Music News

Amy Speace Joins Ian Hunter On February UK Acoustic Tour

Wildflower Records artist Amy Speace will be joining renowned artist Ian Hunter as a special guest on his upcoming UK Acoustic Tour.

Upcoming Tour Schedule

Date City Venue
19 Feb 08 Edinburgh, Scotland Cabaret Voltaire
20 Feb 08 Aberdeen, Scotland Tunnel Club
22 Feb 08 Leeds, England Varieties Theatre
23 Feb 08 Manchester, England Lowry Theatre
24 Feb 08 Cardiff, Wales The Point
26 Feb 08 Plymouth, England The Hub
27 Feb 08 Milton Keynes, England The Stables
29 Feb 08 Ipswich, England The Manor Ballroom
01 Mar 08 Market Harborough, England Leisure Centre
02 Mar 08 Dartford, England Mick Jagger Centre

Amy Speace's CD "Songs For Bright Street" was released in the UK through ADA/Ryko last year, receiving rave reviews from the press across the pond:

"[Songs for Bright Street] is a superior example of stunning music at its best ... guaranteed to make waves this side of the Atlantic. ... a unique country-folk sound that can be best described as an Americana Dido... both illuminating and effortly accessible." The Verve

"... a baker's dozen of heartfelt, soul stirring, uplifting and crashing down again songs ... Ms. Speace knows how to rip your heart out and shred it to pieces." - Zeitgeist-scot.co.uk

"If you're a fan of Lucinda Williams / Caitlin Cary / Roseanne Cash then give this girl a whirl and wonder why you haven't heard of her before... [Songs for Bright Street]'s got the lot - lots of sad country twang, a dollop of folk and just a smidge of pop... In short, it's full of melodic treats that will make your heart ache." - Lonesome Music

"Speace combines country and folk to great effect and her lovely vocal inflections invite favourable comparison with her compatriate & contemporary Dar Williams. A fine album ..." - Classic Rock Society

"Songs For Bright Street' by Amy Speace & The Tearjerks is a piece of nu-country magic - superbly crafted, rammed with lyrical reality, overflowin' with instrumental brilliance. Oh, and then there's those Amy Speace vocals - simply stunning!! Country music at its grittiest, most tangible and outrageous best!" - Toxic Pete

"This cool little lady ... has one of those spellbinding voices that just draws you in ... soft and seductive, yet witty and street smart, and a little dangerous ... Her voice is to die for but the Americana foly, twangy country arrangements ... and the confrontational songwriting come up to the same level. This album is like the summer we never had ... she gets two fullhearted thumbs up. Hell, I'll give her a few digits extra. She's that good." - Irish World

From the rustic rush of "Step Out of the Shade" to the bittersweet lilt of "Water Landing" to the gentle acoustic intimacy of "Two," Songs for Bright Street's 12 original compositions (plus a slyly countrified reading of the Blondie classic "Dreaming") showcase Speace's unique gifts, offering catchy Americana with indelible hooks, sharply observed lyrics and a gritty urban edge.

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MusicDish To Host March Video Premieres On MusicWorld3D

MusicDish will host two video premieres this coming March on MusicWorld3D.com, a video-game style user interface designed to provide a totally new way to experience and shop for new music, network and showcase, advertise, and perform live on a global stage. MusicDIsh has been working closely with Musicworld3D's "Virtual Venue" concert series to help transfer the popularity of virtual communities to the world of music.

"Virtual events have offered our artists a unique opportunity to interact with fans who may never have the chance to witness a live performance, let alone chat with their favorite musicians," said MusicDish's Eric de Fontenay.

WHAT: Paul Nash's "Jazz Cycles"
WHEN: March 20, 9:00 PM
WHERE: Jamlantis - Underwater Concert Venue, MusicWorld3D.com
ABOUT: Manhattan New Music Project (MNMP) Records Presents Paul Nash's "Jazz Cycles" performance at New York's Cachaca Jazz & Samba Club last year will be screened on March 20th, featuring a special group of performers associated with MNMP, including Shane Endsley (trumpet), Bruce Williamson (soprano & alto sax), Tim Ries (tenor sax), Jim Ridl (piano), Vic Juris (guitar), Jeff Carney (bass), Grisha Alexiev (drums). Jazz Cycles' producer Julia Reinhardt will be on hand for a night of great jazz and rare insight into this incredible jazz composer and performer's legacy to his lifelong career.

WHAT: Hole In The Head Film Debut
WHEN: March 27, 9:00 PM
WHERE: Jamlantis - Underwater Concert Venue, MusicWorld3D.com
ABOUT: Cevin Soling, producer for the cult film 'A Hole In The Head,' will be on-hand for its virtual premiere screening in the MusicWorld3D virtual community on Thursday, March 27th at 9:00 PM EST. Cevin will introduce the hour-long film about trepanation - the process of boring a hole in the skull - as well as take questions from the avatar audience. The film won the Best Documentary Award at both Atlantic City Film Festival and Brooklyn International Film Festival, and was later broadcast on the Discovery and Learning Channels.

INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER MUSICWORLD3D
1) Click here to download the 3D browser. If the yellow Information Bar comes up, right click it and allow the download. If you're asked to Run or Save it, go ahead and click "Run" to install it after the download completes.
2) After the install is complete you can sign into the 3d world and click the sign in front of you to go to the Virtual Concert.
3) Please follow this link to sign up as a citizen for more options (It's FREE!!!). However you can visit as a tourist without joining if you want to check it out before joining.

MusicDish Network is the artist development department of MusicDish LLC, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, combining content and brand development, content syndication, online street teaming, relationship & viral marketing as well as fan management tools. Our music business magazines, MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com, reach over 50,000 subscribing industry professionals through its newsletters and sponsor major conferences around the world such as MIDEM, CMW and Popkomm.

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MusicDish & Wildflower Records Host CMW Showcase

MusicDish, a leading music magazine publisher and marketing firm, is partnering with Wildflower Records to host an official Canadian Music Week Showcase at the Lula Lounge on Thursday March 6th starting at 8:30 PM. Preceded by a special dinner menu for conference attendees, the event will showcase Canadian bands Kobo Town (Calypso World) and PorkBelly Futures (Roots Blues) as well as Ralston Bowles (Folk - US) and Karlex (Afro-Groove - France). Kobo Town was recently nominated "Favorite World Artist/Group Or Duo Of The Year" by The Indies - the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards (http://indiscover.net/indies) - to be presented in Toronto.

WHAT: MUSICDISH & WILDFLOWER RECORDS SHOWCASE
Canadian Music Week 2008

WHEN: THURSDAY MARCH 6TH
7:00 PM - special dinner menu for CMW badge holders
8:30 PM - Ralston Bowles (http://www.ralstonbowles.com)
9:30 PM - Karlex (http://www.karlexmusic.com)
10:30 PM - PorkBelly Futures (http://www.porkbellys.com)
11:30 PM - Kobo Town (http://www.kobotown.com)

WHERE: LULA LOUNGE 1585 Dundas West, Toronto http://www.lula.ca

There will be free and regular shuttles from the conference site (Fairmount Hotel) to the Lula Lounge from 7:00 - 11:00 PM.

About MusicDish, LLC
MusicDish, LLC has been at the forefront of the digital music sector, publishing some of the industry's leading music magazine, including MusicDish.com and Mi2N.com reaching over 40,000 subscribing music professionals. MusicDish also offers artist development and label management support, combining saturated online marketing with business networking and consulting. http://www.musicdish.net

About Wildflower Records
Judy Collins and Katherine DePaul together have built one of the most diverse and prolific artist rosters in music and the 2008 Wildflower lineup features exciting young talent as well as seasoned musicians that will allow the label to continue to grow and be the talent nurturing label it always has been. To date the label has expanded to over a dozen artists each unique enough to call Wildflower home. http://www.wildflowerrecords.com

About Canadian Music Week (CMW) International
Now in its 26th year, Rogers MusicStore CMW is the single longest running and premiere conference focusing on business of Music, bringing together Sound Recording, New Technology and Broadcast for one spectacular week of events... By night Toronto's most popular clubs and concert halls throw open their doors to industry insiders and the general public to create an electrifying musicfest of discovery. The talented emerging new bands are music to the ears of A&R reps on the lookout for next year's stars. The Festival spans 4 nights of performances, with over 500 showcasing bands at over 40 live music venues in downtown Toronto. http://www.cmw.net

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Music Publishing For Today's Market
by Allen Johnston,

MusicDish Network Sponsor

Before the invention of the phonograph, songwriters earned income by relying on music publishers to sell sheet music and piano rolls of their songs. Even as radio and television replaced the piano in the parlor, music publishers continued to play an important role as popular singers continued to rely upon established songwriters to provide their material. (Tin Pan Alley) However, with the advent of R&B (and especially the Motown era) popular recording artists began to write more of their own songs. Since that time, the music publishing industry has taken on a less important role for singers and a much more important role for revenue growth.

Publishers traditionally acquired revenue through several different means.

Performance Rights: A copyright owner has the exclusive right to authorize the "public performance" of that work. This is why radio and television broadcasters must enter into licenses with performance rights organizations such as BMI, ASCAP and SESAC. These performance rights organizations collect income on behalf of songwriters and music publishers whenever a song is publicly broadcast.

Synchronization Rights: Whenever a song is used with a visual image, it is necessary to obtain a "synchronization" (or "synch") license permitting the use of that song. Music publishers issue synch licenses to television advertisers, motion picture companies, video manufacturers and CD-Rom companies. A portion of this money (usually 1/2 the net proceeds) is paid to the songwriter.

Mechanical Rights: Mechanical royalties" refers to royalties paid for the reproduction of songs on CD, DVD, jump drives, DAT, audiocassette, flexi-discs, musical greeting cards, and other devices sold on a "per unit" basis.

