MP3 Digital Music
Mp3 digital music is one of the most
popular forms for music to take these days.
Digital music just seems to make sense,
and is a natural step forward in
the music world today. Everything else
is digital these days, why wouldn’t our music be?
While music is still purchased in
the form of CDs, it is very often
converted into mp3 digital music
for use on a computer or mp3 player.
Indeed, sometimes it seems like CD
players are all but obsolete now,
and I almost never use mine anymore.
However, it is nice to have music
backed up on CDs, and I try to keep
my CD collection current even if I’m
not listening to them directly very much.
I have a sort of inherent distrust of
computers and all things purely digital,
and I’m just waitng for my digital
music players to explode one day.
Mp3 players have a lot of nice
advantages to them over CDs. First of all,
they are of course much smaller. Most mp3 players
can easily fit into your pocket, unlike
bulky CD players. Even the smallest
portable CD player is enormous
compared to the average mp3 player.
Also, mp3 digital music can be stored
on a hard drive of an mp3 player or
computer, and so no CDs are needed.
You can load up all the mp3 digital
music you want on your computer,
and never have to worry about
losing or scratching any of it.
One of the most popular portable
digital music players today is Apple’s
iPod, and since it’s made by Apple it
just has to be different. Therefore it
does not use the mp3 digital music files
other players use, and instead uses its
own spiffy Apple format exclusive to iPods.
As an owner of both an mp3 player and an iPod,
this fact continuously frustrates me, as it
is nothing short of a pain in the ass to
transfer music from one player to the other.
Mp3 digital music is also of a fairly
small file size, which is handy.
My laptop has a 120 GB hard drive on it,
and I can fit my entire music collection
on it in the mp3 digital music format without
making a dent in the overall space available.
The mp3 digital music format poses some
serious threats to the music industry,
as it is so easy to share and pass around.
Shaping The Career Of Bob Marley
When visiting Jamaica’s beautiful
Ocho Rios make sure you take some
time out of your vacationing, water sporting, fun in the sun, and
exciting nightlife partying to
visit the Bob Marley
Nine Mile, the community
that helped shape the life
and career of one of the most
famous musicians of all time.
Even if you’re not a particular fan of the man’s
music, you’ll get a real
sense of what he was about.
Many Bob Marley fans come to
Ocho Rios specifically for
this unparalleled experience.
The quaint village
of Nine Mile is nestled high in
magnificent mountains of St. Ann,
and serves not only as the birthplace of the legendary Reggae King (1945),
but also where he was laid to rest
in 1981. Fans of Marley have described the Nine Mile experience
as one that allowed them to get more
in touch with the musician’s roots, to understand the depths of his
lyrics, and to come away from it
feeling a renewed sense of faith about what’s most important in life.
Be sure to check out the small family
house—where the Bob Marley legend all
began. Some of Marley’s family are still there, most notably his
mother (“Mother B”) and Uncle Lloyd.
The small home is littered with photos of the renowned late musician,
and you will likely hear stories
of Marley’s childhood and early
musical career from his mother
and/or uncle, as well as the guide.
You should also visit Mount Zion Rock (the famous Bob Marley meditation spot),
the Fireside, where he cooked many meals,
and finally, the mausoleum, the King of
Reggae’s final resting place.
If you’re not quite sure how to
go about touring through the
Bob Marley community, try a Nine Mile guided
tour complete with an authentic
Rastafarian guide (in authentic Rastafarian
garb, no less!) who will take you through the village from
one important element to the next,
so you don’t miss
anything and so you can soak in the entire experience
from beginning to end.
Urban Survival
To start with, let's get over
the idea that all survivalists
are going to get out of "the city"
in time to set up a "survival retreat".
Not all survivalists are going to
have the money, time or inclination
to leave the city life and move to
the middle of nowhere. First off,
leaving your job and having no
money will doom you faster than
anything you can think of!
Also some of us just enjoy the
city lifestyle and do not enjoy
the bucolic life. So the problem
remains, what are the
urban survivalists to do?
Let's start with shelter. Most of us
live in either single family homes
or apartments and if you rent your
house or apartment that limits what
you can and can not do there.
After all, it would do little good
if you were to set up a fully equipped
nuclear bomb shelter in the basement
and got thrown out the following week!
However, this does not mean you are
totally at the mercy of the landlord
and the elements. First off, try
talking to your landlord about
survivalism, or just feel them
out about their ideas of the future.
This might include nuclear war,
depression, gov't control over
their life, etc. If done carefully,
many people who would otherwise
think of you as a fool or nut case
will come around very nicely. If not,
well you aren't out anything.
If you live in one of the impersonal
high-rise apartment buildings,
and they have nothing to do with
you outside of getting your rent check,
you might try and find out where
the chimney and venting pipes are and
if you are near enough you can tap into
them for your heat and air without anyone
knowing. If the heat supply was cut off
for some reason, you could put in a
small wood/oil burning stove, vent it
right out the chimney, and no
one would know it was you.
For a water supply, you could use
2 liter pop bottles or plastic
gallon milk jugs. If you happen
to live in an apartment building
with a gravity fed water system,
that is the water supply is on
the roof, during bad times you
could simply go up on the roof,
shut the valves off, and tell
everyone the water supply ran out.
No matter what you do, it would not
hurt to have a good supply of water
stored just in case.
As to food, a years supply of
freeze dried, air dried and
canned goods can be stored in
a closet; so space, if you
really want it, should not be
a big problem. Normally there
is a lot of "dead" space to be
found, under tables, beds,
dressers, desks, etc., so that
you should be able to store a
goodly amount of stuff away
where it will be out of sight,
or at least out of the way.
