Prince to release new album in September

From the Detroit News -

"Prince is releasing a new album on Sept. 30.

The pop icon announced Monday that he would release “Art Official Age” on Warner Bros. Records, the label Prince was signed to from 1978 to the mid-1990s, but later battled for the rights to his music.

He reached a deal with Warner in April, earning the rights to the music he recorded on the label.

Prince will also release the album “PlectrumElectrum” with his all-female band 3RDEYEGIRL on Sept. 30. Both albums are available for pre-order."

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Build Your Own Clone

Post by Build Your Own Clone.

Sara Bareilles, Sony Music And Epic Records Sued For Copyright Infringment

At Hypebot -

"Hayuk's lawsuit alleges that Bareilles profited through unapproved use of the artwork and is seeking $150,000 in money damages from the defendants. Hayuk has also filed a lawsuit against clothing manufacturer Coach, who allegedly used images of the mural in its own ad copy."

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Blues guitarist Johnny Winter dies at 70

Reported at CNN -

"Winter first gained national attention when Rolling Stone magazine featured the the Texas music scene in a December 1968 cover story. It captioned his photo: "Johnny Winter, Albino Bluesman." The article said guitarist Mike Bloomfield considered the young Winter the "best white blues guitarist he had ever heard."

Rolling Stone now ranks Winter 63rd on its list of 100 greatest guitarists.

Winter's family moved from Mississippi to Beaumont, Texas, when he was an infant. Johnny and brother Edgar, who was nearly three years younger, both were born with albinism, a melanin production deficiency that left them with little color in their hair, skin and eyes."

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Advertising Tips For DIY Musicians

From HypeBot -

"DIY musicians using advertising to promote their work is rarely discussed on Hypebot though we do cover a wide range of marketing approaches including other forms of advertising. But given the ability to target specific populations with low-cost online ads, it's something DIY musicians should certainly consider. Jon Ostrow recently addressed the issue of advertising from which I've gathered a few tips for DIY musicians."

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Lou Reed gear up for auction

From Classic Rock -

"Three decades' worth of equipment amassed during Lou Reed's career is to be auctioned on eBay, with funds used to help pay for the securing of the late icon's archive.

Reed passed away in October last year after a series of health setbacks following a liver transplant. He was 71.

The first batch of items includes three keyboards, rack effects, two pre-amplifiers and more."

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How to find, land, and work a music publishing deal

At DiscMakers -

"For any indie artist, there are tried and true ways to earn a few bucks: sell albums, downloads, concert tickets, and merchandise. But what about the more elusive streams of income open to those who can craft addictive beats and melodies? Many independent artists may have heard the term “publishing deal” thrown around before, but the process of understanding, finding, solidifying, and earning money under the right sort of music publishing deal can be a mystifying one.

To help lift the shroud, read on for some hard-earned wisdom from Natalie Nicole Gilbert, a Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter who has worked in music publishing, broadcasting, and licensing for over fifteen years."

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Premier Guitar - Psychology Of Tone

Post by Premier Guitar.

NAMM - Science Shows How Drummers' Brains Are Actually Different From Everybody Elses'

Post by NAMM.

Today In Music History - May 14

From This Day In Music -

1960, The Silver Beats (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stu Sutcliffe, and Tommy Moore) performed at Lathom Hall, Seaforth, Liverpool. They played a few songs during the "interval" to audition for promoter Brian Kelly. Also appearing are Cliff Roberts & the Rockers, The Deltones, and Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes. This is the only occasion on which the group uses the name "Silver Beats", quickly changing it back to "Silver Beetles".

More at This Day In Music »

Reverend Guitars - 10 Commandments of Bass

Post by Reverend Guitars.

5 Steps to an Amazing Band Website

From Music Think Tank -

"Building a website can be overwhelming - especially if it's your first build - but websites are becoming a necessary entity in today's music industry. When planning to build or update your sight it's important to stay focuses. Clean designs, clear calls to action, and concise messaging are critical factors to consider when creating your page.

