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WELCOME TO THE APRIL, 2001 ISSUE OF MUSIC MORSELS Special offer for Music Morsels subscribers! AND NOW...
To unsubscribe, just ask....and you will be removed from our list. Music Morsels is the award-winning monthly music industry newsletter targeting musicians, songwriters and music industry professionals. We are distributed via e-mail to all the labels, many radio stations, and music editors around the world. So if you want the latest educational information on how to develop your music career - or if want to know more about how national recording acts or successful industry professionals hit the big time - or if you want to read interviews about the latest up-and-coming unsigned or indie label bands plus tons more, you can read it all here. ATTENTION MUSICIANS & LABELS: SEND YOUR PRESS KITS TO US FOR POSSIBLE UPCOMING REVIEWS OR INTERVIEWS IN MUSIC MORSELS. We cover all genres! To subscribe, just send an email to MUSMORSELS@AOL.COM with the word "Subscribe" in the subject field. ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` April, 2001 ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` It is only when people bring their differences together that we can weave a unique and beautiful world. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CROSSROADS - JOSH PINCUS of ICE AGE by Mark E. Waterbury 2. INDUSTRY PROFILE - Performer Magazine Publisher BILL HOUSE by Mark E. Waterbury 3. ALBUM CAPSULES/CONCERT REVIEW - Ice Age, Miss Fortune, Robin Brennan, Dada Spots, Clare Cooper, Jody Whitesides CD Reviews and Van Zant Concert Review by Mark E. Waterbury 4. SCOTT TURNER'S SONG PUBLISHER'S PERSPECTIVE - The Hard Times (Make the Good Times Even Better) 5. QUIPS & QUOTES - Stories & Sayings to keep you motivated in your music career 6. UNSIGNED ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - Ryan Link of MISS FORTUNE by Mark E. Waterbury 7. MUSIC BIZ NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES - compiled by Sandy Serge 8. MUSIC INDUSTRY MARKETING SHOWCASE - the latest and greatest music industry products and services 9. MUSIC MORSELS SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` 1. CROSSROADS.......... JOSH PINCUS of ICE AGE by Mark E. Waterbury
The first seeds for Ice Age were planted when a band called Monolith formed in about 1991 featuring vocalist/keyboardist Josh Pincus and guitarist Jimmy Pappas. "At that point, we all had very similar backgrounds in the music we listened to," Josh recalls. "Bands like Rush, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple...we all came from that sort of background. Dream Theater released their first record. We were fascinated with that and wanted to go in that direction - basically progressive rock-slash-metal." In 1993, Monolith added drummer Hal Aponte who was a fervent fan of Neil Peart, and would later add bassist Arron DiCesare. Monolith garnered a decent local following and released four demo recordings over the next few years. Along the way, Josh made a connection while receiving vocal coaching from Tony Harnell, who used to be in the band TNT. "He suggested that we play some of the Monolith material for Mike Varney, the owner of Shrapnel Records and a partner in Magna Carta. Tony gave him a call so we played the stuff over the phone, and he was interested right away." Magna Carta signed the band, changing its name to Ice Age, and in 1999, released their debut CD "The Great Divide". The excellent work displayed the band's obvious talents, and after limited live shows Ice Age returned to the studio to record the follow-up "Liberation". "I like listening to "Liberation" because it's newer and it's fresher. I don't like it all that much better than "The Great Divide" because that is a good record as well. The difference this time around is that even though the songs are long - which is sort of a prog tradition - the songwriting is better and more consistent and better thought out. Most of the vocal melodies blend in with the music better. The first album was more about showing off how fast we could play and cramming as many parts in as we could, which a lot of progressive bands do. That's a trap a lot of bands fall into these days, playing real fast and saying, "Look how many hours we practiced" and the songwriting kind of goes out the window. With us - one thing that differentiates us and what our fans like - there is some tangible song structure going on - elements of hooks and a catchiness to it." Right now, Ice Age is planning just a couple live shows in their area, and then will return to the studio to record their third album. They will be carrying with them an ideal to break out of the pack of the tough and currently sluggish prog rock scene. "It's extremely difficult for progressive bands these days - all over the world, but especially in the U.S. where it doesn't get any mainstream exposure whatsoever. You're up against the images of MTV and a much less musically-oriented mindset when it comes to pop music these days. Without the internet, it would be very difficult to get the word out. I think it's going to take a label with the money and courage and dedication to this type of music to take a band that is willing, and that's what we're going to try to do from now on. Without losing our identity as a progressive band, we want to write some songs that are much more acceptable to a bigger audience - the kind of thing you don't have to be a connoisseur of only this type of music to appreciate. It will consist of more straight forward music that people can relate to much better without losing the feel and the identity of the band as it is now." :->