For cooking that food a wood
stove will work just fine;
although camp stoves, such
as the Coleman, are also small,
reasonably light weight and easy
to use. Remember however that
burning anything will use up
your Oxygen, so have an outside
air supply coming in. This is
especially true of charcoal
stoves or grills. Used in an
enclosed area it will simply
put you to sleep, for good!
Also beware of treated wood
or plastics that will give
off toxic fumes, so you
don't poison yourself.
Now I know you've been waiting
for this, so we will now talk
about guns. What exactly you
need is not easily done from
long distance, although there
are a few basic things that
most people can agree on.
In urban fighting, distances
are not likely to be long, a
few hundred yards at most, so
you don't need a full power
battle rifle capable of shooting
1000 yards and through several walls.
Also depending on where you are,
you may not be able to legally
own handguns or "assault" style weapons.
All is not lost however. A short
barreled lever action rifle,
such as the Winchester 94 "Trapper"
model, Marlin 336, 1894 or Rossie M92
is not likely to send the neighbors
into fits of rage as would a H&K
91 or 94. The SKS in 7.62x39 is
in about the same power range as
the .30-30 and is extremely cheap
right now (in the $100-$140 range,
although this is always going up),
as is the ammo, so you might
consider it as well. The Marlin
"Camp" guns in either 9mm Luger
or .45 ACP would also make good
" house" guns, although the range
out of the short barrels or in
the pistol calibers would be limited.
That's not all bad however, as
a city in break down is likely
to have roving bands of gangs
or even National Guard units
(remember after Hurricane Hugo
when the Guard units joined in
the looting?) that are better
armed and/or more willing to use
their weapons than you. So the
less shooting you do, the less
attention you will attract to yourself.
For close range firepower or
"street sweeping" it is hard
to beat a shotgun. A discount
house here (and many gunshows)
often have the Remington 870
Express model with a rifle
slug barrel and a vent rib
"Rem-Choke" (interchangeable
screw in choke) barrel for
under $300.00, which has to
be one of the great bargains
in the firearms field. The only
down side of this gun is it is
only available in 12 gauge,
and many smaller or less
experienced shooters might
prefer 20 gauge, although
regular 870s are available
in just about any gauge
you could want.
Other shotguns you might
also want to look at are
the Winchester 1200/1300 or
Ranger models as well as the
Mossberg 500, especially the
Bullpup model that moves the
action back just in front of
the recoil pad and gives the
gun an overall length of under
30" with an 18" barrel or just
over 30" with a 20" barrel. Get
the longer 20" barrel as the
added few inches will dampen
the recoil and especially the
noise or blast when compared
to an 18" barrel.
Technorati Profile
Jewish Influence in Mass Media
In 1986 Ze'ev Chafets, an American Jew who had moved to Israel, returned for a while to the states to do a book about the American Jewish community; he entitled the resultant volume, Members of the Tribe. Following an AIPAC (the powerful Israel lobbying agency based in Washington DC) organizer who was "hunting Jews" across America, he noted an interesting incident at a Jewish gathering at the Stardust Motel in Moline, Illinois. Chafets writes that a fellow Jew sitting next to him in the audience poked the American-Israeli in the ribs, and then "tapped my copy of the Quad-City Times ("The Midwest's Most Exciting Newspaper") and whispered, 'This is a Jewish newspaper' ... The man was referring to ownership, not content ... Determined to make an impression, the man poked me again. 'See this motel?' he asked. 'It's a Jewish motel.'" [CHAFETS, p. 39]
In 1999, the chairman of the Newspaper Association of America was Richard Gottlieb. He is also the chairman of Lee Enterprises, based in Davenport, Iowa, which owns 21 newspapers and 16 TV stations across the United States -- from Billings, Montana, to Madison, Wisconsin, to Lincoln, Nebraska. Lloyd Schermer retired as CEO of the company in 1999. A corporate subsidiary, NAPP Systems, constructs printing plates for about 350 newspapers in 30 countries. In Nebraska too, John Gottschalk is the chairman and president of the Omaha World-Herald company. He is also publisher of the Omaha World-Herald. [BATT, J., 3-24-2000]
In northern California, in the heart of the internationally important high-tech area of Silicon Valley, David Cohen controls an area-wide empire as the Publisher/CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Newspapers (SVCN Inc.). Cohen founded Metro, "Silicon Valley's weekly alternative newspaper." A SVCN subdivision is Metro Newspapers. Metro, in turn , "purchased the Los Gatos Weekly and the more than 100-year old Los Gatos Times-Observer, which were combined as the Los Gatos Weekly Times. In 1991, the company acquired the weekly Saratoga News and the Willow Glen Resident ... In 1993, Metro Newspapers began publishing a newspaper in Cupertino, and acquired its competitor the Cupertino Courier, in 1995. The company founded The Sun in 1993. The most recent addition to the community family was The Campbell Reporter, which began publishing in March, 1999." [CUEPERTINO COURIER, 4-11-01]
In Colorado, Edward Lehman publishes a few small town newspapers, including the Longmont Daily Times-Call, the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald, and Superior in Lafayette. The executive roster for all these papers includes Edward Lehman at the top, Dean Lehman as president, and Lauren Lehman as vice-president. (Ruth Lehman is the Associate Editor at the Longmont journal).
In 1975, in New Hampshire, journalist Kevin Cash wrote an entire volume criticizing the concentrated media and political power of newspaperman William Loeb. Loeb owned New Hampshire's two major newspapers -- the Manchester Union Leader and the New Hampshire Sunday News, as well as the Vermont Sunday News, and a few smaller New England area papers. Loeb was also in the habit of writing regular editorials in his newspapers. "The truth is," wrote Cash, a former reporter at the Union Leader, "is that [Loeb's papers] are to a large extent monopolistic in nature within the limits of New Hampshire." [CASH, K., p. 3] Loeb was of Jewish heritage (both parents were Jewish); he once published in one of his papers, however, his father's 1906 Episcopal baptismal document, signed by American President Theodore Roosevelt (his father was Roosevelt's executive secretary).
