Image) project where international guests from varying areas within the music industry (shows, media, radio, digital, etc) are invited to visit Brazil and meet up with local artists and producers to exchange ideas, information and generate business opportunities together.

Even though many artists would still love to have a contract with a major label, it is no longer relevant. Even with very limited radio play and the limited physical distribution of their CDs, they are able to be successful. The independent scene in Brazil is finding its feet. Almost fifty independent Brazilian bands performed at such fairs as SXSW, Womex and CMJ last year (2009) and in 2010, it's likely the numbers will increase.

So, what's the lesson to be learned here? Well, the internet is a very powerful tool. It gives people access to information they didn't have before. And people who are knowledgeable, talented and determined find a way to make things happen.

Andy Fraser Releases EPK For "This Is The Big One"

Website: http://www.andyfraser.com/
Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXqWuGa1dPU

NASHVILLE, TN (March 17, 2010) - Andy Fraser has released an Electronic Press Kit for his latest song and video, "This Is The Big One." View it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXqWuGa1dPU

The video biography highlights Fraser's extensive music history, beginning with photo montages from his youth as the bass player, principal songwriter, and producer of the influential rock band, FREE. It continues thru his later successes as a songwriter for Rod Stewart, Bob Seger, and Robert Palmer, who scored big with the Fraser-penned, "Every Kinda People," and concludes with interview footage of Fraser discussing his latest song and music video, "This Is The Big One," which deals with the impact of climate changes on the earth.

With "This Is The Big One," Fraser is a leading voice in the growing chorus of artists who are speaking out about the issue of climate change. It was announced just this week that Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Phil Lesh and Phish are included on the new album, Best of Bonnaroo, and are asking for fans to call or e-mail their elected officials to prompt them to take action on the matter.

"Coming out of the classic rock era, I grew up with music that carried messages of activism," says Fraser. "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, and a host of others - they all created music that entered the social consciousness and helped to spark change. I am excited to see a new generation of artists doing the same - and I am happy to be a part of that movement."

It is an exciting time for Fraser, who recently had one of his bass guitars go on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition, his daughter, Hannah, who appears as a mermaid in the video for "This Is The Big One," also has face time in the recent Academy Award-winning documentary film, The Cove.

About Andy Fraser:
Andy Fraser has a unique place in the canon of rock 'n' roll. In the late 1960's, under the guidance of Alexis Korner and John Mayall - both "Godfather's" of the British blues scene - Fraser, a classically trained pianist, revolutionized the art of bass playing by harnessing the raw energy of the blues, re-energizing it with a hard rock edge for a new generation of listeners.

As a founding member of Free, Fraser helped to draft the blueprint for - and was one of the chief architects of - the blues-rock style that spawned the likes of Led Zeppelin, Foreigner and Aerosmith. With Free, Fraser wrote and produced some of their most groundbreaking and best-loved songs, including the worldwide hit, "All Right Now," recently honored with BMI's "Million-Air" award for passing 3 million radio/television plays in the U.S., making it one of the most enduring classics of the rock 'n roll era.

A tireless creator and a perfectionist with an eye and ear for detail, Fraser has written a substantial body of works including Robert Palmer's smash hit, "Every Kinda People." His songs have been recorded by Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart, Three Dog Night, Etta James and Bob Seger among others. Fraser has also helmed several post-Free bands - notably Shark and the Andy Fraser Band - and has released several solo works, including the albums, Fine, Fine Line and Naked…and Finally Free.

A survivor of both cancer and AIDS, Fraser is a strong environmental and social activist, and defender of individual human rights.

Andy Fraser video for "This is the Big One" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63qIoGpnrl8

Radio programmers may download a broadcast quality copy of "This is the Big One" via AirPlay Direct at: http://airplaydirect.com/music/andyfraser/

Fans may download "This is the Big One" for free at: http://www.andyfraser.com/bigone.html

To learn more about Andy Fraser, view his online Press Kit at: http://myPPK.com/go/andyfraser.aspx or visit his official website: www.andyfraser.com

Publicity contact:
Clif Doyal
CDA Promotions-Nashville/OKC
(a division of the Clif Doyal Agency, LLC)
Office: 615.885.5998 Cell: 615.319.1863
E-mail: CDAnashville@aol.com

Blurred Vision - Another Brick In The Wall (Hey Ayatollah, Leave Those Kids Alone!)

Blurred Vision - Another Brick In The Wall (Hey Ayatollah, Leave Those Kids Alone!)

Canadian rock band Blurred Vision is gearing up to release their debut album. The remake of 'Another Brick In The Wall' by Pink Floyd, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Babak Payami, has been produced to show solidarity to the people of Iran, who are fighting for their freedom of speech against their fundamentalist regime.

The video shows images from the fights that occurred after the 2009 Iranian presidential election, that many Iranians claimed was altered and highly influenced by the cleric leadership of Ayatollah's and by the government in general. Most of those images have been captured by people on the streets, as the social media and news agencies were restricted during protests. Protesters were and are seeking a more democratic participation and freedom of speech.

The song is available for download on iTunes. 50% of all sales will be donated to Amnesty International.

Official Website: www.blurredvisionmusic.com