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June 14th, 2010
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Lady Gaga Breaks Records In Sales, Video Viewings
March 28th, 2010
Lady Gaga is having quite a week. After the announcement that she’s about to start work on her next music video for her “Alejandro” track comes news that she’s broken two records, one for video views and one for music sales.
First off, the singer is now the only digital-era artist to top the 5 million sales mark with her first two hits, according to Yahoo Music. Gaga broke the record when her single “Poker Face” reached 5 million in sales after her debut single, “Just Dance,” accomplished that feat last year. The only other act with two songs at or above 5 million is the Black Eyed Peas, according to Yahoo.
And if selling millions of records weren’t enough, Gaga also reached the 1 billion mark in video views. According to Mashable, with numbers and analytics compiled by Visible Measures, Gaga is the first artist to have her videos reach 1 billion views. Three of her music videos hold spots in the 100 Million Club, including “Poker Face” (374,606,128), “Just Dance” (272,941,674) and “Bad Romance” (360,020,327). Most of the streams are through Vevo and YouTube. Following close behind Gaga’s record are “Twilight” (980 million) and Soulja Boy Tell’em (860 million).
Last weekend, Gaga celebrated her 24th birthday and showed off one of her gifts online. In a photo posted on Twitter, she held up a red teacup and wrote, “Nothing like a communist-red teacup to make for the perfect Birthday gift. Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.”
Comedian’s son hits hip-hop scene
March 28th, 2010
By LEE UMBERS – Sunday News
NEW Zealand’s latest rap sensation is delivering a King hit on the music scene.
Derty Sesh – aka Nathan King, son of entertainer Mike King – releases his debut album, Sic Love, tomorrow.
But the 23-year-old is already being labelled the brightest new star on the local hip-hop scene.
And the video for his second single, Forever – inspired by the Saw horror films – is attracting reaction from critical praise to disgust.
In the video, a hooded Nathan is shown repeatedly stabbing a bound and gagged young woman he has lured to his shack after killing her boyfriend at a woodlands picnic ground.
An unrepentant Nathan told Sunday News “the whole point” of the video was to cause controversy.
“My whole thing is to push the limit. We got one person who wrote … saying it’s really disgusting, and he was quoting [the song's] lyrics. Then at the end, he was like, `But then again it’s not a bad video, I would watch it’,” Nathan said.
“People in the hip-hop community [are saying] this is the best New Zealand hip-hop video to date.”
The “horror movie with music” theme will continue with the 13-track Sic Love.
“It’s not `wow’ when someone does it in rock `n’ roll or metal, because they do a lot of dark stuff. But to do that with hip-hop music and still make it sound commercial enough to be put on radio as well, I think that’s awesome. That’s what I’ve pretty much done with this album. It’s pretty much a hip-hop rock opera show.”
Nathan’s cocky confidence – he swaggeringly announces “I’m the new kid … best in the world” on first single Really Don’t Care – and raw lyrics aren’t surprising given his comedian father’s at-times edgy stage shows.
His musical ability is self taught, his days at Auckland’s Western Springs College and Mt Albert Grammar consumed by “beatboxing or making a rap or writing a song in my head”. He came up with the stage name Derty Sesh in the third form.
Nathan said his relationship with his often-busy father has “never been huggy-huggy, lovey-lovey, how you see it on the movies”.
“I was never the kid to go around like `Hey that’s my dad’. I hated that,” he said.
“When people would come over and do photos for … a woman’s magazine, I would always try to stay out of the photo if I could. I’d rather be noticed for `Hey that’s Nathan’ … not `that’s Mike’s son’.
“Some people would be like, `It must be so awesome to have him as a dad, you must have so much money’, and that wasn’t the case. He had more money than an average job but it wasn’t like we were millionaires with Ferraris.”
Dropping out of school in the fifth form “to be a rapper”, Nathan did a three-month music industry course with Dawn Raid Entertainment and stayed out in south Auckland for a while to taste life in a different ‘hood.
To fund his impending career, he flew to Perth and worked for a year in the mines at $1200-1500 Australian a week.
“I saved up a lot and brought all the equipment I now have – microphones, pop filters, speakers, PCs and everything.”
He wrote and produced Really Don’t Care and cut a video of the single with a film crew of mates to get his name out.
The result was his being signed to the Move The Crowd Records (MTC) in January. So impressed was the label, it remixed Really Don’t Care – backing Nathan up with two of its biggest acts, Young Sid and Ethical.
A national tour with band Smashproof followed – and a taste of what being up on the big stage can offer.
“I was excited just to get my music out to other people. But what did I get in return. I just got a lot of women,” Nathan joked.
“I get a lot of friend requests on Facebook from women now. It’s pretty funny … everybody wants to be your friend.”
As Sic Love – in which Nathan wrote and produced every song – is about to hit the record stores, he is already working on a second album.
After the inevitable promotional rounds in Australia, he aims to head to America.
“I definitely want to go to the States, start a career over there, get their money.”
The ambition has been burning for years. A tattoo bearing the name Derty Sesh runs the length of his left arm with flames surrounding the letters.
“That was just to symbolise that I’m on fire.
“Another cocky thing,” he says, erupting into laughter.
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New Music / Pop and Rock / Justin Bieber
March 27th, 2010
Justin Bieber My World 2.0 (Universal)
If you can measure fame by Internet searches and mall riots, then Justin Bieber is one of the most popular artists in the world, with 150 million YouTube and MySpace plays and several riots to his credit. The phenomenon has been dubbed Bieber Fever, and if you’re a female under the age of 15, you just might have it.
The cure, of course, is more Bieber.
My World 2.0 is a continuation of his debut album, which was released in November. The 10 tracks are unabashed tween-pop bubblegum ditties and lite R&B, odes to young love backed by playful synth lines and dance beats. Bieber — who can play numerous instruments and gets co-writing credit on all 10 tracks — possesses a passable voice, but sometimes it’s so processed it’s hard to tell what’s real.