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The Weather Underground
Ayers, 63, spent 10 years as a fugitive in the 1970s when he was part of the "Weather Underground," an anti-Vietnam War group that protested U.S. policies by bombing the Pentagon, U.S. Capitol and a string of other government buildings. Nobody was hurt in the attacks by the defunct organization, which the FBI labeled a "domestic terrorist group."
Today, Ayers and his wife -- fellow former Weather Underground fugitive Bernardine Dohrn -- live in Hyde Park, where they moved after surrendering in 1980. Federal charges against the two were dropped because of improper surveillance, so they avoided prison.
article continued here ...
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Quote of the Day
A woman must have money and a room of her own.
Virginia Woolf
(1882-1941) |
The Daily Vault Album Reviews: Random Thoughts (From A Paralyzed Mind)
by Jason Warburg, The Daily Vault
Here we go again. Halfway through the slush pile, tossing 'em aside like pancakes at a Little League fundraiser, and allofasudden whoooaaa Nellie. Hang on, we got us a keeper.
 Peter Bloom is a singer-songwriter who learned all the right lessons from John, George, Ringo and especially Paul - not to mention Elton John and John (Five For Fighting) Ondrasik. This is simply gorgeous piano/orchestral-based pop, carried to the next level by Bloom's insightful lyrics and full-bodied melodic sensibilities.
"Let It Go" is a knockout opener, a mid-tempo plea for resolution whose jangly guitar, thrumming organ and keening string accents help Bloom build to a soaring, affecting climax that sums up everything a good ballad should be.
The orchestral flourishes that open and color the fringes of "Walls" could have been lifted from Revolver, but weren't; these are original confections using familiar musical parts, every bit as refreshing-yet-familiar as anything fellow Beatlemaniacs like the Redwalls or Fastball have produced.
Not that everything here is that derivative; "Careful" has more of an alt-rock sound, with a stronger guitar line and vocals that remind a bit of Mr. retro-alt-brilliance himself, Brendan Benson. "Afraid" mixes love and politics cleverly, reminding that decisions made from fear are rarely good ones. And "Haven't Hit The Floor Yet" ditches the piano for acoustic guitar and strings as Bloom plumbs and conquers the depths of despair.
Every song on this disc is solid and smartly crafted, multi-part harmonies (all sung by Bloom) meshing beautifully with appealing arrangements. Further highlights along the way include the rousing gospel-blues thumper "Helping Hand," the rather Queen-flavored ballad "Please," and the magnificent, sing-along-inspiring "A Little More Love," in which Bloom twists Bono lyrics into new shapes ("our hearts bleed as one") while channeling McCartney's vocals from "Hey Jude."
The punchline here comes in the form of Bloom's one-sheet, which narrates musical tribulations of Dickensian proportions. Starting out in the 90s as the singer/drummer for Montreal alt-rock band The Elementals, Bloom hung in through that group's metamorphosis into the more traditionalist (and more successful) rock band Furious Styles, even as he battled serious health issues. What's the worst possible thing that could happen to a singer? Bloom developed a chronic voice disorder (muscle tension dysphoria, or MTD) which prevented him from singing for any significant length of time. As his condition worsened, Bloom sank into a severe depression, eventually losing almost all the hair on his head, face and body.
After a move to Toronto and a career change to radio and voice-over work, Bloom eventually found a voice therapist who was able to help him recover his voice, and with it, his confidence. It's a tale that might lead you to anticipate overwrought, over-precious and/or oversold music when you put this disc in, but none of those adjectives apply. Bloom has his feet planted firmly on the ground and the only tool he needs to impress here is pure musical talent, gloriously unleashed at last.
Random Thoughts (from a paralyzed mind) is a winning combination of classic pop-rock craftsmanship and genuine, heartfelt performance. Highly recommended.
Rating: A-
MusicDish Network Brings The News To Waveform Media
 MusicDish LLC, publisher of leading music magazines MusicDish and Music Industry News Network (Mi2N), announced a partnership with Atlanta-based Waveform Media, a music business directory publisher that operates a resource music site for musicians.
Under the partnership, MusicDish has developed a white label newswire for the Waveform Media site, featuring coverage of the indie music scene as well as search, news submission and RSS functionalities. In turn, MusicDish will gain valuable advertising through Waveform Media's website and monthly local print music business directories, available in Atlanta and slated for release this fall in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Boston. The pocket-sized directories are free to the public and can be found in targeted locations where musicians and other music business professionals gather on a regular basis, such as musical instrument retailers, rehearsal studios, and venues.
"When I founded Waveform Media, my main goal was to offer valuable information and content to the musicians and music business owners that visit the website and to those who utilize our music business directories," noted WM owner Chris Hereth. "When I thought of offering a news feature on the site that pertained specifically to the music industry, MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com immediately came to mind."
"For several years now, I have admired what they have been doing for the independent music community, and it was a no-brainer for me to reach out to them to explore the possibilities of how we could help each other as we continue to support the independent music scene. I truly look forward to partnering with MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com, and there is no doubt in my mind that this partnership will be of great value to the musicians and the music businesses in this very competitive industry."