However in today�s new music business model publishers have begun to adjust their business practices to the new digital paradigm. The two main areas that are seeing significant growth are:

1. Wireless Broadband which is allowing the acceleration of device convergence. Now the iPhone has the capabilities of a computer, a PDA can be a music player and video game consoles can now access the Internet.

2. Mobile phones have become basic mini-PC�s and there are over 3 Billion mobile phone users in comparison to only 1 Billion internet users.

What is happening worldwide is that the idea of �selling copies� of music (mechanical license) has become secondary to having access to music. The Internet has become a huge machine that is allowing individuals to have access to and copy music, movies and other forms of entertainment instead of buying physical copies. Wireless Broadband access is opening up huge international markets in South East Asia and Latin America and this new access is creating shifts in how publishers must do business.

Publishers can no longer wait for companies to pay them for mechanical rights or even synchronization rights. This is a model based on consumer usage and this model is dying. Publishers must act quickly to license their catalogs to emerging technologies first; in fact recorded music and publishing licensing should now MARRY and be marketed together.

A good publisher must be able to license his catalog for internet and live music performances, background music, printed and digital sheet music, ringtones, lyric services, on-demand services, flat rate revenue sharing and ALL types of synchronization deals.

Physical sales of CD�s are declining quickly while more and more music users see music as a �free service� to be traded among other users. Couple this idea with an emerging international high economic growth, a young population and massive mobile phone usage and you have a perfect case for conceiving a new publishing model.

Gerd Leonhard has spent over twenty-five years in the technology and entertainment industries, both in the U.S. as well as in Europe, and recently, in Asia. In 2005, Gerd co-authored the critically acclaimed book "The Future of Music" which has become a must-read for music industry professionals around the globe, and which is now available in German, Italian, and Japanese. Recently he presented the following statistics.

a. In the past 12 months over 300 MILLION people joined online communities that use music
b. About 75,000 different devices can play MP3 files
c. In 12 � 18 months, digital broadcasting with �drag & drop� TV and radio stations will be widely available.
d. In the next 12 months high-capacity wireless devices such as the iPhone will be widely available.

The music business has changed into the licensing business; will you be a part of the new paradigm?

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Hobbyhorse: San Francisco's Sunshine Superteam Re-Imagines Folk Psychedelia
by Mark Kirby,

Psychedelic rock in the 1960's had two edges and came from two different strains. One was the heavy and intense Acid Rock of bands like Buddy Miles' Electric Flag, The Zombies, and countless other fuzzed-out, guitar-led bands going on sonic mental trips. The other strain of that period's music followed the hippies' path, a search for and return to a lost innocence and authenticity. Some artists like Jerry Garcia found jug band blues and mountain swing. Others, like Donovan and the British band Pentangle, mined the rich tradition of Emerald Isle folk music (which touched on Celtic myth and magical other-worldly creatures like fairies and sprites, things seen sometimes on extreme doses of LSD, perhaps fueling curiosity about the music). It is this strain that Hobbyhorse has pursued.

Hobbyhorse starts with these influences and creates an individual sound. It is organic in the sense that the duo -- comprising Annie and Phil, who play guitars and a variety of other instruments including harpsichord, organ, and percussion of various sorts -- sound natural, like they're playing in the living room of a cottage in the woods for friends, instead of for an "audience" of "fans." Their new CD, Break in the Clouds, captures the essence of psychedelia, that other-worldly concern with mythology, the occult, the fantastic, and visions from altered states (chemically induced or not). Lyrical storytelling is accompanied by music that is cinem! atic. The CD's lush instrumentation and Annie's dark angel voice give the listener more with repeated plays - a disembodied guitar twang there, a chord here, organ drones that sound like they're coming from another room in your home. The songs are memorable, particularly the sweet "Good Morning Moon," the surreal "Museum," and my favorite, the eerie "Melesina."

[Mark Kirby] What are your earliest musical memories?

[Annie] My earliest musical memories are of listening to 70's am radio. I loved so many of those songs. The songs of that era often told stories. Even though many of them were sort of corny, they were so sincere.

[Phil] My parents and sisters played classical music with varying degrees of skill. When I was a six or seven, my grandmother gave me a transistor radio and I carried it with me wherever I went. But even before that, I listened to my parent's records of folk songs by Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and the Weavers. I could memorize long, complicated songs way before I could even read. In the late 1960's, I used to listen to underground FM radio. "Jelly Pudding" was the name of the show, hosted by "Michael Xanadu." He played the latest, hippest bands from San Francisco, England and other psychedelic scenes. Those sounds really captured my 10-year-old imagination!

Hobbyhorse performs 'Lullaby'

Hobbyhorse performs "Lullaby" live for the Open Mix Documentary (www.theopenmic.net) at Freight & Salvage Coffee House on April 3, 2007.

