Music Connection June 2015

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FOCUS LESS ON YOUR GEAR, MORE ON YOUR MUSIC. BOSE® L1® MODEL 1S SYSTEM Our L1 Model 1S offers the portability and flexibility of the L1 family — with a new level of performance. With the Bose proprietary 12-speaker articulated line array, it’s big enough to fill the room with 180 degrees of clear, even sound. At the same time, it’s small enough to fit in your car and light enough to carry yourself. Plus, with no speaker stands and fewer connections, it’s easy enough to set up in minutes. You’ll focus less on your equipment and more on your performance. To learn more about Bose L1 systems, visit Bose.com/L1systems or call 800-994-2673.

L1 Model 1S with B1 bass ©2013 ©2015 Bose Corporation. Discount not to be combined with other offers or applied to previous purchases, and subject to change without notice. Offers are limited to purchases made from Bose and participating authorized dealers. C_010978 CC016506

Gregg Allman. BMI Writer Since 1969.

Our commitment to songwriters and composers – from living legends to rising stars – endures. We value you, your music, your rights.

valuing music since 1939.

CONTENTS

Informing Music People Since 1977 *UNE s 6OL s .O

36

AWOLNATION Our exclusive interview with Aaron Bruno is a must-read for any artist who has suffered setbacks and challenges to their artistic vision.

By Andy Kaufmann All Photos: Kari Rowe

44 Song Demos This multi-award-winning songwriter delivers essential insights on how to make song demos that will catch the industry’s ear. By Holly Knight

Departments

Booking Agents Our roundtable of professionals open their playbooks to reveal how emerging artists can enhance their career prospects by using smart, realistic tour tactics.

By Bernard Baur

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40

Directory of Managers & Booking Agents

08. Close Up 09. Assignments 10. New Toys 14. Book Store 16. Up Close 18. Studio Mix 23. Business Affairs 26. Signing Stories 28. Song Biz 32. FilmsTVsTheater 34. Mixed Notes

Reviews 46. Live Reviews 49. Album Reviews 50. New Music Critiques

Compiled By Denise Coso

Be sure to follow Music Connection on Facebook and Twitter.

20. Producer Crosstalk: Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Rob Putnam 22. Exec Profile: Justin Norvell, Fender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Andy Kaufmann 30. Songwriter Profile: KaiL Baxley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Dan Kimpel 45. Industry Profile: Gigmor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Kurt Orzeck 62. Tip Jar: Your Management Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Bobby Borg

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The opinions expressed in Music Connection, as well as all Directory listings and contact information, are provided by various sources in the music industry. Music Connection is not responsible for any business transactions or misadventures that may result from your use of this information.

You write the songs.

We’ll write the checks.

SESAC pays royalties every single month.

SESAC pays our songwriters and publishers for radio play every single month. While you are writing the songs, we’re writing the royalty checks so you can spend more time making great music and less time worrying about getting paid. Take a deep breath, relax and visit sesac.com to get the royalty treatment you deserve.

SESAC.com

E. Eric Bettelli PUBLISHER E. Eric Bettelli GENERAL MANAGER / ADVERTISING DIRECTOR ericb@musicconnection.com

Denise Coso OPERATIONS MANAGER / DIRECTORIES EDITOR denisec@musicconnection.com

Steve Sattler BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER steve@creativesalesresource.com

Hillorie McLarty ADVERTISING/MARKETING hillorier@musicconnection.com

Ray Holt DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING rayh@musicconnection.com

Mark Nardone ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / SENIOR EDITOR

markn@musicconnection.com

John Curry ART DIRECTOR artdirector@musicconnection.com

Siri Svay ASSOCIATE EDITOR / SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER siri@musicconnection.com

Barry Rudolph NEW TOYS

barry@barryrudolph.com

Bernard Baur CONTRIBUTING EDITOR bbatmc@aol.com

Dan Kimpel SONG BIZ

dan@dankimpel.com

Jessica Pace &),- s 46 s 4(%!4%2 j.marie.pace@gmail.com

FEATURE WRITERS

Andy Kaufmann andy.kaufmann@verizon.net Rob Putnam toe2toe6@hotmail.com Editorial Interns

Shannen Roberts intern@musicconnection.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Danica Bellini, Brett Bush, Jeannie Deva, Luis Gonzalez, Gary Graff, Eric A. Harabadian, Ted Jamison, Andy Kaufmann, Mary Lemanski, Andy Mesecher, Kurt Orzeck, Jessica Pace, Victoria Patneaude, Rob Putnam, Adam Seyum, Daniel Siwek, Vincent Stevens, Brooke Trout, Jonathan Widran, Ellen Woloshin PHOTOGRAPHERS Allegra Azzopardi, Bernard Baur, Daren Cornell, Jody Domingue, Jim Donnelly, Kevin Estrada, Luis Gonzalez, Apple Kaufmann, David Klein, Tony Landa, Mary Lemanski, Dave Long, Thomas Long, Kurt Orzeck, Jessica Pace, Victoria Patneaude, Scott Perham, Rob Putnam, Alexander G. Seyum, Danny Seyum, Mark Shiwolich, Daniel Siwek, Vincent Stevens, Brian Stewart, Paula Tripodi, Brooke Trout, Ellen Woloshin

MANUFACTURED AND PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Music Connection (ISSN# 1091-9791) is published monthly by Music Connection, Inc., 3441 Ocean View Blvd., Glendale, CA 91208. Single copy price is $3.95, Canada $4.95. Subscription rates: $35/one year, $59/two years. Outside the U.S., add $25 (U.S. currency) per year. We are not responsible for unsolicited material, which must be accompanied by return postage. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited. The opinions of contributing writers to this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Music Connection, Inc. Copyright Š 2015 by E. Eric Bettelli. All rights reserved. Founded by: J. Michael Dolan / michael@jmichaeldolan.com

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS 3441 Ocean View Blvd., Glendale, CA 91208 Office: 818-995-0101 Fax: 818-638-8015 Email Address: contactmc@musicconnection.com Website: musicconnection.com Legal Counsel: Christopher J. Olsen / chris@chrisolsenlaw.com

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Advanced audio waveform editing Sound Forge 2 Sound Forge™ 2 is perfect for recording, editing, processing, and rendering high-resolution, broadcast-quality audio master files. Gain fast access to easy audio recording, deep editing tools, 64-bit AU and VST plug-in compatibility with automation, and the audio hardware routing functionality that Sound Forge users expect. The world-class Sound Forge experience is completely at home in its second generation on the Mac, and Mac App Store convenience makes downloading and installing Sound Forge 2 a snap.

Sound Forge power, Mac App Store convenience www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforge2

Copyright Š2014. Sony Creative Software Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. All screen images simulated.

– JONATHAN WIDRAN

MOJAVE AUDIO mojaveaudio.com

World Class Sound For Working Class Prices: One of the most trusted and technically advanced boutique microphone manufacturers in the industry, Burbank, CA-based Mojave Audio is currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary––yet founder David Royer’s history extends back much further. Renowned in the manufacturing industry for his ribbon microphone designs with his company Royer Labs, the three-time TEC Award and Technical Grammy winner launched the company’s first incarnation in his Fullerton garage in 1985. Mojave’s 2005 rebirth grew out his blueprint on how to create an affordable, great sounding high-end mic by modifying the era’s popular, inexpensive Chinese-made mics with a high quality transformer, a tube and other components.

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Setting Mojave Apart: Royer is one of an elite group of mic designers who knows that music and sounds are inseparable from electronic design. Jensen transformers, NOS (new old stock) tubes and other critical components are shipped offshore from the Burbank headquarters and joined to capsules and bodies, according to his design specs, at a highly respected factory that he DUSTY WAKEMAN: President, Mojave Audio has worked with for over 15 years. After assembly, they are shipped back for extensive QC inspections. Prior to packaging, every mic is burned in for 24 hours, tested and personally listened to by David. The hybrid of domestic and overseas manufacturing allows Mojave to make state-ofthe-art mics that are affordable without compromise. A Wide Array of Mics: Mojave’s basic mics are the MA-100, the MA100SP, the MA-200, the MA-201fet and the most recent models, the MA-300, MA-301fet and MA-101fet. The MA-300 is a multi-pattern large diaphragm, vacuum tube condenser mic; based upon the popular MA-200 designed by Royer, it adds a continuously variable pickup pattern selector, 15dB pad and switchable bass roll-off. The small diaphragm tube MA-100 is also available as part of a matched pair with the MA-100SP with a dual power supply, as well as a solid-state version, the MA-101fet and MA-101SP. This October, Mojave Audio will roll out two new mics at the AES in New York, including a “My First Mojave� starter mic, the best sounding mic available for under $500. Contact Mojave Audio, 818-847-0222

Marissa Stone

Kevin Parker

ARGOSY Console, designer and manufacturer of high-end technical furniture for recording control rooms, postproduction houses, film facilities and high tech venues worldwide, has announced that Marissa Stone has joined their team as a CAD Design Specialist. In her new role, Stone will be working on design and development of ARGOSY’s new products and their extensive line of existing products for customers, as well as custom individual designs for corporate and high-end clients. In addition, Stone will help deliver new opportunities to the company’s clients. A Missouri native, Stone is a recent graduate of Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Design. Contact margaret@msmediainc.com.

Mojave Audio has appointed Kevin Parker to Director of Sales. Parker brings a background that encompasses sales management, marketing, strategic market development, artist relations and retail aspects of professional audio and MI. He will oversee a number of crucial operations, including managing the company’s U.S. dealer base, international dealers and distributors and developing initiatives to increase domestic and international market share. This new position mirrors Parker’s responsibilities with Mojave Audio’s sibling company, Royer Labs. Since April 1, Parker has been stationed at Mojave Audio’s corporate headquarters in Burbank, CA. For more information, contact rmaycock@mountaincrest.net.

Dan Scalpone

John McElroy

Vintage King Audio has named Dan Scalpone as Sales Manager, working directly with company co-founder and Sales Director Mike Nehra. As a composer, recording artist, engineer and studio owner of 18 years, he brings an abundance of knowledge, along with over a decade of experience in sales and sales management, working in nearly every facet of the pro audio industry. Being Sales Manager allows Scalpone to open up the company’s sales team to new opportunities. He will start by building on his background and giving the sales team fresh perspectives on taking care of customers and helping the company grow. For more information on this appointment, contact mrbonzai@mrbonzai.com.

Acoustic guitar maker C.F. Martin & Co. has welcomed John McElroy as the new in-house general counsel. Bringing over 14 years of experience in banking, commercial law and litigation, McElroy’s primary responsibilities as general counsel will include focusing on intellectual property issues, vendor contracts, artist endorsement contracts, as well as general corporate issues from compliance and environmental issues to human resources, to coordinating with the various outside specialty counsels. McElroy graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and earned his Juris Doctorate in Law from Duquesne University School of Law. Contact Karen_Tzeiler@dkcnews.com.

Scott Hueston

Evan Jones

PledgeMusic has appointed Scott Hueston as the new Head of Artist Solutions, North America. In his position, Hueston will be the internal expert on fulfillment and manufacturing, fashioning a custom full-service solution tailored to the artist and making PledgeMusic a seamless experience. Whether it’s assessing the best distribution strategy or forging new release plans, Hueston’s involvement throughout the entire lifecycle of any artist’s campaign will aim to make PledgeMusic the optimum destination for both artists and fans. Throughout his career, Hueston has worked with artists such as the Raconteurs, White Stripes, Moby, Ray Davies, the Chemical Brothers, Steven Van Zandt and more. For more, contact kiva@thepresshouse.com.

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has hired Evan Jones as its first Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) to lead global marketing strategies and initiatives. Jones is tasked with building deeper consumer connections with Fender and its portfolio of brands. He brings more than 18 years of experience leading omnichannel marketing efforts for global companies in the sports, gaming and lifestyle sectors. In addition, he will further build and lead marketing and consumer engagement capabilities. He most recently served as CMO of New Era Cap Co., and prior to that held marketing roles with Nike, Inc.; DC Shoes and Activision. For additional information on this appointment, contact jfarrell@fender.com.

John Anning

Kevin Lane

Casio America, Inc. has welcomed John Anning to its Electronic Musical Instruments (EMI) division. Anning has been hired in a dual role as Piano Business Development and Sales Manager where he will cover the North West territory in his Sales Manager role while also formulating development and growth plans for piano dealers across the U.S. He will be the point person for the Piano Dealer Training program. Anning joins Casio with more than 25 years of experience in the consumer and professional audio industry. Anning most recently held the title of Executive Director of The Alliance of Independent Music Merchants. For more information, contact apecora@coynepr.com.

Webster Public Relations has appointed veteran publicist Kevin Lane to its publicity and marketing firm. Lane brings experience and knowledge to the client roster. Prior to Webster, he worked at Mercury Nashville as Sr. Director/Media and Warner Bros. Records and has overseen campaigns for several Grammywinning projects and artists, including the soundtrack for O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Complete Hank Williams box set, Shania Twain, Kathy Mattea and Lucinda Williams. After Mercury, Lane launched his own company with clients including Clay Walker, the “Down From The Mountain” tour and Compass Records. Contact kevin@websterpr.com.

CAD Design Specialist ARGOSY Console

Sales Manager Vintage King Audio

Head of Artist Solutions, North America PledgeMusic

Business Development/Sales Manager Casio America, Inc.

Director of Sales Mojave Audio

General Counsel C.F. Martin & Co.

Chief Marketing Officer Fender

Publicist Webster Public Relations

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– BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com – BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com

DEAN ZELINSKY GUITARS LAVOCE Dean Zelinsky’s latest is the LaVoce, and it solves a common issue for the gigging musician: carrying multiple guitars to handle hum-bucking tones, single-coil sounds and acoustic songs. The LaVoce has a 5-pickup system based around the SideKick pickup technology that puts a true single-coil and humbucker in the same package. The high fidelity piezoelectric bridge pickup completes Dean’s “Working Musician” concept with acoustic sounds for live stage. The LaVoce is ultra-thin, lightweight (7-pounds)—the edge thickness of the custom carved, mapletopped mahogany body is ½-inch. The LaVoce includes Zelinsky’s patented Z-GlideTM Reduced Friction Neck, making this sonic gem truly effortless to play. The LaVoce starts at $787 and is sold only online. deanzelinsky.com

PROPELLERHEADS REASON 8 A major update to this popular DAW, Reason 8 has a new browser located on the left side of the screen. The mixer, rack and sequencer are all there, but you can customize their view and, for easier use, the transport is now at the bottom of the screen. Reason 8 adds new Softube guitar and bass amp simulations as Rack Extensions. All guitar patches, sounds, samples and effect presets are “drag and drop” directly to the guitar effect unit or a synth like Thor or Maelström, a reverb unit, or the individual Kong drum machine pads. The sequencer has a lot of small improvements: you can double-click notes to add or delete them and you can duplicate notes and clips with a quick key. Mix Channel gets the color of its Source Device and if you change color either at the source or the mixer, it matches. I also like that Tracks are named after the patch you load and you can resize notes from both edges. Reason 8 is as solid as ever and sells for $449 MSRP and requires Mac OS X 10.7 or later. Windows PCs require Windows 7 or later. propellerheads.se

SENNHEISER EVOLUTION WIRELESS D1 D1 is a new range of digital wireless microphone systems for vocals and instruments designed to make using wireless easy, simple and automatic. Much like setting up Bluetooth™ devices, the D1 transmitters and receivers pair automatically and up to 15 channels of D1-paired systems will work in an ideal RF environment. There are no licenses and/or frequency coordination to be concerned with; D1 systems use the 2.4 GHz Band—license-free worldwide. I got the ew D1-835 Vocal Set and from the moment I put the two AA batteries (supplied) into the SKM D1 handheld mic with Sennheiser e835 dynamic capsule and plugged in the wall-wart power supply for the EM D1 digital receiver, I was already paired and feeding audio over the receivers to my Pro Tools rig. I was able to walk down my street about 250-feet away and I was transmitting crystal-clear sound at all times. Audio quality is excellent—exactly how the e835 wired mic sounds. Besides the vocal and instrument systems, the other D1 series systems are the ME 3 headset mic, the ME 2 lavaliere mic or the SK D1 belt-pack transmitter for guitars. The D1 kits each come in a handsome traveling case that includes everything you need to go wireless anywhere in the world. sennheiser-d1.com

VOX AMPLIFICATION AC10C1 GUITAR AMP The VOX AC10C1 is a 10-watt tube amplifier that joins VOX’s Custom Series. More portable than the AC15 but more powerful than the AC4, the master volume AC10C1 has the classic VOX tone and comes with Gain, Bass, Treble and digital Reverb controls. It sports a 10-inch Celestion speaker and uses two 12AX7s and two EL84 tubes. Originated in the early 1960s, the AC10 was one of the first amplifiers to bear the VOX name and has become a highly coveted piece of VOX history since its discontinuation in 1965. The AC10C1 provides players with an easy way to enjoy the legendary VOX top boost sound. The AC10C1 is out now. voxamps.com/ac10c1

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– BARRY RUDOLPH barry@barryrudolph.com

YAMAHA TF SERIES DIGITAL CONSOLES Yamaha’s new TF series of digital consoles offers advanced features and renowned Yamaha reliability at an exceptional price point. For experienced professionals looking for a faster workflow, the TF series offers fast, accurate gain setup, single step compression and EQ and microphone specific presets using recallable Yamaha D-PRE™ preamplifiers. The TF series (for TouchFlow Operation™) comprises three compact consoles: the TF5 ($4,200), TF3 ($3,500) and TF1 ($2,950), with 33, 25 or 17 motor faders respectively, along with 32, 24, or 16 rear-panel analog inputs. There are a total of 48 inputs on the TF5 and TF3, with 40 on the TF1, including dual stereo analog/USB digital inputs and dual returns. Advanced live recording features include up to 34 x 34 channel recording and playback via USB 2.0 and 2 x 2 with a USB storage device. All of this, plus seamless operation with high-performance I/O racks, makes the TF series an outstanding choice for a wide range of applications. 4wrd.it/tfseries

SOUNDIZERS STEREOMONOIZER StereoMonoizer is a standalone utility that analyzes audio files to ascertain if they contain stereo information or are merely mono recorded on a stereo track. Many DAW programs render their virtual instruments’ outputs as well as live audio on stereo tracks by default—even in the absence of actual stereo content. The problems start when those tracks are exported for mixing in another DAW such as Pro Tools. By converting those faux stereo tracks to single mono tracks, you cut your CPU usage and gain better file management with less hard drive space used. After importation into StereoMonoizer, the files are analyzed and a real-time waveform display and playback audition engine shows the entire length of the audio file with any stereo content shown in blue; monaural audio is shown in grey. StereoMonoizer is an automated batch processer with a drag-n-drop interface for files/folders and offers a recommended conversion method. If there are stereo or mono files, they will not be converted. StereoMonoizer works with either aiff and wav file formats and you can save time by using preset processing modes for your own file/folder/naming preferences. Soundizers’ StereoMonoizer software runs on Macs and Windows PCs. It sells for $49 for the single license and $79 for two licenses. soundizers.com

A-DESIGNS AUDIO KGB INSTRUMENT PREAMPLIFIERS The A-Designs Audio KGB-II and KGB-Itf are instrument preamplifiers that supply +4 dB line level balanced outputs. The KGB-II is a dual-mono (stereo) unit while the KGB-Itf is a single-channel version with a useful three-band, high/mid/low tone control. The KGB Series uses discrete op-amps with Cinemag output transformers and both have 22-meg-Ohm input impedances so that they will not load down passive pickups and change the intrinsic sound of your instrument. I found them to work great with guitars, bass guitars and also electronic keyboards. The KGB-Itf (pictured top), with its powerful tone stack, makes an awesome single-channel interface for guitar or bass. The KGB-II is a matched dual-channel interface perfect for stereo keyboards, synthesizers or stereo guitar rigs for either live stages or in the studio. The FOH engineer or recording engineer will love that both these units will directly drive any line level processor or DAW interface. Both have front panel Switchcraft ¼-inch Input and Thru jacks plus rear-panel ground lifts, polarity/phase flip and on/off power switches. The A-Designs Audio KGB-II and KGB-Itf Instrument Preamplifiers sell for $745 each. adesignsaudio.com

FISHMAN PLATINUM STAGE PRE-AMP Like the Platinum Pro EQ (recently reviewed in these pages), the Stage uses discrete components in a high-headroom Class-A pre-amp circuit packaged in a small rugged case wearable on your belt. Like a classic guitar or bass instrument, its well-thought out design and placement of controls, switches and jacks make using it nearly second nature after a while. The Stage has an adjustable volume boost, balanced XLR DI output and is housed in a beautiful, all-metal road-ready design. There are Bass, Treble and Middle controls with a variable frequency Mid Freq setting and Bass/Guitar EQ mode switch like the Platinum Pro. I like the “can’t miss” large Boost button facing up at you when wearing the Stage on your belt. Other switches and controls seldom adjusted while playing are: Out/In phase switch for minimizing feedback, threefrequency low cut switch, a Post/Pre DI output switch for the XLR direct output connector facing the floor and both the ¼-inch instrument input and stage amp jacks. BARRY RUDOLPH is a recording engineer/mixer who With an included belt-clip, the Platinum Stage is perfect for mobile instrumentalists such has worked on over 30 gold and platinum records. He has as mandolin and fiddle players. It can be powered by a 9-volt battery, wall-wart or via 48-volt recorded and/or mixed Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, the Corrs, and more. Barry has his phantom power. own futuristic music mixing facility and loves teaching audio The Fishman Platinum Stage Pre-Amp sells for $194.99 MSRP. engineering at Musician’s Institute, Hollywood, CA. He is a fishman.com/products/view/platinum-stage-analog-preamp lifetime Grammy-voting member of NARAS and a contributing editor for Mix Magazine. barryrudolph.com

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POWER COUPLE.

TouchMix™-16 Compact Digital Mixer

K10 Active Loudspeaker

TouchMix digital mixers and K Series loudspeakers. Each remarkable products in their own right. Together, the combination of performance, versatility, ease of use and of course, genuine QSC reliability, is nothing short of amazing. Want to learn more? Go to QSC.com.

qsc.com Š 2014 QSC Audio Products, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC and the QSC logo are registered trademarks of QSC Audio Products, LLC in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other countries.*Source:MI SalesTrak 2010, 2011,2012,2013. MI SalesTrak is a registered trademark of Marketing Information Services, Inc. in the US Patent office.

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BOOK S T ORE Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck By Brett Morgen (hardcover) $35.00 Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck tells the story of the legendary lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Nirvana. With lots of interviews and copiously illustrated with original artwork and family photos, the book accompanies the uniquely insightful documentary by filmmaker Brett Morgen, airing on HBO, delving further into the material created for the film to present an illuminating and honest portrait of the late Nirvana frontman.

Once More With Feeling By Jan Linder-Koda (paperback) $30.00

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musicconnection.com 51 Maymusicconnection.com 2015 49 49 January 2015 musicconnection.com 14 June 2015 musicconnection.com 47 March January 2015 47 31 April

Known for her Singers Bootcamps, LinderKoda’s book is an easy read that’s filled with tips, tricks and exercises aimed to help any performer bring up his or her game. It distills proven performance strategies that will “turn up the volume of your emotions and leave your audience begging for more.” Available with a DVD at angeldivamusic.com.

33 1/3 Book Series By Various (paperback) $14.95 Focusing on individual albums by artists ranging from James Brown to Celine Dion and from J Dilla to Neutral Milk Hotel, each volume in the series provides a platform for authors to explore a piece of music. The latest titles are Devo’s Freedom of Choice, which traces the story of Ohio boys through decades of hits, misses, fans and record industry struggles; Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables analyzes the politics behind great American punk band, Dead Kennedys; and Koji Kondo’s Super Mario Bros. Soundtrack traces how one Japanese composer changed video game music forever with an 8-bit score that lasts two minutes.

Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming: The Ultimate Reference for Sound Design: Second Edition By Jim Aikin; Foreward by Stephen Fortner (paperback) $29.99 Aikin’s book is for anyone who makes electronic music. It explains what is going on “under the hood” of synthesizers and explores new trends and technology. There are chapters on oscillators, filters, envelope generators, LFOs, effects and digital audio so you can get the most out of your instruments. Hardware controllers, rhythmbased synthesizers, granular and additive synthesis are also all covered. Thirty streaming videos and dozens of new illustrations are provided to help you knowledgably and purposefully make electronic music.

Crate Digger: An Obsession with Punk Records By Bob Suren (paperback) $14.95 Founder of Burrito Records and Sound Idea, Suren reveals personal anecdotes of watching and playing at punk shows and running a label, record store and radio show that 30 years of collecting punk rock records led him through. His anecdotes bring to life the American punk scene in its prime. Partly a record guide, it’s also an honest recollection of how his teenage passion became his career and lifestyle that translated into love and loss in his personal life.

The History of Canadian Rock ’N’ Roll By Bob Mersereau; Foreward by Neil Peart (paperback) $24.99 From the ‘50s to today, Mersereau details Toronto’s club scene, the folk rock and psychedelic rock of the ‘60s, the challenges and reform of the Canadian broadcasting system, the huge hits of the ‘70s, ‘90s pop charts’ Canadian artists and Canada’s indie-rock renaissance of the 2000s. He highlights popular Canadian artists such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Tegan and Sara and Alanis Morissette as well as Canadian producers like Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel).

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Oleg_Idols_small_ad2.qxp_1 4/24/15 12:35 PM Page 1

Singing TV & Radio Personality

OLEG FRISH R E L E A S E S

Duets with My American Idols Oleg Frish

Duets with My American Idols featuring

BEN E. KING B.J.THOMAS LAINIE KAZAN BOBBY RYDELL CHRIS MONTEZ PEGGY MARCH LOU CHRISTIE TONY ORLANDO GARY U.S. BONDS MELISSA MANCHESTER

In t r o d u c t i o n b y

Connie Francis

“ I am very proud to introduce my good friend, Russian TV and radio personality and American recording artist, OLEG FRISH. Oleg and great singers featured on this new CD are all helping to keep the music we love alive. All over the world. So, relax and enjoy! Thank you, Oleg, for memories and nostalgia.” – Connie Francis

– JONATHAN WIDRAN

FUTURE DISC MASTERING futurediscsystems.com

35 Years of Pioneering Excellence: Established by veteran audio engineer Steve Hall in Hollywood in 1981, Future Disc Mastering’s combination of experience and state-of-the-art technology has made it one of the world’s most respected mastering facilities. It grew rapidly from one vinyl suite to a 6,000 sq. ft. multi-room complex and became an early pioneer in CD mastering; it was also one of the first facilities to embrace Surround Sound and provide DVD authoring. In 2006, Hall relocated to a 40-acre ranch in McMinnville, OR, the heart of wine country, where he raises alpacas when he’s not raising the sonic precision of projects by legendary artists and up-and-comers alike.

“ I truly respect Oleg and it’s an honor for me to be a part of this project.” – Ben E. King “ We definitely need more projects like this.” – Lainie Kazan

Available on

Distributed by BDG/RED Distribution, LLC ( a division of SONY Music Entertainment) www.OlegFrish.com

A Varied Clientele: As a young second engineer at Glendale’s Whitney Studios in the ‘70s, Hall worked with everyone from Barry White and Rod Stewart to War, Blondie, Pat Benatar and the Knack. After embracing CD technology in 1982, Future Disc kept the high profile clientele coming, working on projects like Madonna’s True Blue, Bobby Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel, Green Day’s Nimrod, Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing’s Shocking and Alice In Chain’s Dirt. Surround Sound projects have included the Band’s The Last Waltz, Chicago and Earth Wind & Fire Live At The Greek, the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds and the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty. Since moving to Oregon, Hall works mostly via digital files with clients from throughout the U.S. and around the world, including Canada, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Brazil, Mexico and the U.K. On The Technical Side: Mastering projects either with an all digital processing chain, a wide variety of analog options or with a combination of both, Hall explains that Future Disc’s goal is to “enhance the client’s recordings to make what they give me feel even better and more exciting to listen to.” The signal path they use is simple, direct and clean. Whether a project calls for running digital at 24-48 bits and 88.2-96 kHz, or through class A analog consoles, the client’s audio is processed in the most exacting way through hand wired equipment using the finest wire and connectors available. Contact Future Disc Mastering, 213-361-0603 16 June 2015

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Monarchy in the Studio Reading, PA’s Rivers of Nihil have completed work on Monarchy, their followup to The Conscious Seed of Light. The band tracked at Atrium Audio—a short drive from their hometown to Lancaster, PA—with producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland. Monarchy is set to release worldwide on Metal Blade Records, Aug. 21. Pictured (l-r): Adam Biggs, bass, vocals; and Slovak. For more information, visit facebook.com/riversofnihil.

White Wrapped in Ribbon

D. RANDALL BLYTHE

To cap off the Lazaretto world tour, Jack White returned to the U.S. to play a series of concerts in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, South and North Dakotas— states in which he had never previously performed. These special, acoustic shows were amplified solely with five AEA KU4 super-cardioid ribbon microphones. For more information, visit ribbonmics.com.

LOG Make Tracks at NRG and Suburban Soul Studios VII: Sturm Und Drang is the upcoming album slated for a July 2015 release by Virginia metal band Lamb of God. The band recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, CA and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, CA, and the album was produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur and engineered by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay. Pictured tracking (l-r): guitarists Willie Adler and Mark Morton. For more information, visit lambofgodvii.com.

More Studio News European gothic metal band Paradise Lost will release their 14th album, The Plague Within, on June 2 in North America via Century Media Records. Produced by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Ulver, Cathedral) at London’s Orgone Studios, The Plague Within is said to be an organic body of work that confronts the trials and tribulations of struggling alone in darkness, but also one that treads exciting and new sonic ground in the process.

Producer Playback “We have to remind ourselves that when an artist brings in a song, it’s their baby. It’s so easy to jump in and make changes. We have to remember to respect their ideas.” – Zack Odom, Kenneth Mount, ZK Productions (Jimmy Eat World, All Time Low, Ludacris) 18 18

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For more information, visit paradiselost.co.uk. The Velvet Teen will drop their first album in nine years. Being released on Tuesday, June 30, All Is Illusory marks the band’s fourth album and is the follow-up to 2006’s Cum Laude!, recorded and co-produced by Steve Choi (Rx Bandits, Peace’d Out) and Roger Camero (No Motiv, Peace’d Out). For more updates, visit thevelvetteen.com.

–SIRI SVAY siri@musicconnection.com

Hal-META Tools

DAVID GOGGIN

Hal Leonard Books has partnered with METAlliance(r) group, an alliance between six iconic and prolific engineer/producers, to develop a series of educational tools for a wide range of sound engineers and music producers—from the professional to the hobbyist. Hal Leonard will publish online A/V courses as well as traditional print pro-audio products. The online courses will be branded under METAlliance(r) Academy and available at Groove3. com. Books and other digital versions will be released in fourth quarter 2015. Pictured (l-r): METAlliance founders Ed Cherney, Elliot Scheiner, Al Schmitt, and managing member Jim Pace.

Global Radio Makeover

DAVID GOGGIN

Studio design consultancy White Mark Ltd. has helped Global Radio replace its audio post-production facilities in London by designing two new studios, complete with matching vocal booths. The new facilities are equipped with Pro Tools 11 HD with an AVID S6 Control Surface, Avalon Design Mic Pre-Amps and Neumann Microphones. The existing Dynaudio Air6 5.1 monitoring system was relocated from the old studio and now has the benefit of being in an acoustically accurate room. For more information, contact sue@whitenoisepr.co.uk.

Oblivious Signal Tracks at Home Studio Ft. Lauderdale, female-fronted hard rock band Oblivious Signal will release their upcoming album Exordium via Pavement Entertainment on June 2. Vocalist Cristina T. Feliciano produced and engineered the album in the Oblivious Signal Home Studio in Deerfield Beach, FL. To kick off the release the band will be embarking on a tour with Flaw and Seasons After. For more information and tour dates, visit oblivioussignal.com.

Mastering at Bernie’s Songwriter and Mexican recording artist José María Napoleón has returned with his first album of new material in 20 years. Produced by Latin Grammywinning producer Armando Gomez Brandon, the new album—set for release later this year—was mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood by recording engineer and mixer Mauricio Garza and mastering engineer Paul Grundman. Pictured (l-r): Garza and Grundman. For more information, visit berniegrundmanmastering.com.