With a team behind him that includes Usher and Antonio L.A. Reid, the material is all strong and will appeal to its target market without offending the parents — a good thing, since this is all they’re going to hear for the next little while. 3 stars
ESTHER AND THEM: A REVIEW
March 27th, 2010
She & Him’s new album “Volume Two” is happy music. Not unlike their first album (the equally cleverly titled “Volume One”) She & Him’s vintage-inspired indie pop is the type of music you go to when you just want a little bit of non-commercial pop that doesn’t start to grate your ears as some of the radio ready stuff tends to do.
The duo, comprised of actress Zooey Deschanel and folkie M. Ward, does not stray far from the formula they established in “Volume One,” but their sophomore album is more confident and slightly bolder in experimenting with styles.
Deschanel (of “500 Days of Summer” and “Elf” fame) wrote all but two of the songs. Although she also wrote for “Volume One,” “Volume Two” proves she’s not a fluke. With this album Deschanel really solidifies her place as a musician and not simply an actress trying out music. Her songs have what a lot of indie pop lacks these days: hooks that you can sing along to. Even after a first listen, these tracks are delightfully stuck in your head.
The first track “Thieves” is jarring to those familiar with the first album, with a slightly Spanish rhythm, has the sound of a Johnny Cash song as Deschanel warbles “that love like ours is terrible news.” Most of the other songs settle into the previously established She & Him mold. The single, “In the Sun,” with it’s piano melody (Deschanel plays piano on most of the tracks) and back-up vocals by the tap dancing band Tilly and the Wall has a 60s girl group feel as does “Sing.” Other songs have a twangy, rockabilly sound, while the final track “If You Can’t Sleep” hearkens back to an even older style. It feels like it could be ripped off a Doris Day or Rosemary Clooney album.
Credit is due to Ward as well, whose full-bodied arrangements round out Deschanel’s catchy melodies, and you can’t deny the influence the Beatles had on some of his guitar licks.
The group should be commended for their choice of covers as well. While on the first album they chose to take on songs that are staples of the American pop music canon, such as the Beatles’ “I Should Have Known Better” and the oft-covered “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” this time they went for “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” and “Ridin’ in My Car” written by Milton Kellem and Alan G. Anderson, respectively. Both are fun choices and don’t have to compete with more familiar versions.
Most of Deschanel’s lyrics stick with the vintage feel of the album save for one indiscretion. When she begins “Sing” with the lines “Talking on the phone and watching ‘Cribs’/ He doesn’t know what kind of guy he is” you might have the tendency to take a step back and say: “Woa, I thought we were in 1963.” But it doesn’t really matter because the ba da da dums in the rest of the song bring them back where She & Him are comfortable: the past.
The Orchard Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2009 Financial Results
March 26th, 2010
NEW YORK, Mar 25, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) —-Investor Conference Call Scheduled For Thursday, March 25, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. EDT
The Orchard /quotes/comstock/15*!orcd/quotes/nls/orcd (ORCD 2.01, -0.01, -0.49%) , a global leader in music and video distribution and comprehensive digital strategy, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.
Highlights for Fourth Quarter Ended December 31, 2009
Revenue increased 3% to $16.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2009 from $16.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2008.
The Orchard’s gross profit margin was 26% in the fourth quarter of 2009, as compared to 33% in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2009 were $4.5 million, compared to $5.7 million in the corresponding period of 2008. This decrease in operating expenses is primarily a result of a reduction in workforce during the third quarter of 2009, in addition to other cost cutting initiatives.
The net loss for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $0.3 million or $0.04 per share, compared to a net loss of $0.3 million or $0.05 per share corresponding period of 2008.
EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $0.2 million, compared to $0.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. A reconciliation of GAAP net loss to EBITDA is provided in the financial tables that accompany this release.
As of December 31, 2009, cash and cash equivalents were $4.5 million and the Company had no debt. Net cash provided by operations for the year ended December 31, 2009 was $1.2 million, as compared to $2.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2008.
Highlights for the Year Ended December 31, 2009
For the year ended December 31, 2009, revenues were $62.3 million, compared to $57.4 million for 2008, an increase of 9%.
Combined revenue from digital downloads and subscription fees comprised approximately 81% of total revenues in 2009, an increase from 78% in 2008. Approximately 9% of 2009 revenues were derived from sales for mobile devices, as compared to 11% in 2008. Apple iTunes, the largest worldwide digital media retailer, represented 60% of total revenues in 2009, as compared to 55% in 2008.
Gross profit was $16.4 million (a 26% gross profit margin) for 2009, compared to $17.1 million (a 30% gross profit margin) for 2008.
Operating expenses for 2009 were $34.6 million, including a third quarter goodwill impairment charge of $14.1 million and third quarter restructuring expense of $0.3 million. Excluding impairment of goodwill and restructuring expenses, operating expenses were $20.2 million, compared to $19.7 million for the corresponding period of 2008.
The net loss for 2009 was $17.8 million, or $2.88 per share based on 6.2 million weighted average shares outstanding for the year, compared with a net loss of $2.3 million, or $0.36 per share based on 6.3 million weighted average shares outstanding for 2008.
Cash and cash equivalents were $4.5 million at December 31, 2009, in line with cash and cash equivalent of $4.5 million at December 31, 2008. At December 31, 2009 and 2008, the Company had no debt.
As of December 31, 2009, the Company had approximately 1.8 million music tracks available for sale, an increase of 33% from the same date in 2008 and an increase of 5% from September 30, 2009. During 2009, there were approximately 61.5 million paid downloads from The Orchard’s catalogue, an increase of 20% as compared to 2008.
EBITDA for 2009 was a loss of $15.9 million, compared to an EBITDA loss of $1.0 million in 2008. Adjusted EBITDA for 2009, excluding impairment of goodwill of $14.1 million and restructuring charges of $0.3 million, was a loss of $1.5 million, compared to a loss of $1.0 million for 2008. A reconciliation of GAAP net loss to EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA is provided in the financial tables that accompany this release.
