The "T" in Tour Merchandise Stands For T-shirt
by Gigi Swanson,

MusicDish Network Sponsor

When you think of tour merchandise you might envision major label artists playing large arenas and selling everything from tie-dye T -shirts, bumper stickers, embroidered baseball caps and in the case of the Rolling Stone's famed Voodoo Lounge tour‹a custom motorcycle.

But even if you are an independent artist you can run your business like the big acts by utilizing an added revenue stream source‹custom merchandise. As an artist/performer you are selling an experience and fans will buy a souvenir of that experience in the form of a CD, clothing, buttons, posters, etc. As music fans we have all come home with something more tangible than a ticket stub and it's usually something we can wear.

The custom wearables market has plenty to choose from, but let's focus on the long held wardrobe staple---the T-shirt. What better promotion is there than a walking billboard to advertise who you are and what you do. It's generally inexpensive to produce and if made with good-quality materials it can last a very long time. But better than that, there is a healthy margin of profit in the sales of wearables, which can at least offset or even cover your travel expenses.

You can package CDs with a T ­shirt for an "added value" sales incentive such as offering them "half off" with a CD purchase. You can use them as door prizes or as a thank you for the sound guy or the waitress at the clubs you play. The same applies for coffeehouse, church and house concert gigs. Even when you play for free you can earn money and build goodwill and name recognition.

Don't think selling T- shirts is for more visible and established acts. If you are playing out and selling CDs you can sell shirts. But before you jump in, here are a few pointers to make your promotional dollars work for you.

The most popular T- shirt is the basic crew neck. Not only is it low in cost, it's a style people are familiar with. As far as color options are concerned, the sky is the limit with the least expensive being the standard white, then the heathers/naturals, and then the darker colors. Besides the basic tee, you can branch out with different styles such as '70s retro ringer tees, baseball raglan tees and new styles made for women such as scoop necks, baby-doll tees, and the new layered looks.

I prefer 100% cotton heavyweight Tees in the 6.0 oz range for long term durability. Brands such as Gildan, Hanes, and Jerzees have been common favorites for years. Heavier fabric is knitted tighter which enables a better screen print, especially when using detail and four color process. Plus they are typically cut larger and hold up better with multiple washings. But you must think of the tastes of the end user and the image you are trying to promote. That's where fashion often comes in. Knowing your audience is key.

For example, one of my Rap group clients goes for the extra large size heavier weight tees, whereas a rock group client sells mostly light weight, smaller tight fitting "alternative" tees. They cost more but the look they achieve supports their brand image. Check out the on-line stores of different recording artists to get a sense of what fans are buying and to see what might work with your audience.

What makes your T-shirt sell isn't the style, its size or color but its logo design. Logo art needs to be readable and convey the image you want to promote, but keep in mind it should be something a person will want to wear.

When it comes to printing logos, you can opt for gel, sugar-glitter, suede, reflective, metallic, glow in the dark, and ink in one color and up to 12 colors.

Screen printing using one color ink in one position on the shirt is the most economical. You have to pay for an art screen with each color you use as well as for any extra handling of the shirt. That includes flipping it over to print on a different side. Some artwork may require added film screens to replicate more complicated designs. So keep it simple if you can. If you have to go with a certain "look" make sure you get a thorough quote before you proceed.

Your logo art needs to be in a graphic format generally saved as an eps file. Many imprinters charge an hourly rate to prepare art that isn't standard or isn't vector art for more complicated designs. Most printers carry standard Pantone Colors but also offer color-matching inks for an added charge.

How many T shirts should you buy? The real price breakpoints in the industry start at 144 units, but that amount isn't practical for everyone. You can find reasonable shirts at the 72-unit range or even less if you plan it right. Funds still short? I know of some bands that purchased co-op shirts with another band or with a sponsor such as a local nightclub. They basically sold space on the shirt to share or subsidize the cost and helped promote their partners at the same time.

If you can get your shirts for under $5 and sell them in the $10-15 range you will see a quick return on your investment. When I taught music business classes, I used to illustrate the power of selling tour merchandise to my students this way: A typical major label recording artist might make a little over $1 off the sale of a CD . He would have to sell five CDs or more to make the same margin off the sale of one basic T- shirt. That's why some of the major labels have affiliated merchandise companies as an added revenue stream for themselves.