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 2. INDUSTRY PROFILE - Bill House - Publisher of Performer Magazine Music had always been a fairly big thing for Bill House from a fan's perspective as he was growing up in Connecticut. "It was a semi-big thing, sort of a lifeline being trapped in the suburbs. But in a sense Connecticut is relevant because it is such a Godforsaken place that it helped shape what I am doing today." Bill would eventually go to college at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania to study biology and economics. After college, he moved to Boston where he was in sales in a real "corporate" environment before moving on to work for a local alternative weekly publication called the Boston Phoenix. "It seemed like a cool thing to do. I always liked media but for some reason I had never gone to work for it. But I saw the want ad for the Phoenix and I thought it was a great idea and I'd love to work there. So I went there all starry-eyed and naive, but I was just thrilled to death to be there. It was my calling: I remember hearing the term "publisher" and not knowing what it was, but after I found out I knew that was what I was going to do someday." Bill was responsible for mostly sales and marketing footwork at the Phoenix, but he also endeavored to learn every facet of the publishing business during his tenure there. And it was at the Phoenix that he met many people who were performing music in the area's burgeoning indie rock scene. "Coming from Connecticut, I never knew you could do that. I thought you had to be rock stock from the 60's to make that kind of music. And all this independent music was going on at the time. It was really awesome and wild and great to discover the music that way with all the clubs and live music. At the same time, I was doing publishing and trying to help my friends out with what I was doing all day with sales and marketing." Eventually, Bill and several friends set out to start a music magazine focusing on the independent music scene in the northeastern states. It was the early 90's and a great time for alternative music when the first issue of the Northeast Performer hit the streets, with Bill as one of the founders and a sales rep. "We worked hard and ran into a lot of stumbling blocks, but it really came into it's own back about four years ago. It was a lot of hard work - that's no secret - but we really got to know our readership, identify with them and give them information to help them. We're not biased and we don't have an agenda. We're not trying to push our friends or any bands or any style of music. It's all based on merit. It doesn't matter if anyone else likes it, if it's selling, if it's playing on the radio, if you're getting shows, if it's got a style that you can identify, we don't need that. We've had music come in wrapped up in notebook paper with a note asking us to review it and it was brilliant! We put it on the cover. It's all based on merit." As publisher, Bill also helps ensure the staff understands the unique personality of the publication, keeping its base ideas of what it wants to portray intact. "People get a sort of Rolling Stone type voice or mentality sometimes, and we're much different than that. We're more of a trade magazine for musicians. We're speaking to the musicians, not the fan or the listener." As things became more successful, the company decided to produce two more regional magazines: The Southeast Performer based in Atlanta and the West Coast Performer based in California. They are also considering a Midwest issue in the future, and want to put a network together with an outlook at North America and perhaps beyond. "There's the whole world out there and there's a lot of music out there, and if you could be able to combine forces from different regions and shrink the country for people and be able to do some good interesting things to benefit musicians by having the power of a good network, we can help people to get out of their region." Bill really enjoys being able to promote music based on its merit, and has a few suggestions for bands trying to get press coverage. "You have to decide who you are and how to get that across. If you're a real super-slick thing, then you need a real super-slick package. Deciding what you are and what you want to be and then getting that out and using that to guide everything. People get bogged down in "what do I need or what am I supposed to have". In terms of your package, remember who you are sending it to. Some people have a sort of one-size-fits-all mentality. You should tailor your notes and your package to whoever you are sending it to, whether it is a lawyer or booking agent or label, you need to find out what they need. With