Management Comment
“Despite a challenging macroeconomic environment, The Orchard recorded its highest quarterly revenue ever, while reducing operating expenses for four consecutive quarters, excluding the one-time adjustments for goodwill and reduction in force in the third quarter. We expect the company to continue on this path and remain excited about the future,” said Bradley Navin, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer.
Further Financial Information
For further company financial information, refer to the unaudited consolidated balance sheets and unaudited consolidated statements of operations attached to this release and to The Orchard’s Annual Report for 2009 on Form 10-K, to be filed March 25, 2010 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
Investor Conference Call and Webcast
The company will host a conference call on March 25, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. EDT to discuss its results and provide an update on the company. Presenting from the Company will be Chief Executive Officer, Bradley Navin, and Chief Financial Officer, Nathan Fong.
To participate in the call, interested parties are invited to dial 1 (866) 578-5801 for domestic callers or 1 (617) 213-8058 for international callers at least five minutes prior to the start time. The participant pass-code is 12625868. A live webcast of the call will be available on the Company’s website at investor.theorchard.com.
A replay of the call will be available for one week, beginning one hour after the call ends by dialing 1 (888) 286-8010 for domestic callers or 1 (617) 801-6888 for international callers. The pass-code is 63151144. A replay of the webcast will also be archived on The Orchard’s website for at least fourteen days.
About The Orchard(R)
Headquartered in New York and London with operations in 25 markets around the world, The Orchard /quotes/comstock/15*!orcd/quotes/nls/orcd (ORCD 2.01, -0.01, -0.49%) is an independent music and video distributor specializing in comprehensive digital strategies for content owners. Through innovative global marketing and promotions, The Orchard drives sales across 663 digital and mobile storefronts in 75 countries, as well as physical retailers across North America and Europe. The company was founded in 1997 as a business partner that fosters creativity and independence within its global clients. For further information, please visit theorchard.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding The Orchard’s expectations regarding future events and operating performance within the meaning of Federal Securities laws that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and involve factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the growth of the digital music and video markets; the impact of the general economic recession and management’s ability to capitalize on our business strategy and take advantage of opportunities for revenue expansion; satisfaction of the conditions of the pending merger with Dimensional, including the approval of a majority of the stockholders unaffiliated with Dimensional; the costs and expenses associated with the pending merger; contractual restrictions on the conduct of The Orchard’s business included in the merger agreement; the potential loss of key personnel, disruption of our sales and operations or any impact on The Orchard’s relationships with third parties as a result of the pending merger; any delay in consummating the proposed merger with Dimensional or the failure to consummate the transaction; and the outcome of, or expenses associated with, any litigation which may arise in connection with the pending merger with Dimensional. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements as they speak only as of the date hereof, and The Orchard undertakes no obligation to update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances except as may be required by law. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in The Orchard’s most recent periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that are filed with SEC.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
In addition to The Orchard’s consolidated statements of operations and cash flow presented in accordance with GAAP, we present investors with the non-GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss per share, EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA.
Non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP net loss per share excludes the charge for goodwill impairment and restructuring charges from GAAP net loss.
EBITDA consists of net loss excluding the impact of the following: interest income, net; income taxes; depreciation; and amortization. In addition, adjusted EBITDA also excludes the impact of goodwill impairment and restructuring charges. Management believes EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are useful measures because they provide important supplemental information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to The Orchard’s financial condition and results of operations and is useful to investors in their assessment of our operating performance and the valuation of our company.
The use of non-GAAP net loss, EBITDA, and adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, revenue and operating expenses provided by reported operating activities, net loss, earnings per share, or other financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. In the financial tables of our earnings press release, The Orchard has included a reconciliation of EBITDA and adjusted EBIDTDA to GAAP net loss, non-GAAP net loss to GAAP net loss, and non-GAAP net loss per share to GAAP net loss per share.
The Company recorded restructuring charges and a goodwill impairment charge in 2009. These charges have not occurred frequently and the Company believes that excluding these charges will provide investors with a basis to compare the Company’s core operating results in different periods without this variability.