Tour or gig merchandise can be incorporated in your overall marketing plan. It fits right in with preparing press kits, driving traffic to your website, getting people in the door and selling CDs. The right product will promote you long after the gig.

Keep an eye out for future articles on more promotional products. Trucker hats anyone?

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

3 Kisses - Still Flying High
by Holly Day,

Jennie Rutherford, Tony Meeks & Letitia "Tish" Meeks

It's an honest enough question: What preconceptions might people have of this band with two young blond women in the power positions (lead guitar and drums)? "I think they're expecting us to be a little more 'girly' than we actually are," laughs lead singer and guitarist Letitia "Tish" Meeks. "Lots of times, people, when they come to see us, they're like, 'Wow, you guys are really edgy, and intense!' We're very friendly people, and on stage, we interact with each other a lot, and I especially use a lot of facial expressions in songs, like songs that are kind of funny or whatever, so we definitely win fans a lot of our fans from our live performances."

The foursome of Tish, her husband, Tony Meeks (guitar), Jennie Rutherford (percussion), and bassist Ed Hale have been playing together in their home-base of Austin, Texas, since 2003. "Actually, Tony and I started writing in '98," explains Tish. "We got married in '99, my son was born in 2000, and my daughter was born in 2001, so we were quite busy there for a while. But during that time, before we even officially started 3 Kisses, all we did was write, so we have a large repertoire of songs already together from that." She adds, "We probably have enough songs for five or six albums! And we are still writing new stuff, all the time. Being in a band with my husband, though - it is awesome! It is incredible! I mean, being part of a couple, and being able to do what you love to do and share it with one another - it really makes our marriage a lot stronger, and we get to share our passion i! n life together. So it's been a great experience for both of us."

Recently, they released their first self-produced album, called Wings. The album is a pleasant combination of dreamy pop music with catchy guitar hooks and lyrics, with songs about destiny and hope and overcoming great obstacles successfully. The title track, "Wings," begins on a melancholy note-literally, because the music itself is the melancholy part-but the lyrics themselves are a mantra of redemption. "Take my breath away/shoot me high into the sky/Wash all my fears away/you make me want to fly-you give me wings," sings Tish, and it sounds so honest and true that you can't help but be happy for the narrator in the song.

Tish's favorite song of the day - because I made her pick out a favorite, despite her protestations that it was impossible - is the eighth track, "Wandering," a happy little song featuring some cool modified guitar riffs that also happens to be the very first song that Tish and her husband wrote together. "We just picked eleven songs that we thought really flowed well together and gave a good representation of what we're about overall for our first album," says Tish of Wings. "All of the songs have been chosen for our second album now, too, and we're about to begin recording on it. We're going to take our time on it, though, and probably release it at the end of this year, or at the first of 2006."

As well as being an at-home mother of two small children and a full-time musician, Tish decided, for this album, to take on the role of producer/engineer as well. "I did all the engineering at home, with no experience at all," says Tish, sounding a little too sheepish and modest, considering what an impressive first effort this album truly is. "And having said that, our first CD is doing really well, so that's encouraging, in a sense. I think I failed in the recording to put a lot of the energy our live show has. But the good thing is, it seems like those who aren't 100% won over by our record are back on our side when they see us live!"

With their positive message of hope and own personal philosophies, it's no wonder that 3 Kisses has been invited to perform at so many family-themed functions and benefits, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Motive Bison Stampede to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. They're also perfectly at home on some of the harder alternative rock stages as well, such as this year's South by Southwest showcase in Austin.

Ed Hale
"I lost my mother to breast cancer in 1989, and we have really taken that on as our cause," says Tish of all of their benefit work. "A while ago, I wrote a story about how losing my mother to breast cancer changed my life, and I have chosen to be empowered by the loss, instead of being victimized by it. The story that I wrote was published in the most recent installment of the Chicken Soup books, the Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul - my story 'Legacy' appears in that. We donate a portion of our CD sales to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the National Breast Cancer Foundation. We play a lot of benefits and really try to bring a lot of awareness to getting regular cancer screens and being aware of detecting the problem early on and g! etting the proper treatment and education. We really want to do music to make a difference, to do something beyond ourselves.