Waveform Media joins a growing network of associated music websites carrying MusicDish's private label newswires, including:
- Berlin-based music conference Popkomm;
- communities such as Music Gorilla and Indie-Music;
- digital distributors BFM Digital and UK-based Kerascene Music;
- Canadian booking agency Paquin Entertainment Group;
to name a few. For more information on MusicDish newswires, visit http://musicdish.net/net/newswire/
MusicDish, LLC has been at the forefront of the digital music sector, publishing some of the industry's leading music magazine, including MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com, as well as dynamic white label content solutions. MusicDish also offers artist development and label management support, combining saturated online marketing with business networking and consulting.
http://www.musicdish.net
Music Dish Network and partners to Launch Groundbreaking Consulting & Marketing Service
Three influential U.S. music marketing and promotional companies have come together to provide indie artists a vast array of personalized marketing and consulting services.
MusicDish, Inside the Music Business (sm) and Serchlite Music have announced the Music Consulting & Marketing Collective (MCMC) - a full marketing and promotional service providing a new arsenal of cutting-edge offerings and avenues for indie artists looking to break into the music industry.
MCMC is designed to offer a new voice for emerging artists seeking access by developing a substantial suite of hands-on consulting and content-based marketing products and services. Each partnering company will bring their respective specializations under the joint venture, providing an unparalleled foundation of more than 40 years of music industry experience.
"While many labels and artists often lack the supporting marketing and on-hand expertise necessary to succeed in one of the most competitive music markets in the world," noted MusicDish president Eric de Fontenay. "The combined assets being assembled through MCMC provide a comprehensive solution for international artists by tapping into a network of leading music industry professionals as well as offering a comprehensive marketing package."
MCMC will integrate all its collective resources to provide access to leading industry professionals, including attorneys, producers, A&R reps, distributors as well as cutting edge marketing - exposing the artist to an international base of industry power players and music fans. On the marketing side of the equation, MCMC will combine promotional opportunities through mobile, online, video, television and radio to impact its clients' careers in a tangible, measurable way.
"With our collective reach, relationships, experience and desire to help the next generation of musicians, I believe MCMC will quickly become the 'go to' place for artists who are committed to getting to that next level because our focus is about providing tangible, usable feedback along with result-driven marketing, says Eric Kline, producer/director and founder of the Inside the Music Business brand of products and services. "I'm really excited about joining forces with Serchlite Music and the Music Dish Network, two companies that I have tremendous respect for and who continually make things happen for artists a tall order in today's changing music business climate."
"The Music Consulting and Marketing Collective is a new and exciting venture for Serchlite and I share a vision of representing and connecting with the independent artist, the hip-hop culture and the community in an honest and responsible way," says CC Carnie. "This partnership with Inside the Music Business and Music Dish is a natural business pairing. I look forward to sharing ideas and breaking new ground once again in a new area. We are not looking to just have another marketing company, we are looking to perfect our relationship with indie artist and the music consumer."
For more info please visit www.MusicDish.net and visit the artist services section.
Ruby James National Debut CD, Desert Rose, Releases In Los Angeles
Once in a great while, you put on a CD by an artist you've never heard of before and time stops. The voice is new, yet timeless. The lyrics are all original yet feel immediately familiar that explore love,loss and the lure of the road, lived-in, knowing. And the melodies ‹ expertly performed by a first-rate band ‹ carry the easy groove
This is the story of music artist Ruby James who unveiled her CD, "Desert Rose," on April 21st at the Traubadour Los Angeles. Desert Rose is produced by John Avila of Oingo Boingo who was drawn to Ruby James' sultry voice powerful talent and recorded the album with her in his Los Angeles studio. James elegantly fuses rock and Americana with lyrics that explore love,loss and the lure of the road.
"Ruby James' rugged sensuality, which bravely masks a wearied vulnerability, is pure sonic empowerment. With "Desert Rose," Ruby lays bare, in the grand tradition of guitar-slinging blues hitchhikers, her power to wield her own whiskey-soaked chalice and the blade to match," writes Orlando Weekly. She has already shared the stage with Jackson Browne, Pat Mac Donald of Timbuk3 and Jane Weidlin since she began touring the United States in 2006. Ruby James is often compared to Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow and Chrissy Hynde.
Hollywood has already taken notice of Ruby's talent. She completed a deal which will place one of the tracks from the album, "Everything Good Goes Away," into a major studio film. Produced by Mick Jagger, "The Women" is a remake of the 1939 classic, starring an ensemble cast including Meg Ryan and Bette Midler. In the song she poignantly reminds us that "Everything Good Goes Away" except real, true, soul-defining love. "The Women" will be released in October by New Line Cinema.
"Desert Rose is something that surprises and tantalizes you with its beauty and roots firmly planted in a sometimes-harsh terrain," Ruby says. She adds: "Desert Rose the album and the song are both about a journey and possibly a homecoming. It's a story of survival through the toughest of terrains and about a quest for self." Infusing the tracks with her rustic soulful voice, she goes to the very core of mother/child relationships in heart-wrenching "Oh, Mama." The mix crackles to life in the playful, bluesy "Mistress of the Devil," then just as quickly disappears in the title track, "Desert Rose," where she shares the longing for a lost, but never forgotten, love. The album is a kaleidoscope with a track for every emotion, in the spirit of legendary songwriter Emmylou Harris.
Independent, determined and savvy, Ms James already had years of practical experience under her guitar strap, writing and performing solo acoustic. She had a gypsy Nomadic upbringing, moving around California sometimes in caravans, and feels comfortable only when she is moving and playing music. She is currently working with Charlie Sexton (Bob Dylan, The Arc Angels, and The Sextones) and brother Will Sexton (Waylon Jennings, Dave Baerwald and Abra Moore), who bring their legendary classic sound to the innovative talent of Ruby James both as producers and performers in a sophomore album to be released at the end of 2008.AWAL has just signed a deal to distribute "Desert Rose." It will be released to the public on April 22nd 2008. AWOL based out of the UK was started by Paul Bower who was original developer of iTunes.
