News from the Music Industry

American Idol Underground americanidolunderground.com

At this Web version of the hit TV show, music hopefuls (some who can really sing, and some who only think they can) submit original songs to be voted on by the public and industry panelists. Winners receive cash and music services like studio time.

Spin’s take: “Check this out if you’re sick of what you’re hearing on the radio. Even label execs visit this site to see who gets the highest ratings. This is one of my favorites because the people calf the shots.”

Dusty Groove America dustygroove.com

Dig into the massive selection of rare and offbeat soul, funk, Latin and jazz albums, and you’ll be that ahead-of-the-curve chick who’s always in the know about obscure but talented artists, such as neosoul singer Eric Roberson, seventies jazz great Roy Ayers and groovy band The Rebirth.

Spin’s take: “Dustygroove.com has everything here–even Donuts, the new joint I’d been looking for by fate hip-hop producer J Dilla. I’m buggin’!”

Underground Hip Hop undergroundhiphop.com

No need to track down mix-tapes to learn about the hottest underground emcees, Their music is for sale here on CD and vinyl. It’s an essential spot for those seeking skills and artistry over cookie-cutter commercialism.

Spin’s take: “People don’t know about West Coast rapper Aceyalone, who’s been out for ages and Danger Mouse, who’s an amazing producer This site has artists you’d never hear otherwise.”

Mother Nature rains on Country Thunder's parade
Horrible conditions couldn’t dampen all of the fun 12:00 AM CDT on Monday May 28 2007 Country Thunder USA turned out to be a prophetic name for the ill-fated music festival at the 300-acre Thunder Ridge Ranch near Ennis. What should have been a four-day blowout of country stars and newcomers Thursday through Sunday was largely washed away by Mother Nature’s fierce soaking storms.

Mon, 28 May 2007 00:00:00 EST
Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones and Deals
Sony Ericsson is one of the top ranked mobile phone manufacturers worldwide. It is known for producing fashionable and best rated mobile phones around the world. They have finest music and game enable…

Sat, 26 May 2007 02:36:29 EDT
Bedroom Eyes - Dancing Under Influence
yeah, it was the description (band - title) that made me click

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Album
Sunday’s paper has an essay about “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the Beatles’ 1967 magnum opus, which turns 40 years old this week and gave birth to the album-based music industry as we know it. Or rather, as we used to know it, because the old business is evaporating at a frightening rate.
One sign of the times is that ex-Beatle Paul McCartney’s upcoming album “Memory Almost Full” isn’t coming out on a conventional label, but through Hear Music — the label division of Starbucks Coffee. Although the album isn’t out until June 5, you can already see the video for the not-bad first single “Dance Tonight.”
But back to the subject of full-length albums as albums rather than collections of songs. Reader Bob Bendelow writes:
One aspect that might have been added is that “Sgt. Pepper” and similar albums were meant to be listened to from start to finish. There was connectivity throughout the album, not just a lot of good music. One album that I think belongs in the same class as “Sgt. Pepper” is/was “Tommy” by The Who. It had a storyline, perhaps better than “Sgt. Pepper,” and was wildly accepted into our culture.
I twice saw the “rock opera” performed at City Center in NYC by, IIRC, the Judith Jameson company. Not to mention the occasional movie or two. Roger Daltrey et all became bigger than life rock stars, not just because of that album, but because people now knew them who had never heard of them before.
I submit that “Tommy” belongs on the short list.
So how about you? What are your top golden-age albums — and when do you think the golden age was/is? Holler…

Sun, 27 May 2007 20:20:50 GMT
Kids on TV make their CD release party a multi-media spectacle, and a history lesson. (Toronto Star)
Viewer discretion is advised. When Kids on TV puts on a show there’s nudity, course language and a bit of violence. Nothing about the queer, electro-punk band’s first CD release party last week was PG-13.