THE ORCHARD ENTERPRISES, INC.CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended December 31, December 31, 2009 2008 2009 2008 (unaudited) (unaudited)REVENUES $ 16,716,532 $ 16,173,548 $ 62,271,481 $ 57,355,916COSTS OF REVENUES 12,431,835 10,833,989 45,830,481 40,272,293GROSS PROFIT 4,284,697 5,339,559 16,441,000 17,083,623Gross profit margin 25.6 % 33.0 % 26.4 % 29.8 %IMPAIRMENT OF GOODWILL – - 14,113,522 -RESTRUCTURING EXPENSE – - 312,008 -(GAIN) LOSS FROM DISPOSAL AND WRITEDOWN OF PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT – 37,422 (23,870 ) 59,189OPERATING EXPENSES 4,518,430 5,674,880 20,221,008 19,699,730LOSS FROM OPERATIONS (233,733 ) (372,743 ) (18,181,668 ) (2,675,296 )OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):Interest income – 8,397 – 171,168Interest expense (20,000 ) – (67,555 ) -Other income (11,499 ) 58,490 457,357 249,545Total other income (expense) (31,499 ) 66,887 389,802 420,713NET LOSS $ (265,232 ) $ (305,856 ) $ (17,791,866 ) $ (2,254,583 )Net loss per share – basic and diluted $ (0.04 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (2.88 ) $ (0.36 )Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted 6,238,258 6,285,743 6,182,323 6,267,972NOTE – Certain fiscal 2008 amounts have been reclassified to conformto the fiscal 2009 presentation. THE ORCHARD ENTERPRISES, INC.SUMMARIZED CASH FLOW INFORMATION For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended December 31, December 31, 2009 2008 2009 2008 (unaudited) (unaudited)NET CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY (USED IN):Operating activities $ (131,900 ) $ 1,836,050 $ 1,197,872 $ 2,278,211Investing activities (77,212 ) (777,247 ) (1,165,460 ) (8,326,360 )Financing activities (9,738 ) – (11,962 ) (81,367 )Effect of exchange rate changes (1,159 ) (9,927 ) (66,007 ) 13,925(DECREASE) INCREASE CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (220,009 ) 1,048,876 (45,557 ) (6,115,591 )CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – Beginning of period 4,695,479 3,472,151 4,521,027 10,636,618CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS – End of period $ 4,475,470 $ 4,521,027 $ 4,475,470 $ 4,521,027NOTE – Certain fiscal 2008 amounts have been reclassified to conformto the fiscal 2009 presentation. THE ORCHARD ENTERPRISES, INC.RECONCILIATION OF GAAP NET LOSS TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended December 31, December 31, 2009 2008 2009 2008 (unaudited) (unaudited)Net loss in accordance with GAAP $ (265,232 ) $ (305,856 ) $ (17,791,866 ) $ (2,254,583 )Add (deduct) adjustments:Interest income – (8,397 ) – (171,168 )Interest expense 20,000 – 67,555 -Depreciation and amortization 434,195 434,871 1,821,001 1,451,239EBITDA $ 188,963 $ 120,618 $ (15,903,310 ) $ (974,512 )Impairment of goodwill – - 14,113,522 -Restructuring charges – - 312,008 -Adjusted EBITDA $ 188,963 $ 120,618 $ (1,477,780 ) $ (974,512 ) THE ORCHARD ENTERPRISES, INC.RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP NET LOSS TO GAAP NET LOSSAND NON-GAAP NET LOSS PER SHARE TO GAAP NET LOSS PER SHARE For the Three Months Ended For the Year Ended December 31, December 31, 2009 2008 2009 2008 (unaudited) (unaudited)Reconciliation of non-GAAP net loss:Net loss excluding restructuring and charge for goodwill impairment $ (265,232 ) $ (305,856 ) $ (3,366,336 ) $ (2,254,583 )Charge for goodwill impairment – - (14,113,522 ) -Restructuring charges – - (312,008 ) -Net loss in accordance with GAAP $ (265,232 ) $ (305,856 ) $ (17,791,866 ) $ (2,254,583 )Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted 6,238,258 6,285,743 6,182,403 6,267,972Reconciliation of non-GAAP EPS:Net loss per share excluding restructuring and charge for goodwill $ (0.04 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (0.55 ) $ (0.36 )impairmentCharge per share for goodwill impairment – - (2.28 ) -Restructuring charges per share – - (0.05 ) -Net loss per share in accordance with GAAP – basic and diluted $ (0.04 ) $ (0.05 ) $ (2.88 ) $ (0.36 )
SOURCE: The Orchard
Financial Inquiries The Orchard Nathan Fong, 212-300-2824 EVP & Chief Financial Officer nfong@theorchard.com or Press Inquiries Cornerstone PR Ed James, 212-652-9295 ed@cornerstonepromotion.com or Investor Relations Jeff Nimerofsky, 212-201-9280 IR@theorchard.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010
New Tay Zonday Video!
March 25th, 2010
Subscribe to me! youtube.com/subscription_c…
Dr Pepper decided to make me a music video to celebrate their new Cherry Chocolate beverage! It was a fantastic shoot and I met lots of talented people!
Featuring Mista Johnson mistajohnson.com
Produced by True Entertainment trueentertainment.net
Executive Producer, Shari Solomon Cedartrueentertainment.net
Director, Jeff Tomsicjefftomsic.com
Song Produced By E. Dan for ID Labs Productionsidlabsmusic.com
For information on Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr Pepper go to drpepper.com
Download MP3:tayzonday.net/Tay_Zonday_F…
Allow me to introduce myselfMy name is TayIt’s T-A-Y, T-A-Y to the ZThis is the web and it’s gonna murder your TV
It was Chocolate RainWrote a song about that historyChocolate RainNow I’m paid a hefty hefty fee
Chocolate RainListen to the funky rhymes I weaveChocolate RainI move away from the mic to breathe
He moves his mouth away from the mic so he can breathe [Repeat]
I wanna tell you about a love that took me by force
She took my heart like a wild red horse. I call her
Cherry Chocolate RainI open the door and see you standing thereCherry Chocolate RainPull me in with that delicious stare
Cherry Chocolate RainI need you right now don’t you want to stayCherry Chocolate RainYour beauty burns me like a solar ray
Mista Johnson with Tay ZondayMost downloaded video clipsMost exclusive video chicksMakin big videosWith big city prosGot mad pad willy flowsThat get many dough oh
Make it pop cherryWhoa, tick tock to the clock little Berry flowsRidiculous, Mista Johnsonand Tay Zonday sick with this
Cherry Chocolate RainRelease my love and unlock the chainsCherry Chocolate RainYour energy is coarsing through my veins
Cherry Chocolate RainOhio’s agriculture’s based on grainsCherry Chocolate RainMy love will just never be the same
Dark sweet unexpectedTaste the secret you’re infectedCure my body’s deepest painsBrought the thunder, made it rain
Oh, my Cherry Chocolate Rain. I love you.This internet thing is wild.
Music Feature
March 25th, 2010
Our correspondent returns from Austin, reports on SXSW
As 19th-century, coonskin-cap-wearing statesman Davy Crockett once told his constituency, “You may all go to hell, and I will go to Texas.”
At least a little like Crockett, for one week annually I chuck everything in my world—job, family, etc.—and head to Texas. Unlike him, it’s not as brave and noble as a last stand at the Alamo. Instead, my week is filled with a lot of music along with more than my share of good things to eat and too much drink.
In trying to explain to the uninitiated the whole SXSW experience, the long and short is this: Imagine the opportunity to see thousands upon thousands of the best musical artists in the world all playing in one place.
SXSW annually serves up a giant festival that looks and sounds like a celebration and symposium on the past, present, and future of music, where the artists, music business-types, the media, and fans all converge.
A sad event cast a shadow was over this year’s SXSW: the death of Alex Chilton, which occurred just hours before the festival’s official start. Chilton was due to perform with his legendary outfit Big Star as one of the finales on Saturday.