"But basically, we kind of write songs," she finishes. "Sometimes, we write silly stuff, but almost everything we write is inspired by something or someone in our lives. We write a lot of songs that are inspired by our own experiences. We try to write songs that people in general can relate to, no matter what level they're on, in their lives."

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

Hungry Lucy: Synthesizers and Fairy Tales
by Holly Day,

"I've been involved in music since I was like, 10 years old," says War-N Harrison of the band Hungry Lucy. "Most of my family's musical, so that's where I picked it from. It's just in my blood, I guess."

Vocalist Christa Belle and Harrison met while he was performing as the solo act Fishtank No. 9, and soon, Harrison was begging Christa to perform with him. "I just heard her sing, and I was like, uh-oh," he laughs. "She was just singing around the house, and it was kind of a shock when I heard her voice for the first time, because it was like, wow, this is excellent!"

"It was pretty difficult in the beginning," admits Christa. "Warren just kept asking me to sing, and I kept saying no, and I finally did. Once I did , it seemed kind of fun. The first album was probably the toughest, just because I didn't know what I was doing. I had a real problem with stage fright, too," she adds. "At least, up until our third show, which was in front of over a thousand people! That kind of took it right out of me."

According to legend, silent film star Jean Harlow's house was haunted by a ghost dubbed Hungry Lucy, called so because she made a huge racket each night while looking for food she was incapable of eating. The spectral remnant of a Civil War woman, Hungry Lucy had died of scarlet fever waiting for her lover, Alfred, to come home after the war, and in her delirium, she didn't realize she had died.

"There was just something about Lucy's story that struck a chord in me," says Christa. "Something about her waiting for her one true love to come back to her, even after death - I could kind of identify with it."

The melancholy back-story of Hungry Lucy the ghost works well to explain what one can expect from the music of Hungry Lucy the band. Over the course of nearly six years, the team of keyboardist War-N Harrison and singer Christa Belle have released three bittersweet and dark albums, the most recent being 2004's "To Kill a King."

"This album is about a bad relationship. I won't go into too much detail," Christa adds quickly, laughing. "It's about being stuck in a bad relationship when the other person is not a very nice person, but you feel compelled to stay." From track to track, the listener gets pulled through the details of this relationship, from the first track, where the narrator decides that she wants to end it, to the end - of both the album and the relationship.

Through this journey, we're treated to some truly exceptional musical numbers. In "Can You Hear Me?", a dreamy minimal synth-pop beat plays behind Christa's soft yet strong voice and War-N's barely-whispered, almost-menacing soliloquy of a person determined to be understood and heard, ending with the words, "No more." In "Fool," a stark voice opens up with the grim, "In this bloody pool, I see such a fool in me - how could I let myself believe in you?"

	More on Hungry Lucy * Genre: Darkwave/Pop-World/Trip-Hop * Hometown: * Website * Order To Kill a King * Label: Hungry Lucy Music * Contact Hungry Lucy Preview To Kill a King (streaming mp3) A Lifetime Remains You Are Rainfall My Beloved "You Are" (streaming video) 512kbps QT - 100kbps QT 512kbps WMV - 100kbps WMV

It's not all dark, though. Somewhere during the 10th track, "Stars" (directly after the telling instrumental interlude of "A Lifetime Remains"), the narrator makes a complete turnaround, reflecting on the hope she sees in the future of the children she sees crossing the street in front of her, no doubt making a connection with the purpose in her own life. She has determined to leave the "King" in her narrative, and to do it as bloodlessly as possible.

"After so long, you just can't take it anymore, and you kind of have to dig and find your own personal strength and get the hell out of there," explains Christa of this section of the album. "I kind of wanted to convey the message that you kill the power and not the actual person, because that kind of makes them more miserable if they have to live with the bad things they did when it's all over." She adds, "We didn't really intend to do this as a concept album, and I know a lot of people think that we did, but it's just the lyrics I wrote seem to tell their own story."

The strength in this album lies in both the construction of the lyrics--and the fairy-tale construction of the way the songs are set against each other--and the complimentary instrumentation. Throughout the album, Harrison's unique combination of natural-sounding instrument samples and chilly electronics creates an almost otherworldly feel to these songs, part industrial culture and part Renaissance Fair. There's little wonder that this band has been receiving such glowing reviews from international media outlets, despite the fact that they released and promoted all three of their albums on their own.

