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Table of Contents 1. PRE-RAMBLE 2. INTRODUCTION 3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED 4. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC 5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC 6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 FILES 7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE 8. A FRESH LOOK AT MP3.COM - PART TWO by Fiona Klonarides, MP3.com 9. DRUNKEN MELODIES by Kate Hart. joerecords.com 10. CD OF THE MONTH reviewed by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck 1. PRE-RAMBLE I have sent you this newsletter because a. you have bought a copy of The Indie Contact Bible b. your site is listed in The Indie Contact Bible c. you signed up to receive the newsletter d. you are a member of The Indie Link Exchange e. you are selling The Indie Contact Bible from your site ----------------------------------------------------------------- 2. INTRODUCTION This month's newsletter presents Part II of Fiona Klonarides' inside look at MP3.com. For those of you new to this newsletter, Fiona not only runs the musiceditor.com website, but also works for MP3.com. The second article is one that is very special. During my online travels researching the Indie Contact Bible, I've connected with thousands of people. One person that always stood out was Kate Hart, the founder of joerecords.com. Not only has Kate built an impressive record label, while doing a million other things, but she has done it while fighting the overwhelming powers of addiction. To date, Kate is clearly winning the battle, and has been kind enough to write an inspiring article called "Drunken Melodies". To those of you out there that are attempting to put a stop to whatever ails you, I truly hope that Kate's experience can be of help. As many of you know, I am also in recovery, and have great respect for what Kate has been able to achieve through sobriety. Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck's CD of the month is Randy Holden's "Surf Guitar God". For you WMMW members, please get your music into Keith so that you can get your CD review displayed in this newsletter. The Indie Contact Newsletter currently goes out to about 6600 people, so it's a great exposure opportunity! Send submissions by snail mail to: MuzikMan, PO Box 476, Adams, MA 01220 As is the case every month, there are a sizable group of new contacts listed that can help you to gain exposure for your music. So dig in, and enjoy the May edition of The Indie Contact Newsletter! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WE WOULD LIKE TO extended a special invitation to you to attend an exciting new music conference entitled, Tim Sweeney's Music Strategies Conference & Expo. The conference and expo will be held at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada (located on the strip!) As you know, Tim Sweeney is the music industry's leading expert and consultant in the fields of radio promotion, retail marketing, publicity, distribution, internet marketing, label and artist development. Over the last 19 years, he has personally developed the careers of more than 1,500 major label and independent artists, (including some of the most successful of all time) in virtually every genre of music. His International Best Selling books, including Tim Sweeney's Guide To Releasing Independent Records, are not only sold in 27 countries around the world, they are Best Sellers for stores like, Borders Books & Music, Tower Records and even Amazon.com. His overwhelming success in developing artists and the international appeal of his books, lead to a series of more than 100 free music business workshops around the country, that were attended by more than 20,000 artists, musicians, songwriters, managers, independent labels, entertainment attorneys, agents and even major label residents. Starting July 15 through the 18th, Tim Sweeney will be presenting a very unique music conference. This conference will feature workshops on the first day that will specifically teach you, how to succeed first in your home market, home state and then regionally. Through our initial workshops, our goal is to actually show you how you can sell at least 10,000 CDs per market, with or without, the traditional media's attention and support. On the second day, our attention will focus on workshops that deal with effective internet marketing, web design, and which specific companies you need to interact with, to generate a whole new level of exposure and sales. Check out the web site for a complete schedule and list of topics. http://www.musicstrategies.com A convention price every artist can afford, early sign up price is only $99, for the 4 day conference. Hotel rooms for attendees at $73 per night, including Saturday and Sunday nights! Conference workshops and activities will end by 8 PM so everyday, your evenings will be free to enjoy the Las Vegas night life! We would like you to review our conference web site at http://www.musicstrategies.com. You can register and reserve your room under the special price at the web site right now! Need help or have any questions? Call us at 765-651-9872. The early registration price of $99 is only available for a limited time. Register now! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Below are the contacts that were submitted to me in April. As is the case in The Indie Contact Bible, the contacts listed are sorted into five sections. 1. Sites that will review Independent Music 2. Radio stations/shows that will play Independent music 3. Online services that will help to sell your 4. Sites where you can upload your band's MP3 files 5. Sites where you can promote your band online for FREE! @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 3. SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET YOUR MUSIC REVIEWED @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ joerecords.com - Bitch's Corner katehart@speakeasy.org http://www.joerecords.com Our site is getting over 100,000 hits a month and sales are increasing monthly - so this is a good place for a musician to send for reviews.....good visibility and a place where we treat the artist with respect. No you don't have to be a joerecords.com artist. Intoxic8 Underground Music Magazine Anamatria Intoxic8@waxrage.com http://crash.to/Intoxic8 A quarterly independent Industrial/Goth/Electronic/Experimental/ Noise music magazine that is committed to dark culture and electronic music. KindaMuzik Alex editorial@kindamuzik.net http://www.kindamuzik.net An independent, non-commercial online magazine, offering free indie/rock/pop/electronica content in order to give alternative and underground music the attention it deserves. Girl Talk Magazine - For those who enjoy the fun of crossdressing! Reverend Dan Buhler/Dashelle Dammit reverenddan@hotmail.com http://www.girltalkmag.com Girl Talk magazine would like to review your release! We are a bi-monthly publication, accepting all styles of music. Dimestore Psychology Lucretia Fury dimestorepsychology@yahoo.com http://www.chickpages.com/girlbands/lucretiafury/index.html A music/ personal zine. We include interviews, reviews, features and columns. Submissions welcomed. Status Music and Media Superflex superflex@ic24.net http://www.statusmusicandmedia.com Profiling unsigned artists from London - pictures, bios and eventually sound clips. Rockzone.com Rayanna Barker Rayanna@rockzone.com http://www.rockzone.com We review cd's, cover live shows, and do interviews. COUNTRY JUKEBOX Max W. Achatz achatz@countryjukebox.de http://www.countryjukebox.de Max W. Achatz has written about independent country music for years. Country Jukebox is published monthly in Germany's Country Circle magazine as well as on the web. Drowned in Sound Matt Willson matt@drownedinsound.com http://www.drownedinsound.com Friendly web publication looking for nice new UK underground acts to feature/review. Arizona Music Scene Anicia R. Poch? bands@arizonamusicscene.com http://www.ArizonaMusicScene.Com Comprehensive resource for the music scene in Arizona: business directories, Arizona Band Index, local music news, CD reviews, free promotional tools for bands/artists, etc. The National IndieQuirer Meredith mr_sldghmmr@yahoo.com http://www.indiequirer.com An online parody zine poking fun and indie music and the scene. The "Fanboy Corner" is the only section of the site where you will see interviews or reviews or anything that isn't parody. We will review your album if... 1. it is being released on some kind of label with some kind of distribution. 2. Your album is about to be released soon or has been released fairly recently, like within the last month or so. 3. Your band is an indie band. If your band sounds like Creed or Britney Spears, then we probably won't review it. The editor can be reached at editor@indiequirer.com b-gyrl.com bgyrl4life webmaster@b-gyrl.zzn.com http://www.b-gyrl.com The all female hip hop network features a search engine, live weekly radio show, a 24/7 hip hop stream, Female MC Week, b-7, b-gYrL stations at mp3.com, an online networking club, a freestyle/spoken word hotline, the Women of MP3.com and a newsletter/mail list. stlhiphop.com bgyrl4life webmaster@stlhiphop.com http://stlhiphop.com About and related to NeLLy and St. Louis Hip Hop. stlhiphop.com consists of a 24/7 local hip hop radio station, networking, search engine, crew and dj database, graffiti, calendar, chat, boards, radio stations, dj mixes, live broadcasts, videos, mp3s, a live radio show and a record store. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ARE YOU AN UNSIGNED ACT, SONGWRITER OR PRODUCER?? Looking for a Record, Publishing, Management and Licensing deal worldwide, especially in the UK and USA? Each month the BANDIT A&R NEWSLETTER publishes features on Labels, Publishers, Management etc looking to sign acts, songs or masters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 4. RADIO SHOWS THAT WILL PLAY YOUR MUSIC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ KUAT University of Arizona Alan Campbell alankuat@yahoo.com http://www.KUAT.ORG Classical or newage artists may submit Music For Nimrods KXLU Los Angeles Reverend Dan Buhler reverenddan@hotmail.com http://www.musicfornimrods.net A weekly radio show in Los Angeles, looking for degenerate music of all styles. Girl Germs Amie kicker07@yahoo.com http://www.mtsu.edu/~ael2b I strive to provide a space for women and queer musicians composed of an eclectic format that is not heard on commercial radio. Through the two hour radio show, I hope to provide tour support for bands that I play on my show when they come through Tennessee. I play punk, indie, spoken word, hardcore, eletronica, emo, rock, and the women I think are classic in the rock world. Girl Germs is the only show of her format in the Middle Tennessee area. Criteria for being played on Girl Germs: female singer at minimum but I try to play bands primarily composed of women. The address is: WMTS 88.3 FM, MTSU Box 58, c/o Amie LeeKing, Murfreesboro, TN 37132 Soul 24-7.com Janet Wilson janet@soul247.com http://www.soul24-7.com Internet radio station, aims to bridge the gap between creators and consumers of soul music. Country Jesus and Hillbilly Blues Madeline Farrell countryjesus@yahoo.com http://www.dreamwater.org/countryjesus/index.html Rock and roll radio aired every Thursday night on 90.1 KKFI FM, Kansas City. We play punk, indie, and Americana. THE WORLD STATIONS DJ 5th Mars & Paradise dj5thmars@music.com http://stations.mp3s.com/stations/144/the_world_station.html Stations created for every nation in the world. Listen to what the world has to say. b-gYrL Radio bgyrL4Life webmaster@planethiphop.zzn.com http://www.live365.com/stations/137464?play The all female hip hop station - lauryn hill, bahamadia, mc-lyte, rah digga, kelis, macy gray, roxanne shante, erykah badu... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO fill out the "Songwriter Survey" found at the MusicDish website (http://musicdish.com/survey/songwriter/). Tag It launched the initiative in an effort to balance what had been thus far been a lopsided focus on artists, labels and the impact of the Internet on them. The survey, running until May 13th, will form the basis for two industry reports providing an in-depth perspective on the state and direction of the community. Tag It, through its industry trade e-Journal MusicDish, is conducting this survey, sponsored by Dutch-based A&R website SoundArtist, in order to better understand the state of the songwriting community and its relationship with the broader industry. Every respondent that completes the survey and information form will be offered a free song upload to SoundArtist's Global Pitch service, which allows songwriters to expose their works to A&R managers, music publishers, producers and other industry executives around the world. Each uploaded song includes information on its availability for publishing, the song's lyrics, the song's music category and sub-category, as well as information concerning the author. For more information, please contact: Eric de Fontenay Tag It, co-Founder & CEO Tel: 718 726 1938 Email: stratagem@taggin.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 5. ONLINE SERVICES THAT WILL HELP SELL YOUR MUSIC @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ***note: The online vendors and labels listed below are those that offer artists a Nonexclusive contract, meaning, you can join up with as many of these services as you like. Truetalents.com Cory White info@truetalents.com http://www.truetalents.com Promotes talent in every aspect of the entertainment industry. Jhai Entertainment Bo Jackson jackson@jhai.net http://www.jhai.net A full service entertainment company dedicated to helping independent artists gain exposure. Red Horse Online Store Lynn Alford redhorserecords@yahoo.com http://www.nashvillerecordcompany.tv Online CD and video store with major and indie label artists. We distribute unsigned indie artists also. GoldenHall Records Tim contact@goldenhallrecords.com http://www.goldenhallrecords.com We offer supreme unsigned artist promotion in conjunction with Mp3.Com. Visit us today for details. Fetal Position bgyrl4life fetalposition@usa.net http://fetalposition.cjb.net The Fetal Position Underground Hip Hop Network is dedicated to promoting and providing exposure for up and coming, indie and non-commercial hip hop artists. A global forum for networking, a&r and more, plus mad info on how to get your music online, getting on stations and promoting your website. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING HANDBOOK by Bob Baker This is your guide to independent music success secrets, featuring over 175 ways to thrive and prosper with your own band or record label. Goal setting, networking, lists of distribution channels, offbeat promotional ideas. It's all here! Purchase it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS http://www.bestmusicbooks.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 6. SITES WHERE YOU CAN UPLOAD YOUR BAND'S MP3 OR VIDEO FILES @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ eClipsNow! - video for the WWW Peter petervb@eclipsnow.com http://www.eclipsnow.com We provide Indies with streaming video of their LIVE gigs. Oz Music Seek - Australian music online promotion Geoff Currey webmaster@ozmusicseek.com http://www.ozmusicseek.com Searchable directory of Australian artist and industry web sites. Also hosting MP3 and Real Audio. MP3 Unsigned Artists.com Mike Jackson mike@2cooluk.freeserve.co.uk http://www.mp3unsignedartists.com Artist resource and MP3 community site showcasing worldwide unsigned artists and bands. Links, resources, news, artist services, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THE INDIE LINK EXCHANGE http://www.indielinkexchange.com/ile The ILE is a list of music sites that wish to exchange links with other music related sites. With over 400 current listings, it's a great way to get some immediate and free exposure Everyone involved with the music business is welcome to place a listing. It's a simple one-to-one exchange of text links or banners. Visit today....it's FREE! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 7. SITES WHERE YOU CAN PROMOTE YOUR BAND FOR FREE @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ HipHopHotSpot.Com Remi Blais support@hiphophotspot.com http://www.hiphophotspot.com HipHopHotSpot.Com supports the growth of hip hop artists world wide through exhausting a network of all free resources designed to give artists more promotion, exposure, and positive press on a global scale. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC SUCCESSFULLY ON THE INTERNET" by David Neuve, shows you powerful Internet marketing techniques to help sell your music merchandise online! Buy it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS http://www.bestmusicbooks.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 8. A FRESH LOOK AT MP3.COM - PART TWO by Fiona Klonarides ? 2001 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Remember the old joke, 'What do you call a musician without a girlfriend? - Answer: Homeless"? Musicians are notorious for being broke. Even actors - when they're not acting - are waiters. Most actors pay for headshots, pay to be featured on casting websites, and have agents. Musicians, on the other hand, tend to feel that their music should be promoted for free. And along came the internet, a golden opportunity to do just that - distribute, market and sell your music online - for free! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the "free" internet tide is turning, and soon all freebies will be washed away. The message in the bottle will read: "MUSIC IS NOT, AND NEVER WILL BE FREE". We pay to see films, and actors pay for acting lessons. We will continue to pay for music - whether on CD or as a monthly subscription for digital music - and musicians will have to start paying for good career guidance and for getting their music out there. Yes, the entertainment industry abounds with scam artists and the point is: if you have to pay to further your career, get consultations, get CDs made, etc., then spend your money wisely! Luckily, you don't have to dole out a fortune for access to good resources, or advice. Back To Basics? Knowledge is power, and you need a few, good books, a good bio, and some good advice/critiques! Start with: 1) "DIY" fans should get a copy of the Indie Contact Bible, an incredibly comprehensive, well researched listing of sites that will review your music, vendors who will sell your CD, radio stations who will play your music, and about 300 sites where you can upload your music (if you sign up for Musiceditor's Quick Submit! Service, you'll get a discount!). www.indiecontactbible.com. 2) Also check out the Musicians Atlas for record label listings/ contacts: www.musiciansatlas.com 3) Need feedback/advice? Many bands looking for an honest, constructive demo critique and artist development advice come to Musiceditor.com. Musiceditor can also help shop really good demos to record labels and publishers for a reasonable fee. If you want your music listened to - no review, but the chance to have your music shopped to labels if it's outstanding - try Quick Submit! (You also get 10 A&R tips for