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PRODUCER CROSSTALK

FREQUENCY FREQUENCY By Rob Putnam

B

rooklyn-based producer, composer and DJ Frequency (a.k.a. Bryan Fryzel) started spinning in high school. Soon after, he partnered with MC 6th Sense and they formed the Understudies. He went on to work with artists including Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Joell Ortiz—co-writing and producing Eminem’s 2013 smash “The Monster� featuring Rihanna. More recently he produced Republic Records’ indie pop outfit MisterWives’ Our Own House, which is carving substantial notches across various Billboard charts. Frequency’s career achieved liftoff around 2004 when he sold his first beat to New York hip-hop artist Wordsworth for $200. “That’s the first time I realized I could make money from music,� the producer recalls. “It was also validating because somebody besides me thought that I was good at this. Then in 2006 I did Snoop Dogg’s album track, ‘Think About It.’ That was The three most important big for me. I flew out to L.A. to assist with the mix at Record Plant.� things Frequency has Frequency works in one of two learned as a producer are: ways when producing. “One is working with songwriters and pitching s "E OPEN TO LEARNING ) ALWAYS songs,� he says, “the other is working WATCH ;ONLINE ENGINEERING SHOW= with the artist, which I prefer. I get to Pensado’s Place #OLLABORATE know them and figure out what they WITH PEOPLE YOU NORMALLY think is important. What gets lost [in WOULDN T production] is the human element. I’m big on relationships and building a s 4RUST YOURSELF )F YOU HAVE rapport before playing a note. GOOD TASTE AND THINK SOMETHING “A lot of tracks start with a drum IS WORTHWHILE SOMEONE ELSE idea,� he continues. “That gives me WILL TOO a groove, a tempo, a world to write the song in. Then add basic chords. s 2ELATIONSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT That’ll be the skeleton and I’ll cut full 9OU COULD BE THE BEST PRODUCER vocals to it. I strive to leave the bed IN THE WORLD BUT IF NOBODY LIKES for the vocal because that’s the most YOU YOU WON T GET FAR important thing. Whatever else I do to the track is in support of that.� The path to “The Monster� wasn’t as direct as some might imagine. “That was originally a song for Bebe Rexha,� Frequency recalls. “The initial demo wasn’t rap. It was verses, a bridge and a chorus. That whole thing was written in three hours. Later I played it at a party for Rigo Morales, a friend in A&R with [Eminem-founded] Shady Records. He liked it and said it would be great for Eminem. But it wasn’t a hip-hop production so we had to change it. I spent a week doing different versions to make it into something appropriate for him. It was going to be a good song no matter what. Most people don’t know that it was mixed by Dr. Dre.� Early in his career, Frequency landed what seemed to be a dream collaboration with production team Trackmasters. But it didn’t pay immediate dividends. Looking back, it was a blessing. “Going through those challenges and low points helps prepare you for success,� he observes. “People who hit it big early aren’t prepared to take the work that comes after. They haven’t had enough experience and fizzle out. I took longer to get to where I am, but that all prepared me to operate on a higher level.� Frequency’s favorite gear is the Stellar CM-6 mic. “Ninety-five percent of the time it’s the best vocal mic,� he asserts. “I use it on everything, and I’ve had it since I started. It’s a boutique piece that runs about $500.� He continues to be busy with MisterWives—more singles and he estimates this will be a big year for the band—as well as a number of other projects. He works largely from Freq Show Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Contact Amanda Charney / Black Panda PR amanda@blackpandapr.com

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– ANDY KAUFMANN

Justin Norvell

the excitement. Bands will finish their tour then other bands will go.

VP of Product Development Fender

Music Meets Brands As the new music industry unfolds, brands are taking stances labels or other entities used to take. Whether it be Converse in Rubber Tracks; Hurley, which has its own studios and works with bands; or Red Bull, we find ourselves brothers in arms and praise anyone promoting music. Anyone can record an album, but the new challenge is getting heard, getting a platform where you can be above the noise and reach a wide base. The challenge has redefined itself and we’re motivated by that.

Years with Company: 19 Web: fender.com E-mail: jnorvell@fender.com Clients: Night Terrors of 1927, Priory, Matthew Curry, Marmozets, Deap Vally, Waters. BACKGROUND For musicians, working at Fender is a fantasy. Justin Norvell has lived that fantasy, seeing every side of the company renowned for their sweet-sounding guitars. Recently, Norvell helped create the Fender Accelerator Tour, an artist outreach initiative that supplies musicians with branded vans and cameras for creating social media buzz.

“We wanted to partner with artists and create a platform that allowed us to embed with them and create something special.”

Dream Job I grew up in a musical household. I discovered my father’s 1000-plus record collection and started playing. I moved to England in the mid-‘80s and got in my first bands. Upon moving back, I played in punk bands around the D.C. area. I went to Arizona for college when bands were being signed. [My band was] good enough to be looked at by labels but sounded enough like other bands that we were passed on. I got a job at Fender while working with my band. It quickly changed from day-job-whiletrying-to-be-a-musician into a career. I’ve been working for 19 years through every department within the company—customer service to sales to product marketing. That allowed me to have a holistic, 360-degree view of [the company]. One of my first musical memories was seeing a Fender tortoise shell guitar pic. It was the first logo I remember seeing. I’ve jammed with some of my idols, and it’s been a fantastic experience. And I’m still a musician. I do sound check work and music for syncs in advertising, so I’m able to stay close to the original muse and motivation that got me into the business. The Fender Legacy The Fender sound is on many records in the last 60-plus years to today. Every guitar we make could be the guitar the next “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “Purple Haze” is written on. We make tools for musicians—we make our art, so people can make their art. Accelerating Careers This is the first year [of the Accelerator Tour]. Our artist relations group is always working with artists. The Stratocaster was born of artist feedback on the Telecaster. That’s been a large part of what we do and how products evolve. Over the last several years, we’ve held unsigned band contests and things of that nature. We looked at bands we work with and what their struggles were. So we came up with this idea: what if, instead of just sponsoring a tour by putting our name on something, we create a program where members of the Fender family could come and go? On tour, there’s a behind-the-curtains aspect—a lot of mystery and romanticism. We wanted to partner with artists and create a platform that allowed us to embed with them and create something special that hadn’t been done before. 22 June 2015

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Each band gets promotional and marketing support from us: a 15-passenger touring van, access to Fender gear, meetings with our artist relations experts and fuel and vehicle maintenance coverage. Most are Fender players already, but we help them with additional gear needs and back line support. Giving Artists an Audience We have a reach of over five million people each month via web and social traffic. For emerging bands, that is a massive audience. Giving artists with 11,000 Instagram followers access to that platform is something we feel passionately about. What to Film We try to keep it as authentic and natural as possible—no heavy guidelines. It’s about capturing the behind-the-scenes authenticity of life on the road, something fans want to see, something to whet their eyes. Writing songs in rehearsal, sound check, hanging out at a truck stop or anything imaginable for life on tour. A Deep Bench Our artist relations group is a global system with reps in London, Tokyo and Nashville. We deal with thousands of bands, so there’s a bench of people we have relationships with. Agencies and partners we’ve worked with have helped us curate relationships with newer bands. Fenders Play Everything We highlight our instruments’ versatility. There are guitars or basses that focus on specific genres, but a Fender can play anything. We want a wide variety of bands—anything from dreamy synth-pop to country to noise rock, blues—to highlight the amount of diversity you can achieve on our instruments. Going Forward We have additional bands we’re going to roll out. We receive inquiries from other artists wanting to participate, so we want to continue

Showtime We have experience with putting on shows. I did a concert in New York that was an Anniversary to the Jazzmaster. We had Sonic Youth, J Mascis, Tom Verlaine and Nels Cline from Wilco. [The Accelerator Tour] could become not just tour support, but also Fender-owned and -sponsored events. I like the idea of staying small to start but becoming supremely curated to something that’s known for a fantastic level of quality. Building something that’s authentic and high quality is our first goal.

Embracing the Past, Reaching for the Future In modern age, Fender’s kind of ubiquitous. We’ve been around for over 60 years, but we’re still handmade in the U.S. We’re embracing the digital platform, but we’re still pulling out machinery from the ‘60s and making things exactly as they were in the old days. It’s a Renaissance company—we’re looking forward, as well as holding dearly to our legacy. Shifting Tides We’re always working on technological advances, not just to improve guitars but find new sounds. Music has changed. When Jimi Hendrix turned up his amps and got feedback, that changed how people wrote music. When Eddie Van Halen started finger tapping, music changed. We look to not just improve what we do but discover new methods of expression. Classy Replicas We do signature models. We replicate every scratch and ding. Many times, we build a replica for an artist so they can leave their prized guitar at home and take one on the road. It’s almost like CSI, doing forensics on someone’s guitar. Every guitar is unique. They’re all one-of-a-kind, because each piece of wood is different, they’re sanded differently and in time they sound different. Each piece is unique and they’re each a work of art in themselves. Sonic Paintbrushes Although we have classic designs, we make sure to have forward-leaning products. We have Stratocasters that have USB ports so you can record directly to iOS devices and amplifiers you can reconfigure on your iPhone. We’re always looking forward, in Leo Fender’s original spirit. We’re all about artists and musicians. These are sonic paintbrushes, and we are the producers of these tools people use to create art. It’s like building Michelangelo’s chisel. It’s something we don’t take for granted.

– BERNARD BAUR

OPPS

The Electronic Music Academy “DJ Camp” will be held at the newly renovated, Ivar Theatre at The Los Angeles Recording School. Among the attendees could be the next generation of mega DJ/producers scoring the most sought after residencies in Las Vegas and Hollywood. The five-day camp is a cultural education program designed for those wanting to pursue and succeed in an electronic music career. Industry experts will deliver insider access to DJ and production fundamentals and advanced industry insights including the technical, business, marketing, social/viral and creative side of building a brand. The program is designed for adults 18+, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. To allow for an intimate experience and interaction with instructors, space is limited. For more information or to sign up, go to emaattheivar.com. Get featured in Shine On Hollywood magazine. Shine On Hollywood fulfills a niche other magazines do not provide. Its mission is to inspire artists in entertainment and life. It is dedicated to providing a positive, meaningful and educational experience and inspire readers with knowledge and information from creative industry professionals. To learn more about the Artists “Get Featured” Interviews, go to shineonhollywoodmagazine. com; or contact editor@ shineonhollywoodmagazine.com.

MuzicNotez “Battles” are an ongoing online battle of the bands that feature all genres and acts from all over the world. You can compete against other artists and bands in your genre and see if you have what it takes to win free promotion via MuzicNotez magazine and PR team (a $700 value). Regardless you receive free exposure on the MuzicNotez home page, in its magazine and create a buzz and interaction with your fan base. You may submit any song you would like considered for the battle. Go to muzicnotez.com for details. We Are Making Stars (W.A.M.S.) is seeking artists for a reality show. W.A.M.S has been picked up by a major marketing company and will be shopped to major networks, production companies etc. here in the U.S. as well as overseas. This is the show where all of the contestants are winners and they need your talent. If you are one of the last five artists standing in your genre, you get a chance to make millions. Go to wearemakingstars.net for more information. Submissions are open for HNA Network 2015 Competition. You can submit your music to HNA, which is searching for the “Hottest New Artist” to include in its next book and compilation CD. You will also be immediately added to an HNA Live radio show that is broadcast worldwide (explicit material is excepted). All styles of music are accepted. You just have to submit an MP3

DAVID DUCHOVNY FOUND THE TRUTH IN MUSIC David Duchovny is releasing his first album, Hell or Highwater, on ThinkSay Records. The record contains 12 alt-rock songs that the X-Files and Californication actor composed himself. “Making this record is a dream come true, but it’s still a shock,” Duchovny says. “These songs represent the truest expression that I’ve ever been able to achieve, and I look forward to sharing it with everyone.” The actor discussed his foray into music with Rolling Stone, comparing his sound to Wilco and R.E.M. but qualifying those references by saying he wished it sounded like that “in (his) wildest dreams.” See thinksayrecords.com/artists/david-duchovny. of your best song. The songs will be judged by listeners and professional analytics, and highranking songs will remain on the playlist. Up to 50 finalists will be offered a spot on an upcoming CD, a feature story in the HNA book and thousands in cash and prizes, including Sam Ash gifts cards. Visit hnanetwork.com for additional details.

Music attorney Ben McLane reports that indie folk singer/ songwriter Austin Plaine has signed with Razor & Tie to release his music. Plaine is managed by Beth Narducci and represented legally by McLane. To learn more about this up-andcoming act, go to facebook.com/ austinplainemusic.

Rockett Queen has announced that the band has signed an exclusive deal with Amped, the new home to Metallica, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Idol, Steel Panther and Big & Rich, to name a few. As part of the new deal, the band will release Goodnight California on CD, vinyl and digital formats worldwide. These guys have paid their share of dues since bursting onto the scene and earning the title “Best Unsigned Band in America” by MTV. The band utilized a block of time to complete their new record with songwriter/ producer Zac Maloy (Halestorm, Carrie Underwood, Saliva, Orianthi, Adam Lambert, Our Lady Peace, Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry), among others. The record, titled Light The Fuse, is slated for release in midto-late 2015. For additional details, visit rockettqueen.net.

NYC rock act Cilver has signed a worldwide deal with eOne Music with plans to release their debut LP later this year. “I’m looking forward to a great future at eOne,” says vocalist Uliana Preotu. “I’m very excited to be a part of such an amazing home for artists and work with people who are just as passionate about music as we are.” The band gained traction touring as openers on Revolver

Blind Pig Records has announced the signing of award-winning guitarist, organist, singer and songwriter Zac Harmon. His distinctive style combines the best of old-school soul-blues artists with modern lyrics and themes that bring the blues into a new century. A native of Jackson, MI, Harmon played guitar for Z.Z. Hill, Dorothy Moore and Sam Myers before moving

For timely Opportunities and news, be sure to check out MC’s home page each day at musicconnection.com!

,!"%,3s2%,%!3%3 SIGNINGS

EVERCLEAR INKS NEW RECORD DEAL The multi-platinum rock act Everclear has signed on with Brooklyn-based indie label, The End Records/ADA, for their ninth studio album, Black Is The New Black. Scheduled for release in 2015, frontman Art Alexakis had this to say about the group’s new home and forthcoming album: “We are really excited to be on The End Records. There is such a buzz of enthusiasm there for our new album. It’s an unapologetic rock record that I feel combines the best of classic Everclear with contemporary production and what I feel is some of my best songwriting in years.” For additional details, go to everclearonline.com.

Magazine’s “Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock Tour” with Sick Puppies and Lacuna Coil. To find out more, you can go to cliverband.com.

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– BERNARD BAUR to L.A., where he established himself as a successful session musician, songwriter and producer, working with the likes of Evelyn “Champagne” King, the Whispers, the O’Jays and Black Uhuru. Visit zacharmon.com for further information. Celebrated rock band Third Eye Blind has announced the release of Dopamine, their first album in six years, coming on Tuesday, June 16. Led by frontman Stephan Jenkins, the album is a road-tested collection of songs chronicling the band’s time on tour since their last studio effort, Ursa Major. Employing signature guitar riffs and rock arrangements, Dopamine is vintage TEB—a body of work whose songwriting details the personal relationships that have come and gone and the rapidly changing world we live in. A lot can change in six years, and while the sound has progressed, the recordings retain the endearing sentiment Third Eye Blind fans new and old have come to love. For the latest news, including tour dates, go to thirdeyeblind.com

PROPS

Prominent music attorney Dina LaPolt, who is also a frequent Music Connection resource, has been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top Music Business Attorneys List.” The “Power Lawyers” list includes the pre-eminent entertainment attorneys who handle negotiations, arbitrations and lawsuits for Hollywood’s elite. LaPolt, who

works tirelessly to protect the interests of her clients and the broader music creator community, is one of 10 music attorneys listed and one of only two women named. Notably, LaPolt submitted a comment paper last year in response to the Department of Commerce Internet Policy Task Force’s Green Paper on “Copyright Policy, Creativity and Innovation in the Digital Economy.” LaPolt submitted the paper along with her client, Steven Tyler, with artist support letters from Dr. Dre, Sting, Britney Spears, deadmau5, Don Henley and Joe Walsh of the Eagles, Ozzy Osbourne, the Dixie Chicks, Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac and Billy Joel. To find out more about this highly honored counsel, go to lapoltlaw.com. MC cover act Florida Georgia Line is blazing ahead. The superstar duo appeared on FOX’s American Idol mentoring the contestants alongside their label head Scott Borchetta and performing their scorching Top 15-and-rising single “Sippin’ On Fire” for the first time on television. The talented pair also scored four Billboard Music Awards nominations for Top Duo/Group, Top Country Artist and two for Top Country Song with “This Is How We Roll.” For tour dates and more, visit floridageorgialine.com. Willie Nelson is bringing back “Peace” for troubled times. Nelson has always been a strong advocate for peaceful resolutions and, as such, has reached back

DIY Spotlight Nesta! Nesta! is an incomparable DIY artist and a real dynamo. She’s a singer, songwriter, wellness coach, avid surfer, entrepreneur and passionate animal rescuer with her own non-profit organization, Let Love Rule Animal Rescue. Writing and performing since she was a young girl, Nesta! found that electronic dance music was a good fit for her both musically and energetically, making her a perfect collaborator for DJs and producers. An exuberant performer, her live shows have been dubbed “a little bit Cirque du Soleil, Burning Man and a whole lotta fun.” Indeed, the buzz was so loud it caught the ears and eyes of David Ferrari, owner of Hypnotica Entertainment in Hollywood, CA, who signed her to a management contract. Last year Nesta! brought the house down in Austin, TX during SXSW at Amped Upstairs, one of Austin’s premier nightclubs. She won the Malibu Music Award for Best Pop Song for “Fly Free,” while her music video “Take Me” was honored by the Idyllwild International film festival as the Best Music Video of 2014. Her love of multi-genre experimentation led her to release both electronic and acoustic music, which has gained her a fan base that loves a diverse range of sounds. Nesta!’s latest project is an album entitled Surrender, set to drop this summer. With her adundant energy she formed her own label, Lovie Records, where you can find all of her self-released albums, as well as on iTunes, Amazon, Pandora, Beatport and most major outlets. For more news, visit nestatunes.com and hypnoticaentertainment. com, or contact info@HypnoticaEntertainment.com.

Have a successful DIY strategy to share? Email bbatmc@aol.com to his deep gospel roots to send a message of peace, hope and inspiration with the re-release of Peace in the Valley. “I don’t ever remember not playing and singing gospel music,” Nelson recalls. “My grandparents were music teachers and they were gospel singers. The first music that I heard was gospel music, so it’s not that unusual that I would be so much into it.” The original masters, containing Peace in the Valley, were confiscated by the IRS in 1991. But by the fall of 1992, Nelson was making amends with the IRS and they began returning his possessions including the gospel masters. For more on this musical icon, visit willienelson.com.

THE BIZ

SLASH SAVES ELEPHANTS Slash has partnered with International Fund for Animal Welfare to raise awareness of the slaughter of elephants, which is leading to their early extinction. While on tour in South Africa, Slash and the lead singer of his band Myles Kennedy witnessed the devastation first-hand and knew they had to act. Together, they wrote the song “Beneath The Savage Sun” from the perspective of an elephant whose family has been wiped out. The song is a highlight on the group’s current album World On Fire. “An elephant is killed for its ivory every 15 minutes, and their population has declined 95% in the past century,” explains Slash. For more information, visit ifaw.org, and slashonline.com. 24 June 2015

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One-third of U.S. consumers still buy music downloads, even as streaming gains momentum. Although music streaming is getting the biggest headlines these days, recent research from MusicWatch, a company providing consumer research for the music industry, indicates that consumers have not entirely given up on paid music downloads. While seven out of 10 music download buyers shopped at music download leader

iTunes last year, the company also ceded market share to Amazon MP3 and Google Play. According to recently released data from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), paid downloads accounted for 37 percent of U.S. music revenues, while streaming contributed 27 percent. StubHub and BandPage have entered into a partnership. The companies announced a partnership that will mark an unprecedented opportunity for musicians to be able to generate revenue on the ticket marketplace. The partnership will integrate offers from musicians’ BandPage profiles into StubHub, allowing musicians to sell VIP packages, merchandise and other offers within what is already one of the biggest catalog of tickets for live events in the world. Offers distributed by BandPage have the opportunity to tap into more than 150 million active music fans each month. BERNARD BAUR was voted one of the “Top Music Business Journalists” in the country. Bernard is the connection between the streets and the suites. Credited with over 1,200 features in a variety of publications, he’s a Contributing Editor at Music Connection.

– BERNARD BAUR

“How I Got My Music Licensed 1,205 Times” Barry French – TAXI Member – BigBlueBarry.com

I took some time off from music,

then my grandfather passed away and I re-evaluated what I was doing with my life. I felt the “call” of music, so I started writing again, decided to get serious about my music career, and joined TAXI in 2008.

Honestly, I Was Skeptical at First…

I did some research. I lurked on TAXI’s Forums, and found that TAXI’s successful members were real people just like me. Though I’d co-written with an Indie artist, and charted at #15 on the Radio & Records Christian Rock charts, I was clueless how to even get a film or TV placement— a complete newbie! But TAXI’s Industry Listings gave me goals to shoot for and helped me stay on task. I became more productive and motivated to get things done because I didn't want to feel like I "missed out" on an opportunity.

How to Build The Right Catalog

If you want to create music for art’s sake, then by all means, go ahead and do that. But, if you want to have a music career, why not use TAXI to learn how build the right catalog full of music the industry actually needs?

Expand Your Possibilities…

TAXI can help you learn to write for genres you never thought you could do. I used to do mostly Hard Rock and Metal. Because of TAXI, I branched out into other genres— first Pop/Punk, and then Tension and "Dramedy" cues. I used the feedback from TAXI’s A&R staff to improve my work. In many cases, my tracks improved to the point that they got signed and ultimately placed in TV shows!

350 Placements in the Last Year!

The first placement I ever had resulted from meeting a Music Library owner at the Road Rally— TAXI’s free convention. In a little more than 3 years, my music has been licensed more than 1000 times, with nearly 350 placements in the past year alone!

A “Lucky Duck?”

My 1,000th placement was a Southern Rock track on A&E's hit show, Duck Dynasty. A TAXI connection resulted in me becoming a "go to" composer for a company that provides music directly to that series. How cool is that?! TAXI’s Listings, community, convention, and networking opportunities have helped my career immensely. The ONLY regret I have about joining TAXI is that I didn't sign up sooner! If you’re willing to invest in yourself, call TAXI and let them help you too.

The World’s Leading Independent A&R Company

1-800-458-2111 • TAXI.com

June 2015

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BROTHERS BORN Date Signed: January 2015 Label: Nine Mile Records Band Members: Mike Wyzik, Joel Stroetzel Type of Music: Indie Management: Strong Management, stronghq.com Booking: info@stronghq.com Legal: info@stronghq.com Publicity: Austin Griswold, austin@secretservicepr.com Web: brothersborn.com A&R: Rick Pierik

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rothers Born began in a bar, which might explain why it’s such a relaxed band with such an easygoing record deal. The two-man folk project gives heavy-metal guitarist Joel Stroetzel of Killswitch Engage a chance to exhale and not worry so much about typical recordproduction obligations. Stroetzel and Mike Wyzik—whose wives bartend at the same watering hole in Easthampton, MA—became close friends about five years ago, bonding over a mutual love of Nick Cave and Tom Waits. They laid down some tracks for the hell of it. “It was just two buddies hanging out, saying, ‘Let’s hit record and see what happens,’” Stroetzel says, in a slow-moving baritone voice. They recorded for several months in Stroetzel’s small home recording studio, spreading guitar and vocals over a click-track and adding scratch bass too. Just like that, Brothers Born was … well, born. Stroetzel and Wyzik crafted 20 songs dealing with relationship, job and health issues. While they rerecorded some of them with live drums, the original versions held up.

“It was just two buddies hanging out, saying, ‘Let’s hit record and see what happens.’” Stroetzel and Killswitch’s home, Roadrunner Records, mutually decided that the folk project wasn’t a good fit for the metal label. Meanwhile, Wyzik’s longtime friend, Nine Mile Records owner Rick Pierik, was sold. “It maybe sounded mellower at first than [Pierik] thought it would be,” Stroetzel recalls. “But he later heard the whole record and liked it a lot.” The three guys agreed that Nine Mile would have Brothers Born’s first album, Knife Wounds, for three years, and the band would commit to some promotion and touring. While Stroetzel describes it as more of a licensing deal than a formal recording contract, he reveals Brothers Born “pumped the brakes” on a second record they had mostly written before striking the Nine Mile deal. The low-key guitarist/vocalist has one more admission to make, amid the praise he’s received––even from insular Killswitch fans––for what began as a casual affair: “Mike and I are very psyched.” – Kurt Orzeck 26 June 2015

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MICKEY GUYTON Date Signed: July 2011 Label: Capitol Records Type of Music: Country Management: Borman Entertainment with Steve Moir Booking: Darin Murphy - CAA Legal: Milom Horsnell Crow Rose Kelley PLC Publicity: Universal Music Group - Lori.Christian@umusic.com Web: MickeyGuyton.com/splash A&R: Autumn House-Tallant

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ickey Guyton was going to school in Los Angeles and on the verge of transferring or moving home to Texas when she ran into a friend who introduced her to Gary Borman, CEO of Borman Entertainment and manager for country star Keith Urban. In the “nicest way possible,” Borman told Guyton, a budding songstress, her songs weren’t any good. Rather than give up, Guyton went back to the drawing board and got a second chance. “It was the kickoff of CMA,” Guyton says. “I flew to Nashville, got to his office and sang, and by the time I got to the riverfront, they offered me a record deal.” That probably wouldn’t have happened if Guyton, now a Nashvillian, hadn’t toughened her skin working three jobs and facing constant rejection in California. “When I was in L.A., I was a hot mess,” she admits. “I was just trying to figure myself out, going through so many things, and I wasn’t really thinking to home in on the experiences I’d gone through. It wasn’t until I

“By the time I got to the riverfront, they offered me a record deal.” got through those hard times and got to Nashville that I went back and remembered battling traffic, working those jobs and 12-hour shifts. I was so busy, I had to take my dog––he was a blind Pomeranian––with me to my restaurant job and hide him under the cabinet. That’s how bad it was.” Now Guyton has a world tour with Brad Paisley ahead of her this summer, and this past spring made her national television debut on ABC’s Good Morning America with a performance of her first single, “Better Than You Left Me,” which she made Country Aircheck history as the highest one-week add total for a debut first single. Guyton says her entire life led her to where she is now, and she has a few words of advice for artists trying to get picked up in Music City, particularly. “Do writers rounds,” she says. “Nashville is a small community. I guarantee you can go anywhere, and the way actors and models are in L.A., that’s the way Nashville is for singers and songwriters and musicians. You can go anywhere and meet someone who is a songwriter, and you have to let people know that’s what you do.” – Jessica Pace

CLAIRITY

Date Signed: January 2015 Label: Lava Records Type of Music: Pop/Alternative Pop Management: Kara DioGuardi - Arthouse Entertainment, 323-461-3400 Booking: Sam Kirby - William Morris Endeavor, 212-903-1149 Legal: Debbie White - Loeb & Loeb, 212-407-4216 Publicity: Marisa Bianco, Samara Shwidock - Republic Records, marisa. bianco@umusic.com, samara.shwidock@umusic.com, 212-331-2090 Web: clairitymusic.com, facebook.com/clairitymusic A&R: Matthew Maschi and Ryan Silva

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eventeen-year-old singer/songwriter Clairity (Claire Rachel Wilkinson) began to write songs at 13 and taught herself to play keyboards by watching YouTube videos. She hails from Clarksville, TN, 45 miles northwest of Nashville, which could easily be viewed as a geographical limitation. But when you can capitalize on social connections, limitations can be dissolved. The smallish-town girl’s story starts with a lucky liaison with a highpowered player. “Through a friend of a friend of a friend, I met Pebe Sebert, who’s Kesha’s mom,” Clairity explains. “I’m close with her and she introduced me to her connections, including Samantha Cox at BMI. That’s how I got to New York to meet Kara.” That’s industry veteran and former American Idol judge Kara

“She was in his office and happened to play him some of my songs.” DioGuardi. They came together after a cancelled session with a New York producer. “I had a connection at BMI in New York and I’d been writing there,” Clairity recollects. “When the production session fell through, the producer’s manager––who was close with Kara––sent her some of my demos. Coincidentally, Kara was headed to Nashville as soon as I got back. So we met there and I signed a publishing deal with [DioGuardi’s] Arthouse [Entertainment]. She also offered to schedule further writing sessions with me.” The story gets bigger. DioGuardi had face-time with Lava Records CEO Jason Flom, an industry juggernaut who has signed artists including Katy Perry, Lorde and Tori Amos. “They were meeting about something completely unrelated,” the singer recalls, “and Kara played him some of my songs. The next thing I knew, I was in Clarksville doing dishes when Jason called. He wanted to fly me to New York the following Monday.” A deal was inked shortly thereafter. Clairity’s first single “Sharks In The Swimming Pool”––which dropped on March 17––was penned with the help of New York songwriting duo Kinetics & One Love, another connection courtesy of Sebert. Clairity performed at the 2015 SXSW and her currently-untitled EP is all but complete and slated for release later this year. – Rob Putnam

PURSON Date Signed: March 20, 2015 Label: Spinefarm Records Band Members: Rosalie Cunningham, vocals; George Hudson, guitar; Samuel Robinson, drums; Justin Smith, bass. Type of Music: Big Psych, Facemelter, Fuzz Wowowpopsong Management: Tony Cooke, tony@screampromotions.co.uk Booking: Yerry Stetter - Eccentric Gent Organisation Ltd., yerry@ eccentricgentorg.com Legal: N/A Publicity: Jon Freeman, freeman@freemanpromotions.com Web: purson.co.uk A&R: Dante Bonutto

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pinefarm Records embraced a more psychedelic side of London’s revamped rock scene with the recent signing of Purson. Now, vocalist Rosie Cunningham prepares to absorb and master exciting (yet uncharted) marketing opportunities throughout both the U.K. and U.S. Purson’s 2013 debut album, The Circle And The Blue Door, drew critical acclaim and generated extensive media hype. The band’s soldout gig at Los Angeles’ legendary Viper Room last November attracted representatives from at least seven big-name labels. But according to Cunningham, Spinefarm made the perfect fit. Cunningham explains, “You need a great team surrounding you. [We] not only have a strong new label, but also new management, publishing deal, U.K. booking agent and now a U.S. booking agent, too.” Despite years of industry experience, Cunningham admits it’s an ongoing challenge to develop business prowess as a musician who’s purely dedicated to her craft. Although daunting, the growing exposure

“You need a great team surrounding you in order to succeed.” has been beneficial and gratifying since primarily working with Lee Dorrian’s independent record label based in England: “Rise Above was an important learning curve, but with Spinefarm there is a more cooperative, professional and positive atmosphere,” Cunningham reveals. While the band focuses on specific creative processes like recording and album artwork, Spinefarm’s management team solidifies terms in regards to release schedules, live performances, etc. Purson will soon embark on tours across the U.S., Canada, Japan and Europe. “Having worked hard at this for a long time, I know [business] is an essential skill. The industry is always changing, but I think it’s important to stay true to yourself and make your own rules.” Expect Purson’s sophomore album release Desire’s Magic Theatre this Fall. – Danica Bellini June 2015

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Songtradr Bows with New Platform

BMI Places Orders in Oregon BMI sponsored a special performance by artist and songwriter Graham Colton at the Washington Restaurant Association Annual Board Dinner held at the Hotel Lucia in Portland, OR. Colton performed songs from his most recent album Lonely Ones. Pictured: (l-r): WRA President and CEO Anthony Anton and songwriter Graham Colton.

USA Songwriting Victory Dance with Vance Joy The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has announced its 2014 winners with the ISC Grand Prize awarded to Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy for “Riptide.” The Grand Prize is ISC’s highest honor, and prizes include $25,000 in cash and over $35,000 in merchandise and services. To see a complete list of winners visit songwritingcompe tition.com/winners.

Songwriters pitching for projects, music supervisors seeking music for visual formats and brands, composers with music libraries and record labels and publishers seeking outlets for catalogs: all will benefit from the music management platform Songtradr. Founded and developed by producer and songwriter Paul Wiltshire and a team of music industry pros, the company places control of rights directly into the hands of creators and copyright holders with a comprehensive content management system. And once an account is created it is completely free to upload tracks into the system. Additionally, tastemakers can curate playlists from the platform’s available music to be part of the discovery process, and to benefit financially from these opportunities. View this revolutionary company’s Beta version at Songtradr. com.