the press, present them with a story, something that people pay to look at and they can go, "a-b-c-d-e-f" and have the whole story written in their head. Too many people send in things about how they met in high school or how they were a power-trio, and you can't expect someone to make up a story and fill in the blanks. That's the hard part - have something to write about and something to cover. Present a bit of a story and have photos...that's the trick. It's easier said then done." :-> *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 3. ALBUM CAPSULES/CONCERT REVIEW - CD Reviews by Mark E. Waterbury Ice Age - Liberation Magna Carta - MA-9051-2 Ice Age's second CD "Liberation" is a brilliant mosaic showcasing the depth and intelligence of this progressive rock foursome's songwriting abilities and the ability to put extraordinary life into the music. It's easy to draw comparisons to early proggers like Yes and Marillion and more recent artists such as Dream Theater and Leviathan, but Ice Age has their own personalities; the individual musicians adding their own perspectives to the overall musical stew. Josh Pincus leads the band with intense but melodic vocals and dramatic keyboard passages. Jimmy Pappas' guitar aerobics effortlessly flows from melodic beauty to incendiary metal, the meat and potatoes of the music. Bassist Arron DiCesare's style adds a further dimension to the overall picture, demurely driving the rhythm when needed, interspersed with furious plucking and slapping. The frenetic kick-it-to-the-firewall drumming of Hal Aponte brings to mind the three holy "P's" of progressive drumming (Peart, Palmer, Portnoy). The remaining piece of the puzzle is the ability for the band to weave all of these talents into flat out great songs, and "Liberation" could be the tool that wakes prog rock connoisseurs world wide up to this new jewel. URL: www.ice-age.com E-mail: magcart@aol.com Miss Fortune - Self Titled What Kinda Records - WKR001-2
Robin Brennan - Last Diary of a Torch Singer f-Boo Records - fbcd-10001 This debut CD by California-based singer/songwriter Robin Brennan opens your eyes and your ears right off the bat with a funky and slyly seductive take on the Gospel classic "Swing Low". It's a great glimpse at the gutsy voice with rootsy blues influences that Robin possesses, but the enjoyment doesn't stop there. The subtle breathless strength of her vocals in "Not In Hell" and the willowy melodic ballad lilt in "Goodnight My Love" shows her passionate side, while "Hop In" is a sexy lounge crooner ala Billie Holiday. Augmenting this lady's obvious talents is a great core of musicians that provide a musical backdrop that ranges from nasty blues to funky jazz, light rock and sweet piano ballads. But Robin's voice and words are the definite star, the lyrics often brash or humorous with an occasional foray into emotional vulnerability. Robin could definitely go places as more people hear her music, because if her voice can't move you in any way, you had better call in the coroner. URL: www.fBoo.com e-mail: fboo@pacbell.net Dada Spots - Self Titled f-Boo Records - fbcd-10002 When the avant-garde groove of "Tummyache" kicks off the self titled second CD from multi-instrumentalist/ songwriter Keven Brennan's latest project Dada Spots the only gut feeling you'll have is that you're in for a wild musical trip. Hip horn and percussion passages are flavored with spicy beats, growling guitars and vocals like the B-52's meeting Fishbone on an LA beach in the late 40's. "Blow Mi Mind" has a mellow, funky vibe like a long day of sipping too many cocktails at a smoky club and "Pour The Gasoline" features Keven's twisted poetic rap over a slick drum-base styled groove. The excellent session musicians on the disc bring the music up a further notch. Keven proves to have both musical talent and a unique perspective on songwriting, keeping a certain laid-back feel to the songs while stimulating your cranium with thought-intensive words and tastefully unethical musical embellishments. A journey well off the beaten path of musical normalcy, but a very wonderful journey at that. URL: www.fBoo.com e-mail: fboo@pacbell.net Clare Cooper - Valentine CC-2720 New York City singer/songwriter Clare Cooper proves to have a great knack for taking a fairly simplistic pop approach to her writing and making it thoroughly enjoyable with strong lyrics from her heart and soul and an overall appeal to a wide range of musical tastes. Her pop slant has different undercurrents from the foot-stomping country feel of "You Never Will" to the oldies rock of "Stepping On The Roses", but her melodic vocal inflections and signature musical soul permeates the album, keeping a direction that doesn't veer really from genre to genre. Her voice does show different personalities from the robust blues rock on "You Kill Me" to the thoughtful ballad "Mrs. G". Clare has several very good musicians assisting her in making this CD a great vehicle for engaging music that has tons of heart and life to it. URL: homepages.go.com/~clarepearl/ e-mail: clarepearl@earthlink.net Jody Whitesides - E.nergy A.udio R.evolution On Records - ON0002 One of the first things that hits you about