Mon, 28 May 2007 14:28:30 GMT

When The Lights Go Down In The City
It’s another music giveaway bonanza this week! First up is a prize pack from Sea Wolf. They’ve been touring with Silversun Pickups (see a few SSPU members in the video for “You’re A Wolf”), but they’re a far more mellow outfit: Alex Church’s vocals and melodies are gentle, strummy and soothing. Sea Wolf open for Devotchka on Friday night at the Grand Ballroom, and we have a pair of tickets for the winner plus a copy of their new EP Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low. Watch the video and download the mp3 for “You’re A Wolf” and enter to win (Contest ends at 11am tomorrow! Winner will be notified via email.) Our second offering of prizes comes from two great bands playing on Tuesday night at the Independent: Great Northern and Loney, Dear. For a long time we had an irrational aversion to the name “Loney, Dear” because our internal copy editor (who never shuts off) kept recoiling at the misspelling of “lonely”. Once we accepted the strange stage name of Swedish singer-songwriter Emil Svanängen, we listened to the record with an open mind and really liked it. The music on Loney, Noir is upbeat, dreamy and moody and Emil has an exuberant falsetto that reminds us a little of Sigur Rós. Opening the show is Great Northern, a band that mixes things up from grandiose and glum to cheery and bright, first the boys singing and then the girls. Two winners will receive Loney, Dear’s Loney, Noir album, and one winner gets a Great Northern T-shirt and a copy of their brand new album Trading Twilight For Daylight. Enter to win below (Contest ends 5/30; winner will be notified via email.): We saw several great shows last week. On Thursday night we headed to Hotel Utah to see Birds & Batteries for the first time, and thankfully they lived up to our hopes that they could pull things off live. The digital/analog, organic/synthetic (birds/batteries) themes made total sense as the guitar, bass and drums were enveloped in samples and synths. Saturday night we saw The Knitters once again at Great American where the packed audience danced and hooted all night. We wrapped up the weekend at the Mission Creek Music Festival closing party at Thee Parkside on Sunday afternoon. Things started off slowly, perhaps because the afternoon show competed with the aftermath of Bay to Breakers. We came to see Birds & Batteries again, but stayed to hang out with our friends Dan from the Rickshaw Stop and Will from New & Used Records, and some new friends including the guys behind The Bay Bridged. Check out The Bay Bridged’s massive coverage of the Mission Creek Fest. On to this week’s show recommendations! Tonight Popscene presents a special performance by the one and only Spoon at 330 Ritch. The longstanding show series rarely lands such seasoned artists - usually it’s up and comers or buzz bands - but Spoon seem to be on a warmup west coast jaunt leading up to the Sasquatch Festival this weekend. And of course any buzz on their forthcoming record, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga out July 10th, can’t hurt. On Friday, see Sea Wolf open for Devotchka at the Grand Ballroom. If you feel like making a drive on Saturday, Joanna Newsom is playing a benefit concert in Grass Valley, CA, along with Aaron Ross and Madame and the Mustache. They’re raising support for St. Joseph’s Cultural Center which provides locals with artist studios, music practice spaces, a performance hall, a thrift shop and a place for area Tibetan monks to come together. On Sunday the Hotel Utah is hosting the intriguingly-named San Siern Holyoake & Wood Festival curated by Michael Hilde and featuring Almaden, Barn Owl, Adam Snider, Misty Mountain, Mass at Dawn and Messes. The festival’s billed as “A Holy Sunday Gathering of the Brightest in New Folk Music from the Length of California”. We tried listening to a few of the bands’ MySpace pages and found mostly mellow stuff. For instance, Barn” title=”http://www.myspace.com/barnowlband\”>Barn” target=”_blank”>www.myspace.com/barnowlband”>Barn Owl craft fantastical, hypnotic acoustic instrumentals that you’d want to get a massage or meditate to. We mean that in the best possible way, because there’s a lot of really bad music made for massages and meditation. On Tuesday, the locals in Magic Bullets celebrate a CD release for their debut a CHILD but in life yet a Doctor in love at Cafe Du Nord. We’re sending out a big recommendation for this show because we like the band a lot, and also because our friend Ted at BAGeL Radio is presenting the show. Also on the bill are The Morning Benders and Rescue Me with special-guest DJ, The Bastard Prince (of The Lovemakers). Over at the Independent, check out Great Northern as they open for Loney, Dear. On Wednesday, catch Austinites Voxtrot and Sound Team along with Au Revoir Simone at Great American. Over at Slim’s, rock out to The Hold Steady, Illinois and Blitzen Trapper. Watch Au Revoir Simone’s video for “Fallen Snow“:

Thu, 24 May 2007 23:02:06 EDT
Guy Gerber @ Tomorrow (Cocoon Special) (2)

Guy Gerber live at the Tomorrow (Cocoon Special) party at Club Poema, Utrecht (NL) on the 26th of May 2007, playing for his album release world tour of “Late Bloomers”
ID track: Guy Gerber - Sea of Sand

Author: djdjango1984
Keywords: techhouse techno tech house party cocoon 26 mei 2007
Added: May 28, 2007

Mon, 28 May 2007 09:54:29 -0700

Fiddy CD Delayed by Bad Reviews (antiMUSIC)
(Contact Music) Fans of 50 CENT will have to wait over two months for the rapper’s new album, CURTIS, after record label bosses stalled the project’s release.

Mon, 28 May 2007 21:03:41 GMT

Read this great article to determine your iPod’s battery life.