Get Cooking in Italy with Gretchen Peters

Oct. 28 - Nov. 4, Performing Songwriter Workshops invites a small group of 10-12 people to stay at the 15th Century Villa in Sesto Fiorentino, in the breathtaking countryside just six miles outside of Florence, Italy for songwriting workshops outside in the villa gardens, taught by the extraordinary songwriter Gretchen Peters. The noted songwriter (Martina McBride, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood) will lead inspiring morning classes to help songwriters tell their stories in compelling ways. The beautifully restored apartments are spacious, open and look out over gardens and olive groves. Each morning there will be a breakfast of breads, eggs, jams and yogurts—all homemade and locally grown, plus cooking lessons and communal dinners. Visit performingsongwriter.com for complete details.

Pandora Opens Box on ASCAP

ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) had been seeking to raise what Pandora pays songwriters. However, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said ASCAP must still license its works to Pandora at a court-set rate. Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP’s chief executive, said the ruling “affirms what we already know––that the ASCAP consent decree and the rules that govern music licensing are outdated and completely out of step with the way people listen to music today.” The Justice Department is reviewing the consent decrees that govern ASCAP and BMI. (SESAC is privately owned, and does not come under this jurisdiction.) Both organizations are governed by these regulatory documents, and federal judges oversee their ratesetting procedures. ASCAP and BMI are both asking for changes to the regulations that, among other things, would officially allow partial withdrawal of rights. Stay tuned as the battle continues.

Lennon Songwriting Contest Deadline

This is an international songwriting contest open to amateur and professional songwriters in any one of 12 categories. The JLSC is open year-round and features two Sessions––with 72 Finalists, 24 Grand Prize Winners, 12 Lennon Award Winners and 1 “Song of the Year.” All entry fees from the contest help support the non-profit John Lennon Educational Tour Bus mobile recording studio. This year, the Contest will be giving away its biggest prize package yet totaling over $300,000.00. Judges include George Clinton, the Black Eyed Peas, Prince Royce, 311 and Jim Steinman. The competition’s session 1 deadline is June 15. Visit jlsc.com for all info and entry requirements.

Shawn Mendes to UMPG Sixteen-year-old singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes, who is the youngest artist to lead the Billboard 200 album sales chart in nearly five years, has signed an exclusive global agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). Pictured at the signing (l-r): Andrew Gertler, founder of AG Artists and manager to Mendes; David Gray, SVP Creative Affairs, UMPG; Mendes; Jody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of UMPG; and Evan Lamberg, President of UMPG North America. 28 June 2015

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Shawn Ehlers /Johnny Nunez

SESAC Pop Awards SESAC celebrated its top songwriters and publishers during the 19th annual SESAC Pop Awards in New York. James Napier and songwriter William Phillips (a.k.a. Tourist) were honored with the Song of the Year for “Stay With Me,” as recorded by Sam Smith. Universal Tunes was named Publisher of the Year. Pictured (l-r): James Napier and John Josephson, CEO/Chairman, SESAC.

– DAN KIMPEL dan@dankimpel.com

Americana Music Events in Nashville

The Americana Music Association has unveiled its first round of artists to perform during the 16th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, presented by Nissan, Sept. 15 - 20. The early lineup, featuring icons, innovators and up-and-comers, underscores Americana’s place in the world’s musical landscape. With more than 100 acts still to be announced, the event promises to live up to its critical acclaim where MOJO Magazine described it as the “roots alternative to the GRAMMYs and South by Southwest.” Complete details are at americanamusic.org.

“Uptown Funk” Acquires

Additional Songwriters

There are now five new names added to the six already occupying space on the writing credits for “Uptown Funk.” RCA Records gave the Gap Band writing recognition following a claim that British producer Mark Ronson’s single is similar to the 1970s hit “Oops Upside Your Head” by the Gap Band. Updated writing credits now include Gap Band group members and brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, alongside keyboardist Rudolph Taylor and producer Lonnie Simmons. The group owns a total of 17% of the song, giving them an equal split with Ronson and co-producer Jeffrey Bhasker. The original names credited on “Uptown Funk” were Ronson, Bruno Mars, Bhasker and producer Phillip Lawrence. Trinidad James and producer Devon Gallapsy also earned writing credits as “portions” of the Atlanta rapper’s “All Gold Everything” single are “embedded” in “Uptown Funk.” James, his label and publishing im-

print own less than 8% of the song, while other royalties are paid out to the respective label and publishers, Warner/Chappell, Sony/ATV, among them. The Gap Band members’ claim was filed by Minder Management against YouTube’s content management system in February. “Uptown Funk” has amassed over half a billion views since last November, accounting for $2.2 million in label and publishing revenue earned through ad sales, according to a Billboard report. The estimate does not include a potential 50% publisher cut from YouTube videos. Additionally, “Uptown Funk” has sold more than five million units, fueled by a 14-week run at first place on the Billboard Hot 100.

Court Rules on BMI, Pandora Rate

Presiding over the heated battle between Pandora and BMI over licensing rates for the PRO’s music, Judge Louis Stanton has ruled that Pandora should pay 2.5% of its revenue rate for the performance royalty, in exchange for the blanket license supplied by BMI. The 2.5% is over a third more than the 1.85% of revenue ASCAP secured in its own rate court ruling, and 42% greater than the previous 1.75% of revenue rate Pandora had been paying BMI. While a significant jump over the rate BMI had been collecting from Pandora, the figure is still well below the estimated 3.825% rate BMI used as a benchmark rate when it positioned its request for a 2.5% rate. For complete details, see bill board.com. DAN KIMPEL, author of six music industry books, is an instructor at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. He lectures at colleges and conferences worldwide.

Dreith, Williams and Hoffman Pay for Play The recent 2015 ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO provided a meeting place for a few of the folks who make sure that songwriters and performers receive the royalties that they are due. Pictured (l-r): Dennis Dreith, AFM & SAG-AFTRA IRPD Fund Administrator; Paul Williams, ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board; and Shari Hoffman, Director of Domestic and International Operations, AFM & SAG-AFTRA.

Toby Gad and “All of Me” The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted its 32nd annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 29 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. Toby Gad received Song of the Year for “All of Me,” which was recorded by John Legend and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Pictured (l-r): Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP; Gad; and John Tita, ASCAP.

ASCAP EXPO Delivers The recent “I Create Music” EXPO in Hollywood was the setting for musicians and entertainment executives to attend panels, network and compare notes on trends and the evolving, dynamic music scene. ASCAP’s Sue Devine (left) and the Film Musicians Secondary Market Fund’s Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth (right) met up to discuss the ASCAP Columbia Film Scoring project, where FMSMF is a founding sponsor. Go to fmsmf.org/stu dentscoring for more info. (For more Expo photos, see Mixed Notes, p. 36.)

SESAC on the Hill SESAC was the lead sponsor of The Recording Academy’s GRAMMYS On The Hill Awards where music and politics unite. First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance to present GRAMMY-winning artist/songwriter/producer Alicia Keys with the Recording Artists’ Coalition Award. Pictured (l-r): Keys and Pat Collins, SESAC. June 2015

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KaiL Baxley

On boxing, busking and James Brown

By Dan Kimpel

Contact Joshua Hammond, joshua@reybee.com 30 June 2015

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DARIA.PHOTOSHELTER.COM

O

ver coffee in a hipster cafe, singer/songwriter KaiL Baxley explains how his prominent black eye resulted from a sparring session in a nearby Los Angeles gym. “I have been incredibly destructive in certain periods of my life,” says the former Golden Gloves contender. “Boxing is something that I can go back to. I’ve always done the rock & roll lifestyle thing. I never had an addictive personality, but everyone in my family does and I’ve seen their suffering. My thing has always been the future.” With the release of his full-length A Light That Never Dies, the future is auspicious. Masterfully produced by Eric Corne, the new song series reveals a rich oeuvre both archaic and modern. Against urban inflected grooves, scratchy guitars, wailing harmonicas, Southern-fried horn sections, soulful choruses––and on “Better Days” what sounds like an electric bullfrog––Baxley’s songs illuminate a vivid tapestry entwined with deeply affecting narratives. Baxley hails from the tiny town of Williston, SC. Abandoned by his parents and raised by his grandfather until age 12, upon his grandfather’s death he was shuttled between a series of foster homes with scant exposure to show business other than a chance meeting another Williston native, James Brown. The Godfather of Soul was housed in the same correctional facility as Baxley’s mother. “Where I grew up looks like a war went off from crystal meth and OxyContin,” he says of his hometown, “but there are good people and a beautiful culture.” The capitol “L” at the end of his first name is a tradition from the English side of his family, and a truncation of his original first name “Michael.” He explains, “I was named after my father but I never knew him. In the south people call you what they want to call you, and I hated being called ‘Mike.’ When I was old enough, I changed it.” After high school, Baxley bounced between Miami Beach and New York City. “I had to leave the country and was gone for almost four years,” he recalls. “I had already been in trouble, and trouble was looking for me again.” He headed for Europe, Africa and points beyond. Broke in London, he began singing in the subways for change. “Some guy would feel sorry for me and throw down a pound or two and I would get drunk for the night.” Returning to the U.S. and expanding his songwriting, he put together a band in Charleston, SC. He envisioned penning songs for other artists, creating music for films or possibly signing a publishing deal until producer Eric Corne convinced him to initiate a career as a singer/songwriter. His double EP, Heatstroke/The Wind and the War, was nominated for NPR’s Album of the Year, and Baxley performed in Austin at SXSW. As a songwriter, Baxley envisions his creations as full-blown entities. An interest in science and history of dyslexia both influence this process. “I love being spoon fed information––I have always since I was young. With dyslexia you arrive at a full picture while other people take steps to get to there. I have this weird internal radio. When I hear the song I hear it the way it is and I want to capture it as honestly as I can.” Preparing for a five-week national tour this summer, Baxley notes, “I love making records, and I’m beginning to love performing. When I first started I was so terrified I could barely get a sound out. To go in front of a thousand people boxing there’s a really good chance you could be scarred for life. In a performance, the worst thing that could happen is you hit a bad note.” A Light That Never Dies originates with the title song and concludes with “Mirrors of Paradise.” In between lie mysteries and revelations; Baxley claims that anything anyone might want to know about him can be gleaned from this music. He notes that on the next day replete with his colorful shiner, he is scheduled for a photo shoot. “I’m pretty good at hiding my scars,” he concludes. “Most of them are not from boxing in the ring.”

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DROPS

On June 30, Danny Collins will be coming to DVD and Blu-ray on Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. In this Dan Fogelmandirected comedy drama inspired by a true story, Al Pacino (The Godfather, Scarface) stars as Collins, an aging rock star who receives a never-delivered letter written to him by John Lennon 40 years earlier. Lennon’s words urge Collins to stay true to himself, prompting the artist to embark on a quest to reconnect with family, music and love. The cast also includes Annette Bening (American Beauty, The Kids Are All Right), Jennifer Garner (Dallas Buyers Club), Bobby Cannavale (Blue Jasmine, Boardwalk Empire) and Christopher Plummer (Beginners, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Contact Courtney Dolliver at CDolliver@mprm.com or Jackie Cavanagh at JCavanagh@mprm.com for more information.

WILLIS CLAN hauntings at a Kiss-inspired theme park called Kiss World. The movie will also feature guest voices Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes (both of Jay and Silent Bob fame), Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall. Contact Alex Uliantzeff at Alex@LippinGroup.com for more information.

On May 26, Eagle Rock Entertainment released Lost Songs – The Basement Tapes Continued on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sam Jones (of the Wilco documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart), this film documents a supergroup of artists bringing to life previously unpublished Bob Dylan lyrics with Grammywinning producer T Bone Burnett. The film accompanies the November 2014 album, Lost On The River: The New Basement Tapes, focusing on 16 sets of lyrics written by Dylan during The Basement Tapes sessions of 1967. Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith and Jim James all collaborated on this project, which depicts the making of the Lost on the River album. For further information, contact Carol Kaye at Carol@KayOSPro ductions.com. Makeup-clad rockers Kiss and the ScoobyDoo gang paired up for an animated movie, Scooby-Doo! & Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, which will be available for download July 10 and drop on Blu-ray and DVD July 21. In this film, Scooby and company investigate a series of 32 June 2015

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The very first comprehensive film about the life and music of Elliott Smith dropped on May 7. Heaven Adores You includes never-beforeheard tracks by the singer/songwriter and more than 30 onscreen interviews with his closest friends and collaborators. The film premiered in May 2014 at the San Francisco International Film Festival and screened at more than 35 subsequent film festivals on four continents, including AFI Docs, DOC NYC, Melbourne International Film Festival, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam, CPH: Dox and more. For details on obtaining the film, contact Victoria Varela at VictoriaVa rela@VarelaMedia.com. Chris Carmack, star of ABC’s hit television drama series Nashville, recently dropped on

SCOOBY-DOO & KISS

iTunes new track, “Being Alone,” produced by Grammy-winner Ben Fowler (Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Phoenix Mendoza. The song will be featured on Carmack’s upcoming EP, Pieces of You, due out in the spring. Although it was featured on the album The Music of Nashville: Season 2, “Being Alone” was written solely by Carmack and is the artist’s first independent release. Carmack’s music has been featured on the Nashville soundtracks, and he has performed on the 2014 and 2015 Nashville tours. This spring, he wraps up several Nashville and solo tour dates throughout the country. Contact Jensen Sussman at Sweet Talk Publicity at Jensen@Sweet TalkPR.com for more information. On June 26, Netflix will release What Happened, Miss Simone?, an original Netflix documentary detailing the truth behind the legendary singer Nina Simone. The film, directed by Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus, is a largely first-person account by Simone herself, using more than 100 hours of never-before-heard audio tapes accrued over 30 years of Simone relaying her life story to interviewers and people

– JESSICA PACE j.marie.pace@gmail.com who hoped to write her biography. In addition, What Happened? features rare concert footage, archival interviews, diaries, letters and interviews with Simone’s daughter, friends and musical collaborators. Watch the film trailer at Youtu. be/moOQXZxriKY and contact Ryan Collins at Ryan.Collins@GinsbergLibby.com for more information.

Nothing Important Podcast wants to interview actors, authors, musicians and other industry types about their craft and current projects. Contact show host and producer Bryan Flood at Host@NothingImportantPodcast.com. Carol@Kayosproductions.com

Performing arts agency JRA Fine Arts recently announced the signing of Nashville-based musical family the Willis Clan for exclusive booking representation. The Willis Clan was featured on the 2014 season of NBC’s America’s Got Talent and during Christmas 2013 on the Today Show as the winners of NBC’s Sound of Music Family contest. Now, TLC will release a new reality series that will follow Brenda and Toby Willis as they maintain both a 14-member family and the workload of being a touring band. The 12-episode series premiered in May and coincides with the release of the Clan’s newest album, Heaven. Contact Jeremy Westby at Jeremy@WebsterPR.com for details.

With her Vevo/YouTube music SIA video channel surpassing one billion plays and the release of a digital deluxe version of her hit album 1,000 Forms of Fear, Sia launches Bob Job, a game available on the App Store and on Google Play. The game allows players to match different sets of hair bobs, dogs, unicorns and more before time runs out and features 100 unique levels of gameplay. The game was designed by Sia and features her music, including hits “Chandelier” and “Elastic Heart” off her new album. The game also supports Best Friends Animal Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving animals. View the demo video at youtube.com/ watch?v=46TVhR3v_D4 or contact Sarah Weinstein Dennison at Sarah.Weinstein@RCARecords. com for more information.

Paying tribute to the passing of Peter Alex Lust III––the one-time frontman, lead guitarist and vocalist for Music Connection “Hot 100” band, the Feisty Piranhas––Alex’s dad, Peter Lust, is overseeing the posthumous release of two DVDs, Feisty Piranhas – The PIRANHA Experience and Feisty Piranhas – Live in Lasers, as well as an album, Evil Monkey. All titles are dedicated to the lasting memory of an artist taken from us too soon. These titles are available now. See feistypiranhas. com for complete details.

OPPS

KSYZ 107.7 radio show Franzman OneManParty in The Morning seeks guests in the music industry to discuss all aspects of the profession. OneManParty is a selfdescribed “music intensive morning show.” The show URL is Player.ListenLive. co/37781. For booking inquiries, contact the show host at FranzmanRadio@Yahoo. com. An independent film crew is seeking a composer to put together a “traditional” score in the vein of Return of the Jedi for the indie/ sci-fi project. The ideal musician is collaborative and up for working with the film’s director and writer to create a score that suits the film, which is called All Earthly Constraints. For further details about the project and contact information, visit AllEarthlyConstraints.com. QSJ Radio’s Virallife is looking for recording artists, musicians and other industry professionals to discuss the industry. Those who cannot guest in-person can Skype or call in to discuss their work and upcoming projects. Contact David Hernandez at QSJRadio@Gmail.com for booking inquiries. Visit TuneIn.com/radio/QSJRadio-s199652 for more about the radio show.

Out Take

Composer Kevin Kliesch recently scored his first Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for Disney Channel’s Sofia The First! In the episode, “Princesses to the Rescue!,” Kliesch used non-traditional Asian-themed instruments for the score. This is Kliesch’s second Annie Award nomination (after 2012’s Thundercats series) and his second Daytime Emmy nomination for this animated series. He has worked as a composer and orchestrator on over 100 feature films in the past 17 years, and plays the piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, French horn and saxophone. His recent composing projects include DC Comics’ animated movies Superman: Unbound and Justice League: War, as well as the Walt Disney short film Tangled Ever After. For more details, contact Ashley Moore of Krakower Poling PR at Ashley@KrakowerPolingPR.com. Music’s Biggest Night®, the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards®, returns to Los Angeles’ STAPLES Center on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016 and will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 - 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The eligibility year for the 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards is Oct. 1, 2014, to Sept. 30, 2015. See grammy.com.

JESSICA PACE lives in the Nashville area and writes about music, local government and education. Contact her at j.marie. pace@gmail.com.

ROMEO RYDER

PROPS

Photek

Composer, Producer, DJ Contact: Chasen & Company, Jeff Sanderson, Jeff@ChasenPR.com Web: photek.fm Most Recent: How to Get Away with Murder RUPERT PARKES, known as Photek, is a three-time consecutive Grammy nominee, record producer, film and TV composer, and electronic music DJ. His work dates back to the late ’90s and most recently involves scoring the hit ABC television drama series How to Get Away With Murder. Photek described the script as “page-turning” and he immediately heard the music for it in his head. “Everything I needed to write the score was written on the page,” he says. For this project, the British-born Photek only has two to three days to create about 30 minutes of music for each episode––a rush that does not intimidate him, he says. “Not to say you’re not nervous, ‘How am I going to get this music done in 38 hours?’ but you do know that if you just keep moving and throwing ideas out there, you’ll always come up with something. “Just make sure you’re never sitting there listening to a loop,” he advises young composers. By starting with small, independent film gigs, Photek learned several crucial lessons about working with directors, and one is that the film—not his music––is the focus of the project. He also says composers will learn their boundaries may be broader than they think. “I think the learning curve was a Universal movie called Dreamland. I learned I was a lot more versatile than I thought. It’s a challenge to make music outside your original genre, nerve-wracking. That can be intimidating. You have to say, ‘Yeah, no problem, I can make that happen,’ and figure it out. That’s a lot of fun and inspiring when you get it right,” he says. “Just don’t complain,” the composer warns. “You’re part of a team. Directors are particular about their music. I’ve learned you have to be very upbeat and positive and have a can-do attitude. It’s cheesy, but it’s the most important skill you can have.”

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Roland’s Rollin’ Showcases

CHELSEA LAUREN/GETTY IMAGES

Roland U.S. held two VIP Showcases highlighting its complete range of products that were unveiled at the 2015 Musikmesse show. Several hundred musicians, engineers and members of the press attended the events, which were held at SIR in New York City and CenterStaging in Burbank, CA. Pictured (l-r): Roland U.S. President and CEO Jay Wanamaker, and Roland Corporation President Jun-ichi Miki, enjoying the talents of keyboardist Myron McKinley.

P!nk & Green Are Effing Perfect at BMI Pop Awards Singer/songwriter Dallas Green and the night's top honoree, pop artist P!nk, performed as their folk music duo You+Me during the 63rd Annual BMI Pop Awards held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. P!nk received the BMI President’s Award for her outstanding achievement in songwriting and global impact on pop culture and the entertainment industry.

TOM LONG

Trouble at Jazzfest The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival celebrated the city’s unique and renown culture with endless choices of food, local art, fashion and a wide variety of music, including rockin’ R&B/soul band Vintage Trouble (pictured). For full coverage, visit musicconnection.com/orleans-jazzfest-2015-diaries.

It’s A Shining Star For Lynne

34 June 2015

JUAN O’CAMPO

Known for his work with Electric Light Orchestra and Traveling Wilburys, rocker Jeff Lynne was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lynne (kneeling, holding plaque) was supported by colleagues Tom Petty and Joe Walsh and local dignitaries.

DAVID KLEIN

A Moody Evening at the Greek

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The Moody Blues brought their tour to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and were greeted backstage by Nederlander Concerts’ Rena Wasserman and Ken Scher. Pictured (l-r): Justin Hayward, the Moody Blues; Wasserman, Nederlander VP of Operations/Greek Theatre and LA General Manager; Graeme Edge, the Moody Blues; Scher, Nederlander EVP of Talent; and John Lodge, the Moody Blues.

– SIRI SVAY siri@musicconnection.com

KEVIN BALDE

Tidbits From Our Tattered Past

Rising Artists Make an Impact at ASCAP Expo WorldArts’ Playback Stage featured artists Sam Kiles, Natalya Phillips, Suspect, Lena Fayre, Fort Frances, Poor and Perfect, and the Brevet (pictured). Each act won a slot via WorldArts and ASCAP.

EXPOsed! MC spent ASCAP Expo weekend spreading the word about the magazine while networking with professionals and artists in the industry. Pictured (l-r): MC Associate Editor Siri Svay, In Tune Partners/NAfME Media CEO Irwin Kornfeld and MC Publisher Eric Bettelli.

Withering Wit

MC's spotlight of women in the music business featured prominent A&R rep Carole Childs. A lifelong love of music––and a key connection––took Childs from N.Y.'s garment district to a dream job at Geffen Records where she signed Ray Parker Jr., Plimsouls, and Jennifer Holliday among others. Also in the issue is "Tax Tips for Players."

1995–The Presidents–#21

TONYAKLEIN WISE/PICTUREGROUP DAVID

In 2010, hit songwriter Aloe Blacc attended ASCAP Expo specifically to hear Bill Withers speak on a panel. Five years later, Blacc personally interviewed his inspiration, and the packed Dolby Ballroom was treated to a thoughtful conversation with witty Withers aphorisms on his life, music and songwriting process.

1984–A&R Queen–#7

In addition to a songwriter profile of Johnette Napolitano, club reviews of Filter and Stiff Little Fingers and an exploration of "The Distribution Game," MC featured the Presidents of the United States of America, whose Dave Dederer said, "We work hard to be involved. We went into a marketing meeting with our label and they told us we were the first band to do that in, like, the last 20 years."

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PHOTO BY KARI ROWE 36 June 2015

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WHEN AARON BRUNO RELEASED

Megalithic Symphony, he kept his expectations in check. He had already experienced professional disappointment, having been in acts that gained traction, were signed, then fizzled. That’s the reason he took matters into his own hands, writing and recording AWOLNATION’s curious debut by himself. It never would have happened without Red Bull Records offering free use of its studio, part of the unique arrangement the label has with burgeoning artists. Then something amazing happened. “Sail” reached the airwaves and spent 20 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart. Already a bona fide hit, the song experienced a second life as a viral sensation, being featured on So You Think You Can Dance, a trailer for the History Channel series Vikings, an episode of The Vampire Diaries and the A&E crime thriller Longmire. It was even used as a soundtrack to a YouTube video by extreme sports maven Jeb Corliss that has racked up more than 27 million views. And that’s just for starters. The song has been certified 6x Platinum, selling more than 5.5 million copies in the U.S. alone. With all of this exposure, anticipation for a follow-up was intense. Despite the announcement it would be released in 2014, RUN didn’t reach listeners until this past March. A dense listen stuffed with abstruse lyrics and shifting momentums, it’s not your typical pop record. Puzzled reactions were delivered accordingly. Yet like the previous album, the new disc’s mysterious appeal has taken hold and the first single, “Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf),” recently hit No. 1, a feat “Sail” never accomplished. MC chatted up Bruno about solving songwriting riddles, why “Sail” took off and what it means to have so many ears tuned in to one’s artistic vision. Music Connection: How has the release of this new album been different from the first? Aaron Bruno: Everything about it was different. With the first record, “Sail” was doing well at radio and multiple stations said, “We’re never going to play this.” And I agreed with them. Towards the end, when I thought it couldn’t go any further, it crossed over to the pop world and went to another level. It allowed me to have as much time as I wanted to make RUN and truly make a strange, dark record I could hang my hat on. I like to take my time. I like to keep it as instinctual as I can, allow the ideas to flow through me and throw them away if I want. I feel blessed, because if I had to rush it I don’t know what I would’ve turned in. Maybe it would’ve been cool, maybe not. But I couldn’t be more proud of what it ended up being and the impact it’s having. MC: Yeah, it’s great stuff. Was it a challenge writing material for this album without having the pain of lack of success that inspired you to write the first album?

BY ANDY KAUFMANN Bruno: Yeah, absolutely. I think I spent the first half of the making of the new record sort of digesting what had happened. When you’re in the middle of it, you just have your head down and take advantage of the opportunity the best you can. That was key, to keep it as real as I could and not follow down the wrong roads, because they’re everywhere. I was able to find that angst after a while; that underdog, punk rock spirit came from fear of failure. It was the first time I had to be prepared to be cut down. But my goal wasn’t to have “Sail 2.0,” although that’d be cool if it happened. I’ve never been a calculated songwriter. It’s

“I find that a lot of the time, the best songs come quick and the words come at the same time. I feel like my best songs have been that way, for sure. But I won’t give up on those ideas I still believe in.” more instinctual. I’ve always had this fantasy of making a mellow, stripped down record that throws everybody off a bit. Instead, I [made] a record that was heavier than the first and softer all in one, so that shocked people on both ends. I didn’t sit down and think, “I’m going to make this kind of record.” It’s just what happened. It ended up sort of writing me. MC: So you don’t know why “Sail” has had such a long life. Any idea why that song caught fire? Bruno: What is most shocking to me is it doesn’t have your typical chorus. One producer told me he thought it needed a chorus. I thought, no way. I like it how it is. My gut told me, no––keep it the same. It was such a natural song to write. It was like a journal entry. Let’s just keep it what it is. You can always write another song with a typical chorus. I’m not afraid to throw away songs or let them be what they’re supposed to be. And “Sail” was a result of that. This was before any of these other like-minded songs came out. It was the first of its kind and struck a nerve, I

guess. I got very lucky that I touched on subject matter that hadn’t been touched on in that way. MC: Tell us how you’ve approached promotion. Bruno: The normal route hasn’t ever worked for me or my manager Berko Pearce. We’ve always been the outliers. We never felt we were part of the club. Now, with all this success, we kind of are, but it’s like we have one foot in and one foot out. So we’re always trying to think of different ways to do things, because the music is different and takes a bit more education. Some people love it instantly, some are thrown off. It takes a second to get used to something that’s unknown or new. Some of us are more afraid of the unknown than others. Half of me is terrified of it and half is thrilled. I still don’t know what to call what I’m doing. I’m sitting on my first No. 1 song, which is wild, because “Sail” never got to No. 1. We just wanted to get it out, because we knew it was going to grow like a fungus and stick around. MC: Do you worry about being perceived as a flash in the pan? Are you concerned success could fade quickly as it arrived? Bruno: If it faded as quickly as it arrived, it would be a pretty long fade, so that would be fine with me. But I don’t have any delusions of having another six-million-copy-selling song. In fact, it’s very unlikely. So for me, it’s about managing my expectations. If we can please our fans and the people who fell in love with the whole record, not just any of the singles, that’s sort of my main goal––to have this record spoken about as a whole album and not just singles. Although, it’s looking like we’re going to have quite a few singles. And that’s cool, too. MC: What’s the most important thing you’ve done to make AWOLNATION the phenomenon it is today? Bruno: That’s a heavy question. There are a lot of possible answers. The journey has sort of just begun, so I’m kind of navigating as I go. We teamed up with a label that didn’t necessarily know what they were doing, either. We figured it out as we went. To be part of a label that doesn’t stick to a formula has been incredibly good, because it’s a different sound and a different way of going about things. We don’t have as many deadlines as other bands. We’re able to kind of go where the wind takes us. That’s a huge part of it. Of course, I want everybody to praise it and give all these beautiful reviews and win awards and stuff, but none of that’s real. What’s real is music listeners and lovers, and the people you’re connecting with at shows and your friends who love music like you do. This record was ultimately a fantasy record I made for people like that. June 2015

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MC: The band has had quite a few personnel changes. As the group’s leader, how do you deal with those changes? Bruno: Life happens. People have kids. Without getting into anything specific, there are a lot of relationship things. But there’s never been anything ugly or strange. It’s been more like, I understand you’re at that point in your life. Let’s move on. MC: Let’s talk about live performance. Do you use the same performers who record with you on the road? Bruno: We have the same touring band always. It’s an uncomfortable thing to talk about. Any time I address the fact that I do everything on my own in the studio, it never feels great, because I don’t want to take away anything from the guys who play with me on tour. They’re much better musicians than I will ever be. And

they inspire me in ways I can’t even explain. It just worked out where all this stuff became possible because of the work I did on my own in the studio. It wasn’t necessarily a plan of mine. It’s just where I ended up. Anyone who is playing with me I have some history with. Rather than doing a cattle call, I’d rather go based on relationships. Our guitar player, Drew Stewart, is the guy I started music with when I was 16. We met in Spanish class. Sure enough, Drew was there wearing a punk rock shirt. They announced on the loud speaker that it was both our birthdays. We just hit it off and started playing. Isaac Carpenter, our drummer, played with Adam Lambert for a while, and with Duff McKagan’s band, Loaded. And he was also in this other band, Loudermilk, in the early 2000s. I met him in that band while Drew and I were in our other band, Home Town Hero. We thought

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MC: Red Bull Records. How did you make that connection? Did that come from your manager? Bruno: That’s exactly what it was. Berko was doing some A&R consulting with a company by the name of RM 64. .... I don’t even think he played Red Bull Records the demos. It was actually someone from the label named Meredith Chinn. She probably hadn’t heard it from Berko, because I don’t think he wanted to play them artists he was managing. And Greg Hammer, the president of the label, called Berko and offered me use of the Red Bull Studio in Santa Monica. At the time, I didn’t have a studio or a way to record myself, so I jumped at the opportunity. I figured, at the least, I would have these songs taken to another level, regardless if Red Bull Records was going to sign me or not. And there were no strings attached. I think they gave me 10 dates. I just went in and started making what became Megalithic Symphony before I even knew I was making a record. It’s all one big happy accident. MC: What makes Red Bull the home for you? Bruno: I felt there was a high respect level for my production and songwriting and knew they weren’t going to force me to write with a bunch of other songwriters or work with other producers. On alternative radio, all the hits are co-writes. That’s cool, but that wasn’t necessarily going to work for me. It hasn’t in the past. So I was excited, flattered and humbled by the fact they were going to trust me to finish out a record as I had started it.

Everyone knows the NAMM shows aren’t open to the public. Well, except for that one glorious day at Summer NAMM they call Music Industry Day.

To learn more and purchase your Music Industry Day tickets, visit namm.org/summer/2015/music-industry-day.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION #NAMM

1 June 2015 musicconnection.com 38 SN15_MID_MusicConnectionAd.indd

he was the coolest, baddest drummer we’d ever seen. On the end of the last record cycle, I was able to convince him to join the band. And Kenny Carkeet on keyboards, MPC, guitar and basically everything fun, he was the engineer on “Sail” and around the studio that I made a lot of Megalithic Symphony in. Even though I’m the architect, it definitely feels like a band and we all treat ourselves equally.