The Hills Are In His Heart
A Review of Sweet Tea a CD by Hills Rolling
by Mark Kirby, 
Whatever one could say about Hills Rolling, the moniker of one-man band Trey McGriff, you can't accuse him of having shallow roots. On his myspace page he lists as influences about one hundred or so bands and musicians. There are old schoolers (Otis Redding, The Beatles, Pink Floyd), new schoolers ( The Killers, My Morning Jacket), tweeners (Nirvana, Dinosaur, Jr.) electro types (The Cure, Depeche Mode) and eclecticians like him (Beastie Boys, Beck). No doubt this is in part a smart-ass commentary on the "what are your influences" question. It is also a list of people he has most likely listened to and is another way of saying that all the music he has heard, or for that matter, everything he has been through, is recorded by the brain, swished around by time, and reflected in his songs. Loves, hates, sounds, tastes, it's all in your head. Musically and lyrically, this message comes through loud and clear on!
his CD Sweet Tea.
With all this in his musical blender, he has come up with a record that is like a meal with different foods, different flavors, and quite tasty. Sweet Tea is not an album with a theme or unified sound per say, but the strength of the songs and the individualism of his voice and musical palette steers the record clear of being a hodgepodge of stuff. He is not intellectually and intentionally going from style to style as if he's searching for an identity, or flailing about hoping to catch the listener's ear. The songs are well-crafted and come from his heart, making the music distinctly and honestly Hills Rolling. Not unlike a jazz artist who expresses his individual voice on an album by having a ballad, swing numbers, a blues and a song with a Latin flavor.
 "Crazie" opens the record with a catchy bit of vintage hard rock that is the '08 answer to "Rock and Roll Hootchie Coo" by Rick Derringer. The macho stance of that song is replaced by the simple wonder of gettin' down with a beautiful girl that's made him so crazy that "I don't know what to do / I'm gettin' dizzy I'm shakin' in my shoes." The music works well with the song, alternating between hard bar chord guitar licks and trippy tremolo/vibrato-soaked guitar leads. His pop sensibility keeps everything tight, short and sweet like the tea. Hip hop drums open "Not Again", then the song gives way to the kind of acoustic/electric guitar-based rock that never goes out of style. Percussion and a home boy chorus give the song a party feel despite the grim!
ness of the song's slice of life lyrics: "I just live day to day / barely keepin' my head above the water / Not again got all these feelings trapped inside me / Not again can't pay the bills I think I'm sinking your way . . . I'm so lonely / some day / we'll ride the waves into the sun."
This cut deftly combines a pleasant tune with grimness, humor, and hope all rolled into one. "Watching The Waves" is psychedelic rock by way of the Cure, with a beer soaked college kid trippin' on playing some simple guitar chords and having a moment with his friends. The harmonica captures the feeling of timeless, be-here-now grooviness that puts you right there on the beach, as McGriff chants "Standing in the ocean watching the waves roll by, roll by."
One of McGriff's other musical projects is in the mode of experimental electronica and is called Some Where Out Here. The song "Middle of Nowhere" hints in this direction. Starting with an electronic drum pulse and droning bass with a spacey guitar riff ala New Order, this piece is a soundtrack to doing . . . whatever. Weird sounds come in and out of focus as the interlocking licks and drum beat march on. Whereas these elements might seem abstract on another record, here the music maintains a grassroots, funky, down home feeling.
In her October 2007 article in the New Yorker, author Sasha Frere-Jones, the best music writer around I must add, wrote that, unlike rock from the 50's through the 80's, twenty-first century indie rock is totally devoid of the blues and soul, the root-feeding soil of so much great music. This leaves indie rock and its offshoots, in his words, "full of lassitude and monotony." No problem with that here. Hills Rolling McGriff is from Georgia or thereabouts, so the blues, soul and country are in his blood. Perhaps that is what helps blend the musical stew he's cookin' up on Sweet Tea. This CD is further proof that while commercial rock and pop are rotting and twisting in the wind, these are great days for music down here where just us folks are living.
2008 USA Songwriting Competition Deadline Looms
The 2008 USA Songwriting Competition deadline is fast approaching. Win a top prize of $50,000 worth of cash and merchandise such as cool gear from Sony, Ibanez Guitars, D'Addario Strings, Peavey, Audio-Technica and more. Also, have your winning songs played on radio! Enter in Pop, Rock/Alt, Folk, R&B, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Instrumental, etc.
Since 1995, 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 2005 Winner of the country category had his winning song cut by Faith Hill. The 2005 winner of the pop catgeory was signed by MySpace/Interscope records.
Entries must be entered by May 30 or earlier. The entry form can be found at: http://www.songwriting.net
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Copyright © MusicDish, LLC 2008 - Republished with Permission
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The difference between Majors and Indie Labels? Explore what's right for your music at Record Labels and Companies guide.
MusicDish and TIB Concerts Form Strategic Partnership
MusicDish LLC, publisher of leading music magazines MusicDish and Music Industry News Network (Mi2N), announced a partnership with Montreal-based TiBConcerts.com, an online concert listings site for underground, independent music. Under the partnership, both entities have created white label content solutions for their respective audiences.
As part of the partnership, TiBConcerts has developed a white label concert listing for the Mi2N site (http://musicdish.tibconcerts.com/), publishing over 20,000 events from 33,000 venues across 7,000 cities. In the spirit of it's own 'open submission' policy, Mi2N will encourage artists and promoters to submit event listings to TiBConcerts.com, particularly through prominent placement in its daily newsletters.
In turn, MusicDish has developed a white label newswire for the TiBConcerts.com site (http://www.mi2n.com/tibconcerts/), providing its 500,000 monthly concert fans with the coverage of the indie music scene as well as search, news submission and RSS functionalities. The newswire will also be available through TiBConcerts' white label listings for two of the top three Canadian web portals increasing Mi2N's reach to over 85% of the Canadian music traffic.