In the wake of Chilton’s death, an all-star tribute was led by drummer Jody Stephens and long-time auxiliary Big Star members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies. Among those who took part: M. Ward, Mike Mills of R.E.M., Evan Dando of the Lemonheads, and Chris Stamey, among a host of others. The biggest surprise at the Chilton tribute was the appearance of original Big Star bassist Andy Hummel, who hasn’t performed in more than 30 years.
R.I.P. Alex Chilton
To paraphrase a line from one of Alex Chilton’s many masterpieces: “Thank you friend/We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”
For the Box Tops, Big Star, and his long and terrifically varied solo catalog, Chilton deserves thanks from so many of us who ever really fell in love with rock and roll and the beauty of its left turns.
His voice could be rough and husky, as it was in his youth with the Box Tops; elegant and delicate; or coy, sharp, and snarky. He brought something special to every song, whether it was one of his own or from another’s pen.
As if his own incredible catalog weren’t enough, you could spend days poring over the music of the artists who were directly influenced by Chilton and Big Star: from the Replacements to Cheap Trick, from Wilco to the late Elliott Smith, from R.E.M. to Ryan Adams. These are tip of the iceberg.
AllMusic.com’s Jason Ankeny nailed it when he wrote, “Big Star remains one of the most mythic and influential cult acts in all of rock & roll.”
Cult artists may not be loved by great numbers of people, but the small cadre of fanatics who love them are vocalin their passion. For those of us in this particular cult, a perfect world would have been a place where Alex Chilton would be seen on equal footing to John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Or Bob Dylan. Or Brian Wilson.
Funny thing is this: Alex Chilton probably would not have wanted to live in that world. He never really seemed to care about all the trappings, and consistently played what he wanted to play and how he wanted to do it.
Ever the maverick, he did things on his own terms and in a way that others might consider at best stubborn or at worst a path of self-destruction. He never compromised. never did things the way others told him to.
The guy who always seemed to derail his own career unwillingly did it again:He passed away from heart-related problems on Wednesday, March 17. With the acclaim still coming in for 2009’s retrospective Big Star box-set Keep an Eye on the Sky (Rhino), he was due to play a showcase gig on Saturday that was anticipated to be a highlight of the SXSW festival.
The guy from Big Star may have never been a big star, but as time goes on, his legend will continue to ascend.
It’s worth noting that Chilton played a pair of his final performances in Niagara Falls and Buffalo in April. Earlier in the night, at Seneca Casino with the Box Tops, he performed their hits like “The Letter,” “Soul Deep,” and “Neon Rainbow.”
The magic came later, and I was lucky enough to see it all happen. That night at Buffalo’s Sportsmen’s Tavern, Chilton was urged to get up and join the house band. He did. On a postage-stamp size stage, he killed it with a band that didn’t even know his tune “Alligator Man.”
Chilton is survived by his wife Laura, a Western New York native who couldn’t have been more proud that he played with such ease and power that night last November.
He is additionally survived by one of popular music’s most enviable bodies of work, and a cult of fans who will continue to make his worthy legend grow.
I want to thank you again, Alex.
—donny kutzbach
There were so many buzzing bands.
Few names were more bandied about than the XX, the darkly brooding, shoegazey West London band who dazzled an absolutely packed crowd at Mohawk Patio with a set culled from their acclaimed self-titled 2009 album. Although clearly the sort of band you want to see well after dusk, the XX shared a stage the following afternoon indoors at the Village Voice’s afternoon shindig at La Zona Rosa with the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the reinvigorated, re-launched indie icons Superchunk, whose creamy, buzzing pop perfection was as sharp and as good as ever.
For fans craving a super, all-star soul review—the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Motown was putting their acts in bus tours in the 1960s—you needed to be at Austin Music Hall on Friday night. Just how close to Motown and the classic era of Atlantic and Stax Records? How about Motown’s sweetest voice and premier songwriter, Smokey Robinson? Oh, yeah, Smoke was there, and while his set was a little too schmaltz and casino-ready for a SXSW, the entire room was singing along, and the man still has that voice. Meanwhile, the ghost of Marvin Gaye seemed to enter the body Raphael Saadiq. The truly amazing Saadiq—clad in his Marvin-like specs and a slick red suit—and with his note-perfect band put on an unstoppable show that was a lot closer to the way Smokey and the gang used to do it. The evening there was closed out by current first lady of soul, Sharon Jones, and her band, the Dap Kings.
While the Los Angeles quartet Dawes was making new fans at every turn of their show-packed week, they clearly already had a strong cadre of followers singing along to their warm brand of West Coast folk rock.
Also from LA, duo No Age were in effect with their fuzzy, dissonant, and stripped DIY punk. Pound for pound, however, I would name Vancouver, BC’s irrepressible Japandroids the best of the bunch in the strings-and-drums category, as they fired through the fiery blasts of their 2009 record Post-Nothing. Honorable mention to Toronto’s heavier than heck bass-and-drums powerhouse Lullabye Arkestra.
While we’re taking a turn toward the regional, let’s keep talking about Canadian acts. As always, so many great acts from the land of the maple leaf. While Broken Social Scene made their usual scene of fractured and beautiful jams at a few SXSW shows, Holy Fuck brought on the next-wave of krautrock with NEU!-like awesomeness. The angelic-voxed Basia Bulat mesmerized with a set at the day party presented by Paste Magazine. Another Ontario-based band, Quest for Fire, brought their heaviest riffs with them and did some perfect and punishing aural damage. And not to leave out the other corners of the True North, Saskatchewan’s Deep Dark Woods showed that Saskatonians know how to bring the wistful, cabin-door soul.
Always being keen to see the best of Britain, I caught a couple of acts shining at the British Music Embassy’s Yorkshire Party: Sheffield bands Slow Club and the Crookes. Likewise from England, London-based singer/songwriter Peter Molinari hooked up with a Nashville band to back him for his modern and excellent take on skiffle and trad rock and roll. Glasgow’s Codeine Velvet Club might be Jon Lawler of the Fratellis’ side project but their cool, widescreen, boy/girl pop might be even better than his regular gig.
And we were in Texas, so Texas talent brought their best. Denton’s Midlake made a lot of noise quietly with their homespun psych-folk, while the boys from across town, Centro-matic, brought their blurry-eyed indie melodies with great reults.
SXSW’s hometown, Austin, was represented by superstars like Spoon, psych legend Roky Erickson getting freaky with Okkervil River, and the feted White Denim. But my all-time favorite, this year and every year, was Pink Nasty. Ms. Nasty (a.k.a. Sara Beck) made three appearances through the week. With crafty, often randy songs and a voice that bounces from ebullient to sultry, she and her band (think Strokes meets Pavement) tore through much of her long-anticipated third album, You Make Me Mad, which is due this later year.
And it would be impossible not to mention the appearance of Buffalo’s own Chylde, who performed a number of non-SXSW shows throughout the week and fried off many faces with their technical, ecstatic, and brutally beautiful blues-metal. Chylde continues to conquer all in their path.
The one thing I always love about SXSW is the access. You get to see amazing shows in small venues. You are also constantly rubbing elbows with the musicians on the street and at the gigs.
You never know when you are going to be ordering coffee next to a geniuslike the Kinks’ Ray Davies—or get the chance to convince the singer of one of your favorite bands—like the Hold Steady’s Craig Finn—to come see one of your other favorite bands—like the Murfreesboro, Tennessee quintet Glossary. (Finn did come and check out Glossary.)
I figured my week was probably made, however, by my chat with Billy Bragg early in the week, shortly before he performed his esteemed ballads of love and protest to a full house in the cool basement bar Prague. But that was arguably bested when, in the final hours of the festival, I approached Buffalo music maven and SXSW super-vet Marty Boratin to find him in conversation with the Undertones’ legendary frontman Feargal Sharkey. I apologized to Sharkey for what I was about to do and proceeded to hug him. Luckily, Sharkey laughed and embraced me back. I explained I was just getting my “Teenage Kicks” another way.
The three faces of hip-hop today: Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and … KeSha?
March 25th, 2010
As a singular behemoth, hip-hop defines modern culture in a way that dwarfs the rest of the music on, and off, the radio.
You can’t watch television, cruise Facebook or read magazines without running into hip-hop — the music, the culture, the language, the bravado, the spirit. Although hip-hop is barely 30 years old, its prominence is envied, a fact easily seen in all the crossover aping of its production techniques, its style, its fashion.
But like pop, rock and country, hip-hop has matured into a splintered entity — a massively blooming genre that has so many personalities, types, crossovers and offshoots that it’s impossible to nail down its main crux of influence.
So what is hip-hop today?
Is it, at its core, just a big business, red carpets and expensive suits, as it is with rapper Jay-Z? Or is the genre still defined via thug superstars such as Lil Wayne and other notoriously criminal present-day players who have replaced the gangsta rap of the late ’80s and the crunk bad boys of the early 2000s?
On the flip side, hip-hop might be most visible when disguised as Top 40, as it is with the music of KeSha, the singer and rapper behind the recent smash single “Tik Tok.”
Somehow, modern hip-hop manages to be all of those things.
In light of Jay-Z’s current concert series, Lil Wayne’s recent jail sentence and KeSha’s ownership of the sales and radio charts, this snapshot of today’s largest hip-hop
influences presents a colorful, if thoroughly varied, portrait.
Jay-Z has always been a unique player in the hip-hop game.
His flawless flow and ‘hood history give him credibility on the street. His business savvy has made him an omnipresent figure in popular culture — music, movies and more. His presence as a hit maker launched the career of Kanye West and others, and it recently granted him his very first No. 1 single, “Empire State of Mind.”
Jay-Z took a more creative approach to the old Puff Daddy school of hip-hop. Not only did he become a label mogul and a fashion figurehead, but he also did it with a straightforward sensibility that is very hip-hop. Jay-Z exudes confidence. More important, he backs up his claims with some of the tightest, most intense rhymes in the game.
In 2010, Jay-Z is hip-hop personified. He’s independently revered and commercially viable. He’s graduated from baggy T-shirts and ball caps to designer suits and Italian shoes. He’s a monster of a personality at home on the covers of both Cigar Aficionado and Rolling Stone. He’s as comfortable on the streets of Brooklyn, where he’s housing his New Jersey Nets with a new arena, as he is on Wall Street.
Lil Wayne is a madman Southern genius, a visionary MC, a Cash Money Records man without a home.
The New Orleans native behind the five-times platinum single “Lollipop” (and the three-times platinum, Grammy-winning 2008 LP “Tha Carter III”) is also a paparazzi magnet — and now TMZ and other such celebrity outlets are digging for Wayne dirt at Rikers Island, New York City’s primary jail complex.
Wayne began serving a yearlong sentence at Rikers earlier this month after being convicted of possessing an illegal firearm, a charge from 2007. He’s only one of many hip-hop artists who have done time at the height of their popularity.
But Wayne’s story is different because he’s serving his substantial term just a few years after every teenager in America was singing along to his multiple No. 1 hits. Families invited Wayne into their living rooms via music videos and award shows. Fans championed the release of his first rock music album, the risky, critically panned “Rebirth.” A month later, their champion is behind bars.
At this point in the game, America seems to have grown accustomed to hip-hop’s criminal element. If Wayne is a bad boy, the thinking goes, that’s no reason to hate him.
One of the most critically derided pop stars of the last decade, KeSha has created a tidal wave of international buzz. Fans love the incontestably contagious nature of her hit songs. Haters call her “dumb” and “derivative,” words that accurately describe her all-party lyrics and Gaga-styled beats and melodies.
Say what you want, KeSha is a top-three-selling artist in 2010. “Tik Tok” is everywhere, in Europe as well as the U.S., and her debut, “Animal,” has more likely hits to fill out a full album campaign.
