INDIE NEWS BEAT

April 18, 2007 Edition


* New York Punk Rocker Is South Pacific Deity

* Carla Fleming’s “Domestic Disturbance” Concert and CD Release Party

* MusicDish To Host 2nd ’10th Anniversary’ Showcase During NewMusicWest 2007

* Kobo Town’s ‘Independence’ Awarded As One of The Best CDs of 2006

* ‘Strategies for Success’ Extends Artist Signup Deadline

* A Note To So-called Activists and Artist Advocates

* WE Fest XI Now Accepting Artist Submissions

* Females On Fire Compilation CD No.3 Seeking Expressions Of Interest From Female Artists

New York Punk Rocker Is South Pacific Deity

A punk rock singer in New York is now moonlighting as a deity to the residents of a South Pacific island.



Cevin Soling is the leader of the Love Kills Theory, but is also revered on the South Pacific island of Tanna as the living embodiment of a deity named “John Frum.”



Soling became a living God last February when filming a documentary about cargo cults, and took a trip to Tanna, where the residents have been waiting for the arrival of an American named “John Frum” for more than 65 years.



The Tanna-ites believe Frum will bring lots of cargo, so Soling got corporate sponsors to donate fishing equipment, knives and flashlights to give to the Tanna islanders.



It worked better than he expected. The chief of Tanna gave Soling a large plot of land, and allowed him to participate in tribal rituals, including one where his naked body was painted red, white and blue.



Soling just got back from a second visit to Tanna, and is realizing that with great power comes great responsibility because now his adopted tribe is expecting him to get the U.S. to invest in the island.

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MusicDish To Host 2nd ’10th Anniversary’ Showcase During NewMusicWest 2007

MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, announced the setting for its second ’10 Anniversary’ showcase at NewMusicWest Festival, the largest and most influential new music festival on the west coast. Being held at Vancouver’s Library Square on Saturday May 5, the showcase will feature some of Canada’s top emerging talent from Toronto to Tokyo, including pop fusion artist Rose Beach, jazz fusion act Greenlaw and pop rock duo blueVenus.

MusicDish founder Eric de Fontenay will also be presenting his seminar “Are You Ready To Innovate In The Digital Marketplace?” at NewMusicWest 2007, the largest and most influential new music festival on the West Coast, attracting businesses and individuals from all over North America.

The ’10th Anniversary’ Showcase Series represent a determined effort by MusicDish to increase its Canadian presence and support emerging talent. The series inaugural event during Canadian Music Week created some buzz in Toronto, in addition to packing the Trane Studio where it was held, with a feature on the cover of the April Toronto Star Life Section and coverage by Live Music Report. The series will make a comeback to Toronto in June for NXNE, with more cities and dates to be announced.

MUSICDISH ’10TH ANNIVERSARY’ VANCOUVER SHOWCASE

Official New Music West 2007 Showcase

WHERE: Library Square

300 W. Georgia St., Vancouver

tel: 604 633-9644

LINE-UP: Blue Venus, Greenlaw, Rose Beach

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Carla Fleming’s “Domestic Disturbance” Concert and CD Release Party

The Domestic Disturbance concert and CD release party Saturday, May 12, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The The showcase will be held at the Hard Rock Caf?, located at 545 Downtown Plaza, Suite C103, Sacramento, CA. This free event is open to the public and benefits W.E.A.V.E. an organization that provides services for victims and families of domestic violence.

For more information on this event, call (916) 600-0901 or email: carla@carlafleming.com

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Kobo Town’s ‘Independence’ Awarded As One of The Best CDs of 2006

Toronto-based, roots-calypso act Kobo Town has been selected as a finalist in the Indie Acoustic Project “Best CD’s of 2006.” Their CD, ‘Independence’ was one of only three albums to be recognized in the Lyrics category of the awards. Winners will be announced in late April, 2007. The Indie Acoustic Project celebrates the best in innovative, independent acoustic music. This comes on the heals of high-attendance, successful events by Kobo Town: Canadian Music Week “MusicDish 10th Anniversary” showcase in Toronto and “Music Is The Weapon” charity concert at Ottawa’s Barrymore’s Music Hall.