free!) www.musiceditor.com 4) Bio-degrading? Without a doubt the most dismal, boring part of demo packages is the BIO!! Don't ruin the potential of your music with a deadly dull bio!! Who said musicians had to be great writers? Ask Dan Del Campos, music journalist and publicist, and a musician himself. He'll write your bio and make you sound fascinating at a cheap and cheerful cost! Dan's site is at www.IndieFilter.com Having a horrible bio is like turning up at a job interview unshaven, in your pyjamas. Not good. 5) You must have some music online - either on IUMA, MP3.com, etc., or your own website. Rules for good music websites: a) one or two decent photos (this does not include lewd shots of the band in a Texas dive bar smashed after the gig with a couple of background bimbos); (b) please have streaming mp3s on your site, not just downloads!! Many people still have slow internet connections and waiting 15 minutes to download a song that turns out to be a waste of space, time and effort will make the visitor to your site never return - guaranteed! We want an instant listen, even a 30 sec. clip to whet our appetites. Think A&R execs sit around all day, downloading unsigned music from websites? Wrong! Many of them find new music the old school way. So please, at least have streams on your site!; (c) Good bio (see #4, above). 6) Take the Law into your own hands and get yourself a copy of Richard Stim, Esq.'s "Music Law - How To Run Your Band's Business" - it's not too "dry" and you'll need it! If you really believe in yourself, and your music, put your money where your mouth is (not all of it, just a portion, well-spent) and make an intelligent investment in your own future in music. ============================================= Fiona Klonarides is the founder and editor of Musiceditor.com, an online A&R site named by Music Connection in December 2000 as one of the top music resource sites online for unsigned artists. http:www.musiceditor.com ============================================ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bumpskey.com is an up and coming Internet radio station that will play any style of music. From your basement or garage to the world! http://www.Bumpskey.com bumpskey@bumpskey.cc ----------------------------------------------------------------------- @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 9. DRUNKEN MELODIES by Kate Hart, joerecords.com ? 2001 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ The other night there was a special on television about the amazing Roy Orbison. Memories of opening for him in 1985 came flooding back ??..or rather faint recollections came seeping through. The day I stood in the Coliseum in front of eleven thousand people I was horribly hung over. Bonnie Raitt stood at the side of the stage, Roy and his band waited backstage as I numbly went through the "schtick" of being a blues mama. Walking off stage Bonnie grabbed my hand and said, "You can sing the blues!" So what's really wrong with that picture? It took me a while to have the answer revealed to me. I was there in body, but I wasn't there in spirit. Here was this golden moment and I couldn't grab a hold of it. It was as if it had happened to someone else. Even as I sit here, years later writing this article with eleven years of sobriety under my belt, I wish I could remember the details of that evening. What was I wearing? How did it feel to sing in front of all those people? What did the roar of the crowd sound and feel like? That's what it really boils down to, isn't it? All we have is the moment, as human beings and especially as artists. When you get done singing in front of a band humping so hard you think you are going to die, singing notes that just fall out of the front of your face to an audience that is hanging on every note, you realize if you are lucky, that it only lasts as long as the song. And then, it's over. And that is how it is supposed to be. But the booze and the drugs keep you out of the center of things and feed the rockets on your back, keeping you from re-entry. But of course you have to stop sometime and when you do, honey, re-entry ain't no pretty picture. Because all you want to do is just put those rockets back on and chase the magical moment all around, just sure that you can recreate it. I had gone to bed 5 or 6 A.M. The rhythm the night before had been intense and frantic coming off of a great gig in Pioneer Square. The show had moved too fast, it was hard for me to stay in the center of it. I was trying to make it all manageable. At that point in my life I was still trying to control the flow of things, but that evening I just couldn't get drunk right away and I was so tired that I had no choice but to let go and feel the madness. The crowd in the bar was a part of the beat change, making it impossible to separate