5/18/15 10:42 AM

MC: You have an experimental sound. Are you a fan of trying experimental techniques in the studio? Bruno: Yeah. Never intentionally. Whatever it takes to get a good sound, I’ll go there. There are a lot of parts that made the record that are straight from my phone. I sample a lot of life onto my phone and then we try to figure out a way to make it sound presentable. There are a couple songs on the new record––“I Am” is one of them, I think, “Lie Love Live Love” is one and “Like People, Like Plastic”––that all have samples of things I recorded nowhere near an actual studio. I was just walking around on the beach or recording my guitar straight into it at 1:00 in the morning. Experimenting with those sounds from my phone was a huge bonus for me. I’ll stop at nothing. I’ll wait forever until I get the right snare sound. At the same time, I try not to get too stuck on one thing. If I’m hitting a wall, I’m not afraid to leave the studio. A huge weapon for me is knowing when to stop and take a break. Driving home, feeling normal, resting, waking up the next day and feeling rejuvenated. Sometimes it’s as simple as surfing and getting my mind out of the songs, even though the second I paddle into the ocean the song is even louder in my head. You never know when the idea’s going to come. You’re stuck on one word and you’re like, why can’t I figure out this one simple word to fix this puzzle? And then you go on a jog or whatever to exorcise those demons and something comes to you.

I have a lot of faith that eventually I’m going to have the right ideas to finish whatever I begin. I can’t even explain how many songs I have that I haven’t figured out the right way to finish. When it comes to me, it will. And if it doesn’t, that’s okay, too. I find that, a lot of the time, the best songs come quick and the words come at the same time. I feel like my best songs have been that way, for sure. But I won’t give up on those ideas I still believe in. MC: Any recommendations for artists who are trying to gain a foothold in the industry? Bruno: You’ve just got to keep writing songs. You can’t be afraid to write a better song. The first heartbreak I had in the music industry was my first band, Home Town Hero, that was signed to Maverick/Warner Brothers. It was Madonna’s label, whom I never met. We put together a record I can barely stomach listening to now. We had everybody telling us we had this hit song, “Eighteen.� A couple bigger radio stations started playing it. One thing led to another and nothing came of it, but to have this false confidence with real hope and have that taken away, that was heavy. Because I felt like here’s my big moment and then it crashed. I figured, that’s it, those were my best songs. When that crashed down, it was devastating. And that happened two more times, with another signed band that made two more records––one of which didn’t even come out. I got pretty good at failure. It became harder and easier at the same time. The dark times were darker, because why does this keep happening to me? At the same time, I felt like I’d matured as a songwriter and a musician in general. I’ve learned so much that maybe I’ll do something better. Eventually, my last band had broken up and the writing was on the wall that it was time for me to take matters into my own hands and make my own record without relying on other songwriters or anyone else. And then everything took off. But I didn’t know that was going to happen. You have to believe in yourself, that you’re getting better with age. Be open to developing your own opinions and tastes, regardless of what critics think or what the new flavor of the month is. It’s what’s true to your heart and everything will fall into place. MC: What does the future hold for AWOLNATION? Bruno: The most exciting thing about that question is I don’t know. But I can tell you I’ll always be involved with music and writing songs. There are other records and songs I’ve been working on for other artists that I’m looking forward to sharing. I had the opportunity to develop a couple of up-and-coming artists the world hasn’t heard yet and I can’t wait to share that. There are a lot of older musical brothers in my career, people who taught me so much. I know there’s got to be a lot of other songwriters who are similar to me and I would love to be that older brother for some of them. MC: Is there anything else you’d like to talk about? Bruno: I appreciate anyone listening to RUN front to end and giving the record a chance like an album is supposed to be heard, the way I was impacted so much by different records and the way they shaped my life. I appreciate taking that hour out of your life. It means the world to me. Contact Paki Newell - CO5 Media, paki@co5media.com

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June 2015

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BOOKING AGENTS REVEAL TOUR STRATEGIES THAT WORK 40 June 2015

musicconnection.com

We spoke at length with three booking agents and a tour coordinator to find out how they arrange and book tours. What has attracted them to certain acts? What do they do, in general, to plan a successful tour? We also asked them to choose “one rising act” from their roster that could be used as a case study. Their comments will provide you with insights into how agents, bookers and talent buyers think. You’ll also learn what you need to do to plan a tour that actually generates income instead of losing it. Indeed, their tips could help make your next tour successful, rather than stressful.

By Bernard Baur

AGENCY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (APA) Adam Brill, Agent

abrill@apa-agency.com Web: apa-agency.com Case Study Act: Capital Cities (capitalcitiesmusic.com) Founded in 1962 by former MCA executives, Agency for the Performing Arts is one of the largest diversified talent agencies in the Untied States, with headquarters in Beverly Hills, Nashville and New York. Adam Brill’s

I like to focus on the act’s home market first. Then, I would expand regionally. There’s no reason for an emerging act, that’s not yet established, to tour the whole country, or even several states. They probably couldn’t afford it anyway.

What would turn you off about an act? An artist who isn’t a team player can be frustrating. If they’re not willing to do what it takes to make it as a touring act, I can’t help them. I won’t argue with them––that’s not very constructive. I just won’t work with them.

How do most acts finance their first tours? They save money from their jobs or borrow from friends and relatives. Sponsorships come into play a little further down the line, after the act has gained some exposure and built a buzz. Sometimes a label will help, but they’re very specific regarding which tours they’ll support. It has to be big enough and in a market they value.

COLLIN ARTISTS

Capital Cities

Barbara Collin, Founder, Agent

collinartists@gmail.com Web: collinartists.com Case Study Act: Street Corner Renaissance (streetcornerrenaissance.com) Collin Artists is a boutique company, which enables it to provide a high level of individual attention to established and emerging artists. The company books national and international tours in a variety of venues, including festivals, concerts and clubs. Agency founder Barbara Collin is a faculty instructor at the Musicians Institute where she teaches a class called “Agents & Bookings.” Collin also offers a variety of informative workshops and seminars on a regular basis. What changes have you noticed in the booking and touring business? After 30 years I’ve seen a lot of changes. The biggest one involves economics. The marketplace has gotten very tight. Guarantees are down and it’s harder than ever to book acts that aren’t household names. As a result, it takes a lot more time and effort to book tours that make sense.

work with up-and-coming artists includes booking Imagine Dragons during the band’s early years, plotting strategic touring for AWOLNATION in support of that act’s now double-platinum success, and taking Capital Cities to the next level as they played for thousands at festivals and scored a supporting slot on Katy Perry’s summer tour. Would you be attracted to an act that hasn’t toured extensively? It depends on what I see. If I’m passionate about them and see growth potential, I might take them on and develop their market. Of course, it’s easier if they already have something going on, like a record deal, publishing deal, manager and so on. In fact, most acts we work with at this agency have those things. What’s the key to booking tours? You need to think one step ahead all the time. So if you’re booking a show now, right before you book that show you need to know what your next step is going to be in that market down the road. It’s almost like you’re planning forward. It’s more about the long-term picture than short-term gains. How should a new act’s initial tours be planned?

Have performance fees changed much? They sure have… Now, a lot of promoters, especially with newer acts, will offer a percentage deal rather than a guarantee. Nowadays, you have to prove yourself before they’re willing to pay you. And that could be disastrous if you don’t promote your shows well enough. Do you have a case study act? It’s Capital Cities, an electro-pop-rock-dance act. When I saw them they were just doing clubs, and were starting to get some radio play. I initially followed the airplay and analyzed their social media to determine where they should tour. At first I only booked a few shows because I didn’t want to exhaust the market too soon. Eventually we progressed to larger and larger venues, with capacities increasing from 200 to 500 to over 1,000. It took about a year and their single exploded. Do you have to see a live show before working with an act? I’m really big on seeing the act play live. It’s a pretty big indicator of where they are and where they can go. I need to see it and feel it before I take them on. It’s about having the ears and eyes to know that if they tour for a good amount of time––really work at it and hone their craft–– they could be playing for 5,000 or more people after a year or so.

Do agents generally specialize in certain genres and acts? Often it ends up that way when you have success in specific markets. It’s just not possible to be an expert in every one of them. It takes time and research to familiarize yourself with the different needs and opportunities each market presents. My areas of expertise include jazz, world, Latin and R&B. But, every once in a while, if you’re lucky, you’ll come across acts that are so good they take you out of your comfort zone. Did you ever have an act take you out of your comfort zone? Yes––it’s my “case study” act, a doo-wop a cappella group called Street Corner Renaissance. I was out one day when I heard them singing. They were so good I had to get to know them. I learned that they played local gigs and entered a couple contests. After talking with them, I was sold and offered to work with them––even though I knew nothing about the doo-wop or a cappella markets. How did you develop your case study act? I worked with them on their performance and honed their brand. I wanted to get them as much exposure as possible. It took a few years, but I managed to take them from local bookings to national tours and, eventually, had them opening for big name acts. Were there any challenges you had to overcome? Yes. Most doo-wop fans like to see known acts that have had hits. But SCR was not a known act. They covered hit songs and had a few originals of their own. I sold them to promoters by explaining how exciting and fresh their musical approach and June 2015

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market. They had never been to America before, but I took a chance anyway because I liked the music and the players. We were doing pretty well in certain markets and were starting to get some traction. But before I could break them in this country––they broke up. Now, it’s not worth naming them, since they don’t exist. You know, it’s a tough business and you can’t win unless everyone’s on the same page. Were you always an agent? I started out at record labels. I got to work the whole angle there. In that environment, I learned that you had to let everybody know about your acts and get them excited about doing something for them. That was an important experience and good practice for being an agent. As an agent you also try to get people excited about your acts so they will book them.

Street Corner Renaissance

live shows were. That got them enough bookings to start them on a roll. How can artists attract a booking agent? They need basic tools: a recording, a website, an EPK and a performance video. It’s also nice if they have a team around them to help out, like a manager, publicist and attorney. But, most of all, they must be pro-active––they have to work at it and have some idea of what they want. It is also very helpful if they have some touring experience and know which markets we should focus on. How should a new indie act approach touring? They should find out everything they can about their market. They can use social media analytics to see where there’s a demand. Additionally, new acts need to do a tour circuit—which means they must return within a reasonable time. That’s how you build a fan base and get established. One-offs are a waste and will not sustain fans.

What changes have you noticed in the marketplace? Fans are not spending as much or going to as many shows. The economy has really affected the tour market, and the competition for dollars is fierce. As a result, some guarantees are not as high as they used to be. Nowadays, you have to be creative in your negotiations to make it work for everyone. Is there any market that’s still strong? Yes… artists that appeal to a niche market are holding steady. Acts like the Misfits, punk rock acts and ‘80s rockers are doing well. Their guarantees are pretty consistent. How do you find your talent? Most of the acts on our roster came to us through prior relationships. I’ll hear about artists from managers, labels and even acts we have on our roster. It is almost always by recommendation. Do you have a case study act? I did… but not anymore. They were a Swedish band that I wanted to develop in the U.S.

What are the biggest mistakes artists make when contacting you? They don’t do their homework. They need to do research before submitting material. They need to find agents and markets that suit their genre. And, they need to be patient, because it can take a while before any decisions are made.

ARTISTS WORLDWIDE Chris Maggiore, President, Agent chris@artists-worldwide.com Web: artists-worldwide.com Case Study Act: N/A

Founded in 1999, Artists Worldwide is a talent agency located in Los Angeles with over 50 acts on its roster, including Gilby Clark (G’NR), Puddle of Mudd, Misfits, Yngwie Malmsteen and many more. With over 18 years of experience, Chris Maggiore is the co-owner and president of the agency. 42 June 2015

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We Are The Big Bang

Are international tours harder to book? Not really, because overseas you deal with fewer promoters. One promoter may cover several territories. In the United States, other than the large companies like Live Nation and AEG, promoters frequently work in a small regional market. So, you tend to deal with a lot of different people across the country. What is your opinion of “Buy-Ons”? It depends… if you’re buying on a giant tour, it could get expensive. And, if you’re going on at 6:30––hours before the headliner—you’re wasting money. Sometimes acts will approach us to buy-on a tour or a stop with one of our artists. When that happens I’ll talk with the act (or their manager) and see what they think. In that situation, it can be another form of tour income. What would cause you to drop an act? If they have unrealistic expectations or are lazy, it can cause problems. If their tour ideas make no sense or their guarantee demands are not realistic, it will be impossible to please them. To be successful in this business, you not only have to be realistic and honest about yourself, you also have to work your butt off to make it.

COAST TO COAST MUSIC /THE COOL SCHOOL Chris Fletcher, CEO, Tour Coordinator ccmusicbooking@gmail.com

Coast to Coast: PositiveMusicPrograms.com Web: thecoolschool.biz Case Study Act: We Are The Big Bang (wearethebigbang.com) Coast to Coast Music specializes in planning, organizing and booking tours in the college and festival markets. Chris Fletcher is a music industry veteran with over 30 years of experience with indie labels, management, PR, promotions and tour planning. She teaches “Getting Gigs” and “The Touring Musician” at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, and co-founded The Cool School, which presents lectures, seminars and workshops at affordable prices. How is your company different from a typical booking agency? We’re a boutique operation that encompasses more than simply booking tours. We like working with new and upcoming talent. We educate and develop them so that they can enjoy financial and musical success. It can take some time, but we have a passion for music and try to keep our roster small enough so that all of our acts get the attention they deserve.

were playing local gigs. I set up a showcase at NACA (National Association for Campus Activities) for them, which put them before hundreds of college talent buyers. I then booked street fairs, festivals, wineries and college gigs. We started small and built a buzz.

play the large ones you have to start small and work your way up. For California artists interested in developing that market, there’s a great site: at-la.com. Just click on “events” and a huge list will appear. Other states also have similar sites.

Were there any challenges in developing your case study act? Yes… There are six people in the group. That is a lot to put on the road, much more than I usually like. So, we tried several configurations and slowly built a strong enough presence to support so many people. Now, after a couple of years, it’s doable.

What would turn you off about an act? Artists that don’t follow up when I need them to will upset me. That’s just rude and disrespectful. Even worse, acts that do a bad show will reflect negatively on me. You have to understand that my reputation is important too. If I can’t maintain my integrity, with professional acts, it could make it difficult for me to book anyone.

How is booking for festivals different? You have to book them long in advance––often a year. Festivals also like acts that have played events, like street fairs and other festivals. To

Be sure to see MC’s updated 2015 Directory of Booking Agents, starting on p. 52.

THE GRAMMY MUSEUM® PRESENTS

Where should an act tour? They should initially focus on where a demand is—if there is any. If there’s little or no demand, they should start by doing small regional tours around their home base and expand from there. In fact, the college market is a regional market. Most importantly, though, artists should plan to return to the places where they were most successful––every two to three months––or their fans will forget them. What can artists expect to make on the road? First of all, touring [for an up-and-coming band] is a promotional activity. Artists tour to expose their music and live performances to new fans. With that said, it can take a while––a year or two––before they start to make real money. You have to be established [in a market] to command large fees. Even so, I won’t book a tour unless it at least breaks even. It makes no sense to go on the road and lose money. That’s why you should always book an “anchor” gig first––one that will cover most of your expenses––and plan a route around it. How can you predict expenses? Travel, food and lodging have to be taken into account. Artists should also consider tour insurance for their gear. Vans are usually $75 to $100 a day, gas can be determined with online fuel calculators and with a little bit of research you can find discounts for lodging and food coupons. What kind of money can an act make on the college circuit? They can make anywhere from $200 to over $1,000 per show. California has the lowest fees due to the competition with labels that offer their acts for free. If an act wants to make a living just playing music, they would have to tour six to nine months and do 150 to 200 shows.

N OPEN O I T I B I H 5 EX R 4, 201 E B O T C O THROUGH

What are the advantages of the college market? Not only do they pay well, they also treat artists nice. Many colleges offer lodging and all of them will feed the acts. Besides, it’s a great demographic of potential fans. What is your case study act? We Are The Big Bang… When I met them they

WWW.GRAMMYMUSEUM.ORG June 2015

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– HOLLY KNIGHT

Songwriters: How to Demo Your Songs for Maximum Effect

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here are many things that come into play when deciding what kind of demo you want to make. You will need to:

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2. Learn how to program and engineer on a CBTJD MFWFM &OHJOFFSJOH ZPVSTFMG TBWFT NPOFZ BOE UJNF "OPUIFS BEWBOUBHF JT UIBU BOZ UJNF ZPV GFFM JOTQJSFE ZPV DBO XPSL PO ZPVS EFNP :PV IBWF UIF GSFFEPN UP LFFQ USZJOH lots of different things without looking at the DMPDL BOE XPSSZJOH BCPVU FNQUZJOH ZPVS CBOL BDDPVOU * DBO U UFMM ZPV UIF OVNCFS PG UJNFT * WF HPOF JO NZ TUVEJP BU B N JO KVTU NZ VOEFSXFBS BOE 6HH #PPUT BOE SFDPSEFE TPNFUIJOH SFBMMZ DPPM XJUIPVU IBWJOH UP XPSSZ BCPVU EFBMJOH XJUI TPNFPOF FMTF 3. 6TF B NBMF WPDBMJTU GPS B EFNP JG ZPV SF HPJOH UP QJUDI JU UP B GFNBMF SPDL TJOHFS PS BOZ LJOE PG FEHZ GFNBMF TJOHFS MJLF 1 OL 6TVBMMZ UIPTF LJOET PG GFNBMF TJOHFST BSF B CJU UPNCPZJTI BOE UIFZ XBOU UP TJOH MJLF B HVZ TP JU T FBTJFS GPS UIFN UP JNBHJOF TJOHJOH JU 4. %P OPU NBLF UIF NJTUBLF PG HFUUJOH B TJOHFS UP TJOH MJLF UIF BSUJTU ZPV SF QJUDIJOH UP 44 June 2015

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7. .BLF TVSF UIF WPDBMT BSF MPVE :PV SF not making your own record. You want the listener to hear the words. 8. Make sure you can understand the words XIFO UIF WPDBMJTU TJOHT TP UIBU " 3 QFFQT OFWFS OFFE UP MPPL BU B MZSJD TIFFU %PO U PWFSEP UIF FGGFDUT MJLF EFMBZ BOE SFWFSC UP the point that the singer sounds far away and hard to understand. 9. %PO U HP DSB[Z with guitar or other instrumental solos JG ZPVS PCKFDUJWF JT to get a song cut. /P POF $"3&4 Unless your demos are also intended to TFMM ZPV BT BO BSUJTU then you can throw JO TPNF EB[[MJOH NVTJDJBOTIJQ CVU FWFO UIFO * XPVME keep those moments NJOJNBM /P POF $"3&4 5IFZ XBOU UP hear great songs they can market.

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“make it their own.� A great production of a XFBL TPOH XJMM HFU ZPV OBEB CVU B HSFBU TPOH FWFO XJUI B TJNQMF EFNP XJMM TUBOE B CFUUFS chance of getting cut.

10. #BDL FWFSZUIJOH VQ FWFSZ GFX NJOVUFT UIBU ZPV SF XPSLJOH‡ you can set your program to do that automatically—and MBCFM ZPVS TFTTJPOT DMFBSMZ * DBO U UFMM ZPV how many sessions * VTFE UP MBCFM BT i'SJEBZ OJHIU 64& 5)*4 0/& u

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11. Usually an MP3 XJMM TVGGJDF *U T FBTZ UP TFOE BSPVOE BOE FBTZ GPS UIF MJTUFOFS UP PQFO VQ BOE MJTUFO UP * WF PGUFO HPOF UP UIF USPVCMF PG TFOEJOH B IJHIFS SFT GJMF TVDI BT 8BWF PS "J'' WJB %SPQCPY BOE OP POF seems to appreciate the difference. You want UIF EFNP UP CF BT FBTZ BT QPTTJCMF GPS UIF MJTUFOFS UP BDDFTT *G UIFZ IBWF UP HP UP ZFU BOPUIFS TJUF BOE EPXOMPBE B TPOH ZPV SF TVCNJUUJOH UP UIFN TPNFUJNFT UIFZ XPO U FWFO CPUIFS UP MJTUFO "I OPX TVCNJUUJOH ZPVS TPOHTw UIBU T B XIPMF AOPUIFS TVCKFDU Z BMM * IPQF UIJT IBT IFMQFE ZPV 3PDL PO HOLLY KNIGHT JT B UISFF UJNF (SBNNZ XJOOFS UIF SFDJQJFOU PG "4$"1 "XBSET BOE B JOEVDUFF UP 5IF 4POHXSJUFST )BMM PG 'BNF 'PS B DPNQMFUF EJTDPHSBQIZ PG IFS XPSL BOE UP MFBSO BCPVU IFS JOUFOTJWF limited-enrollment Master Songwriting $MBTTFT HP UP IPMMZLOJHIU DPN 5XJUUFS @HollyKnightlife

– KURT ORZECK

Gigmor: New Band Matching Network Aims to Revolutionize How Live Music Is Booked

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raigslist has long since replaced telephone poles as the spot where most bands advertise open slots that need to be filled by new guitarists, bassists or drummers. But will a new social media network for musicians and bands soon replace Craigslist in this space? Free website Gigmor connects likeminded musicians similar to how OKCupid and eHarmony match lonely hearts, using a unique formula that takes into account genre, instrument, playing level, geography and other metrics. Musicians and bands can then start dialoguing, or set a time and place to jam or record together, potentially leading to many happy marriages. Santa Monica, CA-based Gigmor graduated from beta in fall 2013, when it had a handful of musician and band profiles, and has since

burner, Baird—himself a musician—launched Gigmor after struggling to find compatible players. “I went on Craigslist and hit so many dead ends with phone calls and exchanging MP3s,” he recalls. “I realized musicians at all levels have the same problem.” The solution, Baird hopes, is Gigmor, where a band can set up a profile, define one or more instruments they’re looking for, and receive matches accordingly. The matching technology can be extended to events with a time and place, such as a jam, a gig or a recording session. User profiles are viewable to the public. They contain a bevy of information, ranging from a basic description to more specific data like the kind of music the user prefers to play, their genres of choice, their instrument, their

About 60 percent of Gigmor’s member base is professional or semiprofessional, so the site tends to attract more serious musicians, Baird says. The most popular genre is rock, but the social media network is also home to singer/ songwriters looking for backing musicians and EDM DJs who need vocalists. Gigmor is available in 40 countries, however matching only occurs in the U.S. and Canada at present, according to Baird. “Our focus in terms of audience growth is North America, as we haven’t incorporated the international zip code data into the matching engine,” he says. “It’s not the biggest project but requires a certain critical mass that we have in North America. Right now there are a couple of dozen people in France, let’s say, they’re not going to get good matches.” In addition to expanding its international

“We’re looking to create metrics that have value to talent buyers that help them filter out what the best bands are that would work in their club from an audience-draw perspective.” – David Baird, Gigmor grown that number into the mid-five figures, according to founder David Baird. Like the head of any promising startup, Baird has a lofty vision for his company: revolutionizing how live music is booked. “Our big-picture vision is that we want to be a booking site for venues and bands that matches gigs of any kind,” he says. “We’re working with some local venues in Los Angeles and San Diego to create a marketplace for live music acts.” Baird served as the head of e-commerce for AOL from 1995 to 2001, developing online marketing programs to drive the growth of online shopping, stock trading and online banking, according to his LinkedIn profile. He later founded Troubadour Digital Media, an agency that offered design, development, search engine optimization, social media and content management services. Before putting that project on the back

playing level and their goals. Profiles also show jams that the musicians and bands are organizing and attending, and their upcoming shows too. Users can post photos and videos, while a sidebar lists other users they’re following, as well as users tagged as “fans.” An activity feed chronicles everything the user has done on the site. Gigmor’s direct competition is BandMix, a classified ad hub that launched in 2003 and also uses a profile system to connect musicians. But Baird says Gigmor has a superior matching formula—a special sauce whose recipe he, of course, refuses to divulge. So far, Gigmor has generated roughly 150,000 matches, according to Baird. While there’s no way to tell how many of those matches have resulted in musicians and bands playing together offline, he says many have sent along their thanks.

reach, Gigmor is also planning to launch a mobile app. The company is a small operation employing four full-time staffers and a handful of freelance developers, but it is planning to close a seed round in the fall, according to Baird. “We’re looking to create metrics that have value to talent buyers that help them filter out from the hundreds of requests they get every day what the best bands are that would work in their club from an audience-draw perspective,” he says. Baird asserts that Gigmor is increasingly drawing the interest of talent buyers and other industry figures who are posting calls for players and bands that meet their criteria for specific gigs and festivals. If that trend continues, it could help him realize his ultimate dream for the site. See gigmor.com June 2015

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Sidewalk Cafe

New York, NY

Contact: sgentertainmentnyc@hotmail.com Web: mattromagna.com The Players: Matt Romagna, guitar, vocals; Brian Renda, guitar, vocals, Ryan Whittemore, drums; Jerry Fiess, bass.

Musicianship: The artist is a graduate of the Berklee School of Music, which delivers highly skilled musicians (no exception here). His vocals work well with the arrangements, and his fellow band members, who Romagna presented as “my friends,” fostered a nice connection between the band and the audience. They were good support for Romagana and sounded tight and wellrehearsed.

The Whisky a Go-Go

MATT ROMAGNA Performance: When the sound engineer introduced him, pronouncing his name incorrectly, Romagna chimed in with humor, “It’s Romagna like Lasagna,” which set an immediate tone that musically followed suit. Though his forte seemed to be more in the mid- and uptempo arena, the occasional ballad would have added more dimension. He wove in two big covers: the Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen A Face” and the Everly Brothers’ “Bye, Bye Love,” performed very close to the original renditions but respectable versions that dovetailed perfectly with his own originals.

MARK SHIWOLICH

Material: Matt Romagna’s user-friendly music falls in the middle of acoustic, Americana and country “light.” Thematically, subjects favor Nashville themes of love found and relationship hopes dashed over troubadour-type story songs. There are infectious rhythms and singable hooks that keep toes tapping and drinks coming, and the set stays on an upbeat note with a thread of optimism throughout. Even when life takes a less desirable turn, Romagna’s material has an uplifting message and vibe. “We Will Be Alright,” the most hooky song, is a feel-good ode to facing adversity no matter what the outcome. “When My Ship Comes Sailing In” is an exercise in self-determination, sticking with “the dream” whatever it takes. The song has a pleasing melody and shuffle feel but is lyrically too direct in the chorus. It could stand a bit more subtlety through more metaphor or imagery.

Summary: Matt Romagna performs a cohesive, well-rehearsed show with a solid group of musicians. He delivers his message devoid of pretention and projects a sincerity that some artists achieve simply with smoke and mirrors. Expanding the emotional landscape by adding more diverse subject matter and nuance would serve him well as he further navigates his musical career. Romagna can be heard promoting his new EP, We Will Be Alright, on the trendy Lower East Side Club scene and in Brooklyn’s newly transplanted The Living Room. – Ellen Woloshin

West Hollywood, CA

Contact: peter@blackwater-official.com Web: blackwater-official.com The Players: Jay Bartlett, guitar, vocals; Per Karlsson, drums; Peter Uven, bass.

Musicianship: The band benefits from a strong foundation, with tight and clean transitions, and collective tempo that is near flawless. Bassist Uven and drummer Karlsson provide a strong rhythmic structure for frontman Bartlett’s and Uven’s dynamic vocal harmonies. Basic instrumental groundwork is where Blackwater thrives, though Bartlett’s vocals are significantly monotone and could improve with more pitch variations. Performance: Stage presence is Blackwater’s shortcoming. They not only experienced multiple technical issues with their equipment, but the band’s intensity and audience interaction could use some work. 46 June 2015

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BLACKWATER

They made few attempts to interact with their listeners, many of whom responded by engaging in casual conversation among themselves during the set. Uven and Bartlett remained stationary at their microphones through a majority of the show. Bartlett often displayed little expression, while Uven seemed to enjoy playing. The set ended anticlimactically to a dwindling crowd.

MACIE BENNETT

Material: Blackwater is a London power-trio whose material is a blend of radio-friendly alt-rock with a flair for melodic, pop-oriented vocals. Many of their songs have a ballad feel, while others are extremely riff-based. Both types exhibit strong vocal harmony. “Without You,” a track off their upcoming album, is a ballad featuring simple guitar parts and catchy, sing-along lyrics. “Unsung Heroes” is a faster, more upbeat song with chunky, palm-muted guitar riffs driven by a stable beat.

Summary: Blackwater is a solid rock ensemble with effective vocal harmonies. Their material is mainstream and likely to appeal to any music fan. While minimal and elementary, their musicianship is firm. Polished stage presence and more variety in vocals could help the band gain an edge in a crowded alt-rock field. – Macie Bennett

LADE

The Mint

JESSE RICKETTS

because his introduction was spotlighted in the song composition. Edenburg gets lots of good trickle tone from his retro ‘60s style Epiphone on “Make A Move,” which adds a SoCal Rock flavor to the group’s sound. Notably he warns his sound guy before unplugging and plugging in his guitar, sparing the audience loud pops and feedback. Hadley incorporates a cool lap steel sound on “Asleep” and also contributes terrific solos on “Pulsar.”

Contact: ethan1447@gmail.com Web: facebook.com/lademusicart The Players: Ethan Edenburg, vocals, guitar; Avena Savage, backup vocals; Eric Jackowitz, drums; Brian Lang, bass; Alec Milewski, electronic drummer; Mark Hadley, synth.

is there only in comparison with the more pop-friendly songs. Lade is not too experimental and is definitely not a jam band. Edenburg has something to say in morality tales such as “No Good Human Beings.” However, this is not just message music but outright poetry on songs like the evocative “Pulsar.”

Material: Self-described as “electronic indie-pop,” Lade has the soulful, harmonized lounge vibe of Zero 7 with space-related themes that makes the overall sound unique. Radiohead is an influence, and the similarity

Musicianship: Unfortunately, with six people on stage, Milewski’s electric drums are mostly drowned out in the mix. “Asleep” was the one song in the set where he really came through,

Los Angeles, CA

Pecan Street Festival

Performance: Halfway through the set Edenburg and Lang played an acoustic cover of Aimee Mann’s “Save Me.” For the first few songs the bass work felt mostly foundational with not a lot of room for improvisation, so it was cool to see Lang really take off once he pulled out his standing bass for a solo that was met by a well-deserved round of applause. Edenburg engaged the audience with amusing banter and thanked them and the venue throughout the set. The vocal melodies were catchy, with hooks worthy of a space opera. “Squeaky Clean” and “Asleep” were songs that display a fun interplay between the male and female vocals of Edenburg and Savage. Summary: This was a well-polished debut performance from Lade. What grabbed listeners most was the overall passionate vocal delivery. In the event the group ever plays a venue with bad sound, they may want to consider bringing the drum levels down even more for the lyric sections of the music. – Brooke Trout

Austin, TX

Material: This eclectic Austin-native group became an intriguing six-piece act when one of its two founding members left. The band has truly found their strength with an alluring sound that cannot be categorized into one genre. With a solid foot in the alt-rock pool— Death Cab for Cutie comes to mind—the group does not shy away from incorporating pop and synth elements into their refreshing brand of “ambient pop,” which could be an enjoyable staple on mainstream radio. Tracks such as the atmospheric, rock-leaning “Fifty Four” and slow-building yet stadium-worthy “Tonight” are a couple of stronger cuts. Musicianship: For a six-piece project, it could be easy for an instrument to get lost in the noise, forced into the background. Luckily, that never happens for the Clouds Are Ghosts. While Paul and Parker initially draw in the audience with a passionate energy and immense talent, it is Fillingame on keyboard who retains attention with a soft, tranquil vibe supported by a countering assertiveness from Bowers on drums. All these lively instruments act as the perfect support system for Morris’ lead vocals of course, as he gives his all on

THE CLOUDS ARE GHOSTS every note, knowing when to remain subtle and maintain control when necessary. Performance: While the overall performance differed from their night club comfort zone— playing on a Saturday afternoon—they put on a respectable show too good for an outdoor festival. There was an energy present, one that continued to draw in bystanders, and though it may have been toned down given the time and place, the calming yet alert vibe was never lost. The band came together harmoniously for a performance that sounded as alive as on their studio album recordings.

ASHLEY TREAT

Contact: cloudsareghosts@gmail.com Web: cloudsareghosts.com The Players: Jason Morris, vocals; Erin Fillingame, keys; Steven Paul, guitar; Michael Parker, guitar; Jon Klekman, bass; Earl Bowers, drums.

