Daily Archives February 8, 2011

I have nothing but praise for “Light Me Up”, the debut album from The Pretty Reckless, the up and coming band fronted by Gossip Girl’s Taylor Momsen, at times it is truly hard to believe that she is only seventeen years old, because the music has a certainly maturity that you would not expect to find of someone that age. I am sure some of the maturity comes from the assistance of guitarist Ben Phillips and producer Kato Khandwala, as the album conjures up quite the accurate portrayal of the rock and roll lifestyle especially on tracks like “Miss Nothing”, “Nothing Left To Lose” and the rocking lead single “Make Me Wanna Die”.

The vocal style and lyrical imagery remind me of an almost rebirth of Hole, and the album as a whole certainly ...

While technology has been radically changing the music industry in recent years, it’s also giving unsigned/independent artists new outlets to create, produce and promote their music and art. GigHive.com was built to connect members of the independent/unsigned music community worldwide on its online directory of new talent and growing technical resources.

The directory is designed to offer independent musicians and artists the same kind of network and infrastructure that major record companies have relied on for decades.

“As I was looking around, I couldn’t believe how many people were advertising their needs: everything from an artist looking for a cello player to a band needing a sound engineer,” explained Charles. “I wasn’t alone. Everyone needs a supporting cast.”

More than just a place to connect, GigHive is continuing to improve its design, profile features, search and new ranking technology. Although its primary purpose is that of an artist network and directory, the site also provides free space for artists to host their profiles and customize configurable pages.

A 6 track EP of original songs by Alex Turner from the film Submarine will be released by Domino on Tuesday, March 15th 2011. Submarine, the debut film from Richard Ayoade, based on the novel by Joe Dunthorne, will be shown in British cinemas from the 18th of March. The movie was in the Official Festival Selection at Sundance last month.

The EP will be available in North America via digital download.

Tracklisting is as follows:

1 Stuck On The Puzzle (Intro)

2 Hiding Tonight

3 Glass In The Park

You’re a budding singer/songwriter or you’re in a band and all you want is to be heard by someone who knows music, provide some constructive criticism, and maybe help you catch a break. You live someplace like Cork or Slovenia or Shanghai or Juneau, or, for that matter, Chicago, so making the trek to audition for a national talent contest either just isn’t in the cards, or you’re not really looking for that kind of razzle-dazzle.

Enter the 2011 YouBloom Song Contest, the annual internet-based competition conceived by YouBloom founder Phil Harrington and musician/songwriter Bob Geldof. Harrington and Geldof, along with A&R man Nigel Grainge (The Waterboys, Sinead O’Connor, The Boomtown Rats, World Party and Steve Miller Band), songwriter/producer Rupert Hine (Tina Turner, Stevie Nicks), and record producer Damion “Damizza” Young (Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Mariah Carey) have joined together to offer their experience and guidance, instincts, contacts, knowledge of what it takes to be successful in the music biz, and their ears to singer/songwriters and bands from all over the world who submit an audio performance of an original song to the YouBloom website.

The 2011 YouBloom Song Contest, now in its second year, has just begun taking song submissions, and all details are posted at www.youbloom.com

Last year’s grand prize YouBloom Song Contest...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Michelle Branch is making a previously unavailable song, “Take A Chance On Me,” available as a free download to users who provide their email address at her official website www.michellebranch.com.

“Take A Chance On Me,” which Branch has performed during her live shows, will be available as a free download at www.michellebranch.com from February 14th to February 21st.

After releasing the six-song EP, Everything Comes and Goes, last August as a gift to fans, Branch is currently in the studio working on a new album to be released by Warner Bros. Records in 2011.

In case you missed it, here is the Eminem Brisk Iced Tea ad that premiered during the Super Bowl last night!

This marks an ongoing partnership, which only starts with the co-creation of the Super Bowl ad spot.

The anticipated Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour — featuring Chicago’s black meddlers NACHTMYSTIUM as direct support for Cradle of Filth — has begun! The massive expedition will invade 30 North American cities, engulfing the continent in a clockwise vortex over the next six-and-a-half weeks.

As Nachtmystium’s first major tour of 2011, and first tour since their massive North American headlining tour with Zoroaster, The Atlas Moth and Dark Castle last fall, these dates will showcase the unit unveiling much of the material on last year’s incredible Addicts: Black Meddle Part II album which the band have not previously performed live. Check out the full tour schedule below.

Addicts: Black Meddle Part II was released by Century Media in North America in June 2010, and has since infected the planet with it’s blackened but genre-defying experimentation, holding top spots on year-end lists worldwide and continually garnishing major press coverage. Nachtmystium were recently also featured on the main cover of the massive Chicago-area music newspaper The Illinois Entertainer, showing their local scene embracing the act more than ever as they continue to infiltrate the rest of the planet.

Creatures From The Black Abyss Tour with Cradle Of Filth, Nachtmystium, Turisas, Daniel Lioney:

2/08/2011 Club Nokia Live – Los Angeles, CA

2/09/2011 The Regency – San Francisco, CA

2/11/2011 Showbox Theatre – Seattle, WA

2/12/2011 Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA

2/13/2011 Co...