any of the moving parts. When I did finally wake up from my drunken stupor years later, I realized that I had gathered pieces from the past, the present, and worries about the future and created my own monster. My head belonged to someone else, because when I looked in the mirror I didn't recognize myself anymore. If I could just undo those two bolts on the side of my neck and find a new head, one that had a familiar look to it; I would be able stop screaming inside. Just like Dr. Frankenstein's creation, the monster had taken on a life of its own and was out terrorizing the countryside. But I was in the bars and the little girl I almost drowned was me. I have spent over thirty years in the music business and today I won't touch caffeine, sugar, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol and starch. I walk and meditate and incorporate Tai Chi in my life. I have come to believe that if I am going to be an artist with any true vision that I have to be clean and connected to someplace above my hair. I have become so sensitive to that connection that even a cup of coffee disrupts the place where the truth comes from. Being "plugged in" or "connected" or whatever the hell you want to call it, I wouldn't trade for any amount of whiskey in the world. But there was a time when it was necessary. I had to play it out until it didn't work anymore. Play it out like you do a bad poker hand?..just sure this time you are going to win, only to lose over and over again. Not only do you not care if you are going to lose that hand but you begin to look forward to it. And then one morning, if you are lucky, like I was, you will wake up and know you can't do it anymore. That none of it works and there must be something else out there. Another life that is part of the dreams you originally had before the booze and drugs stole them from you. When that happens that is when your life truly begins. Allowing the music to finally begin to play. ==================================================== Kate Hart has been in the music business for over thirty-years. Kate has been nominated for a Grammy, as well as the recipient of numerous awards. In 1996, Kate was honored with the prestigious Women's Leadership Award. She has produced major festivals and recording projects. In the last year, she has produced and performed on her own CD "Queen of the Night" and Seattle Women's "Backporch Gossip" and "We Are Not Good Girls" which have all been supported by national tours. And as Executive Producer and songwriter has released the critically acclaimed "Lucy Mongrel" for joerecords.com. Along with her husband and producer, Kate is a partner an online record company, http://www.joerecords.com which hosts over 400 artists to date. In conjunction with the record site, Ms. Hart has just completed designing her web page http://www.katehart.com along with her alias (world alternative) Lucy Mongrel http://www.lucymongrel.com Currently Ms. Hart is in rehearsals for her play "We Are Not Good Girls" and is promotions director for the Winthrop Blues Festival, the largest and longest running blues festival in the State of Washington. =================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "If you?re looking for a book that gives specifics on craft, reality checks on the music business and profuse, real-life-examples of what a song is and how to write one that flows from your mind and speaks from your heart, BECOMING REMARKABLE is your ticket to ride. " American Songwriter Magazine Harriet Schock is a multi-platinum songwriter/recording artist whose songs have been recorded my numerous artists, nominated for a Grammy and used in films. Her fourth and fifth cds, American Romance and Rosebud, have recently been nationally released, as well as her book, BECOMING REMARKABLE. As well as performing worldwide, she speaks, teaches and consults in person and via the internet. For further information about her book, cds, concerts or consultation, go to http://harrietschock.com or call (323) 934-5691. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ North by Northeast Music Festival and Conference Ann Kennedy inquire@nxne.com www.nxne.com This international music festival and street-level industry conference brings exceptional new talent to the attention of industry, media and fans alike. NXNE 2001, happening June 7-9 in Toronto, Canada, explores "Artists Taking Charge of their Careers", with former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg as keynote speaker. Register on-line! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ 10. CD OF THE MONTH reviewed by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Randy Holden, the self-professed guitar god, has a special treat for those of his fans that remembered him when he played guitar for a surf-instro group called The Fender IV. Yes, Mr. Holden has been around the block a few times. Calling himself a guitar god sounds like pretty heady stuff doesn't it? Well, let me tell you, he can back up every word of it. And his guitar playing is a living testament to his title. Holden is not the classic once bitten twice-shy indie artist, he simply got screwed enough to make him reevaluate the music business. Back in his days with Blue Cheer, around the time Woodstock was making history, some things happened that pushed a great artist to the brink of extinction. The self-imposed exile lasted for twenty years, and then he came out of it, thank god. There is a lot to that story (read my interview). Holden is fiercely independent and motivated to make his own way, and he does it all very successfully. Holden himself painted the cover of this CD. As you can see, he is a very talented man. Talking with Randy made me realize what a deep and sensitive artist he is. He is the consummate guitar player and technician. I referred to "Prayer To Paradise" in a previous review as a jam, and he straightened me out quickly in an interview I conducted with him. He told me it was a sonata, not a jam. Jams are disorganized, and he loathes disorganization when he creates music. It makes perfect sense to me, and I learned the true value of his creations in the process. There are some great songs on this CD. "Prayer To Paradise" belongs on this disc along with all the other extraordinary compositions. For instance, "Hawaiian Rain", which really epitomizes a tropical rainstorm, is the difference between getting showered with real raindrops, and an awe-inspiring blend of guitar chords. It beckons images of the beautiful island in your minds eye. The notes literally come raining down upon your consciousness. "Highway Surfer" and "Malibu Run" have a nice combination of traditional surf and modern elements. I realize that seven tracks don't really look like a long running CD, do not be deceived by this. "Prayer To Paradise" runs 23:54 and "Hawaiian Rain" 17:04. The rest of the songs are more typically two minutes in length, which is standard for the genre. I really have to come to admire this man, not only for his complete artistry, but also for his unyielding spirit and strength as an individual. This is a great man, playing great music. Anyone that can paint a picture like on the cover of this CD, and enable you to see it by listening to the music, has a gift that needs to be shared. Thanks for sharing your gifts with me Randy. 1. Margaya 2. Highway Surfer 3. Everybody Up 4. Malibu Run 5. Little Ollie 6. Prayer To Paradise 7. Hawaiian Rain ==================================================== Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck muzikman@bcn.net is an independent music reviewer. Keith writes reviews for "Women Of Music-Music Of Women" as well as several other sites on the Internet. Reviews, interviews, and articles can be viewed at these sites: www.musicdish.com www.theglobalmuse.com www.2upbeatmag.com www.lancerecords.com www.thefritz.com www.Indie-Music.com www.buzzemporium.com www.simplymusicians.com ==================================================== ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Musicians 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 Zebra Music Web Site http://www.zebramusic.com An information depot for musicians featuring hundreds of Industry Contacts, The Gig Sharing Network, The Musicians Tip Sheet, Industry Interviews, Music FAQ's, Music Chat, The Musician Discussion List and many Cool Links to help your musical act. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ JOIN THE INDIE REVOLUTION! "Booking, Promoting and Marketing Your Music" by Nyree Belleville, provides the step-by-step tools that you need to make a good living as a musician and performer. Purchase it today at BEST MUSIC BOOKS! http://www.bestmusicbooks.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ VERSUSMEDIA focuses on designing unique websites for artists, record labels, venues, and any other form of media that supports them. Don't just add your band to another music database, have VersusMedia create your own web presence. We also offer our extensive music industry knowledge for audience targeting and promotion. Tired of fighting the industry alone? Let VersusMedia fight the battle for you. http://www.versusmedia.com music@versusmedia.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ============================================================ If you are interested in advertising in the next issue of this newsletter please contact me at bigmeteor@home.com or (613) 596-4996. Ads are $25 for 10 lines. If you advertise for five consecutive issues, your ads will only cost $20 each. The newsletter goes out to 6600 people and is growing rapidly! ============================================================ |