Summary: The Clouds Are Ghosts are a compelling and interesting band that continues to grow brighter and more confident. Their unique blend of numerous genres effortlessly comes together for an edgy sound that has not been heard before. This sound is only heightened in a live setting where the rock elements of the performance showcase the group’s impressive musical range. With more time and a few more distinctive songs, it would not be surprising to hear this refreshing act on the airwaves soon. –Luis Gonzalez

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Room 5 Lounge

Los Angeles, CA

Material: Combining elements of funk, hip-hop and acoustic pop, John Defeo has developed a neo-soul sound with attitude. The vocals, delivered with a hip-hop intensity, add a raw element to the melodic, jazzy backdrops. “Colors Change” and “Be About It” showcase Defeo’s natural songwriting ability. His verses seamlessly transition to rhythmic bridges that crescendo into big choruses. With “Look for Love,” he reveals an emotional, softer side. The majority of lyrics revolve around unrequited love, and the music, which is colored with subdued, twangy electric chords, matches that theme. Musicianship: Defeo has a subtle rasp to his voice that establishes a sensual vibe, but he gets a little whiny in the higher register. He could also strum his rhythm parts more confidently to match Heberling’s graceful playing. Brown, a talented percussionist, slapped the congas and shook the cabasa with dynamics. Richards confidently held down the rhythm, providing a solid foundation. Coles and Simone can belt, scream and harmonize beautifully and professionally. Performance: The artist started the night out with two covers, which he made his

Room 5 Lounge

JOHN DEFEO

own, livening the intimate space. As he transitioned to his own material, he settled into a comfortable groove and began attacking his vocals. “Something” and “The Truth” showcased sultry backup harmonies and tried and true call and response vocal orchestration that got the audience singing along. When Defeo slowed the pace, the rest of the players immediately adjusted, decreasing volume and adapting to the dimmed mood. While the night went swimmingly for Defeo, a drummer would have better suited his material more than a percussionist. Though he’s a talented player, Brown sometimes gave the songs ill-fitting Latin grooves. Defeo kicked it into high gear when he played

VINCENT STEVENS

Contact: bandbiz@sbcglobal.net Web: johndefeomusic.com The Players: John Defeo, lead vocals, guitar; Jimmy Heberling, guitar; Oliver Brown, percussion; Candace Coles and Tia Simone, backup vocals; Jonathan Richards, bass.

“Day Dreamin’” by Lupe Fiasco. The finesse of Coles and Simone was impeccable, and Defeo’s delivery catered to the cover. Concluding the set with a powerful a cappella breakdown in the funky “Be About It,” the venue exploded with applause. Summary: With a humble personality, talented players and backup singers—and catchy material—it is hard to veer off track. It seems that Defeo is being pulled by hiphop and acoustic pop. He already has a solid foundation, but deciding exactly where he stands between the two genres will only strengthen his sound. – Vincent Stevens

Los Angeles, CA

Material: Singer/songwriter Rachel Garlin’s music can be categorized as more than just songs, but as lyrical stories. “Broke Down House” tells the tale of friends who were offered a decent sum for their house, but turned it down because it was their home. “The Sea You See” is an ode to her mother, a Scottish traveler who found herself in America after planning on going to New Zealand. “Wartime Gig” is about her father growing up during WWII, and “I Have, I Will” is a beautiful love song for her wife. What’s most notable about Garlin’s lyricism is that she doesn’t tend to write about herself; she’s more interested in the stories of others. Musicianship: Garlin has a very soothing quality about her, not just in the simplicity of her melodies, but also in her singing voice. In this performer’s world, simple isn’t a bad thing as she lets the stories in her lyrics be the star of the performance. Stripped down with only an acoustic guitar, there is nothing for the singer to hide behind, which helps prove her talent. Performance: Though her music is simple and sweet, that isn’t to say her presence at this show was anything less than enthralling. She told a story of being a teacher, and it 48 June 2015

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RACHEL GARLIN

honestly made so much sense given her ability to speak to an audience. Garlin is clearly adept at holding a room’s attention. Even with a minor hiccup in her set—she started a song wrong—Garlin nevertheless held the audience, joking about her miscue before moving forward. By the end, she brought Eisenberg and Collins—who’d performed earlier that night—to join her on stage, and the three meshed together wonderfully as they breathed a new life into

JENNY MCKENZIE

Contact: wendy@hellowendy.com Web: rachelgarlin.com The Players: Rachel Garlin, guitar; Kate Isenberg and Heather Collins, backup vocals.

the finale of Garlin’s set. This is a singer/ songwriter who practically glows while performing, and it is obvious she loves what she’s doing. Summary: Rachel Garlin is more than just a singer; she’s a storyteller with an infectious radiance about her that can enthrall an audience. She is clearly a musician performing without an agenda, and just a love of music. –Victoria Patneaude

Joanne Tatham Out Of My Dreams

9

Babymetal

Babymetal Reissue

8

Café Pacific Producer: Mark Winkler

BMD Fox Producers: Various

One of our most engaging and versatile performers, the alternately playful and intimate vocalist brings her heartbreak and whimsy to a set of straight-ahead jazz with clever world music touches. Fronting some of trad jazz’s most acclaimed musicians (bassist John Clayton and drummer Peter Erskine), Tatham takes us from the “Cool” of West Side Story and the spirited Portuguese of Jobim to the wistful romance of Harry Nilsson, the biting wit of Dave Frishberg and the subtle charms of Herbie Hancock and her renowned producer Mark Winkler. – Jonathan Widran

Metalheads love spectacle. Kitsch, however, can be a much tougher sell. Defying all odds is Babymetal, three teenage Japanese girls who shockingly won over hordes of knuckle-draggers last year with a batty mixture of J-pop and metal. While their success rippled onto U.S. shores—as evidenced by sold-out shows at sizable venues—the so-called “kawaii” (or “cute”) metal group is hoping for a tidal wave by rereleasing their debut with two bonus live tracks. Logic doesn’t suggest that Babymetal will last long, but if Gwar can, why not? – Kurt Orzeck

Oleg Frish

Lee Van Dowski & Animal Trainer

Duets With My American Idols Time Out Media Producer: Allan Schwartzberg

7

Ulysse Is Back (EP)

As host of the Russian language show Time Out, Russian-born radio and TV personality Oleg Frish interviewed legends from across pop culture. Combining his worlds in a lighthearted, sometimes straightforward, often eccentric, tongue in cheek way, the singer rolls through energetic Bob Mann arrangements of classics with a wish list of favorite duet partners––including Melissa Manchester, Lainie Kazan, Bobby Rydell and Tony Orlando. Sure, it’s old school Vegas, but it’s also fairly delightful, musically impeccable and ultimately hard to resist. – Jonathan Widran

Between the Buried and Me

9

Metal Blade Records Producer: Jamie King A concept album more than a rock opera, the seventh studio opus from North Carolina’s progressive metal firebrands recounts the tale of a man in a coma journeying through past lives. They ably switch styles, from guttural Cannibal Corpse yowls to self-referential noodling of Rush and everything in between, often within the same track. An exhilarating, if obtuse, amusement ride, seemingly crafted for exclusive delight of adventuresome listeners. This relentless flux may ward off those not similarly inclined, yet that’s the price for breaking down barriers. –Andy Kaufmann

Have A Nice Life

Mobilee Records Producers: Lee Van Dowski & Animal Trainer Electronic music has been flourishing in Europe for a long time. This doesn’t make them better for it, but there’s certainly a wisdom about their electronic music culture, that the EDM scene can learn from. If you want a taste of authentic electronic music, look no further than Lee Van Dowski & Animal Trainers’ new EP, Ulysee Is Back. The three-track package features that classical hypnotic tech house vibe, with a hint of techno that’s perfect for late nights at the club. The EP is released by Mobilee Records, one of Berlin’s premier labels. – Scott Binder

Atkins May Project Anthology

Gonzo Multimedia Producer: Paul May

Coma Ecliptic

MURS

8

8

7

The original frontman for Judas Priest, Al Atkins, and metal guitarist/auteur Paul May offer a respectable compilation of their original oeuvre. One can hear the seeds of early JP on tracks like “World at War” and “Dream Maker.” Atkins has an honest visceral approach, with a vocal style more earthy than stratospheric. May handles all the instrumental parts and keeps things musical and diverse. While there is nothing here that feels particularly distinctive or innovative, dedicated fans of classic British metal should heed the call. – Eric A. Harabadian

Allen Stone Radius

7

Strange Music Majority Producer: Jesse Shatkin

Capitol Records Producer: Various

Content is king. While Dre can release music every 10 years and survive, underground artists thrive on staying relevant—via album releases, mix tapes, guest spots, constant touring, etc. Murs is no stranger to the game, and on this, his newest solo release, the L.A. native continues to be hip-hop’s most advanced story teller. “PTSD” (featuring E-40) focuses on never escaping the flashbacks of neighborhood violence, while “Okey Dog” tells the tall tale of a thug starting a solo gang named after a local eatery. While some of these tales may educate, all of them are sure to entertain. – Andy Mesecher

Stone brings his colorful, “hippie with soul” pop/R&B aesthetic to his dynamic major label debut. Over 14 tracks predominantly helmed by Swedish producer Magnus Tingsek with contributions from Malay, Blended Babies and Benny Cassette, it’s like listening to two different artists. One rap/sings playfully over slick contemporary productions, while the other kicks it old school, equally in touch with his inner Bruno Mars and his idol Stevie Wonder. Whether he’s crooning, rapping or funking it up, Stone sets the tone for a joyfully schizophrenic ride. – Jonathan Widran

To be considered for review in the Album Reviews section, you must have a record deal with a major label or an independent label with an established distributor. If you do not, please see our New Music Critiques section. June 2015

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Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

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8 x 7 x 9

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Annachristie

Breaking Tempo

Contact: murchantmusic@gmail.com Web: annachristiemusic.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV Style: Indie Folk, Pop-Rock

Contact: breakingtempo@gmail.com Web: breakingtempo.com Seeking: Label, Booking Style: Alternative Rock

We like the prospects for this artist, who is gifted with a husky, womanly resonance that projects mad amounts of soul on artful material. “Sibling Rivalry”’s hook builds patiently amid an arrangement suffused with organ and choral vocals that conjure a churchy aura. Similarly somber, “Thunderbird” is more introspective and graced with bell-tone accents and a soaring soprano backup vocal that is haunting. We feel this song would work especially well in a TV drama sequence. “Palmistry” ups the energy with a quiet urgency and lead vocal that reminds us of KT Tunstall. Despite its full, throbbing arrangement the song maintains its aura of mystery and is of a piece with this thoughtful artist’s overall vision.

Guitar-driven, adrenaline-fueled and tighter than a gnat’s ass, Breaking Tempo need to get on Warped Tour...NOW, or open for 5 Seconds of Summer—though seeing the wall-to-wall women in attendance in their live YouTube clip, the band might steal the whole show. “Breakdown” gets to the chorus quickly and trips all the pop-punk triggers for a radio-friendly outing. Not a one-trick pony, the band shift colors slightly from song to song, as on “Beginning to End” (alternately speedy and mid-tempo) and the grittier, noisier “People We Know,” which has a bracing punk-metal attack and a lyric about a hellbent girl. From its supertight drumming to its appealing lead vocals, this band sounds ready for a savvy booking agent.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

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Jeff Hughell

The Vanity

Contact: josh@VittekPR.com Web: jeffhughell.com Seeking: Film/TV Placement Style: Instrumental

Contact: aaron@msopr.com Web: thevanity.com Seeking: Booking, Film/TV, Distr., Label Style: Indie Rock

Six Feet Under’s Hughell rises from the tech-metal grave for this intriguing solo album, wherein he showcases his mighty seven-string bass to power a gaggle of instrumentals that are the foundation for some inspired performances by Hughell and his battery of guests shredders. The appropriately titled “Chaotic Implosion” launches from an atmospheric intro to a fiery and furious ride where every instrument acts as a piston in a digital engine that’s finely tuned. After the relaxed, expansive, cinematic interlude of “Society Hangover,” Hughell and company roar back with the vigorous, virtuosic fretwork of “Chaos Labyrinth.” All of which suggests that this explosive project would be best experienced live.

We’re split on which song we like more–– “River” or “Cowboy Killer.” On both outings, this Austin-based band come at you with a big, wide Texas-sized sound (helped by Bob Ludwig mastering) that at times seems enspirited by U2, especially in its chiming guitars, thundering drums and lead singer who’s capable of scaling the heights of his range when necessary. “Black & Blue” doesn’t seem quite as intriguing in comparison, but no matter––the Vanity seem to have their vision figured out, a sound that’s built to fill large venues, even festivals. “Cowboy Killer” seems particularly radio-ready, a song whose hook can be comprehended and grooved-to immediately. This quintet is right on track.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

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Mprynt

Morello vs. Masaru Mitsu

Contact: zakiyafatin@starrisland.com Web: soundcloud.com/mprynt Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TV, Distr. Style: R&B/Soul

Contact: kelly@kelleemackpr.com Web: morellomusic.com Seeking: International Distribution Style: Indie Pop

Philly foursome Mprynt (till recently on Motown Records) have a silky-smooth sexy-time sound with dynamic vocal colors (including a fine falsetto) as on “Don’t Hurt Me” where the lyrics’ masculine vulnerability is convincing. “If Later Never Comes” seems capable of seducing ‘90s boy-band fans and their kids; it’s an updated take on that formula, with a liberal use of Autotune for what seems to be artistic ends, rather than to correct inadequacies. “Body Rock” has a killer hook undermined by a meandering song structure. All in all, there’s solid talent displayed. Certainly some of these recordings could be placed on TV. Performing live, however––connecting with the audience––is the key in this genre.

This two-man collab has a knack for upbeat, almost happy-go-lucky pop-tunes that harken back to classic ‘80s synth-pop, right down the Morello’s reserved Brit-accented vocals. “In-A-City” has a world-pop profile and emits a compelling, kinetic energy and lots of creative colors and textures. “Some Families” is similarly fun and hooky, again with an under-impassioned vocal style that some of us liked, some of us did not. The song’s tasty falsetto sets the tone for a nice change of pace––an R&B/soul inflected song complete with horn section. And the lyrics poke fun at Americans’ yen for foreign cars––the perfect soundtrack for riding in one’s new Fiat, perhaps? Each recording here is highly polished and broadcast-ready.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

9 7 8 7 8

Music Connection’s executive committee rates recorded music on a scale of 1 to 10. Number 1 represents the lowest possible score, 10 represents the highest possible score. A final score of 6 denotes a solid, competent artist. For more information, see Submission Guidelines on next the page. 50 June 2015

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Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

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Ben Hanna

Christopher Wang

Contact: ben@benhannamusic.com Web: benhannamusic.com Seeking: Label, Booking, Distr., Film/TV Style: Modern Folk, Americana

Contact: christopherwang2015@gmail.com Web: facebook.com/wangkesen Seeking: Label, Distribution Style: Electronic/Pop

Can Hanna sing? Not exactly. He goes a step better––he communicates in a unique persona that demands your attention. Lazy, sarcastic, and on his third cocktail perhaps, Hanna and his looser-than-an-old-shirt band exude a quality lacking in most acts––authentic feel. “I Wish We Were Beginning It” is a relationship-gone-wrong song that is both laugh-out-loud funny and bittersweet (“happiest memories are now the saddest”) and escalates into a barroom singalong. Hanna’s wry, laconic observations continue with the high-energy frolic, “High Society Scene,” and college stoner anthem “We Were All Like Whatever” which reminds us of comic/musician Bo Burnham. Keep doing what you’re doing, guys. Your audience will find you.

Looking for a dark, ambient pop song, something that would grace a club or bar? Try this Taiwan-based artist’s “Insecure,” whose super-electronic take on R&B/Pop exudes an ominous cloud of cool, including a spoken-word section and an outro that is fresh and interesting. More straightforward is “River” whose 4/4 beat is embellished with artfully deployed elements. We hear this as an interesting demo that might entice a marquee singer––like a Katy Perry––to develop and record it. “That Boy,” however, made us smile when we thought of Britney Spears performing it. Don’t know how Wang feels about that, but Spears could certainly strut the hell out of this bumping, dancey and infectious number.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

8 7 8 7 8

Kings of Carnage

ILANA

Contact: mail@kingsofcarnage.com Web: kingsofcarnage.com Seeking: Label, Mgmt, Booking Style: Hard Rock, Metal

Contact: ilanaharkavy@gmail.com Web: soundcloud.com/ilanaharkavy Seeking: Film/TV, Mgmt Style: Pop

Though they’re a bit old-school, we give kudos to this quintet of former U.S. combat soldiers who inflict solid, vintage ‘80s thrash lead-guitar riffs, piercing double-kicks and a roaring frontman, Micah McCullough, who knows when NOT to sing––which is so underrated in metal and something that too many lead vocalists never learn. While his vocals aren’t the most original, and the dark lyrics are genre-standard, together they conjure a vivid, multi-layered realm of paralyzing evil and annihilating violence. And unlike most metal acts, these boys shred from experience, not fantasy. Yes, the tracks could use more sonic boom, as opposed the trebly treatment here, but it’s clear these guys can drop heavy ordnance on a live crowd.

We hear the makings of a pop hit in ILANA’s “My Body,” a craftily arranged, sonically loaded recording that, like other tunes here, delivers a fiery message of self-confidence and female empowerment. Her vocal shows a convincing skill and passion, though we suggest working to improve the chorus lyrics, which some of us find simplistic. With a nod perhaps to Katy Perry as well as Ashley Tisdale, ILANA’s “Neon Fire” glows with fearlessness and we like the acoustic guitar section that lends a delicacy to the entire canvas. With a gift for hooks and histrionics, ILANA is a promising artist who could work harder to make her lead vocals match––and not be overpowered by––the epic energy of her music tracks.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

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Red Trailer

Katie Garibaldi

Contact: Youngflow500@yahoo.com Web: redtrailer.bandcamp.com Seeking: Licensing, Film/TV, Booking Style: Hip-Hop/Rap

Contact: angela@muddypawpr.com Web: katiegaribaldi.com Seeking: Booking, Film/TV Placement Style: Alt-Pop, Americana

This Georgia-based rapper’s lyrics and flow are as solid as they are familiar. On his best outing, “Cast the First Stone,” the artist recounts his life’s struggles, and we like the distinctive vocal tones of the two rappers, as well as the varied pacing of the beat’s melancholy throb. Red Trailer even injects a third vocal profile––an Auto-Tuned interlude––that works as an effective accent to the proceedings. The spacey “MLK” has a good hook, but the song is hampered by verses that are not as interesting as they could be. The gritty-graphic “Please,” where the vocal reminds us of Jay Z’s high-pitch tone, will keep the censors busy indeed. Red Trailer has a raw-boned vision that will appeal to tha headz, not the mainstream.

Garibaldi is blessed with a sweet and pure soprano, perfect for addressing sentimental setbacks (“Holding On”) and buoyant optimism (“Make Them Go Away”). Problem is, lyrics this obvious and simplistic result in a rather mild listening experience, the musical equivalent of a sickly-sweet air freshener. Nevertheless, the sparkling production and relaxed musicians (we wish they included backup singers) certainly make these polished ditties worthy of a rom-com or a young persons TV show. All in all, we hear a sincerity in this artist that is real, and if she is interested in being all she can be, we urge her to spend time with a vocal coach who can help her to discover a heretofore untapped reserve of power.

Production Lyrics Music Vocals Musicianship

8 6 7 7 8

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: There is absolutely no charge for a New Music Critique. We critique recordings that have yet to connect with a label or distributor. To be considered please go to musicconnection.com/get-reviewed. All submissions are randomly selected and reviewed by committee. June 2015

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Directory of

Managers and Booking Agents

Music-makers Updated for 2015, tap into Music this Connection’s directory to connect exclusive, with national indie labels, list of marketing professionals & promo will help experts connect andyou indie to publicists. those whoPlus can loads handleofyour contact career information interests and to arrange aid you in livepromoting bookingsyour for you. music (Forcareer, MC’s DIY list of style: Music T-shirt Attorneys, and CDplease development, visit musicconnection.com/industry-contacts.) blog sites and social media tools. MANAGERS 4 STAR ENTERTAINMENT New York, NY E-mail: AgentToddny@me.com Web: www.toddfrankagent.com Contact: Todd Frank Styles: Pop, Rock, Oldies Clients: Mo’Nique, Cedric the Entertainer, Isaiah Washington, Yolanda Adams, the Trammps, Mary Mary *No unsolicited material 5B ARTIST MANAGEMENT 67 W. St. #608 New York, NY 11222 310-450-7132 E-mail: hello@5bam.com Web: www.5bam.com Styles: Metal, Rock, Alt. *No unsolicited material Additional location: 1605 Pacific Ave. Venice, CA 90291 310-450-7132 AAM 7 W. 22nd St., Fl. 4 New York, NY 10010 212-924-2929 E-mail: info@aaminc.com Web: www.aaminc.com Contact: Matthew Clayman Styles: Alt., Rock, Pop, Indie Clients: Call for roster *No unsolicited material, represents producers only Additional locations: 5979 W. 3rd St., Ste. 204 Los Angeles, CA 90036 310-271-9350 1600 17th Ave., S. Nashville, TN 37212 615-742-1234 ABBA-TUDE ENTERTAINMENT 311 N. Robertson Ave., Ste. 505 Beverly Hills, CA 90211 818-991-7399 E-mail: kingabba@aol.com Contact: Mark “Abba” Abbattista Styles: All Services: Personal management, legal *Accepts unsolicited material A.C. ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 285 Shady, NY 12409 845-679-7070 E-mail: brains@ix.netcom.com Web: www.badbrains.com Contact: Anthony Countey Styles: Punk, Hip-Hop, Alt., Rock Clients: Bad Brains, Dufus, Diako Diakoff. *Accepts unsolicited material, but not seeking new clients AFRICAN MUSIC SOURCE 1225 Everett St. El Cerrito, CA 94530 510-778-1885 E-mail: kaokulolo@aol.com Web: www.africanmusicsource.com Contact: Baba Ken Okulolo Styles: African Clients: Baba Ken and Kotoja, Baba Ken and Afro-Groove Connection, West African Highlife Band, Baba Ken Okulolo and the Nigerian Brothers *Accepts unsolicited material AIC ENTERTAINMENT 321 High School Rd., N.E. Ste. D3, PMB 210 Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 206-781-3956 Fax 206-781-3957 E-mail: info@aicentertainment.com Contact: Amanda Case Styles: S/S, folk, pop, rock, americana, jazz, world Clients: Ian Moore, Two Loons For Tea, Spottiswoode and His Enemies, Modeste, Joel Dilley, Bett Butler, Swati, Bronwen Exter, Don DiLego, David Berkeley, Jamie Hutchings, Sophie Hutchings, Beautiful Small Machines *Accepts unsolicited material, call or email first AL BUNETTA MANAGEMENT 33 Music Sq. W., Ste. 102-B

ALLURE MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT 34 E. Germantown Pike, Ste. 112 Norristown, PA 19401 215-601-1499 Web: www.allureartists.com/contactallure.html Styles: rock, alt. rock, pop, adult rock, R&B, hip-hop Clients: Sleeper Cell, Maddam Ink, Slik Helvetika, XDao, DJ Miguel, Kara Reynolds, Tim Laigaie, Stealing Love Jones, Thoroughfare, Gallucio, The Wonder Years, Greg Howe, Uncle Plum, Darryl Ray Band, Flux Capacitor, Coolooloosh, Tom Taylor, Brian Severn and Those Victorious *Accepts unsolicited material, please follow submission guidelines on web AMERICAN ARTISTS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Stuart, FL 772-226-7201 E-mail: online@aaeg.com Web: www.aaeg.com Styles: pop, rock, R&B, country, s/s Clients: Jenny Galiardi, Mike Guerriero, Lyrical Eye, Baha Men, Frank Stallone *Accepts unsolicited material, but not seeking new clients Additional locations: Contact: Hal Kaye, Artist Representative 646-719-9874 New York, NY 10021 Contact: Dick Kline, Artists Representative, Jeff Subaru Assoc. 323-325-8275 Hollywood, CA 90068 ANGELICA ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Nashville, TN 615-794-0485 Fax 615-591-1463 E-mail: mgmt@angelica.org Web: www.angelica.org Contact: Jules Delgado Styles: ambient, lounge, new age, pop, world, Film/TV Clients: Seay, Pat Thomi *No unsolicited material ARSLANIAN & ASSOCIATES 6671 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 1502 Hollywood, CA 90028 323-465-0533 E-mail: oscar@discoverhollywood.com Web: www.arslanianassociates.com/who.html Contact: Oscar Arslanian Clients: Fabian, Chris Montez, Little Peggy March, Kathy Young, Johnny Tillotson, Merrilee Rush, Brian Hyland Styles: Classic Rock Services: personal management *No unsolicited material ARTIST IN MIND 14100 Dickens St., Ste. 1 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-4236 818-906-8020 Fax 818-924-1000 E-mail: info@artistinmind.com Contact: Doug Buttleman Clients: Remy Zero, Sanders Bohlke, Jeffrey Cain, the Verve Pipe, Brian Vander Ark Styles: rock, modern rock, pop, adult *No unsolicited material ARTIST MANAGEMENT GROUP 207 Crabapple Dr. Baytown, TX 77520 713-263-7115 E-mail: recagle@montroserecords.net Web: www.amgtexas.com Contact: Richard Cagle Styles: rock, blues, country, pop Clients: Carolyn Wonderland, Crash Comfort, Grey Eyed Athena, Simpleton *Accepts unsolicited material ASQUARED MANAGEMENT 800 18th Ave. S., Ste. C Nashville, TN 37203 615-864-8043 E-mail: awareinfo@awaremusic.com Web: www.asquaredmgmt.com Styles: S/S, acoustic, folk, rock

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Clients: Mat Kearney, Emily Hearn, Marie Miller *No unsolicited material

Nashville, TN 37203 800-521-2112, 615-742-1360 E-mail: jon@ohboy.com Web: www.ohboy.com Styles: folk, bluegrass Clients: John Prine, Kris Kristofferson *No unsolicited material

ASTI ARTIST MANAGEMENT, LLC 212-529-6400 E-mail: info@astientertainment.com Contact: Kristi Clifford, Kelly Hogan Styles: rap, hip-hop, pop, rock Clients: Kid Capri, Styles P, Camp Lo, Republic of Loose, Technician the DJ, The Lox, Tyler Woods, Lil Wah *No unsolicited material AZOFF MUSIC MANAGEMENT 1100 Glendon Ave., Ste. 2000 Los Angeles, CA 90024 310-209-3100 Styles: All *No unsolicited material

BIG NOISE 11 S. Angell St., Ste. 336 Providence, RI 02906 401-274-4770 E-mail: al@bignoisenow.com Web: www.bignoisenow.com Contact: Al Gomes Styles: pop, rock, R&B, metal, jazz, acoustic, blues, punk, techno Clients: Christina Aguilera, Katharine McPhee, Alice Cooper, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Jay Geils, Jim Brickman, Melba Moore *Accepts unsolicited material--please call or e-mail first.

ELLEN AZORIN, MANAGER, PEDRO GIRAUDO JAZZ ORCHESTRA 157 W. 79th St., Ste. 4A New York, NY 10024 212-724-2400 E-mail: ellenazorin@gmail.com Web: www.pedrogiraudo.com, www.cantaloupeproductions.com Styles: Jazz Client: Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra *Accepts unsolicited material

BITCHIN ENTERTAINMENT 1750 Collard Valley Rd. Cedartown, GA 30125 678-901-0162 E-mail: ty@bitchinentertainment.com Web: www.bitchinentertainment.com Styles: rock, pop, hip-hop, Americana, country, R&B, jazz, punk, metal, rap, folk, s/s Clients: Blackhawk, Blue Oyster Cult, Charlie Allen, Gary Campbell, Kansas, Judas Priest, Nickel Creek, Steve Miller Band *Accepts unsolicited material

BACKSTAGE ENTERTAINMENT 5018 Franklin Pike Nashville, TN 37220 310-325-9997 E-mail: staff@backstageentertainment.net Web: www.backstageentertainment.net Contact: Paul Loggins, John Stevens, Laurent Stoeckli Styles: All Services: full-service radio promotion, publicity and PR, radio programming/consulting, personal management, entertainment consulting/marketing *Accepts unsolicited material

BLACK DOT MANAGEMENT 6820 La Tijera Blvd., Ste. 117 Los Angeles, CA 90045 310-568-9091 Fax 323-777-8169 E-mail: info@blkdot.com Web: www.blkdot.com Contact: Raymond A. Shields, Pat Shields Clients: producers, engineers, marketing, production Styles: R&B, jazz, urban adult contemporary Services: personal management, marketing *No unsolicited material

BANDGURU MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 11192 Denver, CO 80211 303-477-6987 E-mail: mark@bandguru.com Web: www.bandguru.com Contact: Mark Bliesener Styles: All Styles Clients: the Third Degree, Baxter Black, Ronny Cox, Highway 101, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band *No unsolicited material BBA MANAGEMENT & BOOKING 12400 Hwy. 71 W., Ste. 350-177 Austin, TX 78738 512-477-7777 E-mail: info@bbabooking.com Web: www.bbabooking.com Contact: Laura Mordecai Styles: rock, jazz Clients: Matt Wilson, Beto and the Fairlanes, Javier Chapparo Services: specializes in placing musicians for recording sessions and back up for touring acts, must read sheet music *No unsolicited material BEAR CREEK PRODUCER MANAGEMENT 6313 Maltby Rd. Woodinville, WA 98072 425-481-4100 Fax 425-486-2718 E-mail: mannyhadlock@hotmail.com Web: www.bearcreekstudio.com Contact: Manny Hadlock Styles: intelligent rock, indie rock, rock nervous, folk, renaissance, rock, jazz Clients: Gordon Raphael, Ryan Hadlock, Holy Ghost Revival, Sony Records, Sub Pop, Vertigo, Warner, Transgressive *No unsolicited material BEDLAM MUSIC MANAGEMENT 550 Queen St. E., Ste. 310 Toronto, ON M5A 1V2 416-585-7885 Fax 905-248-3195 E-mail: contact@bedlammusicmgt.com Web: www.bedlammusicmgt.com Clients: Alexisonfire, City and Colour, Doldlrums, Moneen, Monster Truck, the Sheepdogs BIG HASSLE MANAGEMENT 244 E. Durham St. Philadelphia, PA 19119 917-670-6023, 215-248-2064 E-mail: maska@bighassle.com Web: www.facebook.com/BigHassleManagement Contact: Michael Maska

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Styles: alt., indie, rock, pop Clients: Sabina Sciubba La Maison Tellier, Andrien Reju, Mary Lee Kortes *Accepts unsolicited material

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BLACK ROSE 409 Rte. 112 Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776 631-367-8544 E-mail: admin@blackroseproductions.com Web: www.blackrosemusicpub.com Styles: jazz, rock, R&B, gospel, hip-hop, country, blues, pop Clients: Conan Horn Section, Black Rose Band, Organic Sound Project, Chris Patti of Modern Voices, IndiMusicTV, John Pandalfo, Roger Evans, Tito Batista featured on vocals with Conan Horn Section and Black Rose Band *No unsolicited material Additional location: 15 Gloria Ln. Fairfield, NJ 07004 631-367-8544, 973-575-7460 BLISS ARTIST MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 5011 Laurel, MD 20726 888-608-5936 E-mail: bliss51@onebox.com Web: www.facebook/blissartistmgt Contact: Linda Young Styles: urban, gospel, rock, blues, jazz, hip-hop Clients: DJ Sir Jamm, Margo, Marketing, Promotions and Consultant BOB BENJAMIN MANAGEMENT 201 S. 2nd Ave., Ste. 22 Highland Park, NJ 08904 732-249-3911 E-mail: njbob113@aol.com Contact: Bob Benjamin Styles: Rock Clients: Joe Grushecky, Joe D’Urso *No unsolicited material BRENT MUSIC MANAGEMENT (submission address) 14431 Ventura Blvd., #306 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-535-6696 Contact: Bobby Brent, Elysia Skye Styles: All styles--always looking for outstanding songs Services: Personal management, contract negotiations, deal shopping, consulting, music and video productions *Accepts unsolicited material--call first *Not accepting rap or hip-hop at this time BRICK WALL MANAGEMENT 39 W. 32nd St., Ste. 1403