You want your audience to have the ability to engage with your content - an updated, engaging, user friendly website makes that easy. Not only will your current fans be engaged, they'll be more inclined to share your content because they find it intriguing. Pull up your website and take notes as Dave Kusek discusses the most important parts of building your online presence. Join the conversation on MusicThinkTank.com"

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Boogie Street Guitars at 2014 KISS Indy Expo on May 17.

Post by Eric McKenna.

National Guitar Museum

Post by The National GUITAR Museum.

Major Guitars and Boogie Street Customs

Post by Major Guitars & Boogie Street Customs.

New D&R Mixing Console AIRENCE-USB

From Recording Magazine -

"D&R is a Dutch company founded in 1972 and they have recently released a new mixing console with the name AIRENCE-USB.

Designed in a split drop through chassis it is intended to be used for local radio production work in the studio or...at home.

It is budget friendly and based upon digitally controlled analog circuitry."

Continue Reading This Product Report»

Guns N' Roses to Reunite with Original Bassist Duff McKagan for Tour

Reported at Rolling Stone -

"McKagan had tweeted out a hint to the reunion on Monday, listing the countries he'd be visiting – Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil – along with a snap of some GN'R set lists and the teaser, "See y'all in the next few weeks, Si?" Stinson is due back in the band for GN'R's May 13th gig in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

"I didn't want to fuck anyone up in Guns by saying, 'Hey, I can't do this tour' or anything like that," Stinson said. "Luckily someone was able to reach out to Duff and he was amenable to the idea and was into doing it. It's Duff being the kind of good sport he is, trying to help Axl out."

McKagan said he was just happy to be involved. "It's pretty great to play these songs again, and [I'm] looking forward to playing some gigs with my pal again," he said. "South America is always a radical place for rock & roll, and I'm honored to be doing this thing, in that place.""

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Studio Porn - Mar 26, 2014

Post by Studio Porn.

Check out Studio Porn on Facebook. Click HERE.

Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon to headline Lollapalooza

From USA Today -

"The secrets are out!

Lollapalooza (Aug. 1-3) has announced this year's lineup. There will be 130 acts playing over the course of the three-day festival, which returns to Chicago's Grant Park.

The good news: Eminem, Outkast, Kings of Leon, Calvin Harris, Skrillex and Arctic Monkeys are headlining."

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Carvin Guitars DC700H

Post by Carvin Guitars.

Today In Music History - March 23

At This Day In Music -

"1972, The film of The Concert For Bangladesh featuring George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton premiered in New York. The event was the first benefit concert of this magnitude in world history. The concert raised $243,418.51 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF."

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Milwaukee's Good Land Records offers good bands, free PBR at SXSW showcase

Posted at JSOnline -

"Jon Phillip, head of production and artists and repertoire for Good Land, lucked into the location — he's friends with one of the owners, who gave it to him for free and donated his services as the showcase's sound guy.

Phillip said he ended up spending $3,000 in food and beverage per diems for the musicians, as well as promotional materials and free compilation CDs; he had the full week in Austin to hand them out. He also set up event pages in advance on go-to sites for SXSW showcase information, like do512.com and RSVPster.com, as well as a Facebook event page, and then passed all the information along to the bands on the bill, their managers and the restaurant owners to spread the word."

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Iggy And The Stooges Drummer Scott Asheton Dies, Aged 64

Via Music Feeds -

"A statement from the Iggy and The Stooges camp has announced the death of founding member and Stooges drummer Scott Asheton. The messages were posted to the Stooges’ social media accounts this morning.

“My dear friend Scott Asheton passed away last night,” read the message from Iggy Pop on his Facebook page. “Scott was a great artist, I have never heard anyone play the drums with more meaning than Scott Asheton. He was like my brother.”

“He and Ron have left a huge legacy to the world,” continued the message in reference his to former Stooges bandmate and Scott’s brother Ron Asheton who died in 2009. “The Asheton’s have always been and continue to be a second family to me,” concluded the message."

