The Western States Motel Residency @ Spaceland

Pela @ Mercury Lounge, October 23

ASCAP Presents @ CMJ 2008

Don't miss Born Ruffians, Plants and Animals, and Nurses live at Spaceland

Progressive death metal pioneers Cynic release first album in 15 years

Few bands in heavy metal history command the same degree of reverence and brow-furrowing as Cynic. The quartet emerged from the humidity of South Florida's fertile death metal scene in the late-80s, toting a sound far removed from that of their peers. Cynic's first (and until now, only) proper album, Focus (1993), channeled an aggressive death metal sound through a prism of jazz fusion, computerized vocals and spiritually-informed lyrics -- this was progressive metal with much more on its mind than brutality.

Fifteen years after Focus, Cynic is finally releasing a second album, Traced In Air. The album starts with the same aesthetic trappings of its eternal predecessor and expands outwards, with more twisting time signatures, fuller integration of aggression and melody, richer production and a refocused sense of spiritual purpose. Traced In Air is set for an October 28th release via French metal label Season of Mist. Click here to listen to the track "Integral Birth" from the album, and if you're in Europe, check out the band on tour with Opeth this fall.

For more information on Cynic:

http://www.myspace.com/cyniconline
http://www.cyniconline.com/

Low Vs. Diamond - Heart Attack

Our boys in Low Vs. Diamond just finished a new video for the song "Heart Attack". We think it's pretty fantastic. Click the link below to watch it.

Low Vs. Diamond - Heart Attack

Record Review Haikus #3: Of Montreal - "Skeletal Lamping"

On this wild lifeboat
we all are Barnesacles, stuck
alive inside bone.




SMS Update - Haikutron3000: Available for purchase beginning Oct 7, 2008 on Polyvinyl Records. And though I am only a computer, far from capable of human emotion, it is worth noting my first sentient notion, which occured upon listening: This album is awesome and bizarre, and a magnificent (albeit a follow-up) follow-up to last year's "Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?" It is somehow more jarringly sexual than previous efforts, still humorous, intelligent, and dance-worthy, though it may take some getting used to. It ultimately reminded me of the first time I heard "Satanic Panic."

2008 Lester Sill Songwriters Workshop - deadline September 12th!

Only three days left to apply to the ASCAP Foundation 2008 Lester Sill Songwriters Workshop! Held annually in Los Angeles, this eight-session workshop for advanced songwriters focuses on the discovery, development and education of a select group of songwriters and features prominent guest speakers giving advice on a variety of music industry topics. All entries must be received by this Friday, September 12th.

For more information, including submission instructions, click here.

Highlights of the last Lester Sill Workshop included a visit to Linda Perry's Kung Fu Gardens studio!

Iglu & Hartly - "In This City"

We'd probably love the new video for Iglu & Hartly's charming summertime jam "In This City" even if it didn't feature footage from the ASCAP showcase they played last month at the Troubadour. But it does. Which means that it's great for archival purposes AND rump-shaking. Posterity for yer posterior, boo-ya!!! If you like what you see/hear, you have only to wait 'til September 22nd when I&G's debut release comes out via Mercury Records.

ASCAP Presents...Tokyo Police Club

Last week was another busy week here at ASCAP. We had a couple of private shows that we hosted, the first being with Randy Newman at the new Largo(more on that later) and the second being a special performance by Saddlecreek artists Tokyo Police Club. We were super pleased to showcase the band to a large crowd of people all working in the Film and TV community. The band played a fantastic set which featured tracks from their latest record, Elephant Shell as well as a few songs off their first EP, Nature of The Experiment. It was a great chance to see the band and bring the community together.

The band made my boss Tom happy, and he celebrated with a Corona:

Afterwards, we all grabbed a photo with the band:

Thanks to Songs Publishing and Saddlecreek Records for making the night a success!

Jon McLaughlin at The Troubadour

We are proud to be presenting the Jon McLaughlin show this Wednesday at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Jon has played on various ASCAP events over the years and he has always performed a great show. His latest single, Beating My Heart, from the forthcoming record Ok Now on Island Dej Jam, has just been released through Itunes. Tickets for the show are 12 dollars in advance and 15 day of show. Hope to see you there!

Jennifer

Now Listening:

Kids -MGMT

David Ford and AM at The Gibson Showroom

Hello to all. Happy Friday. It's been a busy week here at ASCAP. I have been running around to events abound. Amidst all the craziness, I was able to put together a  great afternoon of music Tuesday when ASCAP, along with Stage Three Publishing and Secret Road Music Supervision showcased Independiente artist David Ford and local film and television darling AM. 

Up first was David, who graced us with a highly energetic show despite suffering from slight food poisoning, courtesy of the JFK airport. He effortlessly looped together sound after sound until each song swelled with lush instrumentation. David is sort of know for this technique and every time I see him perform, I am always blown away by his ability to time everything so that it goes off without a hitch. 