TiBConcerts.com joins a growing network of associated music websites carrying MusicDish's private label newswires, including:
- Berlin-based music conference Popkomm;
- communities such as Music Gorilla and Indie-Music;
- digital distributors BFM Digital and UK-based Kerascene Music;
- Canadian booking agency Paquin Entertainment Group;
to name a few. For more information on MusicDish newswires, visit http://musicdish.net/net/newswire/
MusicDish, LLC has been at the forefront of the digital music sector, publishing some of the industry's leading music magazine, including MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com, as well as dynamic white label content solutions. MusicDish also offers artist development and label management support, combining saturated online marketing with business networking and consulting.
http://www.musicdish.net
While the digital music revolution rages on, some simple truths remain; no one can steal a live show, download a band, or torrent the experience of being front row at the best show in town. Live concerts connect the fans with the bands and TiBconcerts is the matchmaker. TiBConcerts is the largest online concert listing service for both mainstream shows and independent artists and music. We reach millions concert fans every month due to our extensive and up to date index of local/regional concerts and distribution partners. We make it easy (and free) for local bands to submit their own listings. Our mission is two fold; to help local bands increase their online exposure and go beyond their immediate neighbourhood; and to expose fans to independent local talent.
http://www.tibconcerts.com
Amy Speace Live On WFUV 90.7 FM's "Folk Sunday Breakfast with John Platt"
On December 11, 2006, Wildflowers Records singer-songwriter Amy Speace was in NY for a live interview on WFUV 90.7 FM's "Folk Sunday Breakfast with John Platt." Now her live performances on the show, including songs 'The Real Thing,' 'Dreamin' and 'Step Out of the Shade, are exclusively available through social network site ReverbNation at www.reverbnation.com/amyspeace
  
This coincides with the release by MusicDish of Amy's most memorable radio performances through a new downloadable MP3 album "Amy Speace - Live On Radio." Gathering nine tracks from performances on Ft. Collins' KRFC 88.9 FM, NY's WFUV 90.7 FM and Boston's WMBR 88.1 FM, as well as syndicated show The Art of Song, the album is available for download at www.musicdish.net/amyspeace/mp3/
John Platt's three-hour tour of tunes strikes a balance between the "Joni Mitchells/Harry Chapins/Jackson Brownes" and "lesser-known but equally talented" singer/songwriters. Guests have ranged from icons like Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Loudon Wainwright, and Judy Collins, to WFUV mainstays like Dar Williams, Bruce Cockburn, and Luka Bloom, to emerging artists like Richard Julian, Sonya Kitchell, and Ben Taylor. With his gentle probing John helps us to know more about the music - and who the artists are as people.
From the rustic rush of "Step Out of the Shade" to the bittersweet lilt of "Water Landing" to the gentle acoustic intimacy of "Two," Songs for Bright Street's 12 original compositions (plus a slyly countrified reading of the Blondie classic "Dreaming") showcase Speace's unique gifts, offering catchy Americana with indelible hooks, sharply observed lyrics and a gritty urban edge. Among those impressed by her sassy songcraft is legendary folk-pop songstress Judy Collins, who chose Songs for Bright Street to release on her new Wildflower label.
Amy Speace has already won a loyal grass-roots fan base, thanks in large part to live performances that merge warmth, humor and emotional immediacy, and to a tireless touring schedule that's already taken her across the United States. She's also won considerable critical acclaim, with The Village Voice observing that Speace is "taking her Americana away from twangy contemplation toward tangy confrontation" and noting that she's "not another of those breathy would-be child poets, but a real singing writer of songs." Time Out New York stated, "Amy Speace plays sweet, twangy folk music with a clear voice and an innocent vulnerability," while The Nashville Scene noted that she "balances wry humor with open-hearted honesty." And renowned Nashville critic Robert K. Oermann, writing in Music Row, dubbed her a "new star."
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Matthew Shepard foundation launches anti-hate campaign
Alexandra Sieh
Issue date: 4/4/08 Section: News
In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a university of Wyoming student killed for being gay in October 1998, the Matthew Shepard Foundation is launching a national campaign to stop hate among young people.
Judy Shepard, Shepard's mother and the executive director of the foundation, challenged the 500 attendees of the foundation's annual gala, "Dare to Make a Difference," Saturday to each recruit 10 more people to the cause and join the foundation's fight against hate.
Shepard was brutally beaten by students in Laramie, Wyo., for being gay and died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins five days later.
His death put a face to hate crimes and discrimination that were largely ignored prior to the tragedy and motivated gay people and advocacy groups across the nation to battle hate crimes.
The campaign hopes to eventually engage a million participants worldwide and equip them with tools to fight hate in their communities.
Such tools include personal Web sites and a monthly newsletter, which will help members tell their stories, gain support and share their interest with others to continue recruiting new voices.
"We are starting a movement of people dedicated to erasing hate from our schools, workplaces and communities," Shepard said in a recent press release. The campaign hopes to "create a community of individuals who are using their voices and talents to address these issues."
Matthew Matassa, the director of communications for the foundation, said what makes this campaign unique is its focus on youth.
Through MatthewsPlace.com, an Internet offshoot of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and other social networking resources like MySpace and Facebook, younger people are able to get more involved and stay in touch with the foundation.
"Young people are getting negative education in being taught that hate is acceptable," Matassa said. "They're the future. We want to make sure they grow up being accepting and understanding."
College campuses have also recognized this growing adversity toward minority groups including the GLBT community. In hopes of combating these trends several schools, including CSU, have begun introducing more educational and leadership programs and dialogues for smaller groups to incorporate the minority voice on campus, said Foula Dimopoulos, the director of GLBT Student Services at CSU.