[Mark Kirby] Break in the Clouds opens with "Lullaby," a gentle song that has the wispy yet earnest spirit of the summer of '67. The guitar comes in with delicate chords backed up by the subtle percussion of tar (a middle eastern frame drum) organ and bass. Annie's voice is delicate, ethereal, singing words that conjure lost innocence: "Snake in the grass - little lion in the tree / My love holds tightly on to me / The sun comes up behind my closed eyes / Dream of a lullaby." The full effect of classic psychedelia is aided by the sitar that enters half way through the song, creeping up on the listener like 'shrooms after a full meal.

"Angus Og" continues in the same vein and captures the psychedelic feeling musically by using electric sitar to play the opening musical theme; organ and cymbals adorn this simple song about the life a woman dreamed of and loved by Angus Og, the Celtic god of love. The lyrics, voice and instrumental textures are akin to painting with rich yet opaque watercolors: its simplicity veils its subtle complexity.

What are your individual musical pasts?

[Annie] I took uninspiring piano lessons when I was a kid. It wasn't until I was at college that I picked up a guitar. I did it because my friends all played instruments. I learned a few chords and within a couple of weeks I figured out, from a folk songbook, how songs were constructed. I wrote my first song before I could hardly play. It was one of the most satisfying moments of my life.

[Phil] In 1965, I used to pretend to play guitar along with Rolling Stones records using an old tennis racket. My parents noticed this and bought me a real guitar, and signed me up for guitar lessons. One of my early guitar teachers was a jazz player and he taught me to improvise. So I was always more into playing my own thing than into copying anyone else's style.

[Mark Kirby] What were the first groups you were a part of like?

[Annie] My first group was also the first incarnation of Hobbyhorse. I sang my songs and a friend played guitar, he played bass. The problem was that he could not really play. We had one gig at one of his friend's parties. He got stoned before the gig which made him even worse. I abandoned him there and never played with or talked to him again.

[Phil] My first band was with some 4th grade school friends. We played "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone" (by the Monkees), "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" and a few other songs like that. I played through an amplifier that my father built for me. Our drummer had a snare drum and one cymbal. Our keyboardist played my little sister's Magnus Chord Organ. We practiced a lot and performed once or twice in a community variety show. When I was 10, I played in a rock band with some older kids who were 13. We had a girl bass player and a Hammond organ along with drums and guitars. We played songs like "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and "Little Bit of Soul," not to mention the classic "In the Midnight Hour." I was in several other bands through my teenage years and played lots of Bar Mitvahs in that period.

[Mark Kirby] What are your musical and artistic influences?

[Annie] The mood of many of my songs is influenced by the mystical sound of Donovan's Sunshine Superman record and the haunting sounds of Pink Floyd. Some of the female singer/songwriters I am influences by are Suzanne Vega, Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks. Led Zeppelin has made me more aware of riffs. There is nothing like a great riff! I have studied middle eastern percussion and have developed my own percussion style through these studies. However, with all of these influences, the truth is that I feel I have little control over how I sound and write. I have found that accepting my own limitations and natural expression has made it possible for me to be a musician, writer and artist.

[Phil] Psychedelic rock from the 1960's was my first serious influence and obsession. In the 1970's, I discovered John Fahey and he had a profound influence on my guitar work. An older cousin introduced me to late period John Coltrane, and along with Miles Davis (Bitches Brew, in particular), that opened up yet another direction. Karl Berger had an enduring influence on me through my brief period at Creative Music Studio, in Woodstock, NY circa 1977. I have listened deeply to almost every style of American music, most European music, a lot of Indian music, and at least a little bit of music from every other culture in the world. I steal ideas and concepts from it all.

[Mark Kirby] How did you arrive at the style of music you are currently playing?

[Annie] It was a natural collaboration between Phil and I. It is a combination of my songwriting style and Phil's playing style. We both love the dreamy, psychedelic sounds of the 60's and the haunting sounds of music like Pink Floyd. Our sound comes from these influences.

[Phil] Hobbyhorse music is the sound of me and Annie each doing what we do best, and loving what we do. Hobbyhorse plays to Annie's strengths as a songwriter, and at the same time allows me freedom to create music that sounds the way I have always felt music should sound.

[Annie] I named the band Hobbyhorse after the Dada art movement that took place during WW1; Dada is another word for Hobbyhorse. Hobbyhorse also means an obsession. Music is not a hobby to us. Everything else is a hobby. Music is the real thing. Eventually the most important meaning of Hobbyhorse emerged: It stands for the freedom of the imagination. We describe our music as psychedelic folk/rock. Sometimes we call it progressive folk/rock. It is intricate and poetic.

[Phil] In the first psychedelic era, a door opened between the everyday world and the eternal world. It was like a very brief but very bright spark, and the spark lit a lot of fires that are still burning today. Hobbyhorse music lives in that door between the worlds and acts as a conductor for that spark

[Mark Kirby] Magical worlds are evoked in most of the songs on this CD. "Museum" speaks of a museum with magical instruments, a place that could exist only in this twilight zone. Yet contemplating such a place, even in a song, helps to open the mind to other possibilities. Isn't that the essence of psychedelia?