Southern California's Jody Whitesides' latest CD is the gritty guitar attack, harkening to some of Lenny Kravitz's edgier stuff. The music has definite modern power to it without being over blown by too much production or cluttered with unnecessary instrumentation although there is a sly sprinkling of industrial in strategic locations. The result is a lean but hungry and fairly angry rock and roll machine with a bite, driving the eerily melodic tone to Jody's voice and his cerebral lyrics. And despite the bare-bones feel to the music, there is a healthy dose of nonconformity to the songwriting that keeps a fresh perspective on the CD's personality. Burbling funky rockers like "Digital Empire" and "Vision" are tempered by the dramatically building "Tortured Solitaire" and the slightly crunchy rap-metal drive to "Talking Is King." Powerful music for a new millennium which also gives the listener room to think rather then cluttering you up with bombast. URL: www.jodywhitesides.com e-mail: rich@jodywhitesides.com CONCERT REVIEW - The Van Zant Brothers at The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA In 1976, downtown Atlanta's Tabernacle was just that; a building for the preaching of the word of the Lord. And in that same year about fifteen blocks north, seminal southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd was recording their live album "One More From The Road" at the fabulous Fox Theater. That album featuring the honored triple guitar anthem "Freebird" would help launch southern rock to prominence throughout the land and the world. Fast forward to 2001. The Tabernacle is now a house for the preaching of the rock and roll gospel. Many cynics are proclaiming southern rock to be as dead as the confederacy itself. Better not tell that to the folks who packed the Tabernacle on a warm pre-spring night in early March. For at that moment, brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant owned the stage, just as their dearly departed brother Ronnie had twenty-six years ago and fifteen blocks away. The Van Zant brothers have been working hard to keep southern rock alive, through Johnny's fronting of the revived Skynyrd and Donnie's leadership of the enduring .38 Special. When the brothers released an album of co-written material three years ago, they were unable to tour due to their respective band commitments. But time was on their side after the release of their second CD simply titled "Van Zant II". For now Johnny and Donnie, who had shared the stage only briefly before this point, finally were able to tour together, and from the very start of the Atlanta show with the powerful tornado-victim homage "Oklahoma", you could tell how much they loved being on stage together. Backed by a killer core of musicians, the brothers ripped through the solid set of the songs they had written together, trading vocals and pouring their hearts into the duets. Their enthusiasm was real, and permeated their show, providing an extra kick to the good ol' hard rockin' tunes with those blues and country influences that signified rock in the land of Robert E. Lee. Their voices sounded great as they belted out the songs and their onstage presence put an exclamation point as to why they have been such well-regarded frontmen for so many years. Out of respect, no one in the appreciative crowd shouted "Freebird" during the show, but the brothers did provide a song each from their respective bands: .38 Special's hard driving anthem "Wild Eyed Southern Boys" and Skynyrd's rollicking "They Call Me The Breeze." Then the evening became quiet and emotional, as Johnny and Donnie sat on stools and emotionally sang the tribute to brother Ronnie "Brickyard Road." The brothers were joined by several hundred voices and there were more than a few eyes not totally dry at the end of that song. When the brothers returned to finish the show with a fervent version of the Stones' "The Last Time", they had accomplished what their brother before them had: sending the fans home happy. Southern rock has a pulse and two boys with the legendary name Van Zant are doing their best to keep pumping the lifeblood into it. :-> _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 4. SCOTT TURNER’S SONG PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE The Hard Times (Make the Good Times Even Better) Although the above is the title of a song from my company recorded by Billy Joe Royal, it does hold true for many in the music business. In 1955, while attending Texas Tech in Lubbock, I met a true gentleman by the name of Sonny Curtis. He was working in a local music store and, in fact, I bought my first "Chet Atkins" model Gretsch guitar from him and he taught me the basics of finger-style picking back in that era. The name may not register with you, but perhaps some of his songs will, i.e. "I Fought The Law and The Law Won" (Bobby Fuller); "Walk Right Back" (Everly Brothers); and the theme to the Mary Tyler Moore Show, just to mention a few of his numerous hits. Sonny is also a great vocalist and did many projects for Snuff Garrett's Viva Label. Sonny and I have remained close through the years and he now resides in the outskirts of Nashville and frequently appears