"I'd been in a number of bands over the years, and they all had done releases through various independent label channels," explains Harrison. "Frankly, I got a little frustrated with it - I mean, on a smaller label, there's not that much money there, understandably, but then when it's spread among several bands, then the share of each band is even less. And I got to thinking that there's nothing that they're doing that I couldn't do myself, basically. So that's how we set out about doing it. No stone is left unturned with us, whereas with a label, they're somewhat reliant on what they can afford to do and what they're willing to do for one of the bands on their label. So unless there's a ton of money there, like with a major label, but my experience has been, if you want it done right, you've got to do it yourself."

Provided by theMusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2004 - Republished with Permission

Indie Labels: A Real Music Industry Career
by Susan Rabin,

MusicDish Network Sponsor

The music industry is in trouble. For some time now labels and publishers have been consolidating, downsizing, and signing fewer artists and songwriters. The struggles with piracy, illegal downloading, and catching up with new technologies continue. As a 19-year attorney who represents musical artists, songwriters, producers and others, I have well observed the frustration among my clients. The doors to the major labels and music publishers were never wide open. Now, there are even fewer doors to approach.

It's time to reinvent the classic story of how to become a rock star: form your own record label. There are little more than a handful of major labels. There are thousands of independent labels (indies). You can start a label featuring only one artist (perhaps you), and distribute regionally. Sometimes, we refer to such a company as a "vanity label."

If and when you would decide to sign other artists and seek some sort of distribution, you would shop your recordings to various distributors to find one who likes your product and believes it will sell. If you start moving product and getting reviews and a good reputation and build a track record, you may be able to persuade a major label to handle distribution on a national and even international level.

Your label could also partner up with a larger label in a joint release. Major labels often look to indies to locate new and edgy artists who are appealing to a particular demographic. They would check if the releases get a lot of play on college radio or on internet radio. The major may offer decent money to acquire your indie as one of the major's own sub-affiliates.

Forming an independent record company requires certain steps and procedures. Many are similar to those you would take to form any other type of business. Start-up capital is a basic ingredient to get the business formed and to operate the company. Many musicians are in the dark as to whether a partnership, corporation, or other type is best for them. The answers depend on your budget, needs, your own business savvy and expertise, and the size and scope of your company. How many artists will you release? How many employees will you need? What office equipment and recording equipment must you acquire? Do you have assets that need to be protected from lawsuits?

A sole proprietorship is what you are now if you alone own and operate whatever music business activities you presently conduct. This form is fine if you know how to find talent as well as handle business matters such as licenses, applications, contracts, etc. You would need to apply for a city business license and file a fictitious business name in the county in which you operate your business.

A partnership might work best if you are strong in the creative area but need a partner who has more experience and skill in running a business. The city business license and fictitious name filing are again necessary, and a partnership agreement that spells out everyone's rights and responsibilities is recommended. Profits and losses are generally split evenly, but your agreement can designate for you to be a majority owner, managing partner, or otherwise, particularly if you bring in initial funds or talent.

A corporation or limited liability company (LLC) costs more to set up and requires taxes to be paid to the State. These forms offer protection for your personal assets in the case of a lawsuit or other claim. In addition to a city business license, Articles of Incorporation and other documents must be filed with the Secretary of State, and the corporation or LLC must following certain practices to stay legit because someone who wishes to sue you personally might claim you set up your business as a corporation or LLC merely to hide behind the organization and avoid liability.

Before you spend a lot of money printing stationery, packaging and other promotional materials, you should check if your rights are solid in your business name. If you have been using the name for a long time, you have certain "common law" trademark rights in the name. More protection is available if you obtain a federal trademark registration. A first step would be to search a wide array of databases to determine that no similar business is using a similar name. The party using the name the longest normally has priority. A professional search and trademark application are somewhat costly. You can hunt by yourself by searching online through music industry directories, ASCAP, BMI, the Harry Fox Agency, the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), the Copyright Office, the Yellow Pages for as many cities as possible, and wherever else you can explore. The name you use should be as different and unique as possible and not at all similar to other labels, music publish! ers, distributors, music marketing companies, etc. The PTO will not register a name that has a liklihood of confusion.

