2011 January

Archive for January, 2011

Industry Spotlight: Harry Fox Agency

A funny thing happened back in the Brill Building days of music publishing. Before the National Music Publishers Association, better known as the NMPA, was formed in 1917, there was a music publisher’s trade association in New York and a guy named Harry Fox worked there. For whatever reason, Fox was the guy who doled [...]

Folk Rocker Ron Sexsmith Teams With Metallica Producer For New Album

When Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexmith wanted to shake things up for his latest album, he turned to Metallica producer Bob Rock. Sexmsith actually got the idea from Michael Buble; the crooner drafted Rock to produce his 2009 album Crazy Love, which went multi-platinum. So Sexsmith sent Rock some demos, and soon enough, the two decided [...]

Great Quotations: Iron & Wine

“Making sad music, it’s not for me. I don’t find that interesting. I want to describe a feeling, and write something that’s true. I do touch on stuff that people don’t want to deal with because they think it’s too heavy or sad, but I don’t try to make people upset. A good song should [...]

Gear Review: Korg Kaoss KP3 Dynamic Effect/Sampler

KORG KP3 Kaoss Pad MSRP: $460.00 The Kaoss pad has been around now for over a decade – since 1999 – and the KP3 is the third generation of the product. The Kaoss pad is like a bridge between a regular sampler and a more-intuitive musical interface. Where it really moves beyond other samplers is [...]

Charles Bradley

Charles Bradley It’s hard to talk about Charles Bradley’s new album, No Time For Dreaming, without mentioning Sharon Jones – or Nathaniel Mayer or Nashville’s The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker, for that matter. All are projects from veteran soul/rhythm and blues artists whose careers have been brought back to life by younger, reverent producers and [...]

South By Southwest Documentary In The Works

Last week, the Austin, Texas-based creative content company, Arts+Labor, revealed that they’re working on a documentary about the revered music industry mecca, South By Southwest, which will celebrate its 25th year in existence this March. The film is sure to cover the story of South By Southwest’s origins: how three members of Austin’s alt-weekly rag, [...]

Songs You Need To Hear: Dala, “Lonely Girl”

Canadian duo Dala rereleases their 2009 album Everyone Is Someone for US audiences today. Freshly signed to Compass Records, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine are bringing their brand of folk-pop to the States for the first time. For a taste of what those of us not in the Great White North have been missing out [...]

The Strokes Name New Album, Drop Track List

The Strokes fourth studio album now has a name, Angles, and a release date: March 22nd via RCA records in the US, and March 21st via Rough Trade Records in the UK. The lead single, “Under Cover Of Darkness,” will hit radio next month. The Strokes, who headlined major festivals last year, will launch a [...]