While you were a San Diego ComicCon you may have noticed this guy:
MTV’s VMA show will be broadcast live from the Forum in Inglewood, CA on Sunday, August 24 at 9pm ET/PT and feature performances from Usher, Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer and LOTS, LOTS more!
Matchbox Twenty has returned with their official music video for their first single (“She’s So Mean”) from their album “NORTH” (out Sept 4, 2012). The video, directed by Rich Lee (Eminem, Norah Jones, will.i.am) is a fun, deceptively simple video that really highlights the song and engages the band members as the “mean” girl trashes their performance. It’s great to hear Matchbox Twenty back and the vocals and music is just pure pop crack.
Make sure you catch Rob Thomas on The Voice as he mentors Cee Lo’s team. The Voice returns Sept 10th on NBC (check your local listings).
Matchbox Twenty is also headling the iTunes Festival in London. They will perform at Camden’s famed Roundhouse on September 19th.
Who hasn’t felt like Charlie Brown at sometime in their life? Jared Evan’s single, “Charlie Brown,” is perfectly brought to life with clips from Charlie Brown movies and features a boy and Jared dressed in the trademark yellow shirt with a black squiggly line. Of course, it’s a bit more hip hop than cartoon as Jade and his cohort smoke and drink.
Check it out for yourself and visit Jared Evan’s official YouTube channel for more of his music.
Now I took some classes in undergrad in music and they never seemed as awesome as this. Berklee School of Music has an online school is launching a class on Rock History, which threatens to put my theory class to shame.
The class is taught by Steve Morse. According to the press release Morse brings a lifetime of real-world experience to the material. Steve was the senior rock writer at the Boston Globe for over three decades, and has contributed to other top-tier press outlets such as Billboard and Rolling Stone. He has also served on the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Steve has a rich background in Rock History, having interviewed and developed strong, decades-long ties with dozens of the most important artists and bands in rock, including the Rolling Stones (first seeing them in 1966), U2, Paul McCartney, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Marley, Metallica, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay, Tom Petty, and many more.
The really fun part of the online class? Students will see never-before-seen video interviews with rock legends like oe Perry of Aerosmith; Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead; Mike Mills of R.E.M.; Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers; George Clinton of P-Funk; producer Jack Douglas (who has worked with Aerosmith, Patti Smith, and John Lennon); promoter Don Law; Amanda Palmer; Hugo Burnham of Gang of Four; and Duke Levine (who has played with the J. Geils Band and Aimee Mann).
The spring terms starts April 2nd, 2012 so register soon if you want to join!
To register, sign up at https://www.berkleemusic.com/openhouse-signup/
To learn more about the Rock History online course, visit: www.berkleemusic.com/rockhistory
It’s no secret that I love music. I love live music, recordings and everything in between. It’s not often that I can combine my love of music with fashion, upcycling/recycling AND philanthropy, but with Wear Your Music I totally can.
In a very smart idea, Wear Your Music takes used guitar and bass strings, donated by artists (such as Eric Clapton, Jack Johnson and Bonnie Raitt) and makes them into amazing bracelets. 100% of profits go to a charity selected by the artist. Last year the website donated over $60k!
The guitar bracelets sell for a bit of a range, Ben Harper’s is $150 and Brian May of Queen is $200. Look through the site for more details.
The website also features other items (like 45s made into coasters or custom made record bowls). So be sure to check it out, be fashionable and help out a great cause!
Visit: http://www.wearyourmusic.org
(Press Release) When we look back at history, one of the things that define an era is its music. Parlor music of the gilded age, the honky-tonk sound of the jazz age and the strident sounds of early rock make it easy for the listener to be transported to a time period of history. Music leaves an indelible mark and its legacy remains intact through the vintage posters which advertised them. For music lovers, history buffs and poster aficionados The International Vintage Poster Dealers Association (IVPDA) proudly presents it new vintage poster web show, “Vintage Music Posters: Opera to Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
“Vintage music posters are hard to find and highly sought after by collectors. These posters, which were once free, can be very valuable today. A good example is Milton Glaser’s Bob Dylan poster from 1966 fetched over $2,000 recently.” says Mireille Romand president of the IVPDA. “IVPDA members are pleased to share vintage music posters of this caliber through this exhibit.”