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Download at musicconnection.com/industry-contacts New York, NY 10001 212-501-0748 Fax 212-268-3544 E-mail: bwmgmt@brickwallmgmt.com Web: www.brickwallmgmt.com Contact: Michael Solomon, Rishon Blumberg Styles: pop, rock, country, singer-songwriter Clients: Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, the Clarks, Josh Franer, Marshall Altman, the Spring Standards, William Fitzimmons, Caddy Banks, Vanessa Carlton *No unsolicited material BRILLIANT PRODUCTIONS Decatur, GA 30030 404-312-6237 E-mail: Nancy@brilliant-productions.com Web: www.brilliant-productions.com Contact: Nancy Lewis-Pegel Styles: roots, rock, jam, Americana, blues Clients: Webb Wilder, Geoff Achison, Yonrico Scott, Randall Bramblett, Peter Karp, Sue Foley, Yonrico Scott Band Services: A boutique agency that gives personal attention to musicians *No unsolicited material BROKAW COMPANY, THE 9255 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 804 Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-273-2060 Fax 310-276-4037 E-mail: brokawc@aol.com, db@brokawcompany.com Web: www.brokawcompany.com Contact: David Brokaw, Joel Brokaw, Sanford Brokaw Styles: All Services: Full service *No unsolicited material BULLETPROOF ARTIST MANAGEMENT & BOOKING 241 Main St. Easthampton, MA 01027 413-527-9393 E-mail: patty@bulletproofartists.com Web: www.bulletproofartists.com Contact: Patty Romanoff Styles: folk, pop, rock, country Clients: Nerissa and Katryna Nields *No unsolicited material BURGESS WORLD CO. P.O. Box 646 Mayo, MD 21106 410-798-7798 E-mail: info@burgessworldco.com Web: www.burgessworldco.com Contact: Richard James Burgess Styles: rock, alt., singer/songwriter, blues, jazz Clients: Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, Ace Elijah, The Electrofied Blues Band *No unsolicited material BUSYBOY PRODUCTIONS 3211 Webster Ave. S. St. Louis Park, MN 55416 651-230-4362, 818-561-6000 E-mail: info@busyboyproductions.com Web: www.busyboyproductions.com Contact: Ella Reid Styles: rock, pop, country, alt. Clients: Michelle Ella Reid, Lorenzo, Lizzy Borden, White Lion, Gin Blossoms, Anita Baker *Accepts unsolicited material CASE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. 102 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Ste. 200 Colorado Springs, CO 719-632-0227, Fax 719-634-2274 E-mail: rac@crlr.net Web: www.newpants.com, www.oldpants.com Contact: Robert Case Clients: Silence, Lisa Bigwood, C. Lee Clarke, Kathy Watson, Todd Harris, Sherwen Greenwood, Chad Steele, James Becker, Stephanie Aramburo, Rocky Shaw, John Ellis Styles: pop, rock, country Services: personal management, record promotion *No unsolicited material CELEBRITY ENTERPRISES New Mexico 800-700-3898, 505-281-1149 E-mail: lisa@ent123.com Web: www.ent123.com Contact: Lisa de Wolf Styles: Big Band, Current Broadway, Mainstream Clients: the Pink Flamingos, the 3 Painters, Frank, Liza, Sammy--the Ultimate Concert *No unsolicited material Additional locations: Minneapolis, MN 888-746-2731, 952-935-0445 E-mail: gordy@pipelineartists.com Contact: Gordy Singer Las Vegas, NV 702-425-4040 E-mail: gaelan@ent123.com Contact: Gaelan de Wolf CHAPMAN MANAGEMENT 14011 Ventura Blvd., #405

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-788-9577 Fax 818-788-9525 E-mail: info@chapmanmanagement.com Web: www.chapmanmanagement.com Styles: contemporary smooth jazz Clients: Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair, David Benoit, Jeff Golub, Euge Groove, Jeff Lorber, Al Stewart, Peter White *no unsolicited material CLASS ACT PRODUCTIONS / PETER KIMMEL’S MUSIC CATALOG P.O. Box 55252 Sherman Oaks, CA 91413-0252 818-980-1039 Fax 818-903-6518 E-mail: peter.kimmel@sbcglobal.net Contact: Peter Kimmel Styles: All Services: Professional Music Licensing; Publishing, Personal Management *Call for approval before sending material COAST TO COAST MUSIC, ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, BOOKING AND PROMOTION P.O. Box 18334 Encino, CA 91416 818-376-1380 E-mail: ccmusicbooking@yahoo.com Web: www.positivemusicprograms.com Contact: Chris Fletcher Clients: Harold Payne, Faith Rivera, Gravity Styles: All Services: Management, Promotions and Booking expert *E-mail for permission to send your materials COLLIN ARTISTS Pasadena, CA, CA 91104 323-467-4702 E-mail: collinartists@gmail.com Web: www.collinartists.com Contact: Barbara Collin, Robert Sax, Goh Kurosawa Clients: Mary Stallings, Carmen Lundy, Charmaine Clamor, Thelma Jones, Jackie Ryan, Annie Sellick, Bonnie Bowden, Amber Weekes, Kevin Mahogany, Andy Bey, Dori Caymmi, Mon David, Sam Harris, Mr. Z, Nat Adderley, Jr. Maiden Voyage, Pete Escovedo, Susie Hansen Latin Jazz Band, The Impressions, Ray Bailey, the Langston Huges Project Styles: jazz, blues, world, Latin, R&B, doo wop/ classics and beyond Services: Management, promotion, consulting, booking, workshops *No unsolicited material COLUMBIA ARTIST MANAGEMENT, LLC 5 Columbus Cir. 1790 Broadway New York, NY 10019 212-841-9500 E-mail: info@cami.com Web: www.cami.com Contact: Tim Fox Styles: instrumental, classical, jazz, world, celtic, vocalists Services: one of the world’s largest Classical music management firms *Accepts unsolicited material COOKMAN INTERNATIONAL 10627 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91601 818-763-1397 E-mail: info@cookman.com Web: www.cookman.com Contact: Tomas Cookman Styles: Latin, alt., rock, pop Clients: Fabulosos Cadillacs, Manu Chao, Bostich and Fussible, Vicentico, Alex Anwandter *No unsolicited material CORE ENTERTAINMENT ORGANIZATION 14724 Ventura Blvd., Penthouse Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 818-986-9680 E-mail: info@coreentertainment.biz Web: www.coreentertainment.biz Contact: Bill Siddons,Toni Profera Clients: Jerry Cantrell, Alice in Chains, Elayne Boosler, Fu Manchu, KMFDM, Stabbing Westward, Jonathan Butler, Pat Benatar, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Crosby Stills and Nash, Graham Nash, Van Morrison, Robert Palmer, Poco, John Klemmer, Sparks, the Doors, Sharon LIttle, String Theory, The Original Voices of Little River Band Styles: rock, pop, Film/TV Services: Personal management *Accepts unsolicited material CORNERSTONE MANAGEMENT 830 Traction Ave., Ste. 3F Los Angeles, CA 213-217-4500 E-mail: info@cornerstonepromotion.com Web: www.cornerstonepromotion.com *No unsolicited material Additional locations: London 3 Perseverance Works, Fl. 1 38 Kingland Rd. London, E2 8DD +44 207-729-2637

New York 71 W. 23rd St., Fl. 13 New York, NY 10010 212-741-7100 COUNTDOWN ENTERTAINMENT 110 W. 26th St., 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10001 212-645-3068 E-mail: lovie@countdownentertainment.com Web: www.countdownentertainment.com Contact: James Citkovic Styles: urban, hip-hop, pop, rock, country, alt., dance, club, DJ *Accepts unsolicited material, see site for submission details CREAMER MANAGEMENT E-mail: creamermgt@gmail.com Contact: Michael Creamer Styles: rock, alt., pop, s/s Clients: Superdrag, Kim Taylor, Kay Hanley, Oteil Burbridge, Letters To Cleo, Grownup Noise *Accepts unsolicited material CRUSH MANAGEMENT 60-62 E. 11th St., Fl. 7 New York, NY 10003 212-334-4446 Fax 212-334-0050 E-mail: info@crushmm.com Web: www.crushmm.com Styles: rock, pop, indie, hip-hop, s/s, punk Clients: Sia Furler, Wavves, Hole, Train, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Travie McCoy/Gym Class Heroes, White Sea and Cobra Starshi *No unsolicited material CUERVO MANAGEMENT GROUP 4924 Balboa Blvd., Ste. 485 Encino, CA 91316 951-698-2379 E-mail: cuervomgt@yahoo.com Contact: Javier Willis Styles: all types of Latin and world music Clients: Sergio Arau, Cristian Castro, Vazquez Sound, Agina Alvarez, the Forbidden Band, Trio Ellas, Cynthia Silva CURTIS MANAGEMENT 1900 S. Corgiat Dr. Seattle, WA 98108 800-724-8038, 206-447-1819 Fax 206-447-1848 E-mail: info@curtismanage.com Contact: Kelly Curtis Clients: Pearl Jam DAS COMMUNICATIONS 83 Riverside Dr. New York, NY 10024 212-877-0400 Fax 212-595-0176 Styles: rock, pop, hip-hop Clients: Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, Jim Steinman, Carney, Spin Doctors, Toby Gad, the Veronicas, Taylor Momsen and the Pretty Reckless, Sean Paul, Prince Royce, Katy Tiz, the Lone Bellow *No unsolicited material DAVE KAPLAN MANAGEMENT 1126 S. Coast Hwy. 101 Encinitas, CA 92024 760-944-8800 Fax 760-944-7808 E-mail: scott@surfdog.com Web: www.surfdog.com Contact: Nola Schoder Style: Rock Clients: Brian Setzer, Stray Cats, Dave Stewart, Glen Campbell, Joss Stone, Gary Hoey, Dan Hicks, Rusty Slightly Stoopid, Dan Hicks, the Burning of Rome, Butthole Surfers, Pato Banton, Richard Cheese, Mom *We accept all unsolicited materials DAVID BENDETT ARTISTS 2431 Briarcrest Rd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-278-5657 E-mail: artistsinc@aol.com Contact: David Bendett Styles: rock, pop, bluegrass, jazz Clients: Bela Fleck, John Sebastian *No unsolicited material DAWN ELDER MANAGEMENT 303 Loma Alta Dr., Ste. 31 Santa Barbara, CA 93109 805-963-2415 Fax 805-965-4075, Global: 805-637-1178 E-mail: demgmt@aol.com Web: www.demgmt.com Contact: Dawn Elder Styles: world, rock, pop, jazz, roots, traditional, classical, international, Central-South Asian underground, Middle Eastern, North African, Mediterranean Clients: Souad Massi, Mayssa Karraa, Simon Shaheen and Arab Orchestra, Simon Shaheen and Near Eastern Ensemble, Simon Shaheen and Qantara, Bassam Saba, Kadim Al Sahir, Cheb, Sabbah and 1002 Nights and many more. Services: specializing in Middle Eastern, Central and South Asian, North African, West African and Mediterranean *No unsolicited material DCA PRODUCTIONS 302A 12th St., #330

New York, NY 10014 800-659-2063, 212-245-2063 Fax 609-259-8260 E-mail: info@dcaproductions.com Web: www.dcaproductions.com Contact: Daniel C. Abrahamsen Styles: pop, folk, rock Clients: Andjam Band, Backbeat A Tribute, Alison Fraser, Fiesta, Rockspolsion, Lisa Bouchelle, Vladimir & Nadia Zaitsev, Acrobats of Cirquetacular Services: variety performers, comedians, musical performers, theater productions and producing live events *Accepts unsolicited material DEEP SOUTH ENTERTAINMENT 1115 Lake Wheeler Rd. Raleigh, NC 27603 919-844-1515 E-mail: dave@deepsouthentertainment.com Web: www.deepsouthentertainment.com Styles: pop, rock, alt., country, Americana, AC, Christian Clients: Marcy Playground, Vienna Teng, Tres Chicas, Parmalee, I Was Totally Destroying It, Young Cardinals, Michael Sweet *Accepts unsolicited material. **Please NO CALLS DENNY BRUCE MANAGEMENT & PRODUCTIONS Burbank, CA E-mail: dbrucemgt@aol.com Contact: Denny Bruce Styles: veteran artists only Services: personal management, production, publishing, label consultant *No unsolicited material DIRECT MANAGEMENT GROUP 8332 Melrose Ave., Top Floor Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-854-3535 E-mail: info@directmanagement.com Web: www.directmanagement.com Clients: Conway, Ferras, Adam Lambert, K.D. Lang, Katy Perry Styles: All Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material DREAMCATCHER ENTERTAINMENT 2910 Poston Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 615-210-2270 E-mail: jmazza@dreamcatchermgmt.com Web: www.dreamcatchermgmt.com Contact: Jim Mazza Styles: Country *No unsolicited material EAST END MANAGEMENT 13721 Ventura Blvd., Fl. 2 Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 818-784-9002 Fax 818-784-9027 Contact: Tony Dimitriades Styles: rock, pop Clients: Billy Idol, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Regina Spektor *No unsolicited material ELEVATION GROUP 1408A Encinal Ave., Ste. A Alameda, CA 94501 510-530-2600 E-mail: kent@elevationgroup.net Web: www.elevationgroup.net Contact: Kent Sorrell Clients: Neville Brothers, Funky Meters, Tallest Man Records, Goodnight, Texas, Tad Kulbler Styles: All Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material ELLIOT CAHN MANAGEMENT 1035 7th St. Oakland, CA 94607 510-652-1615 Fax 510-550-2770 E-mail: cahnman@aol.com Web: www.elliotcahn.com Contact: Elliot Cahn Clients: Goapele, Justin King Styles: All styles Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material EMCEE ARTIST MANAGEMENT 189 Franklin St., Ste. 294 New York, NY 10013 212-925-6458 E-mail: liz@emceeartist.com Web: www.emceeartist.com Styles: jazz, rock, blues Clients: Medeski Martin and Wood, the Wood Brothers, Piers Faccini, John Medeski, Jenny Scheinman, MAGO *No unsolicited material EMPIRE ARTIST MANAGEMENT 235 W. 23rd St., Fl. 6 New York, NY 10011 212-343-9383 Fax 212-343-9429 E-mail: info@ultrarecords.com Web: www.ultrarecords.com Contact: Jon Medeski, the Wood Brothers, Piers Faccini, Jenny Scheinman, Gil Landry

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Directory of Managers and Booking Agents Styles: electronica, club, techno *No unsolicited material ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES INT’L 1819 S. Harlan Cir. Lakewood, CO 80232 303-727-1111 E-mail: randy@esientertainment.com Web: www.esientertainment.com Contact: Randy Erwin Styles: Rock, Classic Rock Clients: the Nylons, Ben E. King, Brewer and Shipley, Carl Dixon, the Guess Who, Humble Pie, Iron Butterfly, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Otis Day and the Knights, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, the Rembrandts, Sass Jordan,Thunderstruck ERIC NORWITZ ARTIST MANAGEMENT 3333 W. 2nd St., Ste. 52-214 Los Angeles, CA 90004-6149 213-389-3477 E-mail: enorwitz@pacbell.net Contact: Eric Norwitz Styles: alt., dance, pop, R&B, rock Services: management & legal *Accepts unsolicited material EYE FOR TALENT, INC. P.O. Box 280786 San Francisco, CA 94128 650-595-2274 Fax 650-585-6810 E-mail: staff@eyefortalent.com Web: www.eyefortalent.com Contact: Bill Smith Styles: World, Jazz Services: Personal management and agents Clients: Hermeto Pascoal, Huun Huur Tu, Le Mystere Des Boix Bulgares, Les Yeux Noirs, Paris Combo, Quetzal. See website for complete roster. *No unsolicited material FIRST ARTISTS MANAGEMENT 4764 Park Granada, Ste. 210 Calabasas, CA 91302 818-377-7750 Fax 818-377-7760 E-mail: fam-info@firstartistsmgmt.com Web: www.firstartistsmgmt.com Styles: film, S/S Clients: film composers, music supervisors, music editors *No unsolicited material FLEMING ARTISTS, INC. 543 N. Main St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734-995-9066 Fax 734-662-6502 E-mail: jim@flemingartists.com Web: www.flemingartists.com Contact: Jim Fleming Styles: rock, pop, s/s, contemporary roots rock, folk, bluegrass, improv comedy Clients: Ani DiFranco, Antje Duvekot, Ari Hest, Baskery, Brian Vander Ark, Capitol Steps, Caravan of Thieves, Cheryl Wheeler, Connie Kaldor, Damien Dempsey, Dan Bern, Dougie MacLean, Eddie From Ohio, Ellis Paul, Enter the Haggis, Garnet Rogers, Glen Phillips, Grant-Lee Buffalo, Gregory Alan Isakov, Hoots and Hellmouth, Jane Siberry, Jeff Daniels, Krista Detor, Lucy Kaplansky, Martyn Joseph, Mountain Stage Radio Show, Peter Mulvey, Po’Girl, Richard Shindell, Robbie Schaefer, Ryan Montbleau Band, the Guggenheim Grotto, the Second City, the Verve Pipe, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Tom Paxton, Tony Furtado, Umphrey’s McGee, Willy Porter, WPA–Works Progress Administration FRESH FLAVA ENTERTAINMENT 2705 12th St. N.E. Washington, DC 20018 202-832-7979 E-mail: freshflava1@aol.com Web: www.freshflava.com Contact: Emanuel Maurice ‘Moe’ Yeoman Styles: hip-hop, R&B, jazz, gospel, rock Clients: Elliot Lavine, Tabbo, DJ Sir Jamm *Accepts unsolicited material FUZED MUSIC P.O. Box 19436 Seattle, WA 98109 206-352-6892 E-mail: info@fuzedmusic.com Web: www.fuzedmusic.com Contact: Grady Chapman Styles: alt., folk, rock, hip-hop Clients: Blue Scholars, Common Market, the Presidents Of the United States of America *Not currently accepting submissions GARVAN MEDIA, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING P.O. Box 737 Sandpoint, ID 83864 208-265-1718 Fax 208-265-7296 E-mail: steve@garvanmanagement.com Web: www.immf.com, www.mmfus.com Contact: Stephen Bond Garvan (formerly of NYC, Colorado, New England, MMF-US Board, Founding Council AMA, IMMF Global Director of Folk/Roots/Americana,) Styles: rock, s/s, roots, country, Americana Clients: Chris Daniels and the Kings, Ryan Shupe, Lenou (US/Canada), Big Wide Grin, Tom

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Roznowski, Michael Kelsh. Advisory: Bridges Home, Bob Rea, Chi Mclean, Larry Flint, Bianca DeLeon, Magic Music GARY STAMLER MANAGEMENT P. O. Box 34575 Los Angeles, CA 90034 310-838-1995 E-mail: garystamler@me.com Web: www.gsmgmt.net Contacts: Gary Stamler, Nancy Sefton Clients: Pete Molinari, Tchad Blake, Lynda Kay, Dave Alvin, Jamestown Revival Styles: All Services: personal management *No unsolicited material GENUINE REPRESENTATION / GENUINE MUSIC GROUP 11271 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 225 Studio City, CA 91604 E-mail: mav@genuinemusic.com Web: www.genuinemusicgroup.com Styles: R&B, hip-hop, pop, pop rock Clients: Brandon Bassir *No phone calls please GOLIATH ARTISTS 270 Lafayette St. New York, NY 10012-3311 212-324-2410 E-mail: howard@goliath-management.com Contact: Paul Rosenberg Styles: rap, hip-hop Clients: Eminem, Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf *no unsolicited material GOODMAN AND ASSOCIATES MANAGEMENT, MARKETING & PR 11271 Ventura Blvd., #341 Studio City, CA 91604 818-760-6700 E-mail: goodmanjoe@me.com Contact: Joseph L. Goodman Styles: rock, alt., pop Services: Full-service management, marketing, public relations *Accepts unsolicited material GREG JACKSON MEDIA GROUP, LLC 520 W. 103rd St., Ste. #289 Kansas City, MO 64114 Email: greg@gregjacksonmedia.com Web: www.gregjacksonmedia.com, www.twitter.com/GregJackson1 Contact: Greg Jackson Styles: Pop, Rock, R&B, AC, Urban, more. Roster: Marc L. Submission: Follow online submission policies found at www.gregjacksonmedia.com LAURA GROVER 8530 Holloway Dr., Ste. 328 Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-994-1690 E-mail: LDG@anet.net Contact: Laura Grover Styles: pop, rock *No unsolicited material HALFPIPE ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 10534 Hollywood, CA 90213 310-651-6233 E-mail: info@halfpipemusic.net Web: www.halfpipe-entertainment.com Contact: Lee Scheinbaum Styles: alt., rock, indie, s/s, surf pop, electronic, lounge, remixes, psychedelic, hip hop, R&B, nu soul, jazz, underscores Clients: Jeff Martin, Greg Camp, Aidan Lavelle, the Newton Brothers, Ceiri Torjussen, Erik Godal, Tommy Coster, Christopher Faizi, Kiran Shahani, Scott Thomas, James Hall, Jaymay, Stefano Tomaselli, Contrella Patrick-Henry, Mark Tschanz, Chris Seefried, Trevor Shand, Mike Semple, Sean Hennessy, Kathie Talbot, Brian Rawlings, Colby Trane, Tom Carolan, Cathy Duncan *Accepts unsolicited material--web streaming audio submissions only, prefer Soundcloud or similar. HEADLINE TALENT P.O. Box 131518 Staten Island, NY 10313 212-581-6900 E-mail: glknight10@yahoo.com Styles: classic rock, oldies, soul, hip-hop, a cappella Clients: the Drifters, the Coasters, the Platters, the Dubs, the Marvelettes, the Persuasions *Accepts unsolicited material HEART & SOUL ARTIST MANAGEMENT, LLC Miki Mulvehill Minnesota Office 1885 Shady Beach Ave. Roseville, MN 55113 651-755-7944 E-mail: mvt@utrmusicgroup.com Web: UTRMusicGroup.com Clients: Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, David Z, Lisa Wenger HOFFMAN ENTERTAINMENT 20 W. 55th St.

New York, NY 11019 212-765-2525 Contact: Randy Hoffman Styles: R&B, rock, pop, country Clients: John Mellencamp, Hugo, Will Dailey, Carlene Carter *No unsolicited material HOWARD ROSEN PROMOTION, INC. 1129 Maricopa Hwy., #238 Ojai, CA 93023 805-382-2200 E-mail: info@howiewood.com Web: www.howiewood.com Contact: Howard Rosen, Siri Rosen Clients: Paula Abdul, New Boyz, Stone Sour, Green Day, Jaicko, James Otto, Girl in a Coma, We the Kings Styles: All Services: Personal management, shop for distribution and record deals. Production and remix with major producers *Accepts unsolicited material IMC ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. 19360 Rinaldi St., Ste. 217 Porter Ranch, CA 91326 818-700-9655 E-mail: sr@imcentertainment.com Web: www.imcentertainment.com Contact: Sylvester Rivers Clients: Paul Riser, T. Renee Styles: pop, R&B Services: full service *No unsolicited material IMPACT ARTIST MANAGEMENT 293 Tinker St. Woodstock, NY 12498 212-280-0800, Ext. 22 E-mail: info@impactarists.com Web: www.impactartist.com Styles: jazz, world, rock, pop, blues, R&B, folk, alt. country Clients: Gipsy Kings, Jon Cleary, Cassandra Wilson, Thomas Dolby *No unsolicited material IN DE GOOT ENTERTAINMENT 119 W. 23rd St., Ste. 609 New York, NY 10011 212-924-7775 Fax 212-924-3242 E-mail: tcouch@indegoot.com Web: www.indegoot.com Contact: Tony Couch Styles: rock, pop Clients: 10 Years, Adelitas Way, Bel Heir, Black Stone Cherry, Chevelle, Highly Suspect, Halestrom, In This Moment, Kyng, Neon Trees, New Medicine, Nightmare and the Cat, Robert Fenn, Sevendust, Shinedown, Story of The Year, Theory Of A Deadman *Accepts unsolicited material--Attn: Dave Bennett Additional location: 10 Greenland St., Fl. 4 Camden, London, NW1 0ND England +44 77 84110102 INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE MANAGEMENT (ICM) 10250 Constellation Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 310-550-4000 E-mail: slevine@icmtalent.com Web: www.icmtalent.com Contact: Steve Levine Styles: dance, classical, jazz, folk, world, contemporary, R&B, hip-hop *No unsolicited material Additional locations: 730 5th Ave. New York, NY 10019 212-556-5600 Marlborough House, Fl. 3 10 Earlham St. London, WC2H 9LN, England +44-0-20-7836-8564 IN TOUCH ENTERTAINMENT 5 Columbus Cir., Fl. 8 New York, NY 10019 212-714-7722 Fax 212-202-7579 E-mail: info@intouchhome.com Web: www.intouchhome.com Contact: Charles Carlini Styles: All Styles Clients: Irene Cara, Michael Carvin, Brian Charette, David Chesky, Suzanne Ciani, Elisha Abas, Adriadna Castellanos, Equie Castrillo, Brian Charette, Larry Coryell, Mamma Freedom, George Garzone, Eumir Deodato *Accepts unsolicited material - via SonicBids only INTRIGUE MUSIC MANAGEMENT 24 Preble St., Fl. 3 Portland, ME 04101 207-221-3311 E-mail: mgmt@intriguegroup.com Web: www.intriguemusic.com

Contact: Super Frank Styles: rock, pop Clients: the Peach Kings, Cemetery Sun, My Ticket Home, Amy and the Engine, Old Man Canyon, Shana Farr, Artem Korolev *No unsolicited material INVASION GROUP 1133 Broadway, Ste. 919 New York, New York 10010 212-414-0505 Fax 212-414-0525 E-mail: webinquiry@invasiongroup.com Web: www.invasiongroup.com Contact: Peter Casperson Styles: rock, world, folk, s/s Clients: Zach Deputy, Dawn Landes, the Bandana Splits, Caravan of Thieves, Gail Ann Dorsey, Jai Uttal, Robin Danar, Mark Wood, Scott Jacoby, Bill Laswell, Maiysha, Ryan Dahle, Gigi, Tail Heights, Graham Colton *Accepts unsolicited material JAMPOL ARTIST MANAGEMENT 8899 Beverly Blvd., Ste. 812 West Hollywood, CA 90048 310-654-1900 E-mail: assistant@jamincla.com Web: www.wemanagelegends.com Contact: Jeff Jampol Clients: The Estates of the following: the Doors, Janis Joplin, Peter Tosh, Tupac Shakur, Jim Morrison, Ramones, Otis Redding, Henry Mancini *Does not accept unsolicited material KAHN POWER PICTURES 433 N. Camden Dr., Ste. 600 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-550-0770 E-mail: iampower007@gmail.com Web: www.artists4film.com Styles: Film/TV scores, composer/performer/ director representation Clients: Nancy Bishop, Stewart Copeland, Robert Dornhelm, Claudio Faeh, J. Petere Robinson, Peter Gloub, Mader, Michael Nyman *No unsolicited material KARI ESTRIN MANAGEMENT & CONSULTING P.O. Box 60232 Nashville, TN 37206 615-262-0883 E-mail: kari@kariestrin.com Web: www.kariestrin.com Contact: Kari Estrin Styles: folk, Americana, AAA, roots Clients: David Llewellyn, Janis Ian, Tony Rice, Bluegrass/Newgrass legend, Suzanne Vega, Kanda Bonga Man, Papa Wemba, Kevin Brown, 3 Mustaphas 3 *Accepts unsolicited material KBH ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 7646 Kester Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91405 818-786-5994 Contact: Brent Harvey E-mail: info@kbhentertainment.com Web: www.kbhentertainment.com Styles/Specialties: All styles, entertainment consulting, artist management, publicity, music placement/licensing and live event production *No unsolicited material KBM 1459 Morton Pl. Los Angeles, CA 90026 310-234-0280 Fax 310-234-0282 E-mail: kbmgt@aol.com Contact: Brent Harris Clients: Tony! Toni! Tone’!, Sounds of Blackness, Jamell *No unsolicited material KILL NERVE MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 687 North Hollywood, CA 91603 E-mail: info@killnervemgmt.com Web: www.killnervemgmt.com Contact: Jesse Ramirez Styles: Alt., Indie, Rock, all genres Services: Personal management and other services. *Accepts unsolicited material. KRAFT ENGEL MANAGEMENT 15233 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 200 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 818-380-1918 E-mail: info@kraft-engel.com Web: www.kraft-engel.com Contact: Richard Kraft Styles: Film Composers *No unsolicited material KRAGEN & COMPANY E-mail: info@kragenandcompany.com Web: www.kenkragen.com Contact: Ken Kragen Clients: Suzanne Whang, Ronn Lucas, the Smothers Brothers, J. Geils Band, Travis Tritt Styles: Comedy, Country, Adult Contemporary Services: personal management, TV production *No unsolicited material

Download at musicconnection.com/industry-contacts KUPER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT/ RECOVERY RECORDINGS 515 Bomar St. Houston, TX 77006 713-520-5791 E-mail: info@recoveryrecordings.com Web: www.recoveryrecordings.com Contact: Koop Kuper Styles: folk, roots rock, Americana Clients: the Very Girls, David Rodriguez *Accepts unsolicited material LAKE TRANSFER ARTIST & TOUR MANAGEMENT 11300 Hartland St. North Hollywood, CA 91605 818-508-7158 E-mail: info@laketransfer.com Web: www.laketransfer.com Contact: Steven B. Cohen Clients: Candyboy, Mari Y., Friends of Distinction, Harry Elston, Evelyn Champagne King, Rose Royce, the Val Diamond Band LAMONT PATTERSON 4080 Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89169 323-957-7322, 213-792-4662 E-mail: Lamont@worldmovement.com Web: www.worldmovement.com Contact: Lamont Patterson Clients: Drew Raber, Rogon & Co, Kanya, Comedian Dewayne Dukes, Wylde Bunch, Beko, Coast Ridas, Michelle, Ghetto Hippie LATIN MUSIC ARTISTS 4131 W. Oquendo Rd., Ste. 3 Las Vegas, NV 89118 702-363-7273 E-mail: info@latinmusicartists.com Web: www.latinmusicartists.com Styles: Latin *Accepts unsolicited material LEN WEISMAN PERSONAL MANAGEMENT 357 S. Fairfax Ave., Ste. 430 Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-653-0693, 323-653-7670 E-mail: parlirec@aol.com Web: www.parliamentrecords.com Contact: Len Weisman Styles: R&B, soul, blues, gospel, rap, soul, pop Clients: Jewel With Love, Chosen Gospel Recovery Singers, Winds Of Fate, Rapture 7, Chosen Gospel Singers, L’Nee, Sister Maxine West, TooMiraqulas (rapper), Winds of Fate *Accepts unsolicited material LEONARD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 532 Colorado Ave., Fl. 2 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-458-8860 E-mail: info@lbmgt.com Web: www.leonardbusinessmanagement.com Contact: Jerry Leonard Clients: Call for roster Styles: All Services: Business management only *No unsolicited material LIPPMAN ENTERTAINMENT 23586 Calabasas Rd., Ste. 208 Calabasas, CA 91302 818-225-7480 Fax 818-900-0749 E-mail: music@lippmanent.com Web: www.lippmanent.com Contact: Michael Lippman, Nick Lippman Clients: producers, artists, songwriters Styles: All Services: Full-service *No unsolicited material LLOYD SAX MANAGEMENT 3021 Airport Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-572-0023 Fax 310-572-0043 Contact: Lloyd Sax Clients: Troy Burgess Styles: All Services: personal and business management *Accepts unsolicited material LOGGINS PROMOTION 310-325-2800 E-mail: promo@logginspromotion.com Web: www.logginspromotion.com Contact: Paul Loggins Services: Represents both major and independent artists. All genres. LOOKOUT MANAGEMENT 1460 4th St., Ste. 300 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-319-1331 Fax 310-319-5331 E-mail: webstar@lookoutmgmt.com Web: N/A Contact: Elliot Roberts, Frank Gironda Styles: rock, alt. Clients: Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Mazzy Star, Love in the Circus, Carly Ritter, Jamiroquai Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material LUCEDIO MUSIC 413-977-5282 E-mail: lucediomusic666@gmail.com Contact: Jessika Norman

Web: www.lucediomusicusa.webs.com Styles: Extreme forms of Metal Clients: Hotile City Metal Fest *Accepts unsolicited material

732-578-8493 E-mail: info@maxcruise.com Web: www.maxcruise.com *Does not accept unsolicited material