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Today In Music History - March 16

From This Day In Music -

"1970, Motown singer Tammi Terrell died of a brain tumour at the age of 24. She had collapsed onstage on October 14, 1967 into Marvin Gaye's arms during a concert in Hampton, Virginia. Initially Terrell recorded solo, but from 1967 onwards she recorded a series of duets with Marvin Gaye, including the 1967 US No.5 'Your Precious Love' and the 1968, �Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing�. Marvin Gaye reacted to her death by taking a four year hiatus from concert performance and went into self-isolation.�"

Continue Reading Other Events on March 16 »

Festival fans killed in hit-and-run

At Classic Rock Magazine -

"The hit-and-run took place around 12.30am outside a venue in Austin, Texas which was taking part in the annual South By Southwest music event.

Austin Police have confirmed the unidentified driver has been arrested. They report: “23 individuals have been transported to hospital. Of those, five are in critical condition, two deceased.”

Eyewitnesses say fans were waiting to enter the Mohawk venue to see Tyler, The Creator perform. Complex associate editor Insanul Ahmed describes the vehicle as knocking people down “like popping popcorn”."

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Talking Independence with ‘Artist to Watch’ Lindsey Stirling

From the TuneCore blog -

"Yesterday we announced the “TuneCore Artists to Watch at SXSW 2014.” Now it’s time to get to know these artists a little better. First up: Lindsey Stirling, violinist/dancer/composer/YouTube Star – extraordinaire.

Check out our interview with Lindsey below, and make sure to catch her in Austin…

How did you get started in music?

People ask me all the time if my parents were “musical,” but honestly neither of my parents were musicians. They were, however, very passionate about classical music and the arts in general. So, from a very young age, I was regularly exposed to masterful symphonies via our old record player. My dad also liked to take our family to free orchestra concerts in the park."

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12 Artists Doing it Right on Instagram

This appears at ReverbNation -

"Instagram is notorious for pictures of food, sunsets and of course, the infamous selfie. It’s even caused some controversy with musicians who use it, like Rihanna‘s burqa photos or Justin Bieber’s Instagram handle change. At the end of the day, most musicians aren’t trying to get press from it. They’re just trying to show what’s up in their own lives.

We wanted to give a shout out to these artists who are – as Trinidad James would say – on Instagram straight flexin’. Check out the pages of the artists below for inspiration for your own Instagram account, and share your IG handle with us in the comments so we can follow you. Oh and don’t forget to follow us back: IG ReverbNation."

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Inspiration can surprise you and ScoreCloud captures the moment!

From ScoreCloud via Recording Magazine -

"Music is a truly universal language, and musical notation is its alphabet. Through notation, we communicate our musical ideas, regardless of their origin, across the planet. We feel that the time it takes to go from musical idea to musical notation should be as short as possible. Many have some understanding of reading music notation, but to communicate with music, you also need to be able to write it. With ScoreCloud, you can begin writing music without knowing any music theory at all."

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One Track Mind: Glass Hammer, "Crowbone" from Ode to Echo (2014)

Featured at Something Else -

"Glass Hammer returns never sounding so much like itself, even as the band boldly expands its vocabulary — musically and quite literally. “Crowbone,” for instance, includes an invigorating guest turn by violinist David Ragsdale of Kansas fame, even while it works as an introduction into the lyrical assists featured throughout by Robert Low, perhaps best known for his Oathsworn series.

And yet the epic, seven-minute track also heralds the homecoming-themed Ode to Echo, which features a return for previous members Carl Groves and Susie Bogdanowicz, but — significantly, for fans of their more recent projects — not the exit of Jon Davison, despite his heavy workload as the tandem frontman with Yes."

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Spotify Paid $100 Million For The Echo Nest plus Industry Reactions

Hypebot reports -

"The Echo Nest had received $23.6 million in funding since launching in 2008. Major investors include Commonwealth Capital Venture, Norwest, Martix and Jim Pallotta. Spotify has raised $538 million since its founding in 2006.

In addition to improved music data, yesterday's deal may be part of Spotify's preparation for an IPO, according to several sources.

Music industry consultant Mark Mulligan says the Spoitfy Echo Nest deal has "established ideological fault lines between it and rival Beats Music. While Beats has put its faith in human curation Spotify has bet big on algorithms. It’s men against machines.""