The independent label needs artists to record and release. If and when another artist is signed, an "Exclusive Artist Recording Agreement" would grant your label rights to record the artist's performances and release records, subject to payment of royalties. Without the contract, the artist is the owner under Copyright Law of his or her performances. The agreement should include your company's right to "shop" the recordings to a distributor or other label. I advise against promising to release whatever the artist records. Written agreements are essential to keep the artist from jumping ship after you have invested time and money in the artist's career.

A "Producer Agreement" would secure the copyright in the Producer's work on the recording. You would need to decide if you will grant the Producer some degree of creative control over the selection of songs, the studio, recording and mixing process, and general creative input. Producers can be hired for a flat fee or for royalty payments on a project basis.

Musicians, background vocalists, etc., who are hired only for the particular recording project, need to enter into a "Sideman Agreement" or "Service Release." It is essential for your label to own the copyrights of their performances. Compensation in these situations can be a small flat fee rather than ongoing royalty payments, particularly until your company is financially strong. Flat fee payments also avoid the cost and time of future accountings.

Be sure your company registers the sound recordings with the U.S. Copyright Office (Copyright Form SR for sound recordings) and obtains "mechanical licenses" for any cover songs or samples on the recordings. Music (with or without lyrics) is registered on "Form PA," for works of the performing arts. Forms and informative circulars can be downloaded at no charge from the federal government office's website: www.loc.gov/copyright. I often recommend that my independent label clients acquire a publishing interest in their artists' songs. Publishing income from uses of music (soundtracks, commercials, radio play, etc.), may be the major method of funding your recording expenses.

If you acquire some publishing rights, you need to set up a publishing company through one of the performing rights societies (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). If your publishing activities grow, you may need to use a collection agency such as the Harry Fox Agency in New York, to issue "mechanical licenses" to other record companies who wish to use the songs you own or co-own. The Fox office would collect these royalties and pay them out to your client, who would account to the writers involved (and the co-publishers, if any).

The best way for your fledgling company to get noticed is through promotion and marketing. Easy to say, but costly to do. One must "create a buzz" to get the interest of major labels as well as consumers. Yes, there are expensive radio promoters. If your are less than typically commercial, they may not get much radio play even with the promoter's push. Sometimes a retail promoter makes more sense. Some of my clients have sold well at specialty shops such as The Nature Company, Starbucks, Victoria's Secret, etc. I do encourage your courting the program directors at college radio stations that look for unusual, less mainstream releases.

I assume those of you reading this article are of the computer generation. So perhaps you already know that the internet is a fertile ground for promotion and marketing of independent artists and labels. There are a number of online media companies whose sites actively help independent releases sell their recordings. You can send music tracks online to companies such as Yahoo! and the now fully legit Napster who will upload the music for users to check out. Yahoo! observes which music selections are getting accessed the most and then promotes the artist or label to attract even more users and potential record buyers. Napster does live online recording sessions.

Live performances can be set up at record stores that take your product on consignment. Some stores will work with you to place the product with a promotional display. Other places to perform and find new fans are shopping centers, colleges, universities, high schools, athletic events, restaurants, as well as the familiar nightclub venues. Local newspapers and underground publications are happy to hear about new creative ventures and should be contacted often. Press reviews will help sell product.

Be sure to have legal help and a CPA for the business formation and tax issues. Avoid potential conflicts when your artist or producer brings to you various musicians, producers and writers who are working on a project. Encourage the parties to seek independent counsel regarding all business and legal issues and agreements.

We all know there is much mediocre music out there, and that talent is not necessarily the critical factor for success. Continue to have confidence in your ambitions and creativity. I know most of you have the ability to develop a viable place in the music industry. Keep on truckin'!

Note: This article is not to be construed as legal advice and is written for information purposes only. If you have legal questions, seek the advice of an entertainment attorney.

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

INDIE NEWS BEAT
August 2, 2005 Edition
* Artists Defy London Bombers By Releasing Video
* Warren Zevon Tribute CD Hits Today
* Detroit Techno Militia Gains Ground In Belgium
* Adventure Music Launches Publishing Division
* The Sky's the Limit for Ryan Farish's sophomore release "From the Sky"
* I Surrender Records Announces New Signing: Valencia
* Afrikool Records Allies With BeAudible.com For Digital Distribution
* UNSIGNED Now Accepts Reviews Through Sonicbids
* 904 Who's Next? Tef XL & East Unit Release Minority Report

Artists Defy London Bombers By Releasing Video

London artists the Frofar Allstars have collaborated on a track and video called "Make it through the rain".