Up next was Los Angeles local AM. Although his live performance is more traditional, he executed an equally engaging set. AM is something of a music supervisor's dream child. In the last few years, he has managed to land over fifty placements. This is really impressive for an artist that has no label and no publisher (publishers, pay attention!!!). All in all, it was a great time. I am always especially happy when I have an excuse to have a beer mid- day. Stay tuned for more updates on upcoming events. Have a great weekend!

Jennifer

Currently listening to:

Fools Gold

Filter Magazine and ASCAP Present: Barker Block Sunset Series

ASCAP is partnering with our friends at Filter Magazine to bring you a series of shows in Los Angeles starting July 10th!! The shows are free with RSVP to barkerblock@filtermmm.com. For more info, go to their MySpace.

Record Review Haikus #2: Bodies of Water - "A Certain Feeling"

Offspring of K Recs
And Jesus Christ Superstar
Nursed on LA's milk



Haikudor's note: "A Certain Feeling" will be in stores promptly upon opening, Tuesday, July 22, 2008 on Secretly Canadian. I highly recommend purchasing it, and going to see them on their tour, which conveniently follows the album's release. They might be my favorite band in LA, but you'll have to wait to know for sure. This is just a haiku.

Save the Record Store, Save the World

So, nothing like using a now 2-year-old reference to a TV show I don't watch or like to title a blog that means a lot to me. So here'goes:

It came to my attention today that due to a bit of a tiff with their landlord over rents, zoning, and live performance, SIREN RECORDS in Doylestown, Pennsylvania has been evicted from their home of nearly 20 years, and is now looking for a new home for the store, and about $20,000 by July 18th to cover legal exspenses and the costs of the move.

In this economy, that takes more money than selling a few extra Beta Band discs, or the occasional out-of-season Sam Beam Halloween costume.


So the point is, they're ACCEPTING DONATIONS.

They've even enlisted the help of Pennsylvania natives, CIRCA SURVIVE, who are lending a hand by offering an EXCLUSIVE B-SIDE ("The Most Dangerous Commercials") to those who donate to the cause through their site.


There's been a lot of talk about the varied and innumerable possible fates of the brick-and-mortar record store and the entire music business as we know & love/hate it today (most notably, in my humble opinion, by the good folks at Matador Records). This is a very real, and very tangible way to show your support not only for the existence of physical records, or for a store you may never have set foot in, but for the entire cultural purpose of "the record store," and the larger, tribal necessity of music itself. I've never been to Siren Records, but you can see from their blog what the place and this conflict are about, and no doubt draw some parallels from your own community.

These days, record stores can close their doors for any number of reasons. This shouldn't be one of them. All they need is 4000 people to give $5. So go donate something. Anything. And help keep one more on the map.

Go here if you want the Circa Survive track: http://donate.circasurvive.com/collections/frontpage/products/the-most-dangerous-commercials

Go here if you just want to help: http://www.myspace.com/sirenrecords_electric

PayPal accepted!!

Record Review Haikus #1: Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Lie Down in the Light

Bearded Majesty.
If I could, I'd put track 1
On my MySpace page.

Old 97's at Amoeba

On Wednesday, June 18th - on the eve of their sold-out show at LA's Crash Mansion, NewWest recoding artists the Old 97's performed an instore at LA's famed Amoeba Records.  The event, and an after party down the street at the Cat & Fiddle pub, was presented by ASCAP and Songs Publishing.

The show was webcast live... and should be up on the Amoeba site soon...

The band just finished a sold-out six week tour, and will be taking a few days off before hitting the road again in support of their newly released cd "Blame it on Gravity."  ...And this week the band's video for their new album's first single, "Dance with Me," was put into rotation on VH-1.

Test Your Reflex

Last night, Josh and I had a chance to hang out with Anthony and Ryan from Test Your Reflex. Their first record was out on RCA but if you blinked, you may have missed it. This is unfortunate because it was just filled with pop gems that needed to be out in the world. Never fear though, you still have your chance as they are furiously writing for the new record. Josh and I were lucky enough to hear some of the rough demos and while they still contain all the great pop hooks present in the first record, their overall sound has evolved from new wave pop to blues based rock. Think Kings of Leon meets The Wallflowers(circa One Headlight). This might sound like a huge transition but it suits them well. I am looking forward to posting some of the new tunes sometime down the line.

Jennifer

Now Listening: Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

Sister Gertrude Morgan

Just a couple weeks after returning to Los Angeles from a brief sojourn to New Orleans, I received in the mail a Big Easy memento far more timeless than any Mardi Gras beads or plastic alligator could ever be. It was Let's Make A Record, the lone album recorded by Sister Gertrude Morgan during her forty-odd years as a street evangelist, missionary and folk artist in New Orleans' French Quarter.