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Alfred Music Introduces New DIY Method

An item @ Music Connection -

"With this series, there are no limitations on how, when, or where a musician learns their instrument. This series is the first of its kind, offering interactive streaming content to complement each lesson in the book. No teacher is necessary since lessons are simple to follow—with corresponding video lessons and accompaniments available to stream or download. Students are able to watch video lessons, hear examples, and play along virtually anywhere a computer or mobile device is present."

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A Very Candid Conversation With David Stone

Couldn't resist .... This snip from Stone Cold Crazy -

"Perhaps the most elusive of all Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow members is David Stone. Stone had been in the progressive rock trio Symphonic Slam before joining Rainbow. He appeared after previous keyboardist Tony Carey left after Blackmore played too many pranks on him. Stone (along with new bass player Bob Daisley) joined Rainbow to tour Europe in 1977. They would then complete the third album Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll. Stone’s biggest contribution to Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow would also be a high point: “Gates of Babylon.” This is a song with soaring vocals by Ronnie James Dio, unusual chord structures for Blackmore and backed with an orchestra. Yet despite the musical complexity of the song, it is loud and heavy for the metal fans to enjoy. Blackmore fan Yngwie Malmsteen has stated that “Gates of Babylon” is a high point."

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Townshend’s concepts confused Daltrey

At Classic Rock Magazine -

"He was only able to make one line of sense out of the guitarist’s idea for 1966 classic album Tommy – but it was enough for the vocalist to understand what was required of him.

Daltrey tells Q: “Did I have to ask him what the hell he was on about? All the time. But, equally, there’s always one sentence that comes out of that rambling brain of his that you can grasp. With Tommy it was: ‘Imaging living a life where you can only feel vibrations.’ I could latch onto that.”"

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International Songwriting Competition World Music Finalists Announced

From World Music Central -

"The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced the finalists for finalists for 2013. ISC awards excellence in the field of songwriting. Representing a broad variety of musical genres, finalists were selected from 124 countries worldwide.
Winners will be announced at the end of April, 2014. Prizes include over $150,000 in cash, merchandise, and services (including a Grand Prize of $25,000 cash and $40,000 in additional prizes). ISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters from all over the world, including bands and solo performers."

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Today In Music History - March 3

From This Day In Music -

"1966, Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay formed Buffalo Springfield in Los Angeles. Among the first wave of American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined rock, folk, and country music into a sound all its own. Its million-selling song 'For What It's Worth' became a political anthem for the turbulent late 1960s."

More events on this date »

Grand Funk Railroad - I'm Your Captain

Footage from their Shea Stadium concert, July 9, 1971.

From YouTube -
 

Here's Every State's Favorite Band

From Business Insider -

"Paul Lamere is the director of developer platform for The Echo Nest, a group that calls itself a "music intelligence company" for major music firms.

In his latest study, Lamere calculated the relative number of streams for a given artist for all 50 states, using a database of his clients' users."

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How to Pay for Your Music Career

This appears at About.com Music Careers page -

"Well, yes, in theory, but as with many creative endeavors, actually getting to the point where your music/music-related business is paying you can take a fair bit of upfront cash on your part. This fact is becoming more and more true every day, when being a musician means having to be out on the road all the time, playing shows for less than it really costs to do them. Yes, yes, you're building an audience, and the idea is that this hard work will increase that audience to the point where they shows actually pay for themselves...and then pay you...but the reality is that more musicians than ever are facing a scary gap between the financial demands of music and their earning potential."

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Music Publishing Weekly Roundup 2.27.2014

From Hypebot.com -

"The Songwriter Equity Act was introduced to Congress by Representative Douglas Collins on Tuesday, February 25th. The purpose of the bill is to update Section 114 and 115 of the Copyright Act that was written in 1909. This would allow songwriters, composers and publishers to receive fair compensation for their works in today's market place. An estimated two-thirds of a songwriter’s income today is heavily regulated by copyright law and consent decrees. This bill will help today’s songwriters and publishers get their fair share of mechanical and performance royalties. ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and NMPA have all publicly praised this new bill."

