Story Index for Articles, Interviews, News and Reviews
COLUMN: Payola is a fun-sounding word that may make you remember coloring with a Crayola 64-pack when you were three, but the word essentially refers to bribery. To be precise, bribery in exchange for promotion of a product, as in payoffs for the airing of recordings. Which brings us to the use of music in […]
CHATSWORTH, Calif. — KRK Systems, one of the world’s leading suppliers of powered recording monitors, today launched an updated version of its acclaimed 10″ recording subwoofer. The new KRK10s incorporates a sleek industrial design that matches the company’s recently launched RokitG2 monitors, as well as significant feature enhancements that address real-world home, pro and project […]
PENNSAUKEN, N.J. — Disc Makers, the leader in CD and DVD manufacturing for independent artists and filmmakers, announced today the acquisition of CD Baby, the largest independent music seller in the world, following a 7-year close strategic partnership between the two companies. CD Baby enables independent musicians to sell their music in both physical (CD) […]
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Though they didn’t wear Speedos like Michael Phelps, the band Starving For Gravity brought home the gold and won the LAMN Jam Grand Slam Rock Artist of the Year title. The Los Angeles Music Network competition – held during June, July and August – was Olympic in proportion, and SFG beat out […]
BOTHELL, Wash. — The new U-CONTROL UMA25S Keyboard controller from BEHRINGER combines a powerful MIDI controller with on-board USB audio interface and complete software package to provide a personal production powerhouse. 25 velocity-sensitive keys and a wealth of continuous controllers offer full performance control. The on-board USB audio interface accepts mic or line signals; headphones […]
Cambridge, Mass. –Â iZotope, Inc., a leading developer of tools for musicians and audio professionals, today announced that iDrum, its beat creation application for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch is now available on the Apple App Store. The new application makes beat-making available to everyone with its simple interface and professionally produced content. “iZotope […]
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Alien Apparatus Company, Inc. announces the release of The Alien Hand Microphone Stand, a microphone stand designed specifically for miking speaker cabinets. The Alien Hand was designed to overcome the inadequacies of the traditionally used floor-mounted microphone stand. Its design consists of a plastic spring clip with an extended arm to […]
Ontario, Canada — ASK Video Interactive Media, a leading creator of video tutorials on DVD, announces Monster Guitar Method, a 5 volume DVD course covering all levels of rock guitar instruction. Each volume is sold separately so players can tailor their instruction to their current skill level while ASK Video offers a 10% discount on […]
Berlin — Native Instruments today released ABSYNTH TWILIGHTS, the latest entry in the series of KORE SOUNDPACK libraries. Highly suitable for film and game scoring as well as for various electronic music styles, the new collection offers 200 pads and soundscapes based on the acclaimed ABSYNTH synthesizer. Originally created by Camel Audio / Biomechanoid, all […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — With a mixture of rock, trance, ambient and classical music, composer Scott G (recording artist The G-Man) creates a near-psychedelic journey on “Burning Man Soundscapes.” The 14 instrumental tracks are all influenced by the Burning Man social experiment held annually on the Playa in the Nevada desert. Song titles like “Serpent […]
COLUMN: I knew something was brewing when I went to my favorite online music store (Sweetwater) to see if they had the Tascam Gigastudio GVI 4 upgrade from GVI3 in stock yet, and noticed it had disappeared from the site entirely. Then going to some other music stores who said the item was discontinued. Then […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — BETA Records, the expanding international network and community of music artists and fans, will partner with Surroundphones Holdings Inc. (SoundWave360), enabling artists to upgrade MP3 music files with a proprietary process giving their music more analog sound, cleaner dynamics, higher signal-to-noise ratio and more depth in playback, particularly in the portable […]
Adelaide, SA — Crysonic today announced the immediate availability of their Mac Pack Audio DSP plug-ins Bundle. The Mac Pack brings together three complimentary and very popular products carefully engineered for unparalleled performance and quality for the Mac OS platform. The bundle includes SINDO V2 – extremely transparent Stereo image Expander (Widener) and Narrower, nXtasy […]
Buena Park, Calif. — Steinberg North America today announced the shipping of Sequel 2, a new version of Steinberg’s successful music creation and live performance software. Sequel 2 introduces new features, including a hardware Controller Learn mode, Track Freeze, a virtual keyboard, Track Icons and many more. “This new release builds on the successful launch […]
Westlake Village, Calif. — ADAM Audio is now shipping the new A5 Powered Monitor in the US market. Built on the heritage of ADAM’s professional studio monitors, the A5 is designed for multimedia listening, mobile recording, broadcast, and surround applications. It features a compact size, three attractive finishes, and an affordable price point of $699 […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — When Scott G began to mix The G-Man’s new album, “Audio Takes a Stand” produced by Songs and Soundtracks, he was shocked to see that an unseen entity had completed it for him. “I started to assign levels to the separate tracks of bass, drums, keyboards and guitars — the process […]
Buena Park, Calif. — Yamaha Corporation of America announces a new operating system (Version 1.10) for their flagship Motif XS line of music workstations, adding new functionality and features and bringing more flexibility and creativity to their users. New functionality includes seamless switching in Pattern and Song Mixing providing instant access to 16 Voices or […]