This video was released after a spate of bombings and terror attacks in London, crippling the transport system and claiming innocent lives, with many still unaccounted for.

This collaboration, a joint project of the artists collectively featuring Steve Johnstone, Kieye, Darshna, Dreyce, Haley and Alisha. This track was made about losing people close to us, through tragedy and how we deal with bereavement and grief.

The nature of the music relects the determinism and resilience of Londoners against the this attack.

The track and video had been circulating on the net, generating a lot of attention. A version of this video shows the artists performing individually, spliced together with the current footage from the tragedy.

Source:

Warren Zevon Tribute CD Hits Today

Wampus Multimedia introduces "Hurry Home Early: the Songs of Warren Zevon." Featuring 13 Zevon classics interpreted by emerging artists from the U.S. and England, 'Hurry Home Early' focuses on Zevon's contribution to literate, modern songcraft, and tracks his 35-year journey as acerbic troubadour and cynical romantic.

"Hurry Home Early" traces Zevon's career from the late 1960s until his untimely death from mesothelioma, an inoperable lung cancer, in 2003. From Phil Cody's "Splendid Isolation" to Robb Johnson's "Suzie Lightning," the CD tells the story of an artist torn between hopeful and dark impulses, locked in a struggle between heart and mind. From Tom Flannery's "Boom Boom Mancini" to Neil Luckett's "Mutineer," it explores the emotional interior of a composer who has been called the Hunter S. Thompson of audio journalism.

Wampus Multimedia started the Zevon project in 2001, after it released its first tribute CD, 'If I Were a Richman: a Tribute to the Music of Jonathan Richman,' and was working on its second, 'After Hours: a Tribute to the Music of Lou Reed.' "Warren Zevon was arguably Lou Reed's west-coast counterpart -- the 'poet of Gower Avenue,'" says Mark Doyon, the CD's executive producer. "He was a literate songwriter who ventured into pop music.... He understood something basic about human nature. He knew empathy had to be mixed with something cutting, honest, and, preferably, hilarious."

Source:

Detroit Techno Militia Gains Ground In Belgium

Alerts are on the rise due to Belgian DJ/Producer Dimitri Pike's enlistment to RECON:313, a division of the DETROIT TECHNO MILITIA (DTM). This infantry unit is gaining operatives and sleeper cells throughout the globe. Their mission is to combat the complacent music scene by ambushing through the back doors of various regions, both US and abroad. Although new to DTM, Pike has already advanced the front lines.

DJing since 1997, Dimitri Pike has been marching the counter culture forward ever since. Occupying nine territories throughout Northern France and areas South of Belgium, he has consistently rallied dance floors with the battle cry of Detroit Techno. Some of his most notable sonic assaults took place on the decks at Berlin's Tresor Club and Electric Avenue's Fuse-In Detroit after-party, "Endurance".

Pike's studio work has produced a dance floor demolishing arsenal. Twelve of his tracks created with the Neptune Synthesizer serve as demos for the manufacturer, Spectral Audio, Switzerland. His explosive dance floor weapons include the "Night Works EP" (Mirage Records, France), "Carnival" for DJ Bone's "Subject:Detroit Mix 03" (Subject Detroit), "Expressions" and the "Expressions Reworks" (Wildtek, France/Nufonix, USA). Additionally, he has reconfigured remixes of Mitch Walcott's "Mind Storm" (Titan Free Project), and the seminal techno classic:"The Shit" by Sean Deason (Matrix, Detroit). Many international DJs regularly utilize his artillery in their own sonic strike missions.

Source:

Adventure Music Launches Publishing Division

Adventure Music, the independent label that has released CDs from such acclaimed artists as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ricardo Silveira, Moacir Santos, Claudia Villela, Maria Marquez, Jovino Santos Neto, and its cofounder mandlolin legend Mike Marshall, has just launched a publishing division. The initial titles from Adventure Publishing are five Mandolin Method books authored by Marshall. The books are currently only available online at the Elderly Instruments website, and will be available at other retailers in the near future.