"Melasina" is the darkest and most eerie of Hobbyhorse's songs. The music immediately conjures images of the Red Room in the Black Lodge, the place of evil in another dimension, on the show Twin Peaks. Musically, this song captures a feeling of other-worldly dementia. Just as on the Twin Peaks T.V. show and the (horribly underrated) movie, violence against women by one familiar, with all the attendant symbolism of evil attacking innocence, weak against strong, and the assault on innocence. The music captures this. Dissonant keyboards and disembodied guitars, sounding like distant thunder and winds, cascade from the first note.

The voice sings a virtual monotone over a patchwork atmosphere of descending ringing keyboard chords, guitars that sound like buzzing bees, and sounds that evoke the feel of vast spaces like the ocean: " Your hands felt so familiar / As they caressed my cheek / Suddenly, transformed with rage / They pulled me down deep / . . . The wind blows against the waves / Midnight falls into the sea / I swim against memories / That darken my dreams." The concise lyrics and emotional and visual music combines to make a virtual movie in the listener's mind, like a passage of good prose.

Your website mentions that you are influenced by myths. Which culture's myths do you draw from? Why and how do you apply them to your music?

[Annie] I write songs inspired by myths from anywhere around the world and from any time. They are timeless stories. Writing the song helps teach me about the myth. I let my mind dive into the story. I extract the essence of a character or event. Writing the song helps the story come alive. I usually write the music first and then the story will fit in like the pieces of a puzzle coming together.

[Phil] Many of the songs I write are allegorical and use a lot of alchemical imagery. I am most familiar with classical Greek and Roman mythology, with Egyptian mythology being a more recent interest. I have also studied many world religions and draw from those traditions.

Hobbyhorse performs 'Yellow Feather'

[Mark Kirby] When you perform live, do you have just the two of you or do you have a larger band?

[Annie] Currently, we perform only as an acoustic duo. The sound is unique and different from our recorded sound. On the recording we play all the instruments ourselves, but overlap them in an arrangement. And we play some electric and some acoustic instruments on our recordings. We plan to form a band in the near future so that we can have the flexibility to play as a band or duo.

[Mark Kirby] You spent about a year on the new record? Why so long?

[Annie] The CD formed gradually through experimenting with home recording. We were recording song by song and then realized one day that we had an album. During that time we also designed the website. It was a lot of work. We had unique ideas that we wanted to realize: conscious choice pricing, guest artists, a special section for people who sign up. I painted all of the artwork for the website. We wanted a break from live performance.

[Phil] Each song has a unique voice, a unique story to tell and a unique form. Annie never writes the same theme twice nor does she use standard song forms. I put the same care into arrangements. Every arrangement is crafted to the specific song. No arrangement ever uses the same combination of instruments, the same motifs, nor even the same recording methodology. So we put a lot of thought into writing and arranging, and we experiment a lot with recording techniques. It takes a lot of time!

[Mark Kirby] The song "Walking Away" is textured to resemble and conjure the image of a caravan going across a desert; this is created by the combination of ringing bells, droning bass sounds melding with the low rumble of the frame drum, and searing guitar lines made of long, extending notes. This melange of sound is painterly in its composition. "Pheonixology" is an instrumental interlude. Perhaps Annie and Phil sought to put words and singing to this track and then realized that it didn't really need it. A simple xylophone motif opens and anchors the song throughout. Bells, organ and bass play counter lines until it all comes together at the end, an end that promises more. The song's pregnant pause ending flows into the aforementioned "Angus Og" comprising a mini suite, a musical voyage.

How did you decide to create the Hobbyhorse Caf�?

[Annie] We decided that we wanted a website that catered to the listener. So many sites on the web are geared toward booking. They are more like press kits. Or they are sites with thousands of musicians on them that are probably visited only by the musicians themselves. We wanted Hobbyhorsecafe.com to be colorful and fun and sort of like a little virtual music venue. Some of the artists on our site have been friends of ours. Others found Hobbyhorsecafe.com and contacted us. We choose people whose work we like. We like the musicians to be local or visiting so that we can make a unique recording of some of their songs so that their fans have something new to listen to. Phil has a portable recorder, so we can record live performances. It has been really fun to have guests on our website.

[Mark Kirby] What is Conscious Choice Pricing and what is the concept behind it?

[Annie] We have flexible pricing on our website. You have three choices, a minimum, standard and patron of the arts choice. Hobbyhorse or the guest musician set a minimum price, standard is 99 cents and patron of the arts is open ended. I am working on having special items available for our Patrons of the Arts.

[Phil] We were initially inspired by Jane Siberry's online store, which was our first encounter with flexible pricing.