Brent Hagermank of Canada’s Exclaim! magazine took note of Kobo Town’s lyrical prowess when he wrote, “Like the great Calypsonians of his birthplace in Port-of-Spain (Lord Kitchener, the Mighty Sparrow), Toronto-based songwriter Drew Gonsalves constructs incisive social commentary with humour, panache and unforgettable rhythm/melody combinations.”

Trinidadian-born Nick “The Brownman” Ali, one of Canada’s most critically acclaimed jazz trumpet players, says, “I couldn’t help but be struck with the sparse and languid vibrations, yet layered in vocal poignancy with lyrics embodying the best in the Trinidadian spirit of storytelling.”

The Indie Acoustic Project Award’s purpose is to raise awareness of indie artists and to recognize excellence in independent acoustic music from around the world. For more information, please visit www.indieacoustic.com

Named after the vibrant and turbulent neighborhood in old Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where calypso was born, Kobo Town strives to recover the social conscience, satirical storytelling and strong acoustic/organic rhythms that characterized Trinidadian music in the past. For members of the eight-piece outfit, the name suggests an origin as well as a destination. Founded in 2006 by bandleader Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town has received acclaim from the media (Blogcritics Best International Album of 2006) and radio airplay across Canada (CBC Radio One’s “Fresh Air”), as well as being called on to perform at clubs and Festivals all over North America (Soul Jazz Festival in San Francisco).

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‘Strategies for Success’ Extends Artist Signup Deadline

Eric Kline, President of the Inside the Music Business Brand and Executive Producer and co-host of the upcoming ‘Strategies for Success’ Seminar & Showcase has upped the ante for unsigned artists once again.

When an unsigned artist signs up for the seminar (deadline extended to April 16th) they will upload their Myspace page or website. A panel of industry experts will select ten performers from that list who will perform at the Showcase, appear on the national DVD and radio show special and will be featured on Music World 3Dπs ?musicians playground.π Now thereπs more.

Kline announced today that one of the performers will be singled out and will win a prize package valued at more than $ 3,000. This includes a full day of recording studio time courtesy of Spectrum Recording Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida; an Inside the Music Business package consisting of consulting, strategies for success event DVD, book 2 CD set, IMB merchandise; a one month promotional blitz through Music Dish sites, Legal advice from Music industry Attorney Nick Nanton and software from IK Multimedia.

Strategies for Success takes place in two weeks on April 28th at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale and will feature more than 30 industry artists, A&R, producers, songwriters, attorneys, programmers. The event will be co-hosted by Kline and Adam Gaynor, recording artist formerly of the multi-platinum group, Matchbox 20. Other featured speakers include MC Serch, Producers Steve Bogard, Music Dishπs Eric DeFontenay and Tony Bongiovi amongst others.

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A Note To So-called Activists and Artist Advocates

Lately there’s been a huge outcry about the CRB trying to shut down webcasters by raising the royalty rates previously set forth by CARP in conjunction with the RIAA, ASCAP, BMI SESAC and SoundExchange. As a webcaster the subject interested me and as a journalist I felt it was only fair to investigate and report both sides of the story. I contacted many (if not all) of my anti-CARP/RIAA activist friends for input as part of the research for my article and haven’t heard so much as a declination from anyone!



As another blow to the movement, SoundExchange, a “nonprofit performance rights organization embodying hundreds of recording companies and thousands of artists united in receiving fair compensation for the licensing of their music,” publicly asserted that the outfits protesting the rate hikes (specifically webcasters), are publicly misrepresenting the CRB’s decision in order to destabilize the fair market value of the music that keeps them in business. Again, I appealed you for your reactions and didn’t receive a single reply.



Lastly, I stumbled upon a major label seeking all musicians to supply them with music for what’s sure to be a profitable movie soundtrack. Further analysis revealed that none of the artists would see any kind of compensation from the project, other than their inclusion on the album, and that the label wanted exclusivity to any material appearing on the soundtrack. Given the alleged premise for major labels’ fight for royalties, I thought this to be a sure contradiction in terms and you guys would love the opportunity to use this as fodder in your fight. And? No replies.