One of the world's most accomplished and versatile acoustic musicians, Mike is able to swing gracefully from jazz to classical to bluegrass to Latin styles. Throughout his career, Mike has performed and recorded with some of the top acoustic string instrumentalists in the world, including jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli, fiddle virtuoso Mark O'Connor, five-string banjo phenom Bela Fleck, bassist and MacArthur Fellowship winner Edgar Meyer, and classical violinist Joshua Bell.

His projects for Adventure Music include "Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso," "Serenata" (with Jovino Santos Neto), and, on Adventure Music America, Psychograss' "Now Hear This." In August, the label will reissue a remastered version of Marshall's 1996 release, "Brazil Duets," which pairs him with an eclectic array of players, including Bela Fleck, Andy Narell, Michael Manring, and more.

The titles of the five books in the Mandolin Method series are:
The Great Book of Finger Busters
Improvisational Concepts
The Chord Book
Sonatas and Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin by J.S. Bach
Brazilian Choros

Source:

The Sky's the Limit for Ryan Farish's sophomore release "From the Sky"

Billboard Charting artist Ryan Farish knows the 'sky is the limit' when it comes to his sophomore release "From the Sky" which hit retail shelves June 21st, 2005. Already establishing his name as one of the highest downloaded artists on mp3.com, Ryan raked in close to 2 million downloads by the time his debut "Beautiful" hit shelves.

By the end of 2004, "Beautiful" moved on to # 1 on the Music Choice 'Soundscapes Channel', broke into the Top 10 Billboard New Age Charts, Echoes.org 'Top 25 Albums' monthly chart and "Sunshine in the Rain" was used for Innovative Stone's documentary on the first granite building block for the new World Trade Center site.

Currently, his music can be heard just about everywhere on a daily basis. The Weather Channel has been a dedicated fan and programmer of Ryan's music from day one. Currently 6 songs from the new album "From the Sky" are in rotation on The Weather Channel's 'Local on the 8's' forecast; as well as the themed intro song on "Storm Stories" which airs nightly. We also have dedicated support from the top satellite & digital cable radio stations including Sirius Satellite Radio and DMX Radio and terrestrial radio programs including Echoes and New World Buzz. This translates into literally MILLIONS OF IMPRESSIONS on a daily basis!

Source:

I Surrender Records Announces New Signing: Valencia

"There is something very special about Valencia," says I Surrender owner Rob Hitt. "Honestly, they are my new favorite band‹I'm so lucky." Not many people can actually say that they are releasing the debut record of their favorite band. I Surrender is lucky indeed; with Valencia's guitar-mangled, multi-layered, melodic rock and amazing energy and musicianship, it's difficult to argue that there isn't something special about this band.

Formed less than two years ago by Philadelphia natives Shane Austin Henderson (vocals), George Ciukirescu (bass), Max Soria (drums), JD Perry (guitar), and Brenden Walter (Guitar), the members of Valencia are hardly new to the underground music scene. They've all toured extensively in their previous bands, but it wasn't until the meeting of musical minds that is Valencia, that these musicians felt that they could collectively‹if not earnestly‹move forward to fully explore their creative potential. "Something just clicks when we write music together," says George, "we seem to gel unlike anything else we've experienced before playing in other bands."

Sharing the stage with modern day peers like Brand New, The Starting Line, Me Without You, Senses Fail, Mae, The Early November, Days Away, Hidden in Plain View and Owen, Valencia has played everywhere from Los Angeles to New York City. Now, with the backing of I Surrender Records, these up-and-comers are set to release their debut album, This Could Be A Possibility, later this fall. The band will be touring all summer long in support of the album, culminating with an August 12th appearance in Camden, NJ at this year's Warped Tour.

Source:

Kristine Sa Rebirth - Return Of The Queen

Summer is here! Warm weather, blockbuster movies, trips to the beach and now an even better reason to celebrate: Kristine Sa has returned with her long awaited follow up to "I Never Knew", her new album "reBIRTH". That's right, the Queen of As-Am Pop is back and here to help you set the summer off right with hot new songs, talented new producers, banging remixes, a brand new website, and of course that warm, beautiful voice.