"Hate crimes still happen, and the longest lasting pieces of them happen on campuses," Dimopoulos said. "But it's possible to challenge these incidents of bias and misunderstanding. Educational programs and open discussions make this campus more inclusive and welcoming."
With the 10-year anniversary of Shepard's death coming in October, Dimopoulos said GLBTSS might join forces with the Matthew Shepard Foundation, as well as the University of Wyoming in the future to promote awareness for the GLBT community.
"This tragedy affected both campuses in a deep and profound way," Dimopoulos said. "We would be remiss not to collaborate with them. … Positive things come out of tragedy. You have to work together. It's not an option not to."
Staff writer Alexandra Sieh can be reached at news@collegian.com.
Breakout: For more information, go to www.matthewshepard.org/campaigntoerasehate , www.matthewsplace.com
Hello Boys and Girls
It's Herb here, the sharks are out in force it seems. I have said this over, and over, and over, never pay anybody to do something you can do yourself. Lets be honest if these indie promotional companies were any good, they wouldn't charge you, they'd take a % of your over all sales ! So who are these crooks ? They're called groupies, and these are groupies of the worst kind, the leech variety...failed musicians a lot of them, or just plain failures period.
The world is full of them, they attach themselves to your dream and siphon off any little bit they can get. This is what you do, take a can of kerosene, poor it over them and light them a - fire. Once they're crispy, hack them up and throw them in your garden....they'll finally do the earth some good.
Don't pay anybody to help you realize your dream, never.
You will never get your money back, and you'll feel awful about yourself don't do it...
Push come to shove, we'll do it free, you pay for only what you actually use, we'll give you a print out of whatever is used i.e. stamps, telephone charges etc...there is no profit motive because we are non - profit. But you can do it yourself it's time intensive...but don't I say DON'T pay a shark to eat you...
Best wishes kidz
Herb
The Urban Survivor.
p.s. Please don't go out and kill anybody, this is a satirical article, hate is not an option and you know that.
Track Testing is a new and innovative way to bring music lovers, and music makers together, the participant gets to play Simon Cowell, without the TV cameras. The participant is rewarded for his or her efforts with music vouchers which can be redeemed for free MP3's.
There are approximately 5,400 band involved in the project with about 1000 testers - the tester listens to a 30 second clip, and then rate's the band, and if need be the tester can take the option to listen to the whole song.
This information ( the tester's rating / opinion ) is given back to the band and certain record companies. So the tester AKA listener gets to have a say in who gets the brass ring as it were. For more information go to http://www.tracktesting.com and follow the instructions and hey don't forget to have fun !
Madonna: And So What ?
08/16/2008 6:00 AM, AP
NEW YORK (AP) — Sure, Madonna may have scandalized the Vatican and shocked nearly every parent in America at some point during her long and provocative career full of shrewd image transformations.
But as the Material Girl hits the half-century mark this weekend, she may be stepping into a role that even she, with all her marketing savvy, might not have dreamed up: poster child for the 50-and-fabulous set.
Who cares about those recent tabloid headlines linking her to the Yankees' A-Rod, or that tell-all book by her brother? Many women of a certain age look at Madonna and see a wonderfully fit, stylish, vigorous woman who's made a fortune based on smarts, talent and ambition — no "Blond Ambition" puns, please — and just keeps on going. Her latest world tour, "Sticky & Sweet," kicks off in Wales a week after her Aug. 16 birthday.
Talk about your New 50.
"I just think she's awesome," says Dale Lieberman, a 55-year-old mother of two grown daughters who works at a Marleton, N.J., dress shop and seemingly shares little with Madonna, save their age demographic. Yet Lieberman thinks Madonna is a great example of what 50 can be like these days.
"Here's a woman that's successful, takes care of herself, looks amazing — and she took the steps to get there. It doesn't happen unless you take charge. She's a great role model for many, many women."
And if Madonna has any qualms about reaching this milestone — she isn't speaking publicly about it — Lieberman wants to reassure her: It'll be just fine. In fact, better than fine.
"When I was in my 30s, 50 just seemed so ancient to me," says Lieberman. Now, she says, her kids are both out in the world. She exercises regularly for the first time in her life. She's weeded out the unsatisfying relationships in favor of the truly genuine ones, enjoys nature, and loves to travel with her husband (they're planning a trip to the Amazon next.) "Sometimes it's scary how happy and fulfilled I feel," says Lieberman.
That's good news not just for Madonna, but for all the others reaching 50 in 2008 — and some famous names pop up. Michael Jackson and Prince are two of the most discussed. But there's also Ellen DeGeneres, Sharon Stone, Christiane Amanpour. Alec Baldwin, Viggo Mortensen. Andie MacDowell, Jamie Lee Curtis, original "Sex and the City" columnist Candace Bushnell. Michelle Pfeiffer, Annette Bening, Prince Albert of Monaco. And, linking them together as in one of those "Six-Degrees-of-Kevin-Bacon" trivia games: Kevin Bacon.
Madonna's milestone should inspire men as well as women, says David Zinczenko, editor in chief of Men's Health magazine. "I was in high school when she hit it big," says Zinczenko, who's in his late 30s. "Now that her first young fans are in their 30s, we look at Madonna as sort of a harbinger of the future for us. And the future looks pretty good."
What it tells us, Zinczenko adds, "is that aging is not the inevitability that we might have assumed by watching our fathers, now in their 50s and 60s. Madonna is proof that exercising and eating right at an early age pays off."
Of course, some could rightly point out that it's easier to stay fit when you can afford private trainers and servants. Or possibly a little nip and tuck? Madonna's face appears on the current cover of New York magazine as an example of the latest hot looks in plastic surgery, though she hasn't said whether she's gone under the knife or needle.