That said, KeSha isn’t much of a rapper. True, she does rap-talk her way through most of her songs. And that’s what sets her apart from her pop sisters. The New York Times recently compared her to Deborah Harry of Blondie, calling KeSha a groundbreaking force as a white, female musician who has assimilated quietly, easily and cleverly into hip-hop culture.
KeSha is as hip-hop as biscuits and gravy, but she kind of qualifies as an MC, with her strained-and-sexy vocal delivery. Given her recent promotional bum-rush, she is one of the loudest voices in modern hip-hop.
A music that seeks a perfect harmony with those willing to give it a listen
March 25th, 2010
“Doo-wop” music might more accurately be called “ooh-wahhh” music, says Christine Vitale.
Better still, the disc jockey says, would be to not give it a silly name at all.
“You don’t often hear a song that has ‘doo-wop’ as a lyric,” says Vitale, host of the metro area’s last remaining prime-time doo-wop show, WFDU-FM’s (89.1) “The Group Harmony Alley.”
“The term ‘doo-wop’ has caused the music to be viewed as something of a parody,” Vitale says. “There are a lot of people who might give it a chance, but they won’t, because the label ‘doo-wop’ sullies its reputation.”
Group harmony rock-and-roll, which flourished between the late 1940s and about 1960 and didn’t get the nickname “doo-wop” until years later, has been on radio life-support for some time. One by one, regular “oldies” shows like CBS’ “Don K. Reed’s Doo Wop Shop” and WFAS’ “Rock & Roll Revival Show” have dropped from the dial, leaving Vitale the last DJ standing.
“I can’t stress enough how important a show like this is,” says Sandra Italiano, proprietor of Ronnie I’s Clifton Music, long a haven for oldies record collectors. “We need to keep this going. It’s barely hanging on by a string. It’s an art form.”
In Vitale’s view, “group harmony” – the preferred term – has been a victim of over-farming.
During the ’70s “nostalgia craze,” doo-wop was slickly packaged with images of malt shops, poodle skirts, sock hops, jukeboxes and lovable juvenile delinquents (think Sha Na Na, “Happy Days,” “American Graffiti”). In the short term it worked: Lots of superannuated 1950s teens were happy to walk down memory lane with the Chords, the Five Satins and Dion and the Belmonts. But those listeners aged – and the music meanwhile acquired such a cornball reputation that younger people avoided it like a bad smell. “How many kids will embrace music that they’re told is their grandfather’s music?” Vitale says.
The result is that in 2010 this music – some of the richest, most complex and most moving in pop history, Vitale says — has no media soil in which to grow.
“The marketing of this music, and calling it ‘oldies,’ has killed it,” says Vitale, a Bergenfield resident and career development specialist at Fairleigh Dickinson University whose show on FDU’s listener-supported station dates back to 2003. “As the fan base of this music has aged, the sponsors don’t want to support radio programs that play it.”
Among the oldsters looking to stoke soda-fountain memories, don’t count Vitale.
She’s – well, anyway, she’s a good deal too young to have been around during doo-wop’s first flowering in the 1950s.
Growing up in Jersey City in the 1970s and 1980s, she was a heavy metal kid with ripped stockings, teased-out black hair and spiked heels. It was only when she discovered Elvis Presley, some years ago, that she felt compelled to look into the music that influenced him.
“I was lucky,” she says. “I found my world of music that I loved.”
Along the way, she discovered that some of the best so-called doo-wop songs were not the chestnuts in the Time-Life collections.
And that the origins of “doo-wop” were rather different than the rosy picture presented by TV.
For one thing, it originated not at sock hops and soda fountains, but on urban street corners – usually bad ones. And it started not with Italian kids in leather jackets (they got into the act later) but with African-Americans.
“The neighborhoods surrounding [black] neighborhoods were often Italian back then,” Vitale says. “The Italians caught on to this harmony singing, they thought it sounded cool. But it’s a black thing that comes straight from the church.”
It is Vitale’s greatest hope that 1950s harmony singing can divest itself of its Fonzie associations and become, once again, the music that the cool kids like. Stranger things have happened: The 1990s “swing” revival made Louis Prima and Gene Krupa click with MTV-age clubbers.
“For me, it’s more about the credibility of the music,” Vitale says. “I don’t try to conjure up memories of sitting in a soda shop or a drive-in movie, because those are not my memories. I speak of this as music of today. I appreciate the value of the music. I want a younger generation of people to have that appreciation.”
“The Group Harmony Alley” airs 6 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Myspace .com/thegroupharmonyalley.
E-mail: beckerman@northjersey.com
Next Up? Holy Hip-Hop
March 23rd, 2010
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Walkman named top music invention of last 50 years
March 23rd, 2010
By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Editor
Published: 6:00PM BST 03 Jul 2009
Sony’s music player has beaten Dolby sound, compact discs and the ubiquitous iPod to come top of the list of “ten most important musical innovations of the last 50 years” published by T3 magazine.
Its victory comes in the week that the Walkman celebrated its 30th birthday.
The first Walkman was the blue-and-silver model TPS-L2, which went on sale in Japan on July 1, 1979 and started a musical revolution.
Never before had consumers been able to listen to music as they walked down the street, without balancing a tape player on their shoulder.
Within two years of its launch, it had become the must-have gadget around the world, confounding early critics who said it would never take off without a record button.
Kat Hannaford at T3 said: “It changed the way we access music, changed how often we could access music, and changed a generation.”
She said the MP3 digital music format, which came second in the list, and the iPod music player, which came third, would be impossible without the pioneering work of Sony’s Walkman.
The Compact Disc is ranked fourth, followed by Napster the ground-breaking illegal file-sharing site.
Dolby, the British company, which introduced multi-channel sound to cinema, is ranked sixth in the list.
The original Walkman was created for the co-founder of Sony, Akio Morita, who wanted to be able to listen to operas during his frequent plane trips between Japan and the United States.
In Britain the gadget was marketed as the Stowaway and America as the Soundabout but the popularity of the device – one of the world’s first truly global gadgets – meant the name Walkman spread, and before long Sony made sure all were called the same name. Its appeal was helped by the the relatively low price tag of $200.