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Cry Of Love singer Holland dead at 52

Classic Rock Magazine reports -

"Kelly Holland, who fronted southern rock band Cry Of Love for their 1993 debut album Brother, has died at the age of 52. He stayed with the North Carolina band for only the one album, but his vocal abilities took them close to the big time for a brief period, resulting in three hit singles: Peace Pipe, Bad Thing and Too Cold In The Winter. Holland struggled with life on the road as Cry Of Love toured with Aerosmith and Robert Plant, and was eventually fired and replaced by Robert Mason, later of Warrant. Cry Of Love split in 1997, with guitarist Audley Freed going on to join the Black Crowes and bassist Robert Kearns going to Lynyrd Skynyrd."

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Warner Music Group and Shazam Announce Landmark Strategic Alliance

This from Market Wired -

"Warner Music Group (WMG) and Shazam® today announced an innovative strategic alliance that will discover new acts and sign them to a Shazam branded label under WMG, and that will collaborate in enhanced marketing across WMG's roster of artists. The global partnership will create a ground-breaking connection between music fans, emerging artists, and WMG's A&R teams. The Shazam label imprint will identify unsigned artists for support and development by combining WMG's global A&R expertise with Shazam's proprietary fan activity data. At the same time, the app's unique promotional channels will empower artists to directly engage with fans who Shazamed them, enabling fans to continue to champion the artist they helped discover.

"By partnering with Shazam, a brand which is synonymous with music discovery for fans all around the world, we have forged a potent proposition: the first crowd-sourced, big data record label," said Rob Wiesenthal, COO/Corporate, Warner Music Group. "While data and crowd sourced analyses will never be a substitute for the expertise and instincts of our A&R professionals, we do believe the information we obtain for this new label will provide very useful signals that will bolster our ability to find the stars of tomorrow.""

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Detroit Music Awards 2014

The Detroit Music Awards is an annual event highlighting Detroit area talent. Currently in what they call "Phase Two" of the nomination process only has about 1 week remaining.

 The Detroit Music Awards event will be held on April 25, 2014 at the Fillmore Detroit.

 Here's a little info about The Detroit Music Awards from the website -

"The Detroit Music Awards Foundation is a Michigan 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation, whose mission is to recognize Detroit area musicians working on a national, regional and local level. Its purpose is also to support and nurture the musical community in the Detroit metropolitan area, and to create a network for musicians that cuts across genres and styles.

The DMAF was chartered in 1988 by a distinguished group of Detroit music and media professionals. The fledgling group held its first award show in 1992 at Detroit's Music Hall, and moved to the State Theatre, its present location, in 1993. In 1998, the organization merged with the Metro Times-sponsored Detroit Music Awards. Now, the Detroit Music Awards Foundation is a single entity presenting the Detroit Music Awards each spring. In 2005, the ceremony was the opening event for the debut of the Motor City Music Conference (MC2)"

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Finding and nurturing your musical niche

From DiscMakers blog

"It may sound discouraging, but to be successful you need to compete with the several million musicians worldwide who are online vying for the attention, loyalty, and money of music fans. And I do mean millions – right now, Reverbnation alone has a community of over three million musicians registered to their platform. To make it more complicated, you need to attract the right kind of fans: Super Fans. Fans fall into three categories: Passive Fans, Active Fans, and Super Fan – and most fall into the first two. The Super Fans, those dedicated nearly to the point of evangelism; those willing to spend money on your CDs, product releases, web streams, ticket sales, and merch; the ones who want to stay connected to you; these are the minority. They are also the fans you want to nurture so that they continue to support you over the long-term."

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Devo's Bob Casale dead of heart failure, brother says

From CNN -

"Devo guitarist Bob Casale died Monday, his brother and band mate announced Tuesday. Casale was 61. He was known by fans as "Bob 2" since he played alongside guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh, the brother of Devo co-founder Mark Mothersbaugh. "As an original member of Devo, Bob Casale was there in the trenches with me from the beginning," his brother Gerald Casale said in a Facebook posting. "He was my level-headed brother, a solid performer and talented audio engineer, always giving more than he got.""