Though recorded in the early 1970s, when Morgan was near the end of her life, Let's Make A Record has the feel of a turn-of-the-century field recording. It's just Sister Gertrude's powerful, untrained voice and a tambourine, and that's way more than enough to carry across the full impact of her religious fervor. And fervent she was - it takes a special kind of devotion to quit your life at the age of 38 and move to one of the more notoriously vice-ridden cities in the country to start an orphanage and preach God's word.

All of the songs on Let's Make A Record were composed by Sister Gertrude, and they engage typical gospel music subjects - the Book of Revelations, the power of the Lord, love of Jesus, etc. I share none of her beliefs, and yet I can't help being moved by the passion and guilelessness of her music. Sister Gertrude Morgan is regarded as a quintessential "outsider artist," and certainly Let's Make A Record falls far outside the standard schema we've got for why and how creative types should create art. It would be a shame if the album were treated as a mere novelty though. This is riveting stuff. It's the kind of music that might inspire you to praise dance in the streets of New Orleans.

Good times ahead...

We are sponsoring some great events that I thought I would mention. Some of them are FREE, and some require a moderate fee. The first is a monthy showcase we recently started sponsoring with the people behind the great blog Rock Insider and Hell Ya! It all happens June 26th at The Echo in Los Angeles. Bands confirmed include The Movies, The Savages and The Voyeurs. All for 5 measly dollars!!! For more info, you can follow the Hell Ya link posted above.

We are also very excited to be sponsoring a series of shows in LA from local favorites Darker My Love. I am very excited for the new record (which comes out August 5th) and these shows should be great. The best part is that there are three of them so you will have o-so many chances to see them. On July 18th and 25th, they take their moody, psychedelic rock to The Echo.(For Free!) On August 7th, they hit The Troubadour. This show is 9.99 but you get a free copy of the record with the purchase of the ticket. That's a pretty good deal if I do say so myself.

-Jennifer

Now listening:

Blue Day - Darker My Love

Having a great time - wish you were here

This week, the fine folks at NARAS hosted a panel in Waikiki as part of their traveling MusicTech series.  I was not only honored to attend to speak on the panel for the second straight year, but was in awe of my fellow panelists, who, in present and past lives, were in bands that represent the best of 80's and 90's alt-rock:

Our organizer and moderator, NARAS' Ben London, was the lead singer of one of my personal favorite Seattle youth ensembles, Alcohol Funnycar.  Ben is one of the smarter folks I know - he makes me proud to be an American.  Ben runs the Seattle chapter of NARAS.

All-around good guy Gang of Four's Dave Allen was there - he of Portland, OR's Nemo Design.  Dave runs one of my favorite blogs: Pampelmoose - if you want to know anything about everything in the ever-changing weird world of the music bizzness you'll become a regular reader.  And you're guarenteed to hear some great tunes there too.

Tim Quirk is the VP of music programming over at Rhapsody - and perhaps better known as the former screamer for SF's Too Much Joy (whose "Green Eggs and Crack" and "Cereal Killer" are must owns).

Last - and most certainly not least - Lux Media owner and NARAS PNW Chapter President Steve Mack.   Steve is the frontman for the rock & roll combo That Petrol Emotion, who have just reformed - go see them when the come to your town, they do not disappoint.  In addition to participating on the panel, Steve opened the day's activities with a presentation on making the most of your music in our technological world.

The panel, which continued the topic from Steve's presentation, was a huge success.  To be able to come to the great state of Hawaii and meet the local songwriters and composers who represent the best of the creative community was a treat I won't soon forget.  In a world where regionalism is swiftly being abolished, it was great to come to a place where locals fuse tradition and modernism to contribute to what is a very vibrant music scene.  

As for my fellow panelists - well, aside from being musicians that I have long admired (and with some have had the pleasure of knowing for more years than we care to remember), I was truly astounded by the knowledge and insight that these fellows possess on the subject of the online world as it relates to the arts.  We are in what many feel is the most exiting and vibrant time for music... and hearing what these chaps had to say about the future of our business left me incredibly excited about the biz 2.0 and the possibilities for great songwriters and composers everywhere.  Go visit their respective sites and blogs, you may just learn something - I know I did.

MusiCares Health & Human Services Director Erica Krusen wrapped up the day with a presentation on her organization and all the truly wonderful things it offers to the creative community.  Everyone in the music business needs to know about this fine, fine charitable division of NARAS.

Many many thanks to Georja Skinner and Tracie M. Young of the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism for helping to make this wonderful event possible.

Mahalo,

DeSavia

Now listening:

Entertainment! - Gang of Four 

hello.

Hello. Welcome to our blog. Our goal is to bring you the best in new music, along with info on the many happenings that occur in our daily lives as ASCAP Reps. We hope you will enjoy it. Feel free to comment so we don't get lonely.

Now listening:

Viva La Vida - Coldplay