LUPO ENTERTAINMENT 725 River Rd., Ste. 32-288 Edgewater, NJ 07020 E-mail: steve@lupomusic.com, nicklopiccolo@lupoentertainment.com Web: www.lupoentertainment.com Contact: Steve Corbin, Nick LoPiccolo, Brooke Bloomquist Styles: rock, pop, R&B, country, hip-hop Clients: Jim Wilson, Megan McCallon, Lo-Star, Lauren Mayhew *Contact prior to sending material

McGHEE ENTERTAINMENT 8730 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 200 Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-358-9200 Fax 310-358-9299 E-mail: info@mcgheela.com Web: www.mcgheela.com Contact: Doc McGhee Clients: KISS, Hootie and the Blowfish, Down, Ted Nugent, Darius Rucker, Drew Davis, Sacha Edwards, Night Ranger, Vintage Trouble, Down, Duff McKagan’s Loaded, Mallary Hope, Clint Black, the Willis Clan, Clint Wicks, Joel Crouse, Jack Blades, Easton Hamlin Styles: All styles Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material

Additional location: 1905 Grace Ave. Hollywood, CA 90068 MAINE ROAD MANAGEMENT 195 Chrystie, Ste. 901F New York, NY 10002 212-979-9004 E-mail: mailbox@maineroadmanagement.com Web: www.maineroadmanagement.com Contact: David Whitehead Styles: rock, S/S, pop Clients: David Byrne, Helmet, Joe Jackson, Tyondai Braxton, Mimi Goese, Hugh Laurie, Anna Von Hausswolff, Natalie Merchant *No unsolicited material MAJOR BOB MUSIC 1111 17th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212 615-329-4150 Web: www.majorbob.com Contact: Bob Doyle Styles: Country, Pop Clients: Garth Brooks, the Band Perry, John and Jacob, the Features, Dukes of Daville *No unsolicited material MANAGEMENT ARK 116 Village Blvd., Ste. 200 Princeton, NJ 08540 609-734-7403, Vernon H. Hammond III 800-877-7133, Edward C. Arrendell, II E-mail: managearkeast@comcast.net, info@mngtark.com Contact: Vernon Hammond III, Edward C. Arrendell, II Styles: jazz Clients: Wynton Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, Cecile McLorin Salvant *No unsolicited material

Additional location: 21 Music Sq. W. Nashville, TN 37203 615-327-3255 Fax 615-327-3260 info@mcgheela.com The MGMT Company 4220 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91602 818-760-7657 Web: www.themgmtcompany.com Contact: Marc Pollack M. HITCHCOCK MANAGEMENT 5101 Overton Rd. Nashville, TN 37220 615-333-0015 E-mail: info@mhmgmt.com Web: www.mhmgmt.com Contact: Monty Hitchcock Styles: alt. country, contemporary folk, rock, country Clients: John Starling and Carolina Star, Ben Cyllus, Danny Flowers, Dylan LeBlanc, Sweethearts of the Rodeo *No unsolicited material MICHAEL HAUSMAN ARTIST MANAGEMENT 17A Stuyvesant Oval New York, NY 10009 212-505-1943 Fax 212-505-1127 E-mail: michael@michaelhausman.com Web: www.michaelhausman.com Contact: Michael Hausman Styles: rock, pop, s/s Clients: Aimee Mann, Suzanne Vega, the Both *No unsolicited material

MAPLE JAM MANAGEMENT 818-840-9000, 212-348-9567 E-mail: info@mjmg.us Web: www.mjmg.us Contact: Starr Andreeff, VP Managers: Mike Renault, Starr Andreeff and Jeff Peters Clients: Taryn Manning, Christian Burghardt, MaDonna Grimes, the Fame Riot, Samantha Robinson, Alex Lowery, Madison Sweeney, David Valdes, Anna Vissi, Kiersey Clemons

MIKE’S ARTIST MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 35880 Tucson, AZ 85740 520-628-8655 E-mail: mike@mikesmanagement.com Web: www.funzalorecords.com Contact: Mike Lembo Styles: rock, pop, Americana Clients: Tony Furtado, Jules Mark Shear, Mostly Bears, Luca, Brian Lopez, SIRSY, the Coal Men *No unsolicited material

MARKY RAY The Rock and Roll Mercenary Master of Music - Musicology The University of Akron 2014 330-289-0589 E-mail: fuzzunit@aol.com Web: www.linkedin.com/in/markyray, www.facebook.com/marky.ray Styles: Rock, Experimental, Power Pop, Avant Garde Clients: 3D, the terrible parade, Death On A Stick, the Action, IguanaDonHO, the SLAB Band (the Student LAb Band at Tri-C) *No unsolicited email, phone calls or packages

MILLION DOLLAR ARTISTS 13001 Dieterle Ln. St. Louis, MO 63127 314- 965-5648, 888-521-8146 E-mail: info@americaneaglerecordings.com Web: www.milliondollarartists.net Contact: Dr. Charles “Max” E. Million Styles: All Styles Clients: Well Hungarians, Sable, Spanky and Our Gang, KLLR SmiLe, Jim Carrick *Accepts unsolicited material should include the caveat

MARIS AGENCY Van Nuys, CA 818-708-2493 E-mail: info@marisagencyla.com Web: www.marisagencyla.com Contact: Steve Styles: pop, rock and alternative rock with a pop edge Clients: Privet Earth, In The Stars, Xavier Miller Services: Will shop a band to Record Co.’s, provided the sound of the band works properly. MASCIOLI ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION 319 Dillon Cir. Orlando, FL 32822 407-897-8824 Web: www.masciolientertainment.com Contact: Paul A. Mascoli Styles: country, jazz, R&B, orchestras, swing, tropical, rock Clients: Ian Tyson, Fernando Varela, Age of Days, the Gords, Asad Mecci, the Current, Four Divo, Gleefully, Champagne Dress, Red Carpet Lady *Accepts unsolicited material MAX CRUSE P.O. Box 549 Colts Neck, NJ 07722

MONOTONE INC. 820 Seward St. Hollywood, CA 90038 323-308-1818 Fax 323-308-1819 Clients: the Shins, White Stripes, Vampire Weekend, the Raconteurs, Cold War Kids MORRIS HIGHAM MANAGEMENT, LLC 818 19th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37203 615-327-3400 Web: www.morrisartistsmanagement.com Contact: Tiffany Benken Styles: Country Clients: Kenny Chesney, Martina McBride, Louise Mandrell, Big and Rich, Blaine Larsen, Jake Owen, Andy Gibson *No unsolicited material MSH MANAGEMENT Studio City, CA 818-761-0874 E-mail: mshmgmt@yahoo.com Contact: Marney Hansen Clients: Michelle Mangione, the Hursts Services: personal management *No unsolicited material MUSIC & ART MANAGEMENT 9 W. Walnut St., Ste. 2D Asheville, NC 28801

828-225-5658 E-mail: steve@musicandart.net Web: www.musicandart.net Contact: Steve Cohen Styles: Jazz, Electronic, Experimental, Multimedia Clients: Theo Bleckmann, Carl Hancock Rux, David Wilcox, Vijay Iyer *Does not accept unsolicited material MUSIC INC MANAGEMENT 745 W. Katella Ave. Orange, CA 92867 714-900-6840 E-mail: info@musicinc.org Web: www.musicinc.org Contact: Vince Pileggi Styles: Pop *Accepts unsolicited material NETTWERK PRODUCER MANAGEMENT 6525 W. Sunset Blvd., Ste. 800 Hollywood, CA 90028 323-301-4200 E-mail: info@nettwerk.com Web: www.nettwerk.com *No unsolicited material Additional locations: 345 7th Ave., Ste. 1101 New York, NY 10001 212-760-1540 124 Rindge Ave., Unit 25 Cambridge, MA 02140 617-497-8200 Rear of 44 Chiswick Ln. London, W4 2JQ 011-44-207-456-9500 Neuer Kamp 32 20357 Hamburg, Germany 49-40-431-846-50 Head Office: 500-575 W. 8th Ave., Vancouvr, BC V5Z oC4 604-654-29029 NEW HEIGHTS ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 8489 Calabasas, CA 91372 323-802-1650 E-mail: info@newheightsent.com Web: www.newheightsent.com Contact: Alan Melina Styles: All Styles Clients: RedOne Productions, 2101 Songs, Songs of RedOne, 2101 Records, Anders Music Inc, Adam Anders, Nikki Anders, Orange Factory Music *No unsolicited material NOCTURNAL MOVEMENTS MUSIC RESOURCES P.O. Box 5583 Vancouver, WA 98668 360-513-9121 E-mail: info@nocturnalmovements.net Web: www.nocturnalmovements.net Contact: Jett Black Styles: All Styles Clients: Deathwatch Beetle Repairman, TriState Killing Spree, Collilde, Tone Casualties *Accepts unsolicited material NUMAX ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 740 Branson, MO 65615 877-321-6044 E-mail: info@numaxentertainment.com Web: www.numaxentertainment.com Contact: Randy Stringfellow Styles: nostalgia, pop, swing, jazz, Country, R&B Clients: Six Real Brothers, Imagine, the Alley Cats, the Heartbeats *Accepts unsolicited material OMNI ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 6119 Greenville Ave., Ste. 361 Dallas, TX 75206 214-272-2301 Fax 214-269-0211 Web: www.omnicaprice.com Contact: Don Brooks Styles: rock, country, pop, punk, metal, alt. Clients: Beneath Me, Displaced, Saturate, Spiral Arms *No unsolicited material PACIFIC BEACH RECORDING COMPANY 1939 Grand Ave., 2nd Lvl. San Diego, CA 92109 858-490-3961 E-mail: sunny@pacificbeachrecords.com Web: www.pacificbeachrecords.com Contact: Hugh Herrera, A&R Director; Chris Renzulli, President Styles: Pacifica, Balearic, cosmic house, funky disco, electronica, experimental, intelligent dance Clients: H-Track, Dirtywerk, DJ Harvey, DJ Renzulli *Accepts unsolicited material PANACEA ENTERTAINMENT 13587 Andalusia Dr. E.

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Directory of Managers and Booking Agents Camarillo, CA 93012 805-491-9400 Fax 805-491-0406 E-mail: info@panacea-ent.com Contact: Eric Gardner, Lynn Robnett Styles: rock Clients: Donny Osmond, Todd Rundgren, Utopia, Paul Shaffer, Richard Belzer, Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson, Martha Quinn Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material PATRICK RAINS & ASSOCIATES 1255 5th Ave., Ste. 7K New York, NY 10029 212-860-3233 E-mail: pra@prarecords.com Web: www.prarecords.com Contact: Patrick Rains Styles: jazz, pop, rock Clients: Jonatha Brooke, Joe Sample, the Crusaders, Randy Crawford, David Sanborn *No unsolicited material PERFORMINGBIZ.COM 10 Chestnut Ct. Palmyra, VA 22963 800-760-2113 E-mail: jg@performingbiz.com Web: www.performingbiz.com Contact: Jeri Goldstein Styles: All Styles/Coaching and Consulting Only *Accepts Unsolicited material PERSISTENT MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 88456 Los Angeles, CA 90009 E-mail: pm@persistentmanagement.com Web: www.persistentmanagement.com Contact: Eric Knight Styles: All Clients: Disciples of Babylon--Eric Knight, Ignacio Val, Keith Shaw Services: Personal Management *Accepts Unsolicited material, email links only, see website for information PRODIGAL SON ENTERTAINMENT Brentwood, TN 37027 615-377-0057 E-mail: prodigalsonent@gmail.com Web: www.prodigalson-entertainment.com Contact: Scott Williams Styles: rock, alt., hard rock, country, Christian, instrumental Clients: Skyhawk Drive, 7 Bridges, Jason Lee McKinney, iShine Live, KISS Mania, Voices of Rock Radio, Liquid Blue, Submission Red, llia, Joanna Beasley, August Rain, Air Five *No unsolicited material Q PRIME MANAGEMENT 729 7th Ave., Fl. 16 New York, NY 10019 212-302-9790 E-mail: info@qprime.com Web: www.qprime.com Contact: Randi Seplow Styles: rock, Pop Clients: Bear Hands, the Black Keys, Silversun Pickups, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eric Church, Metallica *No unsolicited material RAINMAKER ARTISTS P.O. Box 342229 Austin TX 78734 512-843-7500 E-mail: paul@rainmakerartists.com Web: www.rainmakerartists.com Contact: Paul Nugent Styles: rock, pop Clients: Blue October, Bowling For Soup, IAMDYNAMITE, People On Vacation, Tori Vasquez, Zayra *Accepts unsolicited material REBEL WALTZ MANAGEMENT 31652 2nd Ave. Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-499-4497 E-mail: info@rebelwaltz.com Web: www.rebelwaltz.com Contact: Jim Guerinot Styles: punk, rock Clients: the Offspring, Josh Freese, Gwen Stefani, Robbie Robertson *No unsolicited material RED LIGHT MANAGEMENT 8439 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-273-2266 E-mail: info@redlightmanagement.com Web: www.redlightmanagement.com Styles: All Styles Clients: Tim McGraw, Alicia Keys, Steve Angello, Phish, Ben Harper, Damian Marley, Alabama Shakes, Petty Lights *Accepts unsolicited material Additional locations: Virginia New York Nashville London Atlanta+

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RED STAR 1007 N. Vinedo Ave. Pasadena, CA 91107 626-798-0053 Fax 626-798-2052 E-mail: mc@redstarartists.com Web: www.redstarartists.com Contact: Mike Crowley Clients: Diecast Styles: alt., rock Services: personal management *Accepts unsolicited material, please e-mail for permission REGIME MANAGEMENT 105 W. Alameda Ave. #230 Burbank, CA 91502 E-mail: info@regimeinc.com Web: www.regimeinc.com Contact: Ivory Daniel, Kevin Zinger, Benny Glickman, Violet Brown Clients: B-Side Players, Big B, Christian Scott, Dilated Peoples, Jason Ellis, Everlast, House of Pain, Glasses Malone, Mickey Avalon, DJ Muggs, Poncho Sanchez, Slaine, Swollen Members, Unwritten Law ROGER SMITH ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 756 Oceanside, CA 92049 310-497-1326 E-mail: rsmithpro@earthlink.net Services: full service entertainment company specializing in publicity, promotion, marketing and consulting *No unsolicited material RON RAINEY MANAGEMENT, INC. 315 S. Beverly Dr., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310-277-4050 Fax 310-557-8421 E-mail: rrmgmt@aol.com Web: www.ronrainey.com Contact: Ron Rainey Clients: John Kay and Steppenwolf, Billy Dean, August Darnell, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Marshall Tucker Band, Alvin Lee, Blue Cheer Styles: rock Services: management *No unsolicited material ROSEN MUSIC P.O. Box 1308 Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 310-447-4704 E-mail: rosenmusiccorp@me.com Web: www.rosenmusiccorp.com Contact: Steven Rosen Styles: all styles Clients: Eden, Juliana Buhring, DJ Rhiannon, Gloria Loring, Edwin Aquilar and Jose Zelaya, A Night With Janis Joplin, Orianthi, Jumaane Smith, Three Graces, Naria, Kelley Levesque, Bonnie Walker Events *No unsolicited material RPM MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 128049 Nashville, TN 37212 615-256-1980 E-mail: info@rpmegroup.com Web: www.facebook.com/RPMEntertainment RPM MUSIC PRODUCTIONS 7 Windsor Rd. Greak Neck, NY 11021 516-487-8921 E-mail: dbennett@rpm-productions.com Contact: Danny Bennett Styles: rock, pop, jazz Clients: Tony Bennett *No unsolicited material

Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders Styles: alt., rock *No unsolicited material SHARPE ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES, INC. 683 Palmera Ave. Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 310-230-2100 Fax 310-230-2109 E-mail: frances@ses-la.com Web: www.ses-la.com Contacts: Sarah Bettens, K’s Choice, Katey Segal, Seven Design Works, the Forest Rangers, Irontom, Mads Langer, Alpha Rev, Steve Hardy Styles: alt., pop, S/S, rock Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material SILENT PARTNER MANAGEMENT 536 Pantops Ctr., Ste. 343 Charlottesville, VA 22911 434-245-4000 E-mail: contact@silentpartnermanagement.com Web: www.silentpartnermanagement.com Styles: rock Clients: Joey Ramone, Cheap Trick, Ace Frehley, Ministry *No unsolicited material SIREN MUSIC P.O. Box 12110 Portland, OR 97212 503-238-4771 E-mail: december@sirenmusiccompany.com Web: www.sirenmusiccompany.com Contact: December Carson Styles: roots, Americana, rock, folk, s/s, alt. country, Irish, pop, bluegrass Clients: Sara Jackson-Holman, Caleb Klauder, the Foghorn Stringband, Bella Fayes *Accepts unsolicited material SKH MUSIC 540 President St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 Web: www.skhmusic.com Contact: Steve Karas, Keith Hagan SORKIN PRODUCTIONS 3742 Jasmine Ave., Ste. 201 Los Angeles, CA 90034 310-559-5580 Fax 310-559-5581 E-mail: donsorkin@aol.com Contact: Don Sorkin Styles: R&B, pop, rock, dance Services: Personal management, publishing *Call for approval before sending material SOUNDTRACK MUSIC ASSOCIATES 1460 4th St., #308 Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-260-1023 E-mail: info@soundtrk.com Web: www.soundtrk.com Contact: John Tempereau Styles: All Styles Clients: Cliff Martinez, John Swihart, Jeff Danna, Jeff Cardoni, Tree Adams, Alf Clausen *No unsolicited material SO WHAT MEDIA & MANAGEMENT 890 W. End Ave., Ste. 1-A New York, NY 10025 212-877-9631 E-mail: sowhatasst@me.com Contact: Lisa Barbaris Styles: rock, pop Clients: Simply Red, Cyndi Lauper, True Colors Tour, Billy Porter, Hunter Valentine *No unsolicited material

RPS RECORDING AND ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 4212 E. Los Angeles Ave. Simi Valley, CA 93063 805-551-2342 E-mail: rps-records@sbcglobal.net Web: www.rps-records.com Contact: Gary Bright Styles: Various genres along with Gospel and Christian *No unsolicited material please

SPA MUSIC MANAGEMENT, INC. 2 Generations 275 Madison Ave., Ste. 1905 New York, NY 10016 212-661-6990, 917-951-3645 E-mail: aberger@primarywavemusic.com Web: www.2generations.com Contact: Aimee Berger Clients: Matt Stamm, Natascha Sohl, Jeff Stephens, Nicolette Hart, Michael and Marisa Styles: rock, pop, S/S *See web for info

RUSSELL CARTER ARTIST MANAGEMENT 567 Ralph McGill Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30312 404-377-9900 E-mail: russell.rcam@gmail.com Web: www.facebook.com/pages/Russell-CarterArtist-Management/174050332290 Contact: Russell Carter Styles: S/S, alt., Americana, pop, rock Clients: Indigo Girls, Matthew Sweet, the Bangles, Shawn Mullins, Chely Wright, the Shadowboxers, Larkin Poe

SPARKS ENTERTAINMENT, LLC Detroit, MI 734-394-9945 E-mail: SparksEntertainment78@gmail.com Web: www.BSparksEnt.com Contact: Brian Styles: ALL, Hip-Hop, R&B, Country, Rock, Acting, Modeling Clients: Babi Mac, Taevin Thomas Services: Talent Management, Career, Development, Booking, Promoting, Networking

SAM - Silva Artist Management 722 Seward St. Los Angeles, CA 90038 323-856-8222 E-mail: info@sammusicbiz.com Web: www.sammusicbiz.com Contact: John Silva Clients: Foo Fighters, Band of Horses, Ryan Adams, Jimmy Eat World, Beastie Boys, Beck, Probot, Sonic Youth, Queens Of The Stone Age,

STARKRAVIN’ MANAGEMENT McLane & Wong 11135 Weddington St., Ste. 424 North Hollywood, CA 91601 818-587-6801 Fax 818-587-6802 E-mail: bcmclane@aol.com Web: www.benmclane.com Contact: Ben McLane, Esq. Styles: pop, rock, alt. Services: Personal management, legal services *Accepts unsolicited material

STERLING ARTIST MANAGEMENT, INC. 11054 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 285 Studio City, CA 91604 818-907-5556 E-mail: mark@sterlingartist.com Web: www.sterlingartist.com/SAM/Home.html Contact: Mark Sterling Clients: Mustered Courage, Courtney Jaye, Hope Waits Styles: S/S, Americana, blues Services: Personal management *Inquiry letters accepted STEVEN SCHARF ENTERTAINMENT 126 E. 38th St. New York, NY 10016 212-779-7977 Ext. 3905 Fax 212-725-9681 E-mail: sscharf@carlinamerica.com Web: www.stevenscharf.com Contact: Steven Scharf Styles: rock, alt., S/S, hip-hop, world, producers, film & TV composers Clients: Michale Vail Blum, Julius Butty, Shane Faber, Zaine Effendi *No unsolicited material STEVE STEWART MANAGEMENT 12400 Ventura Blvd., #900 Studio City, CA 91604 E-mail: stevestewart@stevestewart.com Web: www.stevestewart.com Contact: Steve Stewart Styles: alt., rock, pop producers, film & TV composers *No unsolicited material STIEFEL ENTERTAINMENT 21731 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 300 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 310-275-3377 Contact: Arnold Stiefel Clients: Rod Stewart Styles: rock, pop Services: personal management *No unsolicited material STREET SMART MARKETING 12706 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066 E-mail: contact@streetsmartmktg.com Web: www.streetsmartmktg.com Styles: rock, metal, indie, pop Services: Marketing, Online Marketing and Social Media, Publicity, Web Development, Licensing, Product Management, Photography, Videography, Graphic Design and more SUNCOAST MUSIC MANAGEMENT 9215 Jminez Dr. Hudson, FL 34669 888-727-1698, 727-237-7971 Ohio: 330-730-1615 E-mail: suncoastbooking@aol.com Web: www.suncoastentertainment.biz Contact: Al Spohn Styles: disco, rock, classic rock, variety Clients: Poison’d and Red White and Crue (tributes to Poison and MЪtley CrЯe package), Hells/Bells (AC/DC Tribute), Battery (Metallica) Paradise City (GNR), Live Bait (Jimmy Buffett and Party Band), Stayin Alive (Bee Gees and 70s Disco), Space Cowboy (Steve Miller Band), Higher Ground (Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute) *Accepts unsolicited material SURVIVAL MANAGEMENT 30765 PCH, Ste. 325 Malibu, CA 90265 310-317-9223 E-mail: survivalmgmt1@aol.com Web: www.survivalmanagementinc.com Contact: Evan Nagorner Styles: rock, hard rock, alt. Clients: Archer, Leslie West, Mountain, the Golden Ghosts, West, Bruce Jr., and Laing *No unsolicited material TAKEOUT MANAGEMENT 1129 Maricopa Hwy., #238 Ojai, CA 93023 805-382-2200 Fax 805-201-7816 E-mail: info@howiewood.com Web: www.howiewood.com Contact: Howard Rosen Clients: Simple Plan, Kanye West, Paula Abdul, CeeLo Green, Norah Jones Styles: All Services: Personal management, shop for distribution and record deals. Production and remix with major producers. TED KURLAND ASSOCIATES 173 Brighton Ave. Boston, MA 02134 617-254-0007 Fax 617-782-3577 E-mail: agents@tedkurland.com Web: www.tedkurland.com Contact: Ted Kurland Styles: jazz, blues, vocals Clients: Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Julian Lage, Ellis Marsalis, Ramsey Lewis, Danilo Perez, Bill Charlap, Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ann Hampton Callaway, Stacey Kent, Stanley Clarke, more *No unsolicited material TEN ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 1449 Alteras Cir.

Download at musicconnection.com/industry-contacts Nashville, TN 37211 615-289-2822, Fax 866-230-3942 E-mail: shannon@tenentertainment.com Web: www.tenentertainment.com Contact: Shannon Brown Styles: All Styles Clients: Our Heart’s Hero, Philmont, Shay Watson, Eric Mizelle, *Accepts unsolicited material: e-mail with links to Myspace or other online outlets with your music. Do not e-mail MP3s unless requested. TENTH STREET ENTERTAINMENT 38 W. 21st St., Ste. 300 New York, NY 10010 212-334-3160 E-mail: info@10thst.com Web: www.10thst.com Clients: Motley Crue, Sixx AM, Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Blondie, Deborah Harry, Crossfade, Eve, Hellyeah, Deuce, Oh No Fiasco, Nico Vega, Five Finger Death Punch Styles: All Services: personal management *No unsolicited material Additional location: 700 San Vicente Blvd., #G410 West Hollywood, CA 90069 310-385-4700 E-mail: info@10thst.com TG2 ARTISTS P.O. Box 550 Carrboro, NC 27510 919-967-8655 E-mail: trish@tg2artists.com Web: www.tg2artists.com Contact: Trish Galfano Styles: folk, bluegrass, jazz, Americana Clients: the John Jorgenson Quartet, Bearfoot, Claire Lynch Band *No unsolicited material THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT INTERNATIONAL, INC. (T.E.I.) 3820 E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim, CA 92807 USA 714-693-9300 E-mail: thomas@teientertainment.com Web: www.teientertainment.com Contact: John McEntee Styles: All Services: Entertainment broker for corporate/ concert events, personal management *No unsolicited material THREE ARTIST MANAGEMENT c/o Red Light Management 8439 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90069 310-273-2266 E-mail: info@threeam.net Web: www.threeam.net Contact: Richard Bishop Clients: the Crystal Method, Jason Lytle/ Grandaddy, Henry Rollins, Tobias Enhus, Sander Kleinenberg, Tommy Stinson, Static Revenger, DJ Rap, The Art, Film and TV Projects Styles: All Services: personal management, agency *No unsolicited material THREEE Erik Eger Entertainment, Inc. 2906 Rowena Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90039 213-381-5100 Fax 213-381-5115 E-mail: info@threee.com Web: www.threee.com Contact: Erik Eger Styles: All Styles Clients: Rich Costey, Chris Carmouche, Michael H. Brauer, Dan Carey, Stuart Matthewman, Sly and Robbie, John Hill, Chris Coady, Kid Harpoon *We do not accept unsolicited material THUNDERBIRD MANAGEMENT GROUP 133 Industrial Park Rd. Larose, LA 70373 985-798-5665 E-mail: thunderbird@viscom.net Web: www.thethunderbirdmanagementgroup. com Contact: Rueben Williams Styles: all styles *Accepts unsolicited material TKO ARTIST MANAGEMENT 2303 21st Ave. S., Fl. 3 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-5017 Web: www.tkoartistmanagement.com Contact: T.K. Kimbrell Styles: Country Clients: Mac McAnally, Toby Keith, Carter’s Chord, Chris LeDoux, JT Hodges, Krystal Keith *No unsolicited material TOM CALLAHAN & ASSOCIATES P.O. Box 1960 Manhattan Beach, CA 90267 310-418-1384 E-mail: info@tomcallahan.com Web: www.tomcallahan.com

Contact: Tom Callahan Styles: All Services: full-service consulting company, including record promotion, legal services, Internet marketing, web design, retail promotion and publicity. *No unsolicited material

Additional locations:

TONY MARGHERITA MANAGEMENT E-mail: info@tmmchi.com Web: www.tmmchi.com Contact: Tony Margherita Styles: rock, jazz Clients: Wilco, Glenn Kotche, Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline, Glenn Kotche, Solid Sound Festival, the Baseball Project, Lucius *No unsolicited material

57B St. Dionis Rd. London, SW6 4UB

TOURWERKS 1939 Grand Ave., 2nd Lvl. San Diego, CA 92109 858-490-3961 Fax 858-490-3962 E-mail: chris@tourwerks.com Web: www.tourwerks.com Contact: Chris Renzulli Styles: All *Accepts unsolicited material TOWER MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 2435 Hendersonville, TN 37203 615-447-3319 E-mail: EdRussell@castlerecords.com Web: www.castlerecords.com Contact: Ed Russell Styles: country, rock, AC, bluegrass, blues Clients: Shara Michelle Austin, Carl Butler, Cody Dooley, Edd Greer, Missy Garnett, Jerry Presley, Eddie Ray II, Jimmy Velvet, Eddie Ray *Accepts unsolicited material TRICK MANAGEMENT UK: +44-208-314-0479 E-mail: ask@trickrmanagement.com Web: www.trickmanagement.com Contact: Roger-UK, Foye-USA Clients: Olfar, Bear Driver, Stewart Agnew, Roger Bechirian Styles: Modern Rock, indie *No unsolicited material TRUE TALENT MANAGEMENT 9663 Santa Monica Blvd., #320 Dept WEB Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-560-1290 E-mail: webinfo@truetalentmgmt.com Web: www.truetalentmgmt.com Contact: Jennifer Yeko Clients: Specializing in film/TV placement, radio promotion, music publicity and managing pop/ rock/singer-songwriters *Accepts unsolicited material TUNSTALL MANAGEMENT 1420 Willowbrooke Cir. Franklin, TN 37069 615-376-9880 Fax 615-376-9892 E-mail: tunstallmgnt@comcast.net Contact: Vicki Tunstall Howell Styles: alt., rock, urban, R&B Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material TUSCAN SUN MUSIC Nashville, TN 615-794-0485 E-mail: mgmt@angelica.org Web: www.angelica.org, www.tuscansunmusic.com Contact: Jules Delgado Styles: Ambient, New Age, Inspirational, Pop, Film/TV Clients: Seay, Pat Thomi *No unsolicited material UNION ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, INC. Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 818-879-1770 E-mail: tim@ueginc.com Web: www.ueginc.com Contact: Tim Heyne, Bryan Coleman Clients: Nickelback, Kevin Costner and Modern West, Dallas Smith, Tom Kelfer Styles: Rock Services: personal management *No unsolicited material VARRASSO MANAGEMENT P.O. Box 387 Fremont, CA 94537 510-792-8910 E-mail: richard@varrasso.com Web: www.varrasso.com Contact: Richard Varrasso Styles: rock, covers, country Clients: Eddie Money, Tom Wurth, the HazeXperience, Ira Walker *Accepts unsolicited material VECTOR MANAGEMENT 1607 17th Ave., S. Nashville,TN 37212 615-269-6600 E-mail: info@vectormgmt.com Web: www.vectormgmt.com Contact: Ken Levitan Styles: country, pop, S/S *No unsolicited material

150 5th Ave., Fl. 4 New York, NY 10011 9350 Civic Center Dr. Beverly Hills, Ca 90210

VELVET HAMMER MANAGEMENT 9911 W. Pico Blvd., Ste. 350 W. Los Angeles, CA 90035 310-657-6161 E-mail: info@velvethammer.net Web: www.velvethammer.net Clients: System of a Down, Alice in Chains, the Deftones, Cypress Hill, Battle Lines Specialties: All *Accepts unsolicited material WANTED MANAGEMENT E-mail: wantedgregg@gmail.com Styles: rock, pop, punk, soul Services: personal management *No unsolicited material WARREN ENTNER MANAGEMENT 818-763-4422 E-mail: wentner@mac.com Contact: Warren Entner Clients: Faith No More, Biffy Clyro Styles: rock, alt. Services: Personal management *No unsolicited material WAYWARD GOOSE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 1269 Hadaway Ct. Lawrenceville, GA 30043 888-824-1152 Web: www.waywardgooseentertainmentgroup. com Clients: Twisted Royalty, Jacques Lesure, Jazz Guitarist and Clinician Styles: Jazz, Performing Arts, Other ONLY *No unsolicited material, No Phone Calls WOLFSON ENTERTAINMENT, INC. 22201 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 207 Woodland Hills, CA 91364 818-615-0499 Fax 818-615-0498 E-mail: info@wolfsonent.com Contact: Jonathan Wolfson, Dillon Barbosa Web: www.wolfsonent.com Styles: All Clients: Daryl Hall and John Oates, Loverboy, the Empty Hearts Services: Personal management. Also offers full-service media relations for management clients. WORLDSOUND 17837 1st Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98148-1728 206-444-0300, 800470-1270 E-mail: warren@worldsound.com Web: www.worldsound.com Contact: Warren Wyatt Styles: rock, world, Celtic, folk, pop Clients: Na Leo, Keith Olsen, Anuhea Services: personal management, consulting *See website for submission information