Read all by clicking HERE.

Apple Announces iTunes Music Festival @SXSW: Coldplay, Imagine The Dragons, Pitbull & More

This appears at Hypebot.com

"Apple today announced its first ever U.S. iTunes Festival to be held in Austin during SXSW March 11-15. Concerts will be held at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, home of Austin City Limits, and will feature Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Pitbull, Keith Urban, ZEDD with more tba. All five nights will be available free as a live and on-demand stream via the iTunes Store and an iTunes Festival app."

Here's the entire post.

Rock in Crisis: Is the ‘Album Era’ over?

From Classic Rock Magazine -

"Allow me a brief reminiscence. In September 1975, during the golden age of the album, I saved up £2.99 in pocket money and excitedly went to buy Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here on the day of its release. Discovering that Electrip Records (now defunct: such foreshadowing!) was charging £3.50, I was, to use a term not then invented, gutted. Of course, as the album age progressed, the price of albums was to soar to a fiver and then a tenner, where it settled for years. The 21st century has sent the skittles flying; a paradigm shift has occurred, offering many benefits and many disturbances. Most new albums can now be downloaded for a fiver or so, and if you don’t want all of it you can usually cherry-pick your favourite tracks for 99p or less each. It’s the new – dread phrase – business model. If only the manager of Electrip Records had let me buy three quarters of Wish You Were Here, I wouldn’t have trudged home disconsolate and been excluded from the hot topic of discussion in the schoolyard the next Monday."

Read this story by clicking HERE.

Pat Travers - Just Another Killer Day

Feeling in a Pat Travers mood today. Here's something from YouTube -

Kiss slam the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Found this story earlier. Good for you Paul Stanley for saying the things about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that many of us have thought since it's inception.

Reported at Classic Rock Magazine -

"My feelings and my ambivalence about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn’t changed any. Their attitude is elitist and it doesn’t reflect the public. It reflects a small group who dictate who meets the criteria that they set up as ‘rock and roll’. I’ve always felt the spirit of rock and roll meant not only ignoring your critics, but ignoring your peers and going your own way. I think we’ve done that pretty much with few exceptions for forty years. So that same criteria that kept us out has not gotten us in. I scratch my head a little and I also take issue with a certain arrogance within that group. Nonetheless I look at some of the inductees and any club that has Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and The Who and the Beatles and the Stones is company I don’t mind being in and my feelings have nothing to do with any of them, it purely has to do with a system which I think is tainted, corrupted and distorted."

Here is the whole story.

Hit tip to Tom Saunders and Eric McKenna, my FB friends.

Musicians: Work Like a Pro to Become a Pro Part I

From Reverbnation blog -

Structure and organization is exactly the foundation that’s necessary to allow talented musicians to succeed though. So as an artist manager, the first thing I do when working with a new artists, is lay down that foundation that allows professional work. Because if you work professionally, everything goes smoother and more efficient, increasing your odds at making it big. In this four-part-series I have laid out simple steps and tips that you can use to streamline your operations and get you working on a professional level. Whether you’re a producer, solo guitar player or five man band, there’s practical information in here for all of you.

Click HERE to read this. Be sure to check Reverbnation blog for the rest of this series as it becomes available.

Busting Myths about The Music Industry

Another great article by Heather McDonald featured at About.com -

"Welcome to the music industry! Fake it until you make it! The internet means that anyone can do this! By the way, everyone is out to steal all of your rights! Ahem. Or not so much. You see, there are a lot of misconceptions about the music industry out there. There is even a good chance that some well-meaning friends or family members have passed a few of these nuggets of wisdom on to you when they learned about your music business ambitions."

Read more of this article HERE.

As CBS marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles on 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' a reminder of where they came from

At NY Daily News -

"The fact that CBS is throwing a 50th anniversary party Sunday for the Beatles, commemorating their first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” underscores one of the Fab Four’s greatest gifts to contemporary popular culture. They showed the entertainment industry how to think big, how to market this heretofore slightly disreputable and embarrassing animal called “rock ’n’ roll.”"