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – “Fantastic!†“Let me bow to you!†“I walk out of here tonight a blues fan because of you.†“Why am I talking and you guys aren't playing?†“After hearing just two songs, I want to buy your CD!†Members of the band Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz, who went on to win Round #1 […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Neotrope(R), an entertainment and brand marketing company, will officially sponsor the Los Angeles Music Network’s Rock and Urban Music Contest “LAMN Jams” which launched June 9th and runs through August 11th. Taking its popular LAMN Jams to a new level, LAMN invites rock artists to submit original music to perform for […]
Berlin, Germany — Native Instruments today released URBAN ARSENAL, a powerful collection of production-ready sound material for contemporary hip-hop and similar music styles. Created in collaboration with established urban music producers and sound designers, the latest entry in the KORE SOUNDPACK range provides a versatile assortment of professional hip-hop grooves, drum kits and instrument sounds […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Get a Life Childcare Foundation, the only non-profit foundation in the nation dedicated to caring for children whose parents or siblings are living with chronic or terminal illness, will be holding their first annual “Jazz to Support Life” event benefiting the foundation’s second child care facility in West Los Angeles. The […]
REVIEW: New Jersey based Phoenix Block’s new CD “Chemtrails” nicely combines ’80s flavored world alt-rock with modern rock and sits nicely in various places if you happen to like artists as varied as U2, Bon Jovi and Remy Zero. Once I got past the hand addressed envelope with the phony ‘you requested it’ note on front (um, when did I do that, folks at MLC PR firm?), and the hype-sheet included that provided the usual mini-bios of the band mates, I popped in the CD and spun it up to play…
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Giving musicians and music lovers more power and flexibility than ever before, BETA Records (www.betarecords.com) has launched a newly expanded site combining search-and-match music selection, virtual commerce, and social interaction. Technology partners took part in a global 2-year effort to transform BETA Records into a music ecosystem to accommodate the way […]
London, UK — The first ‘Great EDIROL VJ Challenge' recently took place at the London International Music Show with nine of Europe's best VJs performing live in a bid to win nearly £2,000 worth of EDIROL gear. Winning the first ever EDIROL VJ Challenge is a dream come true for Christian Scullion from Belfast. Not […]
Adelaide, SA — Crysonic today announced the release of SINDO V2, a hybrid stereo image expander (widener) / Narrower with new features offering a high level of mono compatibility with minimal side effects. SINDO V2 offers a uniquely powerful stereo toolkit for digital editing, mastering and tracking for all stereo audio material. SINDO V2 allows […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Following up on the success of their debut album “Beat Hustlers,†Barcelona Spain's production trio – known as Pachecos – return with “Fear Of A Green Planet,†an album that pays tribute to the classic Public Enemy album (Fear Of A Black Planet), while also promoting the legalization of their favorite […]
PARIS, France — The E²Transienter brings a unique, simple and powerful approach to transient processing. In fact it is far more than a simple transient designer, and it can be used in many situations, including high demanding mastering jobs. The E²Transienter is available now for Mac OSX in TDM, AU, RTAS format with iLok support. […]
LONDON, U.K. — EDIROL Europe celebrated their first decade in business at the London International Music Show (LIMS). As well as putting on a glittering party and boat trip, the company marked the occasion with an impressive, feature-packed stand in the heart of the main exhibition space. There was a dazzling array of hardware and […]
MIAMI, Fla. — With the music industry desperately needing a new business model, and the gap between the major and indie labels getting smaller and smaller, a new breed of indie is making waves in a big way: Heavy Air Music, Inc. With such heavy hitters as Pharell Williams, Scott Storch, Tom Lord-Alge, Missy Elliot, […]
Beijing, China — CME, makers of the BitStream 3X MIDI Controller, have released version 1.8 firmware for the unit, adding new features and enhancing its functionality. As the world’s first 3 axis MIDI controller, CME Bitstream 3X is a completely new direction in MIDI controllers and is perfect for controlling Virtual Instruments, DAWs, and even […]
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Dee Dee Phelps, the original member of the Warner Bros. Records duo Dick and Dee Dee, and singer/actor Michael Dunn, will re-create the hits of Dick and Dee Dee and other ’60s recording artists on Sunday night, June 22nd at Theatre Palisades, 941 Temescal Canyon Road, in Pacific Palisades, California at […]
BERLIN, Germany — Native Instruments today released FM8 TRANSIENT ATTACKS, a new collection of highly expressive synthesizer sounds for use in FM8 as well as in KORE 2 and the free KORE PLAYER. Carefully created by FM sound design specialists, the 200 distinctive new presets in this KORE SOUNDPACK are specifically tailored for the sound […]
BERLIN, Germany — Native Instruments today released DEEP TRANSFORMATIONS, an innovative KORE SOUNDPACK that turns KORE 2 and the free KORE PLAYER into a creative sound processor for live performance and studio productions. Utilizing the powerful sound engines integrated in KORE, the new sound pack provides 150 sophisticated multi-effect combinations that can colour, transform and […]