We are consumers of music as well as producers of music. As such, we see both sides of the question "what is the fair monetary value of music?" And there is no easy answer! Our solution is to allow fans to make a choice with a range of prices (and artists with a choice in how they set their prices). The outcome of this system is that you have to think consciously about the value of music whenever you make a purchase. We don't make any judgement about the price level that you choose - it is entirely up to you. But we do appreciate our Patrons of the Arts!

[Mark Kirby] What are Hobbyhorse's future plans?

[Phil] We are playing out a lot more this year and will gig even more next year. We plan to tour a much larger region. Also, we continue to write and record new songs and have about half of a new CD completed. There is no planned release date, but Regulars (i.e., subscribers) at hobbyhorsecafe.com will hear about it first, as well as gigs and interesting news items. It is entirely free for you to sign up at www.hobbyhorsecafe.com and we only send two or three emails per month.

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Music Talks Sessions Creates "New Educational" Event Format, Launches 2008 Season

Music Talks Sessions (MTS), has launched its 2008 season moving the popular educational event into its 3rd year of helping to educate recording artists. During the past two years, MTS has provided artists with an eclectic and diverse array of live events (sessions) focused on its key disciplines of entrepreneurship, personal development and artist development.

For 2008, Music Talks Sessions has been redesigned with an all new small-scale conference format! Still maintaining its classroom style footprint. The new format allows MTS to host interactive "Live" panel discussions such as "Listen 2 Ya Mix," spotlighting Grammy award winning and nominated recording engineers to interact with artists by listening to their original music, then providing feedback on getting their technical and creative ideas from their heads into their mix. The redesign further opens the Music Talks Sessions platform to speakers such as Eric Defontenay, CEO of musicdish.com, Jennifer Lyneis, record promoter for UE3/Sony records, songwriting master, John Braheny and the Tony Robbin Companies to provide their teachings on team building, record promotions, songwriting techniques and understanding our fears and belief systems. Music Talks Sessions is a total immersion comprised of:

* Full Day 6hr Sessions
* Guest Presenters and Speakers
* Entrepreneurship Segments
* Personal Development Segments
* Artist Development Segments
* Recording Technology Segments
* Four Sessions Per Season two in New York and two in Los Angeles
* Interactive Panels

Music Talks Sessions attracts, educates and engages motivated recording artists, songwriters, producers and musicians seeking to increase their knowledge and take action! Its classroom style format provides less environmental distractions normally associated with large-scale events, allowing attendees better concentration which fosters a richer and more valuable learning experience.

"We believe Music Talks Sessions' 2008 season will be one of the best live, interactive, and direct educational events available to recording artist today," says Music Talks Sessions founder, David Knight.

Music Talks Sessions are $20 per session. For more information or to register visit our website at www.musicatalkssessions.com

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BETA Records To Sign 100 Indie Artists In 2008

Rebelling against the current downturn for traditional record companies, Chris Honetschlaeger, President of BETA Records (www.betarecords.com), has announced a new generation of record deal which partners the company with the artist in a non-exclusive three song contract and plans to sign 100 artists in 2008.

BETA will analyze and utilize listening behavior across its own fast-growing community database of 75,000 unsigned artists to find, sign, and develop the best 100+ acts over multiple genres throughout the year. BETA has already signed 5 acts with another 12 pending in genres ranging from metal to pop.

NEW DEAL
The BETA deal incorporates a multitude of distribution channels available online including featured placement of the artist within the newest version of the BETA Records website slated for release in Feb 2008. "Plugging into the new BETA is like accessing over 100 distribution channels simultaneously," says Georg van Handel, BETA Records CEO. "Alongside selling songs and ringtones, BETA will unveil two innovative online revenue features to monetize the artist. BETA has solved the industry wide riddle in its upcoming website release to generate revenue from the passionate and engaged fan who already owns the music via purchase or piracy."

NON-EXCLUSIVITY
Contracts with BETA "allow the artist to keep all physical CD sales, tour and concert revenue, and merchandise," notes Honetschlaeger. "BETA's position takes a 50/50 stake in the copyright, digital song sales and online advertising of the artist's music. All of this comes packaged in a concise 8-page contract, blessed by some of the best music attorneys in Hollywood. And since our deal is non-exclusive, BETA allows and encourages artists to find other deals to help with their career growth. I am convinced that we will discover the next generation of superstars faster and more efficiently than Universal, Sony, Warner, and EMI combined," Honetschlaeger adds.

In working with each of the 100 artists signed to the company, BETA will utilize its new multimedia facilities in Hollywood to record both the audio and respective video of each song in a high energy 3-day 3-song production schedule. With 18 streaming cameras and microphones in the studio, not a moment is lost in the "making of" each song and video.

FUTURE PLANS
BETA plans on hosting a private unveiling dinner of the new site to a group of 50 press, bloggers, forum leaders, and music industry tastemakers in the first week of February. Those interested should contact scottg@betarecords.com.

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A New Video With France 24 And Huge Hits!

