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The Pretty Reckless’ Manager Gives Advice For Aspiring Musicians

Nov 27, 2014

Erica Ramon began working with him to help build the MGMT management company, where she worked with major artists including Thirty Second to Mars, Audra Mae and Kongos. Since moving to New York City and joining DAS, she has managed projects for artists including The Pretty Reckless, Jimmy Cliff, Danny Seth and Katy Tiz.

“I would give the same advice to the performers and to those seeking a career on the business side. Make sure you are committed to the work and that this is something you look forward to waking up to day in and day out. There are perks to this industry for sure, but the work is real and it is 24/7. It can be especially challenging because art is subjective. There is always a strategy in place, but at the end of the day, we all like what we like and we can’t always articulate what or why that is. As an artist, you’ve got to be married to the music.”

Via Music Consultant

Aimee Mann on Learning from The Beatles, Neil Young and Bob Dylan

Nov 27, 2014

From Salon:

The 11-year old I was had listened to lyrics in a pretty cursory way – sometimes getting them wrong, as people do. I just didn’t get the impression that whoever was writing the song had something definitive to say. Like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” is this very amorphous, whatever – it doesn’t seem like it needs to be paid attention to that much. It doesn’t seem like it’s particularly important to the writer. And here’s what’s key to me – it doesn’t seem like it’s that important to the writer. You don’t get the impression that whoever’s writing this really has something to say or really cares about the thing that they say. Here I am listening to you talk – which is so important – and you’re just not saying anything. You’ve yelled fire in a crowded theater, and there’s no fire.

And that informed the way I was listening to songs. Maybe a little later, when I heard Neil Young … And I think it was a while later before I heard any Dylan, and saw lyrics in yet another way – sort of poetic, but his craftsmanship is really incredible, his choice of language and use of words, specific kinds of words and interesting metaphors … That was all a revelation.

But the interesting thing for me was: You can talk about stuff, and only the people who care are going to notice. I thought that was really, really intriguing. And that little nugget of thought stayed with me for many years later, when I was trying to write my own songs, that was the ticket. Dylan is an amazing lyric writer. But I got it from that moment of listening to Gilbert O’Sullivan … Suicide, his parents dying, being left at the altar … that’s some heavy shit. In the context of this little pop song. This was intriguing – I thought, at some level, there’s a way to talk about things that you can’t talk about. But you sort of have deniability in a way – because only the people who listen will get it. The encryption key is, a listener who cares.

Backstage pass to Bowie’s Berlin: Tony Visconti returns to “Heroes” studio

Nov 27, 2014

Legendary record producer Tony Visconti revisits the Hansa by the Wall studio where he and David Bowie recorded “Heroes”. At the studio he is reunited after thirty years with sound engineer Eduard Meyer who worked on the album and helped the duo to make music history. The trip coincided with the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. Tony marked the anniversary by delivering a speech to the Citywire Berlin conference describing what it was like to create art in a divided city.

C Sharp welcomes Runaway Angel to its Roster of Artists

Nov 27, 2014

C Sharp Music Promotions welcomes Runaway Angel to its management roster.

Runaway Angel is a new country trio comprised of long time solo artists Cadence Grace, Stacey Zegers & Ann Chaplin. Blending beautiful harmonies, edgy ideas and an arsenal of fans, Runaway Angel is currently recording their debut EP with renowned producer Jason Barry. This summer they appeared in the Emerging Artist Showcase at Boots & Hearts, and also won opening spots for Dierks Bentley and Tim Hicks at Music in the Fields. They recently inked a YouTube admin deal with Ole’s Digital Division and are working hard on unique online content to share with fans while they prepare for the release of their first radio single in early 2015.

This year has proven to be quite the year for the trio’s members Cadence Grace, Stacey Zegers, and Ann Chaplin. In 2014 alone, the “Angels” have placed in the Top 8 at the Boots & Hearts Music Festival’s Emerging Artist Showcase, signed a YouTube Admin Deal with Ole Music Publishing, and performed all across Southern Ontario.

“What really impresses me about these girls, is not only their talent, but the fact that they work hard and all bring an individual skill set to the group”, says Casadie Pederson of C Sharp. “They are the essence of what being a team means and have achieved a lot over the past year, which speaks volumes. They are incredible vocalists, songwriters, and are fantastic people with hearts of gold and a great sense of humor. I am so looking forward to what the future has in store for Runaway Angel and am proud to be an integral part of their team.”

Runaway Angel adds, “We are so pleased about our new management partnership with Casadie and C Sharp Music Promotions. We were very blessed with an incredible first year as a group and knew in 2015 we would need some special help to truly take Runaway Angel to the next level. Casadie not only has a diverse skill set that we felt complimented our own strengths and weaknesses, but she is an incredibly hard worker with an immense amount of passion. She very strongly understands and supports our goals as artists, which is hugely important to us. We’re very excited for what the future holds!”

In 2015, Runaway Angel will drop their debut single “Run Angel Run”, co-written by Cadence, Stacey, Ann and Nashville songwriting veteran Bruce Wallace. Their debut self-titled EP, which they are currently working on with CCMA Award winner Jason Barry, will drop later in the spring.

In the mean time, the ladies of Runaway Angel are consistently connecting with fans through social media and their YouTube page with a variety of content including behind the scenes, covers and parodies.

Dick Cavett & Al Jaffee talk cartooning in a limo

Nov 26, 2014

Jeff Newelt, who wrote about the meeting in Heeb says: “Here’s a video of a deep sublime conversation between Dick Cavett and Al Jaffee about cartooning… in a limo!”