BOOKING AGENTS 1ST TOTAL MUSIC POWER Los Angeles, CA 323-650-9400 E-mail: aaron@totalmusicpower.com Web: www.totalmusicpower.com Contact: Aaron Styles: rock, jazz, alt, film, all Clients: Aaron Wolfson, Mercedes, the Broadcasters Services: Corporate events, concerts, private parties, recording sessions, producers, film/TV music (all). *Communicate your request first. 25 LIVE 24 Music Sq. W. Nashville, TN 37203 615-777-2227 E-mail: david@25ent.com Web: www.25ccm.com Contact: David Breen Styles: Christian *No unsolicited material ACA MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT 1025 S. Moorland, #505 Brookfield, WI 53005 800-279-7909, 262-790-0060 Fax 262-790-9149 Web: www.acaentertainment.com Contact: Louie Higgins Styles: variety, bluegrass, bands, lounge acts, nostalgia, DJs, club, festival bands, ceremony, dinner hour, cocktail Services: Represents nightclub and acts for private functions, not currently seeking new clients *Accepts unsolicited material ACT 1 ENTERTAINMENT P.O. Box 1079

New Haven, CT 06504 203-785-8338 Fax 203-865-9867 E-mail: actonect@aol.com Web: www.act1ent.com Contact: Martha Martin Styles: rock and roll, blues, acoustic, swing, folk, Caribbean Services: mostly books acts for parties/events Clients: info upon request *Accepts unsolicited material Additional locations: Stonington, CT 860-535-0052 Carmela Congdon Newington, CT 732-690-4437 Michael Donaghey Boca Raton, FL / Charlotte, NC 561-251-7338 Dave Coviello Westport, CT 203-376-2636 John Paolillo ACTS NASHVILLE 1103 Bell Grimes Ln. Nashville, TN 37207 615-254-8600 E-mail: info@actsnashville.com Web: www.actsnashville.com Contact: Lee Shields Styles: country, rock, nostalgia and variety only Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material AGENCY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (APA) 405 S. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310-888-4200 Fax 310-888-4242 Web: www.apa-agency.com Contact: Jon Moore Styles: All *Call before submitting material Additional locations: 135 W. 50th St., Fl. 17 New York, NY 10020 212-205-4320, Fax 212-245-5062 3010 Poston Ave. Nashville, TN 37203 615-297-0100 Fax 615-297-5434 AGENCY GROUP, THE 1880 Century Park E., Ste. 711 Los Angeles, CA 90067 310-385-2800 Fax 310-385-1220 Web: www.theagencygroup.com Clients: See site for a list *No unsolicited material Additional locations: New York, NY 142 W. 57th St., Fl. 6 New York, NY 10019 212-581-3100 Fax 212-581-0015 Nashville, TN 209 10th Ave. S., Ste. 511 Nashville, TN 37203 615-564-2580 Fax 615-564-2585 Miami, Fl 1101 Brickell Ave. South Tower, Fl. 8 Miami, FL 33131 786-574-5210 Canada 2 Berkeley St., Ste. 202 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5A 4J5 416-368-5599 Fax 416-368-4655 UK 361-373 City Rd. London, EC1V 1PQ United Kingdom +44-207-278-3331 Sweden Angelholmsgatan 3A 214 22 Malmo, Sweden +46-40-0976250 A&M ENTERTAINMENT 538 W. 21st St. Houston, TX 77008 713-970-1015 E-mail: keetria@amentertainment.com Web: www.amentertainment.com Contact: Keetria Gardner-Chamber Styles: All Styles Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material Additional locations: Los Angeles 8605 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069 310-295-4150

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Directory of Managers and Booking Agents New York City 228 Park Ave., S. New York, NY 10003 212-461-4796 AMERICAN ARTISTS 315 S. Beverly Dr., Ste. 300 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310-277-7877 E-mail: mike@americanartists.net Web: www.americanartists.net Contact: Michael Weinstein Styles: rock, classic rock, country, R&B, swing Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material A.M. ONLY 55 Washington St., Ste. 658 Brooklyn, NY 11201 718-237-2428 E-mail: info@amonly.com Web: www.amonly.com Contact: Paul Morris Styles: rock, hip-hop, electronica, industrial Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material Additional location: 6725 Sunset Blvd., Ste. 230 Los Angeles, CA 90028 718-237-2428 ARTIST REPRESENTATION & MANAGEMENT 1257 Arcade St. St. Paul, MN 55106 651-483-8754 Fax 651-776-6338 E-mail: molly@armentertainment.com Web: www.armentertainment.com Contact: John Domagall Styles: specializes in ‘80s-early ‘90s rock, country, blues, metal Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material BACKSTREET BOOKING 700 W. Pete Rose Way, Ste. 390, POB 18 Cincinnati, OH 45203 513-442-4405 E-mail: info@backstreetbooking.com Web: www.backstreetbooking.com Contact: Jim Sfarnas Styles: progressive fusion, jazz, rock, jam, metal Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material BBA MANAGEMENT & BOOKING 512-477-7777 Web: www.bbabooking.com Styles: jazz, Latin, rock, classical S/S *No unsolicited material BIG BEAT 1515 University Dr., Ste. 102 Coral Springs, FL 33071 954-755-7759 E-mail: talent@bigbeatproductions.com Web: www.bigbeatproductions.com Contact: Richard Lloyd Styles: all styles Clients: info upon request *Accepts unsolicited material BILL HOLLINGSHEAD PRODUCTIONS, INC. 1010 Anderson Rd. Davis, CA 95616 530-758-9779 Fax 530-758-9777 E-mail: bhptalent@aol.com Web: www.bhptalent.com Contact: Bill Hollingshead Styles: California surf music, classic ‘50s/‘60s rock *No unsolicited material BOOKING ENTERTAINMENT 275 Madison Ave., Fl. 6 New York, NY 10016 1-800-4ENTERTAINMENT 212-645-0555 E-mail: steve@bookingentertainment.com Web: www.bookingentertainment.com Contact: Steve Einzig Styles: rock, pop, jazz, adult contemporary, pop, R&B Clients: info on website. *No unsolicited material BUDDY LEE ATTRACTIONS 38 Music Sq. E., Ste. 300 Nashville, TN 37203 615-244-4336 Web: www.buddyleeattractions.com Contact: Kevin Neal Styles: Country, rock, pop, bluegrass *Accepts unsolicited material **See website for other locations CANTALOUPE MUSIC PRODUCTIONS Ellen Azorin, President 157 W. 79th St., Ste. 4A New York, NY 10024 212-724-2400 E-mail: ellenazorin@gmail.com Web: www.cantaloupeproductions.com Clients: see website Styles: Booking agent specializing in Brazilian, Argentine, Cuban and other Latin music, as

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well as other world music and top level jazz ensembles. *Does not accept unsolicited material

Styles: pop, R&B, top 40, rock, variety Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material

CINCINNATI MUSIC MANAGEMENT 201 E. 5th St. Cincinnati OH 45203 800-910-1799, Fax 859-575-3678 E-mail: joe@cincinnatimusicmanagement.com Web: www.cincinnatimusicmanagement.com Contact: Joe Ryan, CEO Styles: All genres Member: RIAA, NAdb, ASCAP *Unsolicited material accepted via email only

EAST COAST ENTERTAINMENT Offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania 855-323-4386 Web: www.eastcoastentertainment.com Styles: rock, acoustic, classical, latin, jazz, pop, R&B, funk *No unsolicited material **See website for additional locations

CELEBRITY TALENT AGENCY INC. 111 E. 14th St., Ste. 249 New York, NY 10003 212-539-6039, 201-837-9000, 201-678-9222 E-mail: markg@celebritytalentagency.com Web: www.celebritytalentagency.com Contact: Mark Green Styles: jazz, R&B, hip-hop, comedians, gospel Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material BRUCE COLFIN LAW, PC 1178 Broadway, Ste. 312 New York, NY 10001 212-691-5630 E-mail: thefirm@thefirm.com Web: www.thefirm.com Contact: Bruce E. Colfin Styles: rock, blues, world, reggae Clients: Dark Star Orchestra, Mick Taylor, Sly and Robbie, Marty Balin, Freddie McGregor, Niney the Observer, Bernard Purdie *Accepts unsolicited material--Submit material with a S.A.S.E. and proper postage for return

ELECTRIC EVENTS CORPORATION P.O. Box 280848 Lakewood, CO 80228 303-989-0001 Fax 303-989-0037 E-mail: info@electricevents.com Web: www.electricevents.com Contact: Michael A. Tolerico Styles: pop cover bands only Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES INTERNATIONAL 1819 S. Harlan Cir. Lakewood, CO 80232 303-727-1111 E-mail: randy@esientertainment.com Web: www.esientertainment.com Contact: Randy Erwin Styles: mostly classic rock Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material

CIRCLE TALENT AGENCY 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2200 Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-424-4970 Fax 323-424-4976 E-mail: kevin@circletalentagency.com Web: www.circletalentagency.com Contact: Kevin Gimble, Owner/Agent, Various, see web

ENTOURAGE TALENT ASSOCIATES 236 W. 27th St., Fl. 8 New York, NY 10001 212-633-2600 E-mail: info@entouragetalent.com Web: www.entouragetalent.com Contact: Wayne Forte Styles: rock, pop, S/S, jazz Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material

COAST TO COAST MUSIC P.O. Box 18334 Encino, CA 91416 818-376-1380 E-mail: ccmusicbooking@yahoo.com Web: www.positivemusicprograms.com Styles: Music Promotion and Booking Contact: Chris Fletcher *E-mail or call for permission to submit music for review

FAT CITY ARTISTS 1906 Chet Atkins Pl., Ste. 502 Nashville, TN 37212 615-320-7678 Fax 615-321-5382 Web: www.fatcityartists.com Styles: nostalgia, country, big band, bluegrass, blues, R&B, Cajun, world, folk, funk, gospel, jazz, *No Rap or Opera Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material

COLLIN ARTISTS Los Angeles, CA 323-467-4702 E-mail: collinartists@gmail.com Web: www.collinartists.com Contact: Barbara Collin, Robert Sax, Goh Kurosawa Styles: jazz, blues, world, Latin, R&B, doo wop/ classics and beyond Clients: Mary Stallings, Jeri Brown, Carmen Lundy, Kevin Mahogany, Andy Bey, Alan Paul, Latin Jazz Masters, Bobbi Humphrey, Kathy Kosins and more Services: management, promotion, consulting, booking, workshops *No unsolicited material

FLEET TEAM BOOKING 1808 S. Carpenter St. Chicago, IL 60608 312-455-1350 Fax 773-442-0224 E-mail: scott@fleetteambooking.com Web: www.fleetteambooking.com Contact: Scott Comeau Styles: punk, indie rock, hip-hop Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material

CONCERTED EFFORTS, INC. P.O. Box 440326 Somerville, MA 02144 617-969-0810 Fax 617-209-1300 E-mail: concerted@concertedefforts.com Web: www.concertedefforts.com Contact: Paul Kahn Styles: blues, soul, jazz, gospel, zydeco, Cajun, folk, S/S, rock, world Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY 2000 Ave. of the Stars Los Angeles, CA 90067 424-288-2000 Fax 424-288-2900 Web: www.caatouring.com Styles: All *No unsolicited material - No phone calls Additional locations: 405 Lexington Ave., Fl. 19 New York, NY 10174 212-277-9000 401 Commerce St., Penthouse Nashville, TN 37219 615-383-8787 London +020-8846-3000 D. BAILEY MANAGEMENT 15100 Hutchison Rd., Ste. 111 Tampa, FL 33625 813-960-4660 Fax 813-960-4662 E-mail: dennis@dbaileymanagement.com, liza@dbaileymanagement.com Web: www.dbaileymanagement.com Contact: Dennis Bailey or Liza Saturday

GIGSALAD 2733 E. Battlefield Rd. Box 105 Springfield, MO 65804 866-788-GIGS Web: www.gigsalad.com Contact: Mark Steiner, Steve Tetrault Services: A marketplace for booking bands, musicians, entertainers, speakers and services for parties, productions and events. Additional location: 225 S. Water St. Chandler’s Wharf Wilmington, NC GORFAINE-SCHWARTZ AGENCY 4111 W. Alameda Ave., Ste. 509 Burbank, CA 91505 818-260-8500 E-mail: reception@gsamusic.com Web: www.gsamusic.com Clients: see our website for client list *No unsolicited material GREAT AMERICAN TALENT P.O. Box 2476 Hendersonville, TN 37077 615-452-7878 E-mail: info@gatalent.com Web: www.gatalent.com Styles: country, Cajun Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material HARMONY ARTISTS INC. 6399 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 914 Los Angeles, CA 90048 323-655-5007 Fax 323-655-5154 E-mail: acrane-ross@harmonyartists.com Web: www.harmonyartists.com Contact: Adrienne Crane-Ross Styles: tribute, nostalgia, R&B, Latin, blues, bluegrass, jazz, swing *No unsolicited material

HELLO! BOOKING P.O. Box 18717 Minneapolis, MN 55418 651-647-4464 E-mail: Eric@hellobooking.com Web: www.hellobooking.com Contact: Eric Roberts Styles: bluegrass, country, rock, folk, pop, jazz, indie, hip-hop, acoustic, rockabilly Clients: info upon request *Accepts unsolicited material HIGHWAY KEY TOURING & PROMOTION 704-399-2210 E-mail: hwykeyt@gmail.com Web: www.hwykey.com Contact: Casey Scott Styles: blues, roots, rock, alt. country, folk Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material INA DITTKE & ASSOCIATES 770 N.E. 69th St., Ste. 7C Miami, FL 33138 305-762-4309 E-mail: ina@inadittke.com Web: www.inadittke.com Contact: Ina Dittke Styles: jazz, Latin, world Clients: info upon request INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE MANAGEMENT (ICM) 10250 Constellation Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067 310-550-4000 Web: www.icmtalent.com Styles: All *No unsolicited material Additional locations: 730 5th Ave. New York, NY 10019 212-556-5600 3rd Fl., Marlborough House 10 Earlham St. London, WC2H, 9LN, England +44.0.20.7836.8564 IN TOUCH ENTERTAINMENT 5 Columbus Cir., Fl. 8 New York, NY 10019 212-714-7722 Fax 212-202-7579 E-mail: info@intouchhome.com Web: www.intouchhome.com Contact: Charles Carlini Styles: All Styles Clients: Tori Beaumont, Irene Cara, Michael Carvin, Ariadna Castellanos, Eguie Castrillo, Brian Charette, David Chesky, Suzanne Ciani, Theo Croker, Pino Daniele, Eumir Deodato, Eldar Djangirov *Accepts unsolicited material - via SonicBids only JAM ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS 2900 Bristol St., Ste. A - 208 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 714-556-6000 E-mail: dennis@jamentertainment.com Web: www.jamentertainment.com *Accepts unsolicited COVER material JEFF ROBERTS & ASSOCIATES 3050 Business Park Cir., Ste. 301 Goodlettsville, TN 37072 615-859-7040 Fax 615-851-7023 Web: www.jeffroberts.com Contact: Jeff Roberts Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material KEITH CASE & ASSOCIATES 1025 17th Ave. S., Fl. 2 Nashville, TN 37212 615-327-4646 Fax 615-327-4949 E-mail: keith@keithcase.com Web: www.keithcase.com Styles: bluegrass, roots, folk, S/S Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material KENMORE AGENCY, THE 1032 W. 18th St., Ste. 3A Costa Mesa, CA 92627 714-642-3329 E-mail: info@thekenmoreagency.com Web: www.thekenmoreagency.com Styles: rock, punk, metal, indie rock, hip-hop, electronic Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material Additional location: P.O. Box 10744 Portland, ME 04104 207-358-8140 E-mail: info@thekenmoreagency.com LIVE NATION Beverly Hills, CA 800-653-8000 Web: www.livenation.com Styles: All Styles

Download at musicconnection.com/industry-contacts Services: producing, marketing and selling live concerts for artists LUTHER WOLF, LLC P.O. Box 162078 Austin, TX 78716-2078 512-448-3065 E-mail: wayne@lutherwolf.com Web: www.lutherwolf.com Contact: Wayne Nagel Styles: rock, blues Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MARSJAZZ BOOKING AGENCY 1006 Ashby Pl. Charlottesville, VA 22901 434-979-6374 E-mail: reggie@marsjazz.com Web: www.marsjazz.com Contact: Reggie Marshall Styles: jazz Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MAULDIN BRAND AGENCY 1280 W. Peachtree St., Ste. 300 Atlanta, GA 30309 404-733-5511 Fax 404-733-5512 E-mail: info@mauldinbrand.com Web: www.mauldinbrand.com Styles: urban, pop, hip-hop, R&B Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MAURICE MONTOYA MUSIC AGENCY 11 Island Ave., Ste. 1711 Miami, FL 33139 305-763-8961, 212-229-9160 E-mail: info@mmmusicagency.com Web: www.mmmusicagency.com Contact: Maurice Orlando Montoya Styles: jazz, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, contemp./ pop Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MICHAEL KLINE ARTISTS, LLC P.O. Box 312 Cape May Point, NJ 08212 609-884-5986 E-mail: info@michaelklineartists.com Web: www.michaelklineartists.com Clients: info on request M.O.B. AGENCY 6404 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 505 Los Angeles, CA 90048 323-653-0427 E-mail: Mitch@mobagency.com Web: www.mobagency.com Contact: Mitch Okmin Styles: rock, alt. Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MONQUI EVENTS P.O. Box 5908 Portland, OR 97228 503-223-5960 E-mail: monquipresents@gmail.com Web: www.monqui.com Styles: alt., rock, indie rock, pop, country *No unsolicited material MONTEREY INTERNATIONAL 200 W. Superior, Ste. 202 Chicago, IL 60654 312-640-7500 Fax 312-640-7515 E-mail: ron@montereyinternational.net Web: www.montereyinternational.net Contact: Ron Kaplan Styles: blues, jazz, world, rock, pop, Latin, alt, R&B Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited materia Additional location: POB 297 Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921 831-625-6300 Fax 831-625-6335 MUSIC CITY ARTISTS 116 Wilson Pike Cir., Ste. 240 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-266-6223 E-mail: info@musiccityartists.com Web: www.musiccityartists.com Contact: Charles Ray, President/Agent Styles: AC, country, oldies, musicals, tribute, comedy, music Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MUSIC GROUP ENTERTAINMENT LLC Las Vegas, NV Celebrity Booking Agency 300 Available Acts 404-822-4138 E-mail: bookings@musicgroupworldwide.com Web: www.musicgroupworldwide.com Contact: Mya Richardson Styles: neo soul, R&B, pop, rock, country, jazz, alt, dance, reggae, calypso, dance hall, comedy actors *No unsolicited material, not accepting hip-hop demos

MUSICIANS CONTACT 29684 Masters Dr. Murrieta, CA 92563 818-888-7879 E-mail: information@musicianscontact.com Web: www.musicianscontact.com Contact: Sterling Howard Styles: All, originals or covers Services: Established 40 years as a referral service between musicians and employers MUSIC TREE ARTISTS MANAGEMENT 1414 Pennsylvania Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15233 412-323-2707 Fax 412-323-1817 E-mail: info@music-tree.com Web: www.music-tree.com Styles: Folk, Americana, Celtic, Bluegrass, Old Time, World Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material MUSTANG AGENCY 6119 Greenville Ave., Ste. 361 Dallas, TX 75206 214-257-0971, 888,480-3650 E-mail: booking@mustangagency.com Web: www.facebook.com/MustangAgency Contact: Don Brooks Styles: rock, country, pop, metal, pop/punk, alt., classic rock Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material NANCY FLY AGENCY P.O. Box 90306 Austin, TX 78709 512-288-2023 E-mail: nfly@nflyagency.com Web: www.nflyagency.com Contact: Nancy Fly Styles: Americana, traditional, roots rock, blues, world Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material NIGHTSIDE ENTERTAINMENT 10 Crabapple Ln. Greenville, RI 02828 401-949-2004 E-mail: contact@nightsideentertainment.com Web: www.nightsideentertainment.com Contact: Al Salzillo Styles: All Styles Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material OLYMPIC PRODUCTIONS ED HARTMAN MUSIC 4501 Interlake Ave. N., Ste. 7 Seattle, WA 98103 206-634-1142 E-mail: edrums@aol.com Web: www.edhartmanmusic.com/contact Contact: Ed Hartman Styles: rock, pop, urban, jazz, Latin, Caribbean, world Clients: info upon request *Does not accept unsolicited material OZARK TALENT 718 Schwarz Rd. Lawrence, KS 66049 785-760-3143 E-mail: ozarktalent@gmail.com Web: www.savoybrown.com, www.wishboneash.com, www.wcclark.com Contact: Steve Ozark Styles: All Styles Clients: Savoy Brown, Wishbone Ash, W.C. Clark *Accepts unsolicited material PACIFIC TALENT P.O. Box 19145 Portland, OR 97280 503-228-3620 E-mail: andy@pacifictalent.com Web: www.pacifictalent.com Contact: Andy Gilbert Styles: jazz, blues, R&B, rock, funk, disco, everything Clients: info upon request *Accepts unsolicited material THE PANTHEON AGENCY 1801 Century Park E., Fl. 19 Los Angeles, CA 90067 310-201-0120 Contact: Matt Anderson E-mail: matt@thepantheonagency.com Web: www.pantheontalent.com Styles: Talent, Literary, Sports, Print, Commercial PARADISE ARTISTS 108 E. Matilija St. Ojai, CA 93023 805-646-8433 E-mail: howie@paradiseartists.com Web: www.paradiseartists.com Contact: Howie Silverman Styles: rock, pop, alt., legends Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material

Additional location: New York 212-879-5900 E-mail: steve@paradiseartists.com Contact: Steve Schenk PIEDMONT TALENT P.O. Box 680006 Charlotte, NC 28216 704-399-2210 E-mail: lori@piedmonttalent.com Web: www.piedmonttalent.com Contact: Lori Haynes Styles: acoustic, world, jazz, blues Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material PROGRESSIVE GLOBAL AGENCY P.O. Box 50294 Nashville, TN 37205 615-354-9100 E-mail: jennifer@pgamusic.com Web: www.pgamusic.com Contact: Jennifer Fowler Styles: rock, pop, world Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material PYRAMID ENTERTAINMENT GROUP 377 Rector Pl., Ste. 21-A New York, NY 10280 212-242-7274 E-mail: smichaels@pyramid-ent.com Web: www.pyramid-ent.com Contact: Sal Michaels Styles: urban, jazz, gospel, classic and contemporary R&B, funk, hip-hop Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material RED ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY 505 8th Ave., Ste. 1004 New York, NY 100018 212-563-7575 E-mail: info@redentertainment.com Web: www.redentertainment.com Contact: Carlos Keyes Styles: rock, funk, jazz, gospel, R&B, pop, Latin, hip-hop Clients: Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, Gloria Gaynor, Sister Sledge, JT Taylor formerly of Kool & the Gang, K-Ci & JoJo, Belinda Carlisle, the Human League, Charlie Wilson, Hugh Cornwell *No unsolicited material THE ROSEBUD AGENCY P.O. Box 170429 San Francisco, CA 94117 415-386-3456 E-mail: mikek@rosebudus.com Web: www.rosebudus.com Contact: Mike Kappus Styles: funk rock, singer/songwriter Clients: Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue *No unsolicited material SELAK ENTERTAINMENT 1220 Lida St. Pasadena, CA 91103 626-584-8110 E-mail: steve@selakentertainment.com Web: www.selakentertainment.com Contact: Steve Selak Clients: ABC TV, Affinity Events, Aligator Pear Events, Ameristar Casinos, APA Agency, Beverly Hills Hotel, Budweiser, CAA Agency, Capital One Credit Card Company, CBS TV, Columbia Pictures, EA Sports, Fox Sports, Major League Baseball, MTV, NBA, NFL, NBC TV, Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Brothers, William Morris Agency *no unsolicited material SELF GROUP, LLC, THE P.O. Box 14721 Portland, OR 97293 E-mail: info@selfgroup.org Web: www.selfgroup.org, www.facebook.com/selfgroup Contact: Krist Krueger Styles: indie, rock, folk, acoustic, experimental, pop Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material SMC ARTISTS 1525 Aviation Blvd., Ste. 1000 Redondo Beach, CA 90278 818-505-9600 E-mail: ovavrin@smcartists.com Web: www.smcartists.com Contact: Otto Vavrin II Styles: Film & TV composers Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material SPARKS ENTERTAINMENT, LLC Detroit, MI 734-394-9945 E-mail: SparksEntertainment78@gmail.com Web: www.BSparksEnt.com Contact: Brian Styles: ALL, Hip-Hop,R&B, Country, Rock, Acting, Modeling Clients: Babi Mac, Taevin Thomas

Services: Talent Management, Career, Development, Booking, Promoting, Networking SPECTRUM TALENT AGENCY 212-268-0404 Fax 212-268-1114 E-mail: marc@spectrumtalentagency.com Web: www.spectrumtalentagency.com Contact: Marc Katz Styles: pop, R&B, dance, hip-hop, theatrical Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material TEMPEST ENTERTAINMENT 245 W. 25th St., Ste. 3B New York, NY 10001 212-645-1702 E-mail: lian@tempestentertainment.com, leticia@tempestentertainment.com Web: www.tempestentertainment.com Contact: Lian Calvo Serrano Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material THIRD COAST TALENT P.O. Box 334 Kingston Springs, TN 37082 615-685-3331 E-mail: generalinformation@thirdcoasttalent.com Web: www.thirdcoasttalent.com Styles: Country Clients: see website for complete roster *No unsolicited material TWO CHORD TOURING 512-444-8750 Fax 512-416-7531 E-mail: davismclarty@gmail.com Web: twochordtouring.com Contact: Davis McLarty Styles: Country, Folk, Rockabilly, Zydeco (even a little polka too) Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material UNCLE BOOKING 5438 Winding Way Dr. Houston, TX 77091 713-688-4854 Fax 713-681-5260 E-mail: erik@unclebooking.com Web: www.unclebooking.com Clients: Kevin Barnes, Bottomless Pit, CEX, Citay, the Coke Dares, Danielson, Deerhoof, Southest Engine, Trans Am *No unsolicited material UNIVERSAL ATTRACTIONS AGENCY 15 W. 36th St., Fl. 8 New York, NY 10018 212-582-7575 Fax 212-333-4508 E-mail: info@universalattractions.com Web: www.universalattractions.com Contact: Nick Martucci Styles: All Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material VARIETY ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL 1924 Spring St. Paso Robles, CA 93446 805-545-5550 Fax 805-545-5559 E-mail: john@varietyart.com, bob@varietyart.com, lloyd@varietyart.com, zach@varietyart.com Web: www.varietyart.com Contact: Bob Engel, John Harrington, Lloyd St. Martin, Zach Mullinax Styles: rock, folk, pop, rap, jazz, oldies Clients: info upon request *No unsolicited material WALKER ENTERTAINMENT GROUP P.O. Box 7827 Houston, TX 77270 281-431-9393 Fax 713-776-2157 Web: www.walkerentertainmentgroup.com Contact: Ernest Walker, President/CEO *No unsolicited material WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY 9601 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310-285-9000 Fax 310-285-9010 Web: www.wma.com Styles: All *No unsolicited material **No phone calls Additional locations: 1325 Ave. of the Americas New York, NY 10019 212-586-5100 Fax 212-246-3583 1500 S. Douglas Rd., Ste. 230 Coral Cables, FL 33134 305-938-2000 Fax 305-938-2002 1600 Division St., Ste. 300 Nashville, TN 37203 615-963-3000 Fax 615-963-3090 For hundreds more contacts from current directories (A&R, guitar/bass instructors, everything indie, promotion, publicity, vocal coaches, college radio, recording studios, rehearsal studios, mastering studios, publishers, film/TV and more), visit our website: musicconnection. com/industry-contacts.

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For Advertising Info Call 818-995-0101

MARKETPLACE

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For Advertising Info Call 818-995-0101

MARKETPLACE

– BOBBY BORG

Musicians: Here Are Your Management Options...

W

hile personal managers are at the top of most developing artists’ minds, hiring one might be a long ways off until you generate some career traction. This is what makes understanding managers and what they do so important. Let’s take a look at your management options, what you can expect from a personal manager once you’ve hired one, and the commissions you will pay. Manage Yourself First In the early stages of your career, good management must always begin with the artist. Unless one of your relatives happens to be a record label or publishing company president, no one is going to help you until you first help yourself! So, have you written a large repertoire of songs or even co-written with professionals? Are you drawing people to your live shows and selling a lot of records and merch? And are you enlisting your fans to help promote your music and your live shows? In a digital age, it is far easier than ever before to take charge of your career. In case it hasn’t sunk in, before you can expect to get a personal manager, you must generate some traction first. Look Into Start-up Management After you’ve reached a point in your career where you’ve legitimately done all the things mentioned in the list above, and you just can’t go any further without a helping hand, then perhaps you’re ready for a start-up manager. Start-up management might include: a close friend who’s willing to make phone calls and help promote shows; a club owner in your hometown who sees hundreds of bands perform each year and wants to help you out; or even someone who is an intern or junior assistant of a professional manager by day who’s looking to cut his teeth by managing his own band on his downtime. While start-up managers may not be the most expeienced folks, don’t underestimate their value. They can be some of the most loyal and hard working people around, and they’ll stick with you through the thick and the thin. But be careful: becoming a personal manager does not require getting a license or state certification—anyone, from a used car dealer to a snake oil salesman, can be one—so proceed with caution. There are managers in the business, and there are damagers. Watch out for the damagers.

However, the problem with big-league guys is that you could easily get overshadowed by their more profitable clients. Remember that bigger does not always mean better. The important thing is picking a manager who really wants to work with you––and has the time to work with you. Know What To Expect Once You’ve Hired a Manager Once you get a personal manager, you might be wondering what to expect from him or her? A manager might help with artist development and finding your sound, help you get exposure by setting up industry showcases/meetings with potential record companies, publishing people, merchandisers and more; meet with the various departments at the record label to make sure that everyone is acting in concert in preparation for an album release; and help you to find a licensed talent agent who specifically works on procuring live performances. By strict definition, a manager’s role is to advise and counsel you in all aspects of the music business. But I like to think of managers as air-traffic controllers and of the artists, producers, publicists, fashion consultants, webmasters, publishers, A&R reps, attorneys and business managers as pilots. The airtraffic controller has a complete view of the runway and guides the pilots flying in and out of the airport to safety. If the air traffic controller gives one wrong signal to any one pilot, complete disaster could ensue. Understand What To Pay Your Manager Personal managers serve an important role in your career, and this means they get paid! Personal managers commission their “artist’s earnings” at anywhere from 15 to 30 percent, with the norm being 20 percent. A manager’s commissions are usually based on your “gross earnings.” (But note: The word gross, which typically means total earnings off the top, must be defined here as all monies other than recording funds, deficit tour support, video expenses and other specifically definded expenses.) In some cases, personal managers often take a commission of the “net income” (the amount after expenses are paid out). But note that these expenses must be reasonable. In other words, managers are not going to allow tour expenses such as hotel parties and smashed TV sets to determine their compensation. Thus, as an additional precaution to ensure they get paid, managers who commission tour incomes on the net will take as much as 50 percent. A business manager or accountant you hire will usually collect all the monies, pay expenses and issue commissions.

“There are managers in the business, and there are damagers. Watch out for the damagers.”

Graduate Into Established Professional Management If you’re able to generate serious momentum in your career (get thousands of streams, start generating some income and/or attract labels and publishers), then established professional managers will likely become interested in working with you. They may even seek you out. Established pros come in a variety of shapes and sizes—from the mid-level players to the big-league guys. Mid-level managers are those who have a great deal of experience in the industry, but have not quite broken a band into superstardom. These are the guys who are typically well liked in the industry and have a big enough network to open some doors for you. However, the problem is that they are not as powerful as a big-league manager, and therefore it may take them longer to make progress in your career. Big-league managers have been around for years and have lots of gold and platinum records hanging on their walls. The relationships they’ve formed, the respect they’ve earned and the favors they can trade give them the power to make things happen with just a few phone calls.

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Hire An Attorney To Review Your Contract Finally, management agreements are made up of far more than just the commissions mentioned above (they include issues like exclusivity, agreement terms, expenses, power of attorney, and post-term provisions––i.e., what the manager gets paid after the agreement term). We would need a book to discuss these issues properly, so just remember that before entering into a relationship with a personal manager, you must hire an experienced entertainment attorney to ensure your best interests are protected. You can seek referrals from industry people who you trust, scout out an attorney at a local music conference or look into directories (like the Directory of Music Attorneys at musicconnection.com/ industry-contacts) that cover the music business. BOBBY BORG is the author of Music Marketing For The DIY Musician: Creating and Executing a Plan of Attack On A Low Budget (September 2014) available on Amazon or at bobbyborg.com.

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