The French Music Export Office presented the highlights of a successful year and a new video during their annual press conference at the MIDEM conference in January. During the 42nd edition of MIDEM, the French Music Export Office unveiled a video co-produced by channel France24 which presents successful French produced acts of 2007. To see the video click on the link to the left or go to this address: www.dailymotion.com/video/x4djfn_french-export-successes-of-2007.

Along with 1,900 new record releases, and a heavy presence at the biggest festivals across the globe, it was a record year for concerts by French artists with over 7,000 concerts! Germany was the principle territory with over 1,800 concerts, closely followed by the United States with nearly 1,600 dates in 2007. Europe represented more than 70% of the concerts reported in 2007. It should come as no surprise that the artists with the highest figures in export sales also did a lot of touring this past year, some of them include: Feist (Universal France), Manu Chao (Because Music), Air (EMI France), Daft Punk (EMI France), Justice (Ed Banger/Because Music), Pink Martini (Na�ve), Digitalism (EMI Music France), David Guetta (EMI France).

After a year of unprecedented media exposure in 2006 for French artists, 2007 looks even better: dozens of magazine covers, numerous articles in the daily press (more than 15 articles in the largest American magazines), more than 4,000 articles inventoried in Germany and the Unites States alone, numerous radio and television broadcasts... There is a particular interest in the trendy Parisian electro and rock scenes.

In Asia, Channel V, Exa TV in Mexico, and the magazines BPM and XLR8R in America pushed Parisian cool in their broadcasts and on their covers.

For classical music, the phenomenon is the same: 113 international prizes were awarded to 14 French producers for 88 CDs and DVDs. Among the most recognized were: Harmonia Mundi, Classical Naive, Emi/Virgin Classics and Zig Zag Territories. More than half of these prizes originated from the English-speaking media.

Each year the presence of French music in advertisements, television programmes and films abroad increases. This year, successful television series such as Nip Tuck, CSI and Entourage, and worldwide publicity campaigns for brands like Apple, L'Oreal and Sony, all featured French music on their soundtracks.

There were two notable worldwide advertising campaigns came from Apple and featured music from artists produced in France: '1,2,3,4' by Feist (Polydor/Universal France) for the iPod nano and 'New Sould' by Yael Naim (Tot ou Tard/Warner France) for the new Mac Book Air.

Last year was rich in international successes for a number of artists products in France, including Feist, Manu Chao, Air, Carla Bruni and Daft Punk. Feist, the Canadian singer signed to and produced by Polydor/Universal France, is without contest the best export seller for 2007 with more than 900,000 albums distributed. Her second album, the triple platinum 'The Reminder,' saw global success with over 170,000 albums sold online throughout the world.

Manu Chao has sold 4 million albums sales worldwide since the beginning of his career. His last album, 'La Radiolina', (Because Music), did not disappoint fans and reached double platinum with more than 400,000 sales.

Air sold more than 30,000 copies of 'Pocket Symphony' (Virgin/EMI France), it is certified platinum with more than 200,000 in export sales. The group also completed an immense worldwide tour in 2007.

Carla Bruni confirmed her talent as a singer and composer with her second album which reached the top of the European Billboard 100 charts the first week of its release and reached the top in digital sales in a large part of Europe.

Daft Punk released their album 'Alive 2007' in November, and it sold more than 175,000 copies outside of France in only a few weeks. The duo still ranks as THE electronic reference on the international scene with 6.5 million album sales and 3.5 million singles sales in the world to date.

Overall, it looks like it was a great year for French acts!

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Song Fest "Play'n It By Ear"

Songwriters of all genres converge on Nashville's Music Row, every third weekend in June. The 2008 Nashville SongWriters Festival is many happenings in one. Novices to pros share their songs on multiple outdoor stages & open Sing Rings. Bewtween gigs, tunesmiths attend Workshops, Q&A discussion, classes, all about the craft of songwriting. The celebration also host an Open House where participating music related businesses open take questions, exchange samples and discuss what part they play in the industry. The 3 day music people gathering is hosted by SongWritersFestival.com this June 20-22, 2008.

"Last year Curb Music, Artist Building Partners, and other "Fest Heads" helped out with stage locations," Festival coordinator, Cornelius "Popcorn" Robertson explains. "Staff writers of Sony/BMG, Warner-Chappell/Ash Street Music and hundreds of others jumped in to lend their talents. At the Writers Retreat, pros "who have been there done that," shared personal experiences. The Open House is a whirlwind of unscheduled meet and greets. This year many surprises await."

"Everyone who comes to the fest will have an opportunity to share their original lyrics, song or music." "Popcorn" continues. "We welcome all forms of songwriting. Writers are encouraged to come as they are and find their place in the mix. We are not a contest or competition."

"There are no set pre qualifications to attend all or part of the Fest. Each individual determines what they can do to help a part of the event by setting their own sign up fee. We all chip in together and that's what makes the fest happen."