YouTube Now Offers Custom URLs To Fit Your Branding

Nov 26, 2014

YouTube is offering creators with 500 or more subscribers custom URLs. When you have a custom URL, you can give people a short, easy-to-remember web address to find your YouTube channel (like youtube.com/c/creatoracademy). The URL options you can select from are based on things like your display name, your YouTube username, any current vanity URLs that you have, or the name of your linked website. Sometimes, you may need to customize the URL by adding letters and numbers to make it unique to you.

Important: You can’t change your custom URL after you create it, so be sure you are comfortable with your choice before you finalize it.

Eligibility requirements

To get a custom URL for your channel, your account needs to be in good standing and meet a few other requirements:

500 or more subscribers
Channels is at least 30 days old
Channel has uploaded a photo for the channel icon
Channel has uploaded channel art

You can also qualify for a custom URL by linking and verifying your official webpage with your channel or +Page.

Get a Custom URL for your channel

Once you’ve qualified for a custom URL, you’ll receive an email notification and a notification on your Creator Studio dashboard. To get your custom URL:

Sign in to YouTube and navigate to the Creator Studio.
Look for your “Get a new custom URL” notification and click in the included link
You’ll be redirected to claim a custom URL.
You’ll see the custom URL(s) you’ve been approved for. These cannot be changed. You may also need to add a few letters or numbers to make the URL unique to you.
Click the box next to “I agree to the Terms of Service” then click Change URL in the bottom left corner.
This URL will be linked to both your YouTube channel and your Google+ identity. Once your URL has been approved, you cannot request to change it. When you’re certain, click Confirm choice.

Change capitalization or accents of your custom URL

If you want to change the capitalization or accents/diacritics of your custom URL, follow these steps:

Sign in to Google+. Place your cursor in the top left corner for the Google + main menu and then select the page or profile associated with your channel
Click the About tab, and under Links > Google+ URL, click Edit.
A box will appear allowing you to make edits to the formatting.

Remember, you can only change the capitalization and diacritics of the URL, not the URL itself.

Infographic: Everything You Wanted To Know About Band Aid

Nov 26, 2014

Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure in 1984 to raise money for relief of the 1983–85 famine in Ethiopia. The original version was produced by Midge Ure and released by Band Aid on November 28 1984. Geldof put together a group called Band Aid, consisting of 37 of the leading British and Irish musicians at the time.

The 1984 original became the biggest selling single in UK Singles Chart history, selling a million copies in the first week alone, and passing three million sales on the last day of 1984. It stayed at Number 1 for five weeks, becoming Christmas number one, and has sold 3.7 million copies domestically. Worldwide, the single had sold 11.8 million copies by 1989.

Following the release of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in December 1984 and record sales in aid of famine relief, Geldof then set his sights on staging a huge concert, 1985’s Live Aid, to raise further funds. The song was re-recorded in 1989 by Band Aid II and in 2004 by Band Aid 20, again raising funds for famine relief. The 2004 version of the song sold 1.17 million copies. The song was again re-recorded in 2014 by Band Aid 30, to raise funds for the 2014 Ebola crisis.

Check out the infographic marking the 30th anniversary of the original recording and illustrates the movers and shakers that made this monumental milestone in pop history possible.

OK GO’s New Album Will Be Available On DNA…Wait…What?

Nov 26, 2014

From Fast Company:

The band OK Go is known for its insanely creative, viral music videos, and now, they are pushing the bounds of creativity again by releasing their latest album, “Hungry Ghosts,” on DNA.

OK Go is working with Sri Kosuri, a UCLA biochemist, to translate their music so it can be stored in DNA and potentially sold to avid fans. Kosuri has previously translated a book into DNA and his work is focused on storing data biologically. “[DNA is] information,” Kosuri told the New Yorker. “Our bodies use it to code for life, but it could be anything.”

When music is encoded digitally, as with an MP3 file, it is translated into binary code (ones and zeros). To turn it into DNA, Kosuri will change the binary code into genetic code—using the A, G, T, and C bases that are DNA’s building blocks. Once the strain of DNA is created in an electrophoresis machine, a fan could buy a vial containing a few nanograms of DNA dissolved in water, comprising over a hundred thousand copies of the album.

“So, if we sell just one or two water droplets, we’ll have the highest-selling album of all time,” said lead singer Damian Kulash.

Hip hop veterans on the scene in the ’70s & ’80s

Nov 26, 2014

Members of GroovMekanex and the Black Messengers told KQED what it was like to be there in the beginning of hip hop in the Bay area, boom boxes and all.

Infographic: Spotify Gaining on YouTube’s Streaming Dominance

Nov 25, 2014

From Billboard:

The total volume of the on-demand streaming marketplace has increased by 50 percent, as tracked by Billboard, in the past year, from around 274 million streams a week in Nov. 2013 to roughly 413 million weekly streams in Nov. 2014. YouTube and Spotify are the clear leaders in the space, with roughly more than 91 percent of the total volume of on-demand streams in any given week coming from these two services. Over the past year, Spotify has begun to take market share from YouTube for the overall streaming volume of top tracks.

Keep in mind, this is not a market share, but rather a look at shares of top-charting songs. With the exception of the overall volume numbers, the breakdowns and increases are calculated just from the top 50 most-played songs in each period.

In this breakdown, Spotify grows in shares over the year, from 22 percent to 33 percent, while YouTube drops from 66 percent to 58 percent of the total share. Comparing the two time-based graphs, a big spike appears in August, from the week when the official music videos for “Shake It Off” and “Anaconda” were released. Generally, YouTube is much more prone to drastic spikes in activity as consumers rush to the platform for big video debuts (“Anaconda” currently holds the Vevo record for 19.6 million global views in 24 hours).