This started me thinking that maybe you’re not really down with the causes you say you represent and that maybe the militant posts you blast all over the Internet are nothing more than your way of compensating for some more deeply rooted social deficiency. More likely, you’re all full of sh*t and really don’t want to pay out to artists for their hard work and intellectual rights.



This saddens me. I’ve always felt that the music business was a greedy, gold-digging mistress that didn’t honestly care for the rights of its artists and the rest of us who work tirelessly to expose the music that mainstream audiences are most likely never to hear. But, I’ve also been on the side of profit-making entities to pay the artists who bring in the revenue that keeps them alive. I naively filed in with those of you who’ve conspiricized big music and its lack of vision in order to bring more attention to us … the little guy … only to see you hide behind the Internet when called upon to back it up.



Maybe the allegations are true. Maybe you’re all really pirates trying to find a safe harbor in which to hide your true intentions. Whatever the case, don’t waste your time asking me to support your cause any longer. I have an excellent relationship with both sides of the tracks and I can’t afford to jeopardize that by associating with thugs. If you want to talk intelligently and state your case in such a fashion, I’m willing to listen. Until then I’m done with you.



Thanx,



John “RoadRash” Foxworthy

Chief Editor, GR Magazine

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WE Fest XI Now Accepting Artist Submissions

The 10th Annual Wilmington Exchange Festival (WE Fest), taking place from May 24-May 28th, in and around Wilmington proper, is now accepting submissions from band and artists interested in participating. To be considered, please visit www.myspace.com/wefestallstars. Send a message with the words “2007 submission in the title.

WE Fest is a multi-day, totally DIY, volunteer-run extravaganza that always takes place during the week of Memorial Day Weekend. The first WE Fest was co-founded by Wilmington resident and underground punk Kenyata Sullivan in 1996 in an effort to expose underground talent and build community within the independent scene. Only indie-label and unsigned bands are allowed to play. W.E. Fest has garnered a reputation for discovering new talent, finding a larger percentage of winners than any other event in the country, including South by Southwest, CMJ New Music Festival, the annual NEMO festival in Boston, and PMC. Since then, indie bands of all shapes, sizes, colors, and sounds have played this Fest, made friends, and gone home to network, share gigs, keep in touch, and make WE Fest part of their lives.

This year the fes
ival will make a return to its roots by also featuring films, zines, comics and other DIY arts projects.

Past participants include The Dismemberment Plan, Dufus, The Mooney Suzuki, Discount (Alison Mosshart before The Kills), The Selzers (Ryan Gentles before The Strokes), ASG, The Damn Personals (Anthony Rossomando before Dirty Pretty Things), The Waking Hours, Mayflies USA, and many others, all when they were still unsigned.

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Females On Fire Compilation CD No.3 Seeking Expressions Of Interest From Female Artists

The Females on Fire Compilation CD series celebrates talented female artists from around the world, delivering songs in a tapestry of different genres & styles of music dedicated to messages empowering femininity, human equality, love, communication and vitality.

The compilation series already celebrates over 65 talented female artists from around the world through its first two double compilations, delivering songs in a tapestry of different genres & styles of music. With her record label, Warrior Girl Music, gilli moon, artist and producer, has launched Females On Fire as a vehicle and platform for female artists (now over 65 artists) to be heard and shine, with now two compilations and an ever growing, ongoing, tour.

Promotion and distribution are directed to music supervisors (film and television), music publishers, national music conferences & seminars, record labels, the media (print and radio), producers, and artists looking for songs. The CD is a perfect vehicle for artists to access the music industry, the media and make potential long lasting business relationships for their music. Retail distribution includes direct sales through the Warrior Girl Music Store and our distributors in the U.S, Canada and Australia.

THE CD’s mission is to create, promote and manage unique artistic creations guided by the artist’s vision and under the artist’s direction; creations that transcend race, age or gender and embrace passion, love for music and life, personal excellence and global consciousness.

The album is focused on 4 main elements, which the artists are asked to use as guidelines in their submission: 1. exposure of great talent and timeless songs. 2. a celebration of female fire and femininity. 3. following Warrior Girl Music’s mission above. 4. a highly creative and production-strong CD, competitive in the market place.

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Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2007 – Republished with Permission