The fest is now open and accepting sign ups for the June 2008 season.

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Award Winning Singer Debbie Hennessey Featured In The February Issue Of PLUS Model Magazine!

Award winning indie artist Debbie Hennessey is featured in the latest edition of Plus Model Magazine with a new interview by editorial contributor Shante� Gordon. Ms. Hennessey discusses music, image and personal choices in the world of the size 0 entertainment industry. "In entertainment people expect a certain thing but you have to be happy being yourself. You really have to allow yourself to be happy and feel good. It all comes down to what's inside," says Hennessey.

PLUS Model Magazine calls Hennessey's music "Quintessential American Music" and says, "her most recent album Good As Gone, is one that anyone can relate to regardless of background. Her rich, smooth voice contributes to the palatability of universal themes of self-realization, human connection and love." The interactive interview also features songs from the new cd Good As Gone as well as the video for the title track, which recently appeared on the TV show Extra! To view the full article go to http://www.plusmodelmag.com and click on the article about Ms. Hennessey.

PLUS Model Magazine, the premiere virtual magazine celebrating and inspiring the plus size fashion and plus size modeling industry, inspires you to thrive in your curves, crave contemporary fashion and design your life on your own terms, sans apologies. PLUS Model Magazine is published by V.I.E., LLC.

Debbie Hennessey is the winner of the AC40 Female Artist of the Year from New Music Weekly, a two-time ASCAPlus Award recipient, was included on cds from CMT New Music Collection, GoGirls MusicFest and the MS Music Fest, received a Billboard World Song Contest Honorable Mention, named Best Vocalist of the Month by SingerUniverse, and twice named Artist of the Month by Songsalive! Her music is a blend of country/rock/soul, with distinctive vocals and catchy melodies. Debbie's new cd, Good As Gone and debut cd Rustic Heart, were both produced by Rye Randa and are available through many music outlets including iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon, and Best Buy or by calling 1-800-BUY-MY-CD. For more info visit www.debbiehennessey.com.

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HDNet Concert Series Celebrates The 50th Anniversary Of Stax Records

It's A Celebration Of Soul This Sunday On HDNet With The Exclusive Premiere Of "Stax Records 50th Anniversary Concert" From The Orpheum Theatre In Memphis, TN

WHAT: The venerable Stax Records celebrates its 50th anniversary, and HDNet is there to capture it for this special concert premiere, Sunday February 17th at 8:30 p.m. ET. Hosted by Public Enemy's Chuck D and Randy Jackson of American Idol, the lineup includes Angie Stone, the Reddings, Booker T. and the MGs, Mavis Staples, Isaac Hayes, and more.

"Stax Records 50th Anniversary Concert" is a virtual music VIP list including Eddie Floyd singing "I've Never Found a Girl" and "Knock on Wood," Lalah Hathaway with "Try a Little Tenderness," and Booker T. and the MGs performing the immortal tunes "Green Onions" and "Time is Tight."

WHEN: Sunday, February 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

HDNet (www.hd.net) provides viewers with the best in original comedy, drama, news, sports and music programming.

HDNet is your exclusive, high definition home for popular, critically acclaimed original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report", "Dan Rather Reports" featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather and "NASA on HDNet" (presenting live shuttle launches through 2010). HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, NASCAR Grand National Division, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup re-broadcasts, boxing and premiere Mixed Martial Arts from "HDNet Fights"; behind-the-scenes sports news with "Inside the NHL" and "Inside MMA;" groundbreaking music programming with the HDNet Concert Series featuring leading artists and bands including U2, Coldplay, Gwen Stefani and more; entertaining and irreverent lifestyle programming including "Deadline!", "Art Mann Presents", and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to the critically acclaimed and award winning programs such as the Emmy Awa! rd winning "Arrested Development", "The Black Donnellys", "Blade: The Series", "Star Trek: Enterprise", "Smallville", "Joan of Arcadia", "Boomtown" and "Andy Richter Controls the Universe".

HDNet Movies also features a wide selection of major studio theatrical releases � all uncut, unedited, and appearing in their original aspect ratio so that HDNet Movies viewers get the best possible home theater experience.

Only HDNet Movies exclusive "Sneak Previews" bring feature films to viewers before they premiere in theaters! Some of the HDNet Movies "Sneak Previews" have included the Academy Award nominated "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room", Toronto Film Festival nominee "The War Within", and "Bubble", the first of six movies by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and produced exclusively for HDNet Films "Cashback", written and produced by Sean Ellis, "Broken English", from Zoe Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands, Parker Posey, Drea de Matteo and Griffin Dunne and, most recently the critically acclaimed "Redacted" directed by Brian De Palma. Upcoming "Sneak Previews" include "Quid Pro Quo", starring Nick Stahl and Vera Farmiga, "Hunter", the story of the life and death of infamous gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson from director Alex Gibney and producer Graydon Carter, and "Flawless", starring Michael Caine and Demi Moore.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net.

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