In ten years Sony sold 50 million units of the device.
It is still a leading portable music player manufacturer, with its latest digital device the X Series acclaimed as one of the best digital video and music devices on the market.
T3′s list of Top most Important Musical Innovations of the last 50 years:
3. Apple iPod 1st Generation
9. Sonos Multi-Room Music system
10. Panasonic Technics DJ deck
Local musician sounds out Nashville
March 23rd, 2010
Local musician spends a month in Music City Posted By DAVE DALE The Nugget Updated 3 hours ago
Denis Chadbourn has a lot to share after spending a month in Nashville with colleagues from around the world discussing the state of the music industry and how to meet modern challenges.
“The neat thing, it’s kind of like the wild west, a borderless frontier,” Chadbourn said about the opportunity musicians have to market and sell their wares using the “new media” tools on the Internet.
“The old model is out the window.”
Gone are the days of signing away copyright and large percentages of profit to the big companies which controlled who gets exposure and how.
“Artists are now selling directly to their fans,” said Chadbourn, a member of the C-Denny Band, president of the Bluegrass Music Association of Central Canada and founding chairman of the Nipissing Bluegrass Association.
“They may reach fewer people, but it allows you to retain your rights and your slice of the pie is a lot bigger.”
Chadbourn said there were 25 participants in the global music symposium, including representatives from Australia and Ireland, with workshops focused on the issues faced by writers, producers, musicians, agents and festival organizers.
“There were experts from every walk of the industry,” he said, adding he will try to apply the new knowledge as an independent musician, a co-ordinator of large-scale events and promoting fellow artists.
Chadbourn said one of the key innovations they talked about was “Webmetrics,” which allow someone to drill down into their social networking sites to broaden their marketing capabilities.
He said musicians with web-based platforms for fans can study the demographics of their fans to grow a network for sales.
“It’s a strategic tool in the marketing toolbox,” he said, admitting “Indy” musicians like him don’t often have the time to keep websites active, let alone sift through the data and co-ordinate marketing strategies.
MUSIC INDUSTRY: Reverbnation Expands Music Distribution Service
March 23rd, 2010
ReverbNation launched an expanded digital music distribution platform this morning and the company’s co-founder and COO Jed Carlson shared the details with Hypebot.
HYPBOT: I’m sure it was a long night getting ready for today’s launch. can you introduce the new ReverbNation digital distribution products for our readers.
CARLSON: in addition to iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, eMusic, and Napster, we’ve added 29 more including Spotify, Last.fm, MySpace Music, Zune, Wal-Mart, Lala, iLike, MOG, and Pandora and bundled them into two packages: Essentials and the Pro. Each package is priced as a flat annual fee of $34.95 to $59.95 per year. (Details below after the jump.)
What hasn’t changed is that artists continue to keep 100% of the royalties from sales and, where applicable, streams of their music. Our deal is still non-exclusive and we take no ownership rights over their music. all of our existing distribution customers who want it receive a free upgrade to the ‘Essentials’ package.
HYPEBOT: How does this offering compare to TuneCore or now Zimbalam?
CARLSON: It compares very favorably to all of the pure-play digital distribution companies. When I last checked their websites, TuneCore was submitting music to 17 retailers and Zimbalam to 25, while we can now submit to 39. but, despite our current lead in the number of stores, we continue to believe that Artists should use ReverbNation because of our superior tools for driving fans to buy their products – not just for how many distribution placements we deliver.
HYPEBOT: Does ReverbNation guarantee that Artists who buy the Pro package will be included in Pandora?
CARLSON: None of the destination sites guarantee placement of music submitted by any distributor, including us. they all reserve the right to refuse a release based on their own standards of quality, etc.
HYPEBOT: Do Artists get paid for streams?
CARLSON: Yes, from some sites. MySpace Music, Pandora, Last.fm, and Napster all pay per stream on music supplied by distribution products like ours. Artists who want to collect royalties from Pandora or Last.fm need to be signed up to SoundExchange to receive them.
HYPEBOT: Do you report sales to SoundScan? Some of your competitors do not.
CARLSON: Yes, sales of music distributed through ReverbNation are reported to SoundScan.
HYPEBOT: why has ReverbNation taken the more difficult to achieve one-stop-shop approach to artist services, vs focusing on a single element like distribution?
CARLSON: Having strong long-term relationships with the Artists is the key to success in our business, and that means delivering value to them from their earliest days in the garage all the way to when they’re playing international tours. we believe that the company who delivers the most value to the Artists will be the one that develops the best long-term relationships with the Artists.
To ReverbNation, the one-stop-shop approach is critical to creating more value in a number of ways. first is with lower prices. we spread our overhead across many different product lines like email services, distribution, web hosting, digital press kits, e-commerce, widgets/apps, etc. as a result, we can keep our products affordable, and in some cases free.
Our products are integrated into one powerful 360 degree marketing ‘cockpit’ that allows the artists to execute and track comprehensive campaigns instead of trying to divine whether or not the email they sent last week had any impact on their t-shirt sales or friend counts. we also offer convenience. It’s all in one place at ReverbNation. Artists don’t have a lot of time to run their business and we get that.
New Digital Music Distribution Packages
Essentials: $34.95/release per year
iTunes (Aus/NZ) Spotify iTunes (Canada) iLike iTunes (Japan) eMusic iTunes (Mexico) Napster iTunes (UK/Europe) Rhapsody iTunes (US) Tesco Amazon Mp3 Zune MySpace Music Last.fm MOG Guvera Synacor Fox News GetPlaylists GetGreenMusic Immergent Intertech Media InMotion Entertainment La Curacao Secure Media Moozone WaTunes
Pro Package (includes all ?Essentials”, plus these): $59.95/release per year
Wal-Mart (Liquid) Pandora We7 Myxer Puretracks (digital jukebox) Think indie (CIMS/Junketboy) Shockhound Nokia Amie Street Lala