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Music Network presents the URBAN & the ROCK Music Contests launching June 9. Taking its popular “LAMN Jams” to a new level, urban and rock artists are invited to perform original music for a panel of industry experts and receive live critiques. Monthly winners move up to the finale […]
RACINE, Wis. — Suite Imagery, LLC has announced the completion and release of three new royalty free animation volumes in the Nature’s Motion series. The new volumes, Nature’s Motion 5, 6 and 7, each contain 20 new animations in full HD resolution. These animations serve as professional looping motion backgrounds useful in all levels of […]
UPLAND, Calif. — Before the “Go Green” movement began, well known hit songs such as “Country Roads,” “Rocky Mountain High” and “Sunshine on My Shoulders” tied music together with the environment years before it was socially popular. Long before “carbon foot printing” became a household word, John Denver created “Plant It 2000,” a nonprofit foundation […]
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The nation’s leading CD / DVD duplicator, replicator and printer has joined forces with Hitt Music Group, one of the industry’s most buzz-worthy licensing and submission firms. The idea is to offer high quality replication services, at a discounted rate, to all HMG clients. After several weeks of motivated negotiation, Disc Makers […]
CHICAGO, Ill. — GameBeat Studios is pleased to announce they have been awarded the contract to produce the music for the Illinois State Lottery’s 2008 summer campaign. Having beaten out several competitors, this is the second year in a row this award winning music production team has been chosen to do the music for the […]
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — To commemorate the first annual anniversary of the Angora Fire, Think Tank Promotions, in association with Net TV Broadcasting, present “The Angora Benefit Concert.” Gates open at noon at the Horizon Casino Outdoor Concert Center, 50 Highway 50, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, June 24, 2008. This all-day benefit concert will showcase […]
PHOENIX, Ariz. — SelectRadio data shows that listeners using its Windows Mobile smartphone software are taking full advantage of recently added features to discover new music while enjoying their favorite Internet or satellite radio channels. When SelectRadio users hear a new song or artist of interest, they can click one button to retrieve detailed information […]
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Bands and solo artists no longer need to feel intimated by the competitive music industry now that Hitt Music Group and Media Riot Productions have joined forces. The two met at this year’s music and media conference South by Southwest and since then have collaborated to meet the growing needs of music […]
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — iZotope, Inc., a leading innovator in audio signal processing technology, has released iZotope RX(TM) audio restoration plug-ins, featuring the essential tools for cleaning and restoring audio. Available for VST, Audio Unit, MAS, ProTools (RTAS, AudioSuite), and DirectX, the plug-ins are now included with the award-winning standalone version for the same price of $349.
BOONTON, N.J. — Streaming video and music distributed across the Internet, an IPTV network, or a mobile handset will generate $70 billion in network-derived and content-derived revenue into the US markets over the next six years, according to a new market research study from The Insight Research Corporation.
BARDSTOWN, Ky. — An acoustic rock musician from Bardstown, Kentucky will embark on a month-long tour of laundry mats, spanning a number of cities in six states. Matthew Fogle kicks off the promotional expedition, aptly entitled “Spring Cleaning Tour ’08” on Monday, March 24th in his hometown of Bardstown. The tour then visits nearly 20 laundry mats in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee, and other stops in Kentucky.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Underground Mexican hip-hop artist/entrepreneur, SOLOW13, breaks the music game wide open by establishing his own label, TRUTH LOVES LA WFAMILIA, LLC or simply LAWFAMILIA, LLC. The new imprint is a collaborative partnership between SOLOW13 and famed West Coast label, Latin Thug Records – best known for being founded by Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog and home to the Reyes Brothers, B Real’s “Gunslinger” albums and many other notable releases.
COLUMN: Scott G says we shouldn’t be too hard on Maxim magazine for reviewing an album they hadn’t heard. They are pioneers in a new form of rock journalism.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The law firm of Rukin Hyland Doria & Tindall LLP has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the former CFO of Signatures Network Inc. (SNI) in California Superior Court (Case No. CGC-08-472337) charging that SNI wrongfully terminated him after he protested allegedly fraudulent practices at the company that deprived its musical artists of millions of dollars in royalty payments.
COLUMN: Scott G was happy to ogle the tons of software, DAWs, gadgets, guitars, and gear galore at the NAMM show, but an Apple demo seemed to predict the way the industry is moving.
AUSTIN, Texas — American icon Willie Nelson says he supports efforts to impeach President Bush and “throw the bastards out,” adding that the administration will do anything to stay in power, including staging an event to cancel the election. In his second appearance this month, Nelson told The Alex Jones Show today that he supported Dennis Kucinich’s attempt to impeach Bush.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The Los Angeles Music Network’s “LAMN Jam” heads for the Big Apple. Launched three years ago in Los Angeles (where performances continue), LAMN Jams go beyond traditional showcases by featuring artists performing original songs, followed by instant professional critiques from a panel of industry experts. This year, artists will perform for $20,000 in prizes.