with both the Everly Brothers and The Crickets. But one incident remains indelible in my mind. When I was transferred to Nashville to take over the country division of Liberty/United Artists Records in 1968, I discovered a box of so-called "undeliverable mail" in the store room so I decided to look through it to see if any pieces could be forwarded, and lo and behold, there sat a BMI check addressed to Sonny! But there were so many post office stickers on the envelope, I had to open it to see where the original address was. Naturally, it was obsolete, but the check was for $8000...that's right! Eight thousand dollars! Immediately, I started to hunt down Sonny in L.A. and thank goodness an old friend Don Blocker in Snuff Garrett's office had Sonny's current address so I sent the check out to him (with an apology and explanation of why I had to open it). A few days later, I received a very warm phone call from Sonny thanking me profusely for sending the check to him as he was about to lose his home in L.A. and the funds virtually saved his house! Those are the ups and downs in this industry because Sonny had no idea that the BMI check ever existed. But would you believe that the same thing just happened to me (although I wasn't about to lose my home)? In 1961, while in New York with Guy Mitchell, I happened to write a song with a writer/artist named Freddy Scott titled "One More River To Cross" that was published by Joy Music and recorded by the Dell Vikings, a very hot group at the time. I imagined that the only royalties I would ever receive were from that recording, but apparently Joy Music was sold to Atlantic and just last week, I was totally surprised by a hefty check from that firm because the song is in a film titled "The Opportunist". So the moral of this column is "Don't ever think that oldie of yours is gathering dust", because sometimes the hard times make the good times even better. You bet I wrote a note of thanks to Atlantic. :-> _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 5. QUIPS & QUOTES Skillset to get you going Royalties are nice, but shaking the beads brings in the money quicker. - Gypsy Rose Lee :-> _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 6. INDIE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - Ryan Link of Miss Fortune It was just a few years ago when guitarist Jay Barclay started playing in bands with bassist Jon Hindmarsh and drummer Chris Hobbick while the three were attending a music school in Boston. And as the threesome began to hone their particular power-pop sound, the final piece to the puzzle was on its way. Ryan Link was a singer/drummer from Seattle who had moved to Beantown, and while taking some classes at Berklee College of Music, he responded to an ad on a bulletin board for a band seeking a singer. Throwing away his drum sticks, Ryan took over the frontman duties and joined Jay, Jon and Chris to form the band Miss Fortune. Working hard to tweak their sound, the band has been building a solid fan base in Boston, as well as in other areas of the Northeast and east coast. Their self-titled debut on What Kinda Records has already sold around a thousand units, and the band is among the twenty semifinalists in ModMusic's Indie Band Search 2001 contest. Although they are currently looking for a new bassist, the band is gearing up to hit the road again to further spread their tendrils. A recent chat with Ryan Link gives us a glimpse at how another band out of Boston is trying to take the road to stardom. MM: When you first joined up with the members who would eventually become Miss Fortune, did your styles click right away or did you have to tweak it for awhile? RL: It took a lot of work. We really sucked for about a year. (Laughs) I had been out of the real rock thing for awhile. I had been into jazzier and groove-oriented music. I had never really written pop songs, but I knew that these were good pop songs that Jay had written and I wanted to sing them. It took awhile for me to get around the qualms that I had about not singing lyrics that I had written, but I've always had pretty wildly eclectic musical tastes so it was different to meet someone like Jay who focuses more on pop rock. MM: You said you "sucked" for awhile to borrow your own phrase - at what point did you realize you didn't suck anymore and you had something good going on? RL: After the first year or year and a half, we started getting some better shows around town and moving up in the local scene pretty fast. We started getting some good feedback from people who thought we really had something going with an identifiable sound. People just kept coming back to the shows who weren't necessarily family members or friends. (Laughs) That was the point when we started to realize that things were happening. MM: Is Boston a tough music market? RL: Yeah it really is. It's very competitive and it's very easy for a band to drown here. There are well over two thousand bands in the metro area so it's tough to get recognized unless you're really on top of what you're doing and have good songs and consistent performances. There is a tight-knit indie rock scene here that Miss Fortune's never really been a part of. It's tough