Read this story HERE.

Change Up Your Song Structure To Keep Things Fresh

From The Recording Revolution -

"Never Leave The Bridge If you have a song that’s doing its normal verse and chorus thing, one option to change it up is to simply get to the bridge and stay there. Don’t think of the bridge section as a momentary change, only to come back into the hook or the chorus. But rather the bridge is the next chapter in the song and the outro. Once you get there, you never leave. In fact, I’ve taken this approach with one of my new songs. It has a simple verse, chorus, verse, chorus that builds into (hopefully) an epic bridge. And really the bridge is the release, from all the tension prior. Lyrically it’s what sums up everything else I’ve sung before. It’s the apex of the song, the climax. So I hang there and end there. No need to come back."

Read this insightful article HERE.

Today In Music History - February 6

From This Day In Music -

"1998, American singer and guitarist Carl Wilson from The Beach Boys died aged 51 after a long battle with lung cancer, (Wilson was diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in early 1997). He sang lead vocal on 'God Only Knows', 'Good Vibrations,' and 'I Can Hear Music.' Wilson sang backing vocals on Elton John's 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.'"

Read more about what happened on this day.

Managing Your Band

From About.com

"It would be nice if being in a band was all about making music - and it can be, as long as you never want anyone to hear what you're playing. However, if you want to get out there and show off your skills, there is a business side of making music that you'll eventually need to tend to. As things progress in your music career, that side will likely become too much to carry, and you'll want a real, life artist manager on the case. Before then, you'll need to get the job done on your own."

HERE is the rest of this great post.

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Intro to music licenses

At Disc Makers blog -

"Music Licensing can be quite confusing, and while there are different types of licenses, I’d like to focus the three I feel are most vital to us as composers, producers, and artists: blanket license, sync license, and master license. Terms to pay attention to throughout this post: Licensee – person/client in need of music or who work is licensed to. Licensor – creator, rights holder of the music/work. Tracks – music, cues, composition, material."

Read this informative essay by clicking HERE.

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Today In Music History - Feb 4

From The Day In Music -

"1966, Bob Dylan and The Band played at the Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This was the first date on a world tour which would become noted as Dylan's first that used electric instruments, after he had �gone electric� at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival."

Read other events marked on this date HERE.

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WMG's ADA Expands Artist & Label Services Team

Shared at Hypebot.com

"ADA, the indie label distribution and services arm of Warner Music Group (WMG), is expanding its artist & label services team. Brandon Squar has been promoted to SVP Digital Strategy and Revenue and Tatia Adams Fox has been named SVP Marketing, ADA. Both are based in New York. Squar previously served as Vice President, Digital Sales & Marketing, ADA. A 17-year music industry veteran, Squar has held various roles—with an emphasis on digital strategy, strategic marketing and sales—at companies including Universal Music Group, Island Def Jam Records, Live Nation, and Warner Music Group."

 Read complete story HERE.

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February 3rd: On this Day

From This Day In Music -

"1959, 22 year old Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, aged 17, died in a crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa, the pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tour bus. All three were travelling to Fargo, North Dakota, for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour which Holly had set - covering 24 cities in three weeks, to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, last year."

Read MORE.

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Gibson Commemorates Fed Raid with Government Series II Les Paul

From Reason -

"Two years after Gibson factories in Tennessee were raided by government agents, the venerable guitar manufacturer has released a special Government Series II Les Paul. As the press release explains:

Great Gibson electric guitars have long been a means of fighting the establishment, so when the powers that be confiscated stocks of tonewoods from the Gibson factory in Nashville—only to return them once there was a resolution and the investigation ended—it was an event worth celebrating. Introducing the Government Series II Les Paul, a striking new guitar from Gibson USA for 2014 that suitably marks this infamous time in Gibson’s history. ...Each Government Series II Les Paul also includes a genuine piece of Gibson USA history in its solid rosewood fingerboard, which is made from wood returned to Gibson by the US government after the resolution."

The entire report can be found HERE.