All of the original vintage posters offered through the exhibit have been handpicked by the world’s most trusted poster dealers. The exhibit presents a lineage of music and the eras it shaped through the past century and beyond. Included in the IVPDA’s exhibit are posters for dramatic Operas, such as Massenet from the 1880’s and 1890’s and light operas such as Franz Lehar from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Jazz age posters such as those featuring Josephine Baker are featured along with posters from the 1950’s which conjure up memories of the swinging sounds of the time. The unbridled excitement of the 1960’s is captured through a selection of rock posters which conclude the exhibit.
“Vintage Music Posters: Opera to Rock ‘n’ Roll.” is part of a series of ongoing online exhibitions offered by the IVPDA. Collectors can buy with confidence as all posters sold by IVPDA members are guaranteed to be original vintage posters. Please visit the IVPDA website at www.ivpda.com to explore the online exhibit, find a poster dealer or learn more about original vintage posters.
The International Vintage Poster Dealers Association (IVPDA) is a non-profit organization comprised of the world’s most knowledgeable vintage poster dealers. Founded in 1996, the IVPDA provides strict guidelines to promote ethical and fair business practices throughout the vintage poster industry. Dealers displaying the IVPDA logo have passed a series of stringent membership requirements.
Last week music history was made as fans from 139 countries across the world tuned in to watch and inspire Maroon 5 as they wrote and recorded a brand new track in just 24hrs at the Coca-Cola Music 24hr Session.
Today, “Is Anybody Out There”, the up-tempo track created at the session, is released for free download at www.cocacola.com/music. For the first 100,000 downloads, Coca-Cola will make a donation to support Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) in their work to provide access to safe drinking water to communities in Africa.The band entered Metropolis studios in London at 5pm GMT on March 22 and worked around the clock to create the track using inspiration sent in by fans via the @Coca-Cola Twitter stream.
Over 350,000 views were logged on the live stream throughout the duration of the session as fans tuned in to watch the creative process unfold. Providing inspiration for the song, over 25,000 fans tweeted their thoughts and messages of support via @cocacola using #withMaroon5 to the band in the studio.
Commenting at the end of the 24hrs, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 said; “This has been an amazing and entirely unique experience. It was 24hrs of creativity, brought to you by Coca-Cola. We’d like to thank all our fans for their Tweets of support, ideas and inspiration throughout a really productive and intense 24hrs.”
I learn so much about my life from music. Doesn’t matter the genre or even how “good” the song is, there are certain songs that are touch points to important moments in my life. So many songs have had a strange connection to motivating and inspiring me. Looking through my iPod or iTunes is almost like flipping through a scrapbook. There’s “Irish Hymn” by Kevin Max, a rallying cry for a friend of mine who was suffering depression. The lyrics, “This one’s for all you people, who hit the rock bottom but climbed it back up again,” gave her hope that my reassurances could not.
Then there’s “Wordplay” by Jason Mraz, a song that always rallies me to enjoy writing and remember what the real reason for writing is — the wordplay. In the song Jason sings, “are you prepared to take a dive into the deep end of my head?” Every time I say, “yes.. yes I am.”
Because of this it’s easy to see how the amazing songs on the Pretty Little Liars soundtrack can be part of the soundtrack of not only the characters on the TV show, but viewers as well. Of course, the immediate connection is the theme song, which brings back the show almost instantly.
For example Fay Wolf’s cover of The Outfield’s “Your Love” is the song played in the season’s 14th episode, “Careful What U Wish 4,” when Sean (Chuck Hittinger) breaks up with Hanna (Ashley Benson) at the dance for dancing with Lucas (Brendan Robinson). With lyrics like the haunting line, “I just wanna use your love tonight, I don’t wanna lose your love tonight.” it’s easy to see why this song can match perfectly the emotions of the scene and the experience of the viewers. (I should also point out that the cover by Fay Wolf is only available on the Pretty Little Liars sountrack and very popular). You can watch this video of Fay talking about the song:
Catch Pretty Little Liars Mondays 8/7c on ABC Family, and visit iTunes to preview songs and pick up a copy of the album here: http://bit.ly/e2S527.