to be a part of that because the expectation is that you are never really going to break out of it. It's just people who view music more as a hobby or they never want to go on tour which is what I wanted to do from the get-go, take it on the road. MM: How much have you played beyond Boston? RL: We just returned from our first tour. We went down the coast, did New York, Philly, Baltimore, D.C. - not necessarily in that order because it was a little bit of a zigzag routing. We got as far south as Chapel Hill, North Carolina. And we did all right in New York we did a Tuesday night there with forty or fifty people attending which is good for a Tuesday night. Philly is really starting to happen for us because I had sent some music to Terry Tompkins at the Philadelphia Music Conference a little while ago and he really liked the CD and brought us down to do a preview concert for the conference back in February. Philly and Harrisburg have been really good to us - we also played the Millennium Conference in Harrisburg. We met a lot of people there - a lot of industry folks who are based around eastern Pennsylvania and they've helped us get on some really good bills with great bands. So we've moved a lot faster there than in Boston. It helps to be the out-of-towners sometimes. MM: How big would you say your fan base is right now? RL: That's hard to say because I haven't counted our e-mail base in awhile but it's getting up around a thousand addresses. MM: What do people like the most about the music? RL: Songs and melodies really. We're pretty passionate about our performances as well. I think people really like to see the live show. The music gets taken to a new level when we play it live. People have just picked up on the fact that they walk away from a show humming songs. Nice melodies, no growling or metal guitars or anything like that. MM: Do you feel happier in this band then any one you had been in before? RL: Yeah, definitely. It's certainly been the most rewarding band that I've been in terms of getting to play a lot and really feeling comfortable with performing. I feel that it's something I could make a living at eventually and quit my day job just to do this band. MM: What is the band's plan to get to that higher level? RL: More touring. Right now I'm working on booking another big tour for June, but basically concentrating on this region. New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and probably as far as D.C. on a monthly basis. Just play around and build up the fan base regionally, and then work our way outward in concentric circles. We do have a fair amount of major label interest which is something I had not even considered until a couple of months ago when they started calling. I always thought that we could make it as an independent band because it's so easy to make and market your own music with the web and technology advances these days. But I think we're starting to realize that we want to move a little faster to be able to do this for a living, not be tied down to day jobs, actually have the time to write more music and be able to hire people to actually do the things that I've been doing like managing publicizing, and booking the band. :-> _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_* 7. MUSIC BIZ NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES News and Opportunities Compiled for Musicians, Songwriters and Music Professionals by Sandy Serge Music Morsels encourages all of you to fax your press releases to us at 678/494-9269 or email them to MusMorsels@aol.com for possible inclusion in this column. This column will be featured monthly. Deadline for inclusion is the 25th of the month for the upcoming issue. Attn: Musicians - Serge Entertainment Group needs dedicated booking representatives in all parts of the USA. If you have booking experience through booking your own band (or anyone else's) and you want to make some extra money by securing quality bookings for other indie bands, please email SergeEnt@aol.com for more information. This is your opportunity to help other indie musicians and make money while doing so! Commission based with incentive program. Artist Corner is an entertainment tv show that showcases celebrity and local hip-hop and R&B artists through interviews and videos. The show recently announced Internet syndication, expansion into five new markets and the creation of the artistcorner.tv web site. Broadcasting will begin after March 30. For more info, email mrasch@artistcorner.tv. The start of the 2001 USA Songwriting Competition has begun. You can find more info at www.songwriting.net or call 1-877-USA-SONG. Please consider advertising on www.WebRadioPugetSound.com. The 15 second spots includes
production costs, a sponsor board (mini banner) linking to your site, for as little as $5 in
bulk rate (8 or more). The programs are also heard on the Millennium Radio Network, with a
network of websites with 'music boxes' on their sites playing programming from WRPS for that
current month, where your ads will be heard with no additional cost to you! Announce CD