More power to her, says Lesley Jane Seymour, editor of More, a magazine for women over 40.
"So she's had some work — I'll take it," says Seymour. "I want to know who her doctor is! It's really hard to believe she's 50. She looks 40. And she just keeps going at it, living life and loving life."
To Seymour, Madonna's not only an example to women on how to grow older — she's a reflection of how, as a society, our perceptions of age have changed. Especially 50, which used to be seen as the beginning of a depressing decline, not a new chapter.
It starts with looking different. "Put a picture of a 50-year-old woman today next to one from my mother's generation," says Seymour, who recently passed the mark herself. "We look at least 10 to 15 years younger than they did." She attributes it to exercise, better skin care, sun protection, less smoking, and generally a different standard of health and well-being.
"Also, 50 really is a new beginning for so many women," says Seymour, who notes that life expectancy rates show the average U.S. woman has another 30 years to live past the half-century mark. "Many have accomplished a number of their goals already. Their children are getting older. For the first time they can really think about themselves, and ask: What do I want from life?"
Of course, sometimes they can't get it. Women trying to return to the work force — or to progress within it — often find that advancing age is an obstacle. And in popular culture, age is still something we accept in our male icons much more easily than in our female ones. In movies, a recent exception was the "Sex and the City" film, which appealed to older women because of its portrayal of the late 40s and 50s as a still-sexy time of life.
Joanne Bamberger, a freelance writer and blogger in Washington, D.C., hasn't turned 50 yet — she has two whole months to go. She's ambivalent. But, she quips, "as the cliche goes, I guess it's better than the alternative."
"I just don't feel like what 50 should feel like," says Bamberger, who has an 8-year-old adopted daughter. "I remember my grandmother at 50. Her hair was completely white. My mother, too, was just at a very different place in her life than I am now."
Some days Bamberger asks herself, "How did I get to be this age?" But mostly she appreciates the perspective that being older has given her. She says she feels more settled personally now than in her 30s, when she was struggling with whether to have kids, but less settled professionally, having left a full-time career as a lawyer to write and care for her daughter.
Bamberger has always admired Madonna, especially for her shrewd ability to adapt her image. "She's done a remarkable job of marketing herself, and she's always been able to reinvent herself," says Bamberger.
So how does Madonna feel about the impending birthday? The pop star is not speaking publicly about it, says her longtime publicist, Liz Rosenberg. "I'm sure she's happy to be an inspiration to women and men of any age," Rosenberg wrote in an e-mail. But the birthday, she noted wryly, "is not quite the benchmark for her as it seems to be in the media, who have been talking about her 50th since she turned 40!"
Neil Young
Neil Young (vocals, guitar, banjo, keyboards, harmonica; born November 12, 1945)
Neil Young is one of rock and roll’s greatest songwriters and performers. In a career that extends back to his mid-Sixties roots as a coffeehouse folkie in his native Canada, this principled and unpredictable maverick has pursued an often winding course across the rock and roll landscape. He’s been a cult hero, a chart-topping rock star, and all things in-between, remaining true to his restless muse all the while. At various times, Young has delved into folk, country, garage-rock and grunge. His biggest album, Harvest (1972) , apotheosized the laid-back singer/songwriter genre he helped invent. By contrast, Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Young’s second-best seller, was a loud, brawling masterpiece whose title track, an homage to Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols, contained the oft-quoted line “Better to burn out than it is to rust.”
Several of his more modest-selling titles - for example, Tonight’s the Night, Comes a Time and Trans - contain some of his most trenchant performances. It is typical of Young that he followed his most polished and popular album, Harvest, with one of his most raw and uncommercial, Time Fades Away. While he’s avoided sticking to one style for very long, the unifying factors throughout Young’s peripatetic musical journey have been his unmistakable voice, his raw and expressive guitar playing, and his consummate songwriting skill.
In the early 1960s the Canadian-born Young performed as a self-accompanied folksinger on the Toronto scene. As a budding rock and roller, he hooked up with such groups as the Squires and the Mynah Birds; the latter was briefly signed to Motown and also included budding funk-rocker Rick James. Buffalo Springfield came together in 1966, inaugurating a collaboration between Young and Stephen Stills that has been intermittently revived down the decades. As a member of Buffalo Springfield, Young contributed lead guitar and a raft of bittersweet folk-rock originals that included “Mr. Soul,” “Broken Arrow” and “Expecting to Fly.”
Young’s solo career took flight in 1969 with Neil Young, an album of pretty, brooding songs that included “The Loner.” This singer/songwriter debut was one of the first solo albums by a rock and roll figure, and it quietly presaged a major direction that music would take in the Seventies. In the more than 30 years since that album’s appearance, Young has recorded and toured tirelessly, releasing 35 albums. In addition to his prolific solo output, Young has undertaken occasional liaisons with Crosby, Stills and Nash (1970’s Déjà vu, 1988’s American Dream, 1999’s Looking Forward) and with Stephen Stills (1976’s Long May You Run, credited to the Stills-Young Band).
More lasting has been Young’s association with Crazy Horse, his steadiest backup band since 1969. Crazy Horse first turned up on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Young’s second album, which contained the lengthy, jam-filled “Down by the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand” and one of Young’s most memorable songs, “Cinnamon Girl.” The group provided a solid, rocking base for Young’s songs and solos, and they’ve played with him on albums ranging from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and After the Gold Rush (1970) to Ragged Glory (1990) and Broken Arrow (1996). The mellower, more acoustic and folk-flavored side of Neil Young has surfaced on numerous albums, notably Harvest (1972) and its sequel, Harvest Moon (1993). He has also made detours into country music (1985’s Old Ways) and big-band blues (1988’s This Note’s for You). The one entity that Neil Young has come back to again and again, however, is Crazy Horse.
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