I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote the Pretty Little Liars Soundtrack.
The first CD I ever owned that was truly mine was a soundtrack to a TV show: Due South. Music and film have been tied together before there was even sound. It’s almost impossible to tear away a visual story from the music aspect. I’ve never thought of my favorite shows without thinking about the music behind the scenes. Like the episode of Buffy where Angel shows up to her prom after saying he wouldn’t then “Wild Horses” by The Sundays plays. Or when “Back in Black” plays when the Winchesters resolve to hunt down the thing that killed their mother in Supernatural. Music is inevitably tied to those emotions.
So it was no surprise how much I enjoyed the Pretty Little Liars soundtrack. If you don’t know the ABC teen drama the series follows the lives of four beautiful girls living in the town of Rosewood; they’re carrying a heavy secret about a friend who disappeared a year ago while trying to figure out who they are. The CD is a great collection of songs for fans and people who haven’t watched the show yet and it enhances the TV show — this isn’t your teen rock pop collection, it’s a smart collection of fantastic songs and artists you should know.
Before I get to the songs though, I have to say how great the CD was itself. Using the iconic promo picture of four main characters with muddy arms, legs and faces sets up the music perfectly. I also loved the shout out to the fans on the CD insert (what did they say? You’ll have to pick up the CD and see for yourself). It’s always great when TV shows recognize their fans as being the reason they’re still on the air.
The show’s theme song “Secret” by the Pierces is haunting, beautiful and is the perfect theme song for Pretty Little Liars. It starts off with the lyrics:
Got a secret, can you keep it?
Swear this one you’ll save,
better lock it, in your pocket,
taking this one to the grave………
Another great song on the track is Andrew Belle’s “All those Pretty Lights” (Andrew Belle’s music has also been on hit TV shows including Grey’s Anatomy, The Vampire Diaries and One Tree Hill ).
Catch Pretty Little Liars Mondays 8/7c on ABC Family, and visit iTunes to preview songs and pick up a copy of the album here: http://bit.ly/e2S527 .
likeZEBRA.com will be spotlighting indie sensation Hellogoodbye as their featured Artist of the Week beginning November 9, 2010. In an effort to grow the indie community and inspire underground musicians, likeZEBRA.com features a new artist each week. As Artist of the Week, Hellogoodbye will be giving away a band hoodie, tote bag, and an autographed CD of their new album, “Would it Kill You,” exclusively to a likeZEBRA fan.
On a mission to reignite the independent music movement, likeZEBRA provides fans with access to the hottest indie tunes. The site’s comprehensive platform also provides independent and unsigned artists with valuable music promotion tools to assist them in connecting with fans, distributing music, booking shows, and getting paid to play. Supplied with virtually every tool needed to thrive in the music business, likeZEBRA artists are getting their music heard without having to sacrifice creative control.
“More bands are opting out of their major labels and making the switch to indie. Hellogoodbye is a great example of a band thriving without a major label. They’ve found success and freedom in the indie community, making them a perfect fit for likeZEBRA’s Artist of the Week,” says Jon Taggart, Director of A&R of likeZEBRA. “As technology evolves, it continues to make a huge impact on the music industry. Artists must provide fans with digital access to their music to stay relevant, and likeZEBRA provides indie artists with the crucial tools to get their music heard.”
Excited to celebrate Hellogoodbye as its Artist of the Week, likeZEBRA will be providing fans with the chance to win exclusive band merchandise, including Hellogoodbye’s new release. Other indie bands and artists who are interested in being featured as likeZEBRA’s Artist of the Week can create a free artist profile at www.likezebra.com. Hello, indie music revolution; goodbye major record labels.