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Anna Gordy Gaye, Marvin Gaye's ex-wife, dies at 92

At the Detroit News -

"Detroit — Anna Gordy Gaye, who was married to musical great Marvin Gaye and whose brother founded Motown Records, has died. A statement released by the family says Gordy Gaye died at her Los Angeles home Friday while surrounded by family, including her son, Marvin Gaye III. She was 92. Her brother, Berry Gordy, founded Motown Records in Detroit in 1959. He named one label subsidiary after his sister."

Read this story HERE.

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This Day In Music - Bill Haley & The Comets

At This Day In Music -

"The first Rock 'n' Roll star. Haley was one of the earliest acts to bring rock and roll to the attention of white America and the rest of the world. He sold over 60 million records during his career. As a rule, people don’t like new things. Or is it the media who don’t like change? With any new craze, we - the public are always warned about the hidden dangers of the ‘new fad’. This happened at the birth of Rock & Roll."

Read More about Bill Haley.

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16 ReverbNation Artists Receive Total of 20 Grammy Nominations

From ReverbNation blog -

"Kacey Musgraves had a great year, bringing in four nominations. In fact, her song, Merry Go ‘Round, and Miranda Lambert’s Mama’s Broken Heart, which Kacey co-wrote, were both nominated for Best Country Song! Kacey’s additional nominations are Best New Artist and Best Country Album for her 2013 release, Same Trailer Different Park. The Academy also showed Imagine Dragons some love by nominating their song, Radioactive, twice; Radioactive is nominated for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance. The song can be found on the band’s 2012 EP, Continued Silence."

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5 Reasons Being an Older Musician Rocks

At About.com Music Careers

"Most people think of trying to break into music as a young person's game. If we're talking about pop music, certainly most of the faces starting back from press are on the fresh-faced side of the spectrum. However, if you have musical ambitions, but you didn't get to follow them when you were 19, your ship has not sailed. In fact, being an older musicians has its advantages. Make this the year you pursue your musical ambitions. Still think it can't happen for you? Check out these 5 advantages of being an older musician."

Get your reading glasses and check out the whole article HERE.

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8 Tips Before You Buy An Audio Interface

From Brandon Drury at Recording Review

"#1 – Should I By A Used Audio Interface? Interfaces generally have major issues right from the beginning or they work and work for a long, long time. Being that most audio interfaces are mass produced, I prefer to look at the first owner as the world’s least expensive quality control feller. If an interface doesn’t break the first month, it’s probably going to last a decade. Use your gut. I’m sure there are exceptions."

Read the other 7 tips here.

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When I grow up......

Thanks to Harmony House FB page.

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Wolfgang Mozart was born on this day in 1756.

From Biography

"Born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a musician capable of playing multiple instruments who started playing in public at the age of 6. Over the years, Mozart aligned himself with a variety of European venues and patrons, composing hundreds of works that included sonatas, symphonies, masses, concertos and operas, marked by vivid emotion and sophisticated textures."

The rest of this post is HERE.

Video from YouTube.

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Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere, Not Here

From YouTube


 

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Four Fearless Predictions For The Music Industry In 2014

From Forbes

"In the past 12 months, we’ve seen new releases by acts from Jay Z to Katy Perry, continued sparring between streaming services and rights holders–and twerking. So much twerking. Yesterday I reeled off a few winners and losers in the music business. But 2014 represents a fresh start. In my recent reporting, I’ve been talking with operatives from all corners of the industry about what the new year will bring. Based on those conversations and my own thoughts, here are a few predictions:"

Read the entire piece by clicking link.
 

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'Kurt Cobain Day' Set for Feb. 20 in Singer's Hometown

From Billboard

"Not to be outdone by nearby Hoquiam, Wash., which announced an official "Nirvana Day" for this upcoming April, Kurt Cobain's hometown of Aberdeen, Wash., will celebrate "Kurt Cobain Day" this Feb. 20. According to Rolling Stone, the Aberdeen city council and Mayor Bill Simpson voted yesterday (Jan. 22) in favor of making the day a commemorative, annual event in honor of the Nirvana frontman, celebrated each year on his birthday."

Read complete report here.

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