releases, venue dates....promote your music! The second NEMO Registration Deadline has been extended to Monday, April 2, 2001. Register early and save money attending what Newsday calls "The premier music conference and showcase in the northeast". www.nemoboston.com Free Alternative Music Paper - Since the launch of the website, Probemusic has grown into a
collective of eight people volunteering their time, expertise and money in order to realize the
release of a free monthly black and white tabloid size paper. The Probemusic paper will be
released on the 1st of each month and will contain a comprehensive listing section for gigs in
London, live reviews, record reviews, an artist profile section, an unsigned artist section, a
new release section and more... the first issue is scheduled to hit the streets on the 1st
April 2001 and will be available in a selection of record stores and venues around London. If
you would like to receive a copy of the first issue through the post, please send an A4 self
addressed envelope (54p - uk only!) to: Nigel Roberts runs a UK based internet radio show called http://www.exstreamradio.com which
features all genres of new and established rock, metal & hardcore from all over the world as
well as a rock e-zine . The radio show is a 24 hour streaming audio show hosted by Nigel and on
Sunday evenings it goes out live from 8 til 10pm (GMT) to an internet audience averaging 3000
per show and that is when they do band interviews etc .If you or any of your bands would like
to be featured please send cd's for inclusion, reviews, interview opportunities etc to: The Songwriter's Beat - every third Wednesday of the month at: _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_ 8. MUSIC INDUSTRY MARKETING SHOWCASE Looking for products or services to assist you on your path to success?? Then look here! Ad rates are only $15. Your ad runs for 3 months and has visibility all over the world. For complete ad rates, contact MUSMORSELS@aol.com. All ads are also posted on our web site at http://www.serge.org/marketing.htm. ====================================== Music Morsels’ Own Scott Turner Chronicles His Life In Audio Cassette Series To order Tape #1, please complete this form (copy and paste is easiest) and mail with your check or money order for $12 plus $1 shipping and handling ($13 total) to: Scott Turner Cassette Series, c/o Serge Entertainment Group, P.O. Box 2760, Acworth, GA 30102 USA . You will receive ordering information for additional tapes when you receive your first tape. Name __________________________________________ Address ________________________________________ City, State, Zip __________________________________ Phone__________________________________________ Email __________________________________________ Please make checks payable to Serge Entertainment Group. Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. Thank you for your order! ====================================== ATTENTION UNSIGNED BANDS! ================================ Hitotsu (in Japan) is starting a review/link exchange section. They are interested in light pop/folk-pop. ================================ Selling off stock of our first CD to make way for new 2001 releases. Mention this ad and get a special discount. ================================ T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST! 20,000 yen grand prize ($200US if winner is outside of Japan). ================================ Indie-Music.com ~ Save Time & Promote Your Music Free! ================================ SONGWRITER'S MONTHLY - the stories behind today's songs. For a free sample, call 1-800-574-2986. ================================ "Best of Bad Boy", the CD on Surgeland Records by Midwestern rockers Bad Boy has sold-out its first pressing. On to the second pressing. To order, visit the best on-line indie store around - CD Baby - at www.cdbaby.com. Also available at The Exclusive Company, Mainstream Records, Nickelodeon, Dream Disc and Madcity Music Exchange. Overseas the cd is available through DSB Distributors in Germany. For more info on Bad Boy, please visit their web site at www.serge.org/badboy.htm. Order at http://cdbaby.com/badboy or call 1-800-448-6369. THE LEGEND LIVES ON.... ================================= Musicians Tip Sheet - The Tip Sheet is a free newsletter for musicians which includes many industry contacts and informative information about the music industry. To subscribe, please send an email to: mailto: musicians-tipsheet-subscribe@egroups.com ================================= The new alt/rock CD "Seeing in the Dark" featuring the single "Nothing at All" which aired on the ABC series "Making the Band" by NineDollarMelonBaller is now available at CD Baby http://www.cdbaby.com/ndmb2. ================================ Like Hip-Hop? If you like the song "Baby Got Back", then visit www.mp3.com/PrinceEQ and download the song "Sexy Thighs" by Prince EQ. MP3.com coined the song the "Baby Got Back of 2000". ================================= CD Baby - the best indie online store in the world - www.cdbaby.com ================================ JOIN INTERMIXX, the nation's first true indie music Internetwork. Indie musicians need to market themselves in every way they can, to reach the maximum number of consumers. The Internet has helped make this more possible now than ever before. Maximize your Internet marketing capability by joining InterMixx. Find out more by entering the InterMixx IndieGate: http://www.IndieGate.com or call 1 800 MIXX MAG. Because Sandy Serge, editor of Music Morsels, is a valued InterMixx member, please mention Music Morsels and receive a special $50 discount off the annual membership fee of $150.00! ============================= ATTENTION BANDS, LABELS, MUSICIANS & MUSIC BUSINESSES! Serge Entertainment PR gives you access to all of the music industry's top publishers, editors and journalists in print, broadcast and the Internet. We position you for success!! Visit our web site at http://www.serge.org/sepr.htm. ============================= Get a FREE subscription to The Buzz Factor, Bob Baker's music marketing tip sheet. Every issue features inspiration and low-cost marketing ideas for your independent band or record label. To subscribe, just send a blank email to 00-BuzzFactor-subscribe@egroups.com or visit http://www.thebuzzfactor.com. ============================= 181.4 Degrees from the Norm! http://www.181.4.com/dftn/. If you're looking for today's newest music, then stop by 181.4 Degrees from the Norm! We put out a new issue each month that's loaded with album reviews, regular columns, concert reviews, and more. No fluff - just truth in reviewing. ================================ Attention: ================================ GAJOOB Magazine's DiY Report is a listing of DiY recording information, distributed freely over the Internet 2-3 times monthly for musicians. To subscribe, send an e-mail to gajoob@utw.com. Also available in hypertext format on the World Wide Web at http://www.utw.com/~gajoob/pages/diyreports/52.html. ================================ Fall into a place beyond earth listening to music by new age/classical pianist Mark Birmingham. Visit his web site at http://www.rosemeadrecordings.com for a taste of his "Garden Life" CD that offers some true soothing and relaxing music as well as several uplifting, emotive tunes for your listening pleasure. Media members: For more info or a presskit, contact SergeEnt@aol.com. ================================ ATTN: MUSICIANS! HAVE WE GOT THE 411 FOR YOU! Get the only directory you will ever need - A&R Registry (Regional A&R contacts not listed in any other directory with all major & independent labels in LA, NY, Nashville & London). All this for only $325.00 1 year (6 issues) or get a trial issue for only $65.00. Call the Music Business Registry at 800-377-7411 for ordering information. _*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_ 9. MUSIC MORSELS SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION To SUBSCRIBE to our FREE e-mail version of Music Morsels, send an email message to MusMorsels@aol.com and put the word "Subscribe" in the subject field. That's it. Expect to receive your email issue the first week of every month. Please note: We do not share or sell our mailing list with anyone so your privacy is protected. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ That's it for April! Thank you for your subscription. E-ya next month! -ed. |
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It's a tough road to success for bands who are purveyors of prog rock. When bands like Rush, Yes and Kansas ruled the airwaves, a lot of the reason for their success was because they put a
more pop slant to their music, thus appealing to a wider audience. But the truer prog scene has been a fairly underground entity, from the early legends like Marillion to the 90's masters Dream Theater. Still there are many bands slugging it out in this genre who love making this
particular brand of cerebral rock and roll. Ice Age is one of the more current entries, having recently released their second album on prog label Magna Carta. And while it can be a fight to make it in this tough market, Ice Age may have the music and the right perspective to be
standing after the bell rings.
"Disappear", the first song off the self-titled debut from Boston-based quartet Miss Fortune is
something that this band is not likely to do anytime soon if this album is any indication. The
power pop drive has a burbling intensity with fuzzy guitars reminiscent to "Let It Be" era
Replacements, but they also show Beatles influence on the psychedelic hued romp "Day Gets
Brighter" and a touch of the Jayhawks on the rootsy "If You Died". Even with these influences,
several factors give Miss Fortune's music its own distinct flavorings. Singer Ryan Link's voice
has a lovely melodic inflection to it, while still providing an edgy intensity to the
no-nonsense but intelligent lyrics. Guitarist and chief songwriter Jay Barclay gets the nod not
just for his adept songcrafting abilities but by not being afraid to provide the songs with
some gutsy guitar solos, which many bands of similar types seem to disavow. The duo of bassist
Jon Hindmarsh and drummer Chris Hobbick keep the pace with simple but lively and freshly
driving rhythms. There are a number of songs on this CD that could easily make it to modern
rock radio, and if that opens up the road to success for Miss Fortune, it will be an asset to
the airwaves. URL: www.MissF.com Email: info@missf.com