Following the success of "I Never Knew", "reBIRTH" continues Kristine's evolution as a singer, songwriter, and experimentalist. The new album is a collection of new songs, remixes and rare/never released songs tracing her music from the beginning of her career to the present. Kristine continues her music journey, conveying her evolving sense of love and life with a new musical and writing style unlike anything from her storied past. Streaming and downloadable music clips are available on her new website which also features hot new pictures, pages of new poetry, an interactive diary, and a brand new line of Kristine Sa merchandise.

Source:

Afrikool Records Allies With BeAudible.com For Digital Distribution

beAudible.com, an Independent Content Provider for Shared Media Licensing, announced today that it has entered into agreements with Afrikool Music Production. The deal calls for beAudible.com to distribute the Afrikool catalogue, starting out with six albums. Afrikool's artists include Nicole Collins, Kool International Friends, Jim Savitt, Miko Fukunaga, Inko/ Neido Tribe, 'Sir' Francis and Alain Nkossi Konda.

Through the Weed Service, Afrikool Records can sell their music from their own website, and also embrace peer-to-peer networks as a safe, efficient and secure distribution channel. "We want music fans to be able to reach our catalog of talented and unique artists through a broad range of services, and we are dedicated to expanding access to our content," said Alain Nkossi Konda, CEO/Founder of A.M.P.

"We are very excited to be working with Weed and beAudible.com, as it is clear that this alliance will help us connect directly with our audiences and create a more vibrant website which is consistent with the vision we and our partners share for Afrikool's growth well into this 21st Century.

The alliance further beAudible.com's commitment to an openess to diverse musical horizons. "This is an exciting partnership between Afrikool Records and beAudible.com," said Sigmund Elias Holm, Founder of beAudible.com. "Alain Nkossi Konda and his team have great experience when it comes to discovering rising stars and developing artistic collaborations between various musical expressions. I look forward to distributing some great Afrikool music through the Weed Service."

Source:

UNSIGNED Now Accepts Reviews Through Sonicbids

UNSIGNED Music Magazine ­ The Largest Magazine Dedicated to Indie Music - has made Sonicbids its' exclusive online partner for delivery of electronic press kits for review by UNSIGNED. The partnership allows members of Sonicbids to submit their material for review directly to UNSIGNED via the members' electronic press kit (EPK). Non-members are currently being offered a special package price if they join Sonicbids through UNSIGNED. By joining through the following link http://www.sonicbids.com/unsignedmusicmag non-members can join Sonicbids for three months at a reduced price of $9.95 including submission to UNSIGNED.

"This is a great way for artists to immediately submit their material to us and not risk getting it lost in the mail", said Ken Hamlett ­ publisher of UNSIGNED. "It also gives non-members an incentive to join at a reduced rate and have their material submitted to UNSIGNED for review."

UNSIGNED receives hundreds of submissions every month from artists seeking reviews and the new Sonicbids partnership makes submissions and reviews an easier process.

"We're excited that Sonicbids has the perfect delivery format for artists to submit material, they make it easy for artists to contact players in the industry that will help push their career to the next level," said Ken Hamlett.

Source:

904 Who's Next? Tef XL & East Unit Release Minority Report

Born on October 22, 197-, Cedric Terrell a.k.a. TEF XL was destined to become famous. He was born into a military family, which found their way to Jacksonville, FL in 1983. It is Jacksonville, FL where he was originally introduced to crime in the project subdivision called Caravan on the south side of the city. At the age of twelve, TEF XL was embedded in hustling drugs, and committing robberies. He first started rapping as a hobby, to entertain his friends while standing on the project corner.

As years past, he began using rap as a channel to give his friends updates on the latest gun battles or crimes committed in the neighborhood. Soon rap became an addiction, which allowed him to express his feelings towards the world. As a seasoned emcee TEF-XL brings a diverse and complex perspective to urban music.

TEF-XL first hit the local music scene in Jacksonville, FL with a conglomerate of emcees known as E.A.S.T U.N.I.T. As a unit they performed multiple shows opening for rap legends such as Notorious B.I.G, Scarface, Outkast, just to name a few.

TEF-XL, also retained a dark side, known as a notorious hustler on the streets. After frequent encounters with law enforcement and near death experiences, TEF-XL made a promise to himself, his daughter and the game, that he would acclaim higher achievements and give documentation to the streets from which he came. To accomplish such a task TEF-XL revamped his outlook on life and pioneered a street hustle to accumulate money to attend college, and then pursue his music career.

Source:

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission