Heard about The Banded, a music tech startup out of New York founded by Andy Volanakis? I received an email from them yesterday; unfortunately I don't have time to dig into it right now, but I'm intrigued after watching this video. They've got a lot planned. What are your thoughts?
Selected by bandmetrics
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Indie Music Tech
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The Banded Coming Soon
17 Nov 2009 | 9:01 pm -
Win Seed Capital for your Music Tech Startup
17 Nov 2009 | 6:39 pmGot a music tech startup or idea that needs capital for a prototype or continued development? Or would you like additional exposure to Angels, VCs and large corporations like Yahoo and Coke? Then consider pitching at Startup Riot in Atlanta February 17, 2010. In its 3rd year, Startup Riot is quickly becoming a significant event for entrepreneurs and investors alike, and this year looks to be the best yet. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider it: If your music tech startup is located far from Atlanta, Sanjay is providing a travel assistance fund, but apply early as it will not last long… -
Meuzer
13 Nov 2009 | 10:01 amJust noticed a couple of days ago that Meuzer released their initial public product. I remember speaking with Ashot Iskandarian last February and they had just started working on it, so congrats on the release! Meuzer is a free music service that allows users to play and tag songs as well as see what other users are listening to. Additional features include: search and stream music playlists, and rate and comment on songs. While there are several similar services like Songza, Ashot plans to build more features as "its a baby product trying to experiment with a few concepts." To learn more… -
How Does SoundExchange Work
13 Nov 2009 | 7:05 amCurious as to how SoundExchange works, and how it can benefit you? Then check out this short video they created a couple of days ago: -
ArtistData Founder Brenden Mulligan Announces Consulting Service
4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amAre you an artist looking to make sense of digital marketing, and the wide variety of social media and Internet based tools now available for bands and musicians? Then you may want to contact Brenden Mulligan, founder of ArtistData, as he recently started Brenden Mulligan Consulting aimed at providing custom, focused digital marketing advice for artists (he'll also work with labels and management companies too). Not only is Brenden qualified to assist you, but he's got a no-hassle, easy-to-schedule service with great pricing to boot.
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hypebot
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Merlin Finally Makes Indie Deal With MySpace
20 Nov 2009 | 2:37 pmNew Deal Includes All Indie Music(Updated) Indie licensing agency Merlin, which represents almost 10% of the global music market, has reached an agreement with MySpace Music on behalf of its labels. The deal covers both streaming and purchase; and will be extended to indies that are not members of Merlin. Some Merlin members we're outraged last year when MySpace spun off MySpace Music into a separate entity giving the four major label groups equity and control; and leaving independents locked out of the boardroom. Details of the new deal are not public, but it does include non-voting… -
TunesPro Sells Legal 19 Cent Hit Song Downloads
20 Nov 2009 | 7:59 am(UPDATE 2) : Brenden Mulligan of ArtistDirect tells Hypebot that his sources say that TunesPro is NOT authorized by the labels (see other evidence in the comments section). On Friday afternoon the site appeared to be down, but on Saturday morning it was back up again.U.S. based TunesPro.com is selling 19 cent single track downloads and albums for $1.88-$2.78 from all the major labels; and they are doing it legally. "We have deals with all major labels and with lot of the independent ones," a TunesPro spokesperson told Hypebot, " and every day we get requests for more independent ones to get… -
Sony Wants To Take On iTunes
20 Nov 2009 | 5:33 amSony is taking a page from the Apple playbook and will open an online store for music, film, books and other digital content next year. Years after iTunes launched and went on to dominate more than 70% of the global digital music market, the electronics and entertainment conglomerate has decided to enter the game. Dubbed temporarily the Sony Online Service, the store is part of a wider plan to return the ailing giant to profitability. "Sony has been too focused on hardware," says Tokai Tokyo Research Center analyst Osamu Hirose. "It has to focus on networked products [and] delivering… -
Susan Boyle Grabs Amazon's Biggest Ever Pre-Sale
20 Nov 2009 | 4:13 amThe usually press shy Amazon made a rare announcement yesterday: internet and TV sensation Susan Boyle’s upcoming album, “I Dreamed a Dream,” has become the largest global CD pre-order in the history of the online retailer. Per usual, however, the number of units Boyle sold to reach #1 prior to her November 23rd release was not part of the announcement. Boyle proves that adults will still pay for music; and whatever the number, it was big enough to leave Amazon's head of music almost giddy. “We were excited when Susan Boyle’s album became the top CD pre-order in the U.S. We’re… -
What Should We Talk About At The MIDEM Bar?
20 Nov 2009 | 3:38 amDuring January's MIDEM international music convention in Cannes, I've been asked to host a day of their new MIDEM+ program. It's a great opportunity to get off the convention floor to network in a much more intimate setting. Part of the my job as a "Connector" is to host an informal discussion at the MIDEM+ bar. I'll let the wonderful folks from MIDEM explain: "MIDEM+ delegates will be invited to join you at the MIDEM+ bar, for a one hour of informal discussion about a new business topic of interest pertaining to the Music Industry. This session will be announced in the programme as 'Join the…
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Stereogum
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Premature Evaluation: Beach House - Teen Dream
20 Nov 2009 | 2:50 pmWhen we meditated on Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally's gorgeous sophomore album Devotion we had the following to say:[Y]ou can't fall back on Mazzy Star or Galaxie 500 references because they've pushed themselves into their own, unique solar system. Victoria's voice and woozy after-hours organ tones are more assured, Alex has lost the beard but gained more inventive, atmospheric guitar lines. For just one instance, listen to "You Came To Me," the way each part of it builds. We don't think they could've wrote that song a year ago. Throughout Devotion, they've pushed their template in all the… -
New Jonathan Boulet Video - "A Community Service Announcement"
20 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pmThis dude's the latest signing to Australia's Modular label, landing with a tidy package of promotional offerings: a catchy, moistly breezy indie-pop debut single that couldn't be better titled for a meet-the-artist track; a subtly arresting/marginally tricked-out video; and a slightly more ambient take-away remix by long-time post-rocker the Album Leaf. Here's to good starts. We're told Boulet is 21 and a Sydney skate rat. Which means skate rat music in Sydney is a far cry from the shit-encrusted lo-fi tracks coming from skaters on our own west coast, or Boulet is an outlier wielding his… -
New El Guincho - "Antillas (XXXchange Remix)"
20 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pmWhen we first heard onetime BTW Pablo Díaz-Reixa, aka El Guincho, we were drawn in by "Antillas," a song we described as "a five-minute bundle of clattering loops and sunny harmonies." It was from the self-released Alegranza!, before he'd signed to XL, who reissued the collection. Almost two years after being hooked we have an "Antillas" remix by XXXchange. It shows up on one of two double 12"s that feature remixes of the track by the likes of Architecture In Helsinki, Prins Thomas, Banana Clipz, etc. (Mad Decent's releasing one, Young Turks the other.) It's nice being reintroduced to the… -
Muse To Headline Coachella 2010?
20 Nov 2009 | 1:18 pmAccording to Consequence Of Sound, a previously reliable source pins Muse to the coming year's desert fest headlining slot. Glenn Beck just bought a ticket. The dates are April 16-18. Oh and these Coachella headliner rumors? Needs more Pavement. -
Parents Just Don't Understand Horrorcore
20 Nov 2009 | 11:55 amFrom hardcore to heavy metal to gangsta rap, local TV news teams have long warned parents about the terrifying new sounds rotting teenage brains. This week it's San Fran's KPIX on the horrorcore scene. Not all juggalos are murderers, dad! Probably.
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Create Digital Music
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Tracker Tracks: Winners of the Efficient Music Competition Span Genres, Moods
20 Nov 2009 | 9:06 amYou know, tracks. Tracker. Photo (CC) Roey Ahram. So much energy is spent reflecting on the merits of different tools, or re-hashing tired debates like the comparison between analog and digital, often with the assumption that you can hear the tool in the finished work. But the real value of an expressive, creative tool is that it can produce wildly different results in different hands; it’s the measure of its versatility. And the measure of music is the music itself. That makes it doubly satisfying listening to the results of the Efficient Music Competition CDM hosted with the Renoise… -
Help EFF Save Web Content: Prove Podcasting and Media Patent is Wrong
19 Nov 2009 | 6:56 pmAct now, or this puppy is in grave danger. Podcasting pug photograph (CC) zoomar. Patenting the use of all episodic media on the Web might sound absurd, but the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted just such a patent, to a company called VoloMedia. It’s a significant issue, one that could threaten the freedom of all media distribution online. Wherever you are in the world, you can help. Intellectual property law was created in order to protect genuine inventions and innovation from exploitation. But predatory patents, based on bogus claims and attempting to stake out broad rights,… -
OpenSoundControl: Now Compatible with Magical Unicorns
18 Nov 2009 | 7:49 pmFor anyone whose complaint about OSC aka OpenSoundControl is that it lacks broad hardware support, I have one word for you: Unicorns. OSC now runs on magical unicorns. (Would a unicorn not want high-resolution, human-readable messages encoded with time-stamps? I think they would. And because OSC is transport-independent, it can absolutely run on magical Unicorn Beams.) No idea what this post is about? Don’t worry — I’ll have a talking unicorn narrate a proper, sophisticated, complete introduction to OSC for beginners soon. They’re magical, so they can make complex… -
DIY MIDI In, MIDI Out For Your Gear: New Kits from HighlyLiquid
18 Nov 2009 | 6:05 amMIDI control of analog devices from Michael Una on Vimeo. John at HighlyLiquid has been busy this year- he’s got a new kit out and one in the works that really step up the game. You may be familiar with his previous kits, which add MIDI control to Speak & Spell, Atari 2600, or pretty much every Casio. HighlyLiquid also stocks more open-ended kits which can add MIDI control to pretty much anything- I used one in my MAKE Magazine article last year to build a drum-playing robot. The new MD24 falls into the latter category. It takes a MIDI input and gives you 24 discrete +5V outputs… -
TouchDJ Arrives for iPhone
17 Nov 2009 | 5:16 pmYou’re now approved to DJ with your iPhone. Or at least the app is. I’m not sure if I can take credit for getting Apple’s attention, but Apple has approved the TouchDJ application from Amidio. That’s big news, partly because developer Amidio has consistently been at the forefront of musical development on the platform, including their Noise.io synth and wild hexagonal JR Hexatone Pro. This also is a big blog to the theory that Apple is intentionally blocking DJ apps — and a big boon to the theory that the App Store is just plain clogged, even if it may be…
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Digital Music News: Top Stories
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Breaking: Finally, MySpace Music Licenses Merlin...
20 Nov 2009 | 4:42 pmMySpace Music has now finalized a global licensing deal with the labels represented by Merlin, according to details tipped Frid... -
Wall Street Wrap: Friday, November 20, 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 3:07 pmMajor Indices Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) Finishing Value: 10,318.16 Gain or Decrease: Down 14.28 (0.14%) ... -
Friday Bits: Digital Economy Bill, Espinel, AOL, BBC, Sony, Slacker, Wall Street...
20 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pmThe Digital Economy Bill has been officially published in Britain (the complete bill can be found here ). The proposal cont... -
Now Playing: Jay-Z's Data-Driven Setlist...
20 Nov 2009 | 5:52 amAs revenue sources continue to shift, touring is becoming increasingly important. The live performance sector has its own... -
The Latest: More MySpace+Imeem, Mininova, Hammer, Call of Duty, Congress, Wall Street...
20 Nov 2009 | 5:36 amMore details are leaking on the expected MySpace purchase of Imeem. TechCrunch listed the buyout price (of selected assets) a...
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Artists House Music
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What Is SoundExchange and How Does It Work?
19 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amSoundExchange is the US organization responsible for collecting royalties for music performed via non-terrestrial radio and distributing those royalties to the artists so featured. This video has been making the rounds on the blogs, and I didn’t want to miss out. But I’ve got more for you than the other folks. Not only do we have a full 50-minute interview with the head of SoundExchange itself, John Simson, but we also have many other music industry professionals commenting on the subject from the perspective of their various fields. First, from SoundExchange itself: Next we have an… -
Being Professional Goes A Long Way
18 Nov 2009 | 11:09 amThis is not ground-breaking stuff here, but Loren Weisman posted something over at Music Think Tank that I found to be very refreshing. She calls it “Ten Tips That Every Musician Should Apply to Their Career”. I call it “Be Professional or Die”. The reality of making music your career is that you’ll be interacting with a bunch of folks that are relying on YOU to make their own businesses succeed. This means promoters, publicists, venues, etc. They’re all relying on you to bring the goods. You don’t want to let the power go to your head though, because this goes both ways. They… -
Correlation (or Lack Thereof) Between Audio Quality and Sales
17 Nov 2009 | 3:19 pmby George Howard While it pains me to say it, based on a whole lot of years of experience, I see very little correlation between how well-recorded a record is and how well it sells. I was talking about this with someone recently, and was inspired to draw the diagram below to try and explain it. Yes, it looks like something a convicted serial killer might scrawl on a jail cell wall, but I never said I could draw. Essentially, it’s just stating that unless you’re 2 standard deviations (shitty sounding at the left end of the tail, and amazing sounding at the right) from the mean with respect… -
Music Business Weekly Wrapup
8 Nov 2009 | 5:26 pmIn case you missed anything, here are some highlights from this week in music business news and artist advice: Artists House Music: A new AH interview from Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Jennifer Jefferson (interactive media manager) http://is.gd/4Lhvz Another clip from our new series with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: http://tinyurl.com/yb32nft New followers: have you added yourself to the Artists House map yet? http://ow.ly/zEan If you want a good live music scene in your town, you gotta go see live music! Awesome! Thank you guys for getting us to 21k followers. It’s been just over one… -
Coin a Phrase: The "Downsell"
5 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pmby George Howard We all know about the upsell: Mass Merchants, etc. lure you into their store with a low-cost item (too often, CDs) in the hopes that you leave with some high-margin item like a washing machine. The “Downsell” is different. As I’ve discussed, the music business is now the merch business, and the way to go is to create a vast and sometimes over-the-top (like the awesome Josh Freese campaign) product array with some big-ticket (and high-margin) items that create awareness and drive people to the artist’s Site. The reality, of course, is that most customers will look at…
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Indie Music News
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Bethany And Rufus Roots Quartet To Perform At New York's Joe's Pub
New World/Folk/Roots group The Bethany and Rufus Roots Quartet will be performing songs from their live 12 track CD "Live A Fip" at the New York's Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, one of New York City's most celebrated and in-demand showcase venues for live music and performance. The Roots Quartet includes the duo Bethany and Rufus (Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia), along with Fulani flutist Yacouba "Denke Denke" and Afro Haitian drummer ‘Bonga’ Jean-Baptiste. "Live A Fip" was released in Europe on October 22nd as a co- production with Radio… -
Bethany And Rufus Roots Quartet To Perform At Barbès
New World/Folk/Roots group The Bethany and Rufus Roots Quartet will be performing at Barbès in Brooklyn, New York on Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. The Roots Quartet includes the duo Bethany and Rufus (Bethany Yarrow and Rufus Cappadocia), along with Fulani flutist Yacouba "Denke Denke" and Afro Haitian drummer ‘Bonga’ Jean-Baptiste. The foursome will be performing tracks from their live 12 track CD “Live À Fip†released in Europe on October 22nd as a co- production with Radio France and Daqui Records. -
Bethany & Rufus Roots Quartet "Live A Fip" CD Debuts In Europe
New World/Folk/Roots duo Bethany & Rufus along with Fulani flutist Yacouba Moumouni and Afro Haitian drummer 'Bonga' Jean-Baptiste will release a new CD, entitled "Live A Fip" on October 22, 2009. The Bethany & Rufus Roots Quartet "Live A Fip" CD features 12 tracks, and will debut in Europe on the Daqui Records label. -
Amy Speace's 'The Killer In Me' CD Release At Joe's Pub
Amy Speace, a power-house of country rock, took to the stage before a full house at Joe's Pub in New York City on June 19th, 2009. The singer/songwriter celebrated the upcoming release of her new album, The Killer in Me, and it is a winner, fitting right in between energetic pop-rock, and the melancholy harmonies of country. At first glance, the perky and smiley Speace doesn't seem like a singer/songwriter fighting a recent heartache, but that's just what she accomplishes with her new album. -
Amy Speace To Perform At This Year's Americana Music Festival
Amy Speace will share the stage at the 2009 Americana Music Festival and Conference with artists like Marty Stuart, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and Those Darlins in Nashville this September. The 10th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference will take place from Wednesday, September 16th through Saturday, September 19th, 2009, gathering thousands of artists, fans and industry professionals from all over the world.
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Brands Bands Fans
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Sound Investment
Brands see the value of music This week saw the 50th edition of the Brands Bands Fans newsletter. Since its inception in May 2007 – and the subsequent launch of our blog, Twitter feed, events and panels, we have covered a vast and ever expanding selection of brand and music partnerships ... -
Meats and Beats
Meats and Beats [Boyband Special] Pure Groove and FRUKT present: Meats & Beats - grilling your music and meat knowledge. Get your rump down to Smithfields meat market for the hottest music quiz in town. Yes, the pop butchers are back on 24th November - and this time it's boybands. Step out ... -
Chew Lips
Attack of the drones The London electro-pop trio have moved on massively from their first kitchen sink gig at a friend’s house in the spring of 2008, to being among the first slew of bands announced for next year’s SXSW festival. The band have been among the ‘ones to watch’ lists ... -
If the shoe fits
Valley of the dancing dolls The Dolly Rockers - the outspoken Girl Band with a penchant for large headphones and short skirts billowing with netting – have entered into a new brand partnership with KangaROOS footwear in order to promote their latest single ‘Gold Digger’. The ‘How do you rock your Roos?’ ... -
Born to run
The gig race is on Ted Baker's new Born menswear range has launched a new campaign which will require dedication, stamina, and quite possibly ear plugs. In order to promote its new Born clothing range of shirts, polo shirts, T-shirts, and hoodies - all aimed at a younger 18-24-year-old audience ...
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Paste Magazine
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The 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade (2000-2009)
20 Nov 2009 | 11:00 pmThe new Millennium got off to a great start where the world of gadgetry was concerned... -
The Oprah Winfrey Show to End in Sept. 2011
20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amDaytime television authority Oprah Winfrey announced today that her talk show will end after 25 years of running, marking Sept. 9, 2011 the final episode date.... -
Roland Emmerich Unveils Independence Day Sequels
20 Nov 2009 | 8:00 amThere’s just something about the idea of the world being ripped to pieces that gets the box-office bees buzzing, no matter how exhausted the story arcs may be. Roland Emmerich doesn’t give cinema anything new with his latest disaster flick, 2012, and he plans to keep that trend alive as he looks to make a couple more sequels to his 1996 blockbuster, Independence Day.... -
What Will James Franco's General Hospital Experiment, Which Begins Today, Mean for His Career?
20 Nov 2009 | 6:30 amJames Franco’s stint on General Hospital begins today. The marketing fanfare has been pretty epic, but the show’s core audience is not likely to expand despite the A-list presence, a fact that has led to the inevitable barbs “Well, at least no one will see him trying to ruin his career.”... -
Pixies Play Fallon, Fans Pick Second Song on Twitter
20 Nov 2009 | 6:00 amAside from his penchant for starring in bad Queen Latifah movies, Jimmy Fallon’s usually got the public’s interest in mind. A man of the people, if you will. With his affable persona and regular-dude smile, he emits a charming you-went-to-high-school-with-me vibe. Further proving this, when indie-rock icons the Pixies stop by his show on Nov. 24, viewers have the chance to vote on which song the band will play in addition to the classic “Debaser.”...
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JamBase
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Sat Eye Candy: The Jukebox
21 Nov 2009 | 6:49 amBRIGHTENING UP BARROOMS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY Next Monday, November 23, the jukebox will celebrate its 120th anniversary. Few inanimate objects have had a greater cultural impact, providing a sense of shared community and inspiring more songs than can be counted. While MP3 players and other modern digital devices almost make a machine that mechanically picks up individual records sort of quaint, it's unlikely the image or metaphor of the jukebox is ever going to fully die out. Truly glorious contraptions are few and far between, especially ones that have done so much to popularize and… -
Gov't Mule: More 2010 DatesXmas Jam Tix Still On Sale
20 Nov 2009 | 4:55 pmGOV'T MULE ANNOUNCE MORE DATES FOR WINTER TOUR 2010, XMAS JAM TICKETS STILL ON SALE Gov't Mule has announced the second leg of the Winter By A Thread Tour, beginning in February, 2010 at the House of Blues in Cleveland, OH and wrapping up at another HOB location in Houston, TX. Complete tour dates below. Gov't Mule Tour Dates Gov't Mule 11/21/09 Sat The Forum London, GB 12/09/09 Wed Horizon Records Greenville, SC 12/12/09 Sat Asheville Civic Center Asheville, NC 12/30/09 Wed Beacon Theatre New York, NY 12/31/09 Thu Beacon Theatre New York, NY 01/15/10 Fri Grand Lido Negril Negril, JM 01/16/10… -
Hiromi's Sonicbloom | 11.14 | Tel Aviv
20 Nov 2009 | 4:20 pmWords by: Kevin Schwartzbach Hiromi's Sonicbloom :: 11.14.09 :: Hangar 11 :: Tel Aviv, Israel Hiromi Uehara by Muga Miyahara As if there aren't enough things being exported out of Japan these days. It's no surprise, of course, given that the Japanese have a habit of taking things invented by Americans and making them smaller, better, and more efficient. First it was cars, then electronics, and now jazz. Hiromi Uehara certainly is small (standing at no more than five feet), certainly is efficient, and certainly is better than just about any contemporary American jazz pianist. In a genre… -
Greensky Bluegrass/Sheaffer Tour
20 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pmGREENSKY BLUEGRASS TEAMS WITH RAILROAD EARTH'S TODD SHEAFFER FOR TOUR Greensky Bluegrass Perennial bluegrass favorite Greensky Bluegrass has joined forces with Todd Sheaffer of Railroad Earth for an inspiring one-week tour in December. Greensky Bluegrass is one of the most exciting bands in today's music scene. Since winning the 2006 Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest, Greensky has been touring the country consistently, averaging over 170 shows a year and playing to many sold out audiences along the way. In a very short time the band has performed with the likes of Tony Rice, Peter… -
Wanee 2010: April 15-17
20 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pmWANEE MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DATES FOR 2010, TICKETS ON SALE SOON The 2010 Wanee Music Festival will be held Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17 at the Spirit of Suwanee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. Also, don't miss the Wanee Kick-Off Party which will be held on Thursday, April 15. The lineup for this year's show and on-sale information for tickets and packages will be announced soon. Last year's Festival nearly doubled in attendance from 2008, and 2010 is looking to be even more exciting. For all upcoming information head on over to the Wanee site. Check out Jambase's coverage of the…
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eleetmusic - Direction in music, marketing and business
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Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind Pt. II (Live)
20 Nov 2009 | 6:55 amI’m sure the radio gods will hate me for this one, but when I heard about PT II… I had to rip it off of youtube to share with you all. This won’t stop you from getting the new album….will it? Download it while you can. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind Part II Subscribe to [...] -
Jennings – “Cling To Me”
18 Nov 2009 | 5:27 pmJennings definitely knows what time it is. She loves playing live, connecting with her fans [via social networks and video blogs] and doing handstands to make people buy; the true mark of a successful artist in today’s segmented music market. When I hear talent like this I sorta feel sorry for the people who only listen to [...] -
Which Way Does Your Cash Flow?
15 Nov 2009 | 4:37 pmWhen I was a child my parents would constantly remind me that I had a poor concept of money. Thankfully my overhead was low enough that spending all of my paper route money didn’t leave me out on the street. Insert rent, car payment, food and a wireless phone bill and suddenly, I had BIG [...] -
Tha Boogie – “I See U”
12 Nov 2009 | 4:21 pmI ran across this threesome out of Rancho Cucamanga by pure accident. The trend towards post popular throw back continues to emerge from ear’s close enough to the ground. If you follow my blog you know I’m all over the place when it comes to musical selections, but this group mentored by my mentor, Raphael [...] -
Pink Dollaz – “Don’t Need No”
6 Nov 2009 | 4:26 pmDon't have anything to do this Friday night? Take a trip with me to LA to see the soft brown, hardcore girl group, "Pink Dollaz" @ Kia's, The Soul Collective. Right in line with my favorite producer, Diplo, these chicks will make your head bang like it was 1984. Comparing PD'z to JJ Fad is liking pitting James Brown and Michael Jackson against each other. No one looses.
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9GiantSteps
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Correlation (or lack thereof) between audio quality and sales
13 Nov 2009 | 10:51 amWhile it pains me to say it, based on a whole lot of years of experience, I see very little correlation between how well-recorded a record is and how well it sells. I was talking about this with someone recently, and was inspired to draw the diagram below to try and explain it. Yes, it looks like something a convicted serial killer might scrawl on a jail cell wall, but I never said I could draw. Essentially, it’s just stating that unless you’re 2 standard deviations (shitty sounding at the left end of the tail, and amazing sounding at the right) from the mean with respect to your… -
Coin a Phrase: The “Downsell”
4 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pmWe all know about the upsell: Mass Merchants, etc. lure you into their store with a low-cost item (too often, CDs) in the hopes that you leave with some high-margin item like a washing machine. The “Downsell” is different. As I’ve discussed, the music business is now the merch business, and the way to go is to create a vast and sometimes over-the-top (like the awesome Josh Freese campaign) product array with some big-ticket (and high-margin) items that create awareness and drive people to the artist’s Site. The reality, of course, is that most customers will look at… -
Reflections on the 2009 Future of Music Policy Summit
10 Oct 2009 | 9:50 amOK, a day or so after my panel at the fantastic Future of Music Policy Summit, and I want to try and toss out a few thoughts. First off, while I’m typically not real big on conferences, I can enthusiastically recommend this one. The values of the conference and the caliber of speakers/workshops makes this - in my mind - the go-to conference. Get yourself registered for 2010 asap. So, my panel was entitled New Musician’s Toolbox. I moderated, and the panelists were: Duncan Freeman, founder, Band Metrics; Charlie McEnerney, Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio/Musicians for Music… -
Californication: I do love me some trademark squabbles
22 Aug 2009 | 7:37 pmOK, confession time: During a recent night of insomniac action (brought to bear by some jackasses whom, while they shall remain nameless, as I am indeed a gentleman if nothing else, will some day soon face the inevitable karmic retribution that their myopic, ego-driven actions certainly merit) I came across the show Californication on Netflix Instant. While my instant queue is full of all sorts of, shall we say, more staid films of which I could have availed myself, none of these were particularly compelling (remember, I was tossing and turning and mad). So…Californication it was. The… -
More on loving music: Can’t Hardly Wait
12 Aug 2009 | 4:52 pmYesterday I twittered out a pretty unvarnished sentiment about my love for music: I was delighted by all the “@” responses I got - I ain’t alone. One of the reasons I shot that tweet out was because I was - after a long day of meetings and travel - so very excited to listen to some of the new jazz records I’ve recently been obsessed over. What I like about them is that these records are endlessly fascinating to me. I don’t feel like I can sort of figure them out on first listen in the same way as I - rightly or wrongly - do with so much non-jazz stuff these days.
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CMJ New Music News
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Passion Pit Plays Even More Tour Dates
Massachusetts electro-poppers Passion Pit have been keeping themselves busy with an extensive ... -
Sonicbids Spotlight: Ballhog!
The overlap between bluegrass appreciators and basketball fans seems relatively small, but ... -
Evan Dando Plans Solo Tour
The Lemonheads' frontman Evan Dando is embarking on a solo tour of ... -
The Cribs Announce US Tour
In promotion of their latest album, Ignore The Ignorant, which was released ... -
The Future Of JELLY Pool Parties At Risk
The JELLY Pool Parties, the summer concert series that was initially held ...
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Spinner.com
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'New Moon' Music Supervisor Reveals Soundtrack Process
21 Nov 2009 | 4:00 amFiled under: News, New Music, Exclusive, MoviesAlexandra Patsavas, the music supervisor for the 'Twilight' films, doesn't want to pick a favorite when it comes to the 15 tracks on the 'New Moon' soundtrack. "Oh gosh, that's like asking a mother to pick her favorite child," Patsavas tells Spinner. After a long pause, she admits, "I'm especially proud that Thom Yorke agreed to be on the soundtrack." For his part, the Radiohead frontman submitted the unreleased, exclusive solo track, 'Hearing Damage.' "The track is physically transcendent, gorgeous and used at a key moment, almost in its… -
Tune-Yards Plays Packed Brooklyn Record Store
21 Nov 2009 | 3:00 amFiled under: Concerts and Tours, NewsAt Permanent Records in Greenpoint, Brooklyn on Friday night, tUnE-YaRdS, the moniker of New England native Merrill Garbus, performed her impressive genre-bending one-woman show for a rapt, head-bobbing crowd eager to see what all the fuss was about. Garbus was making a pit stop between her opening sets for the Dirty Projectors' sold-out four-night stint in New York, which concludes tonight and Sunday night. The multi-instrumentalist, who is sometimes joined by bass player Nate Brenner, proved she needed no accompaniment Friday, commanding percussion,… -
Bassnectar, 'Cozza Frenzy' feat. Seasunz -- Free MP3 of the Day
20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pmFiled under: Free MP3 Download of the Day Artist: Bassnectar Songs: 'Cozza Frenzy' feat. SeasunzAlbum: 'Cozza Frenzy' [iTunes]Sounds Like: Major Lazer, Chemical BrothersDownload: 'Cozza Frenzy' feat. Seasunz (MP3)[Get Winamp] [Download Help] Next MP3 -
Fever Ray, 'Seven' -- Video of the Day
20 Nov 2009 | 10:00 amFiled under: Video of the DayArtist: Fever Ray Video: 'Seven' Highlight: More of the other-worldy weirdness we've come to expect from the Knife's Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson. -
Twisted Tales: Redbone Bring Native American Pride (and Controversy) to Radio
20 Nov 2009 | 9:00 amFiled under: Twisted TalesIf you called a Native American "Redbone" at the Thanksgiving table, you might get a drumstick upside the head. But in the late 1960s, when American Indians were reclaiming cultural pride alongside other minorities, two brothers sharing Cherokee, Apache and Shoshone blood defiantly took the term Redbone for the name of their band. The brothers already had a fairly impressive résumé in the music business by the time they decided to make their heritage an asset. Born Pat and Lolly Vasquez in Fresno, Calif., they adopted the last name Vegas to downplay…
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Spin Magazine Online -
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SPIN.com's Best of the Week
21 Nov 2009 | 6:38 amThis week, New Moon premiered in L.A., Aerosmith members discussed singer Steven Tyler's drug habits, Rihanna performed her first concert since the Chris Brown assault, and SPIN stirred the web with our Rock Myths package, which argued that Radiohead kinda blow! These stories, plus the week's top news, photo galleries, audio/video, and live reviews, below. TOP STORIES: Movie Review: 'New Moon' SPIN's Phoebe Reilly explains why more K Stew, less R Patz equals the best Twilight yet. Read >> PLUS: 'New Moon' Premieres in L.A. Read >> Aerosmith: Steven Tyler Back on Drugs? Read… -
Movie Review: 'New Moon'
20 Nov 2009 | 10:07 amIt's probably a little early to speculate but here goes: New Moon might be the best film this franchise has to offer, and here's why: The first Twilight movie, based on the series of books by Stephenie Meyer, thrived off the unrealized sexual tension between vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and ordinary mortal Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart). Share Sure, if they were to do it, he might kill her -- but there was something unrealistic about a hot-for-each other duo (whose lust carried on, delightfully, offscreen, as well) steering clear of any carnal action. In New Moon, Edward dumps… -
Hot New Band: Fanfarlo
20 Nov 2009 | 7:57 amDiscussing literature isn't something bands are known for doing in their down time -- and that's fine with Fanfarlo. "There's not a lot of beer-can smashing with us," says Simon Balthazar, 27, lead singer and main songwriter for the London chamber-poppers. "Our favorite activity is to read a novel and talk about it. We're intellectuals. That's an unpopular thing for bands to say, but we're not interested in doing things just because that's what other people do." Standing out is a familiar theme for the quintet, which takes its name from a Baudelaire novella. The band was formed in 2006 after… -
Q&A: 'Twilight' Star Nikki Reed
20 Nov 2009 | 6:05 amName a song that you've listened to in the past 24 hours. "She's Only Happy in the Sun." It's nonstop Ben Harper in my apartment. My first boyfriend played me this song when I was 14 because my life back then was all about going to Venice Beach. Luckily, we didn't have a bad breakup, so I don't have any painful memories attached to the music. On that note, what song do you associate with your first kiss? D'Angelo's "How Does It Feel" was playing at the time -- in my head. Honestly, the most memorable make-out sessions I ever had were in [the 2003 movie] Thirteen. Those were hardcore. Who… -
Terrific Twitter Trio of the Week
20 Nov 2009 | 5:54 amLots of musicians tweet -- but all that Twitters is not gold. That's why you'll want to check out SPIN.com every Friday to see whose tweets we're reading this week -- then update your TweetDeck! (Obligatory Self-Promotion: …while you're at it, be sure to follow @SPINmagazine!) This week's winners: Who: Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) Why You Should Follow: This multi-platinum selling songstress has worked with everyone from Jay-Z to Pharrell Williams to Jack White, but when it comes to making important musical decisions, she turns to her Twitter followers. It's not uncommon for Keys to ask her…
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Rolling Stone: Features
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The Twilight Saga in Rolling Stone
19 Nov 2009 | 12:11 pmPeter Travers Reviews New Moon Our film critic on the Twilight saga's second chapter: "Swooning tweens of all ages and sexes will work themselves into a lather ..." -
Wes Anderson's Fantastic Fox Tale
18 Nov 2009 | 10:04 amThe director and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" star Jason Schwartzman on bringing Roald Dahl's classic to the big screen Wes Anderson's newest venture may be an animated take on a classic kids' story, but from its corduroy-clad characters to its cozy look at family dysfunction, Fantastic Mr. Fox is classic work from the director of Rushmore, The Royal Tennenbaums and The Darjeeling Limited. Rolling Stone caught up with Anderson, who wrote the film's screenplay with Noah Baumbach at original author Roald Dahl's own home, and Jason Schwartzman, who voices Mr. Fox's misunderstood son Ash. -
The Man on the "Moon": Q&A With "Twilight Saga" Director Chris Weitz
18 Nov 2009 | 5:21 amMaster of movie adaptations on the wild stunts and Team Edward moments in "New Moon" With just days to go before the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Rolling Stone chatted with the film's director, Chris Weitz, about the anticipated movie's wildest stunts, the loyalty of Team Edward and the scenes you won't find in Stephenie Meyer's original book. You said everyone's been asking you about the pressures of taking on such a successful franchise, and they also want to know why vampires are so popular. Honestly, there weren't really any pressures for me because there was... -
?uestlove's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" Countdown
18 Nov 2009 | 3:53 amThe Roots drummer's favorite all-star jams and musical celebrity slams Five Best Guests 1. Tie: Artie Lange and Olivia Munn I don't know if you can capture lightning in a bottle, but I will say this much — I've never seen a more ironic one-two punch in the history of the show. We all had crazy expectations for Lange 'cause of his reputation on [Howard] Stern and sure enough, he was comic gold. So gold, I thought there was no way Munn (who I know from the G4 channel) would stand a chance. But sure enough, she hung in there with the big boys and next thing... -
Adam Lambert on the Demons and Dance Behind "For Your Entertainment"
11 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pmSinger opens up about his new band (Madonna's guitarist!) and his album's Radiohead moment In our new issue, Adam Lambert tells Rolling Stone how whiskey and David Bowie influenced his debut album, For Your Entertainment. American Idol's first real rock star also opened up about working with Muse and writing one of the record's most tender ballads. Here's more from Jenny Eliscu's conversation with the man RS dubbed a glam-rock sex god during his fantastic Idol run: Tell me about the process of making this record. We did some recording on tour,...
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Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily
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Rolling Stone’s Top Stories
20 Nov 2009 | 3:45 pm• Green Day Record “21 Guns” With Idiot Cast • Rihanna’s Cabin Fever Led Her to Rated R • ?uestlove on the Roots’ Hot Fallon Gig • Maroon 5’s Levine on Jason Segel as a Rocker • Weekend Rock List: Phone Songs • New Anthology for Critic Robert Palmer • Site Selling Beatles MP3s Shut Down After • Miley Cyrus’ Tour Bus Driver Killed in Accident • Lady Gaga Meets David Bowie in Mashup • News Ticker: Chris Brown, Roger Daltrey • Bruce News: Darkness Box Set, Dream DVD • Eminem Says Relapse:… -
Rewind: The Week in Rock Daily
20 Nov 2009 | 3:38 pmRolling Stone confirmed that the Who will be the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Famers to perform during the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIV in Miami just hours after the band’s “My Generation” was played on Monday Night Football. Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer talked to RS about the band’s search for a new singer to replace Steven Tyler, while Brad Whitford told us Tyler “doesn’t act like a sober person.” Meanwhile, our Readers’ selected who they think should temporarily replace Tyler. Bruce Springsteen flunked a geography exam in Detroit,… -
Weekend Rock List: Phone Songs
20 Nov 2009 | 2:25 pmLady Gaga and Beyoncé teamed up recently to record not one but two songs dedicated to phones, “Video Phone (Remix)” and The Fame Monster’s “Telephone,” which was then followed by actor Jason Segel turning his phone number into a chorus at the Swell Season show. In honor of Alexander Graham Bell’s suddenly tuneful invention, we’re dedicating this weekend’s Rock List to all things telephone. Tell us your favorite songs that are in any way phone-related, and on Monday we’ll reveal the Readers’ List of Phone Songs. Before we put you… -
“Michael”: Rolling Stone’s Ultimate Jackson Book Is in Stores Now
20 Nov 2009 | 1:50 pmWhen Michael Jackson died suddenly on June 25th, the stunned and saddened Rolling Stone team snapped to action and devoted a commemorative issue to the King of Pop. Now the magazine’s editors are proud to present an even bigger version of that special edition of RS: Michael, a book devoted to Jackson’s life and career that features more than 100 rare photographs from his Jackson 5 days through his troubled later years. RS contributor Jon Dolan writes about Bad, Jackson’s last truly great album, and Alan Light examines the making of Thriller, the biggest album of all time. -
Flashback: White Stripes Before Jack White’s Calendar Filled Up
20 Nov 2009 | 12:49 pmHas any artist this decade been busier than Jack White? The past 10 years alone have seen White emerge from relative obscurity to front three marquee bands — the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather (with whom White is already plotting a new album) — plus produce country legends like Loretta Lynn and Wanda Jackson. On the big screen, White has rocked out alongside Jimmy Page and the Edge in It Might Get Loud and the Rolling Stones in Shine A Light, plus showed off his acting chops in Cold Mountain and Walk Hard. This week’s Flashback looks back at White at the…
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Unreality Music
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American Music Awards 2009
20 Nov 2009 | 6:52 amTwo weeks after the European MTV awards it’s time for the 37th American Music Awards 2009. After a quick glimpse at the list of nominees, it seems clear the night could turn into (another) Michael Jackson tribute (nominated for best pop-rock AND soul-R&B album, best pop-rock male artist and best soul-R&B male artist). The night will also be a new GaGa – Beyoncé dispute for best female artist (will little miss spoilt GaGa turn up this time?). The rest of nominees are the usual: Black Eyed Peas, the American beloved Taylor Swift and the hip-hop / rap category 2009 trio Jay-Z, T.I. -
Rihanna's 'Rated R' Review
20 Nov 2009 | 5:51 amRihanna is back on the hot spot, but this time it’s for her music, and that’s very good news. Her fourth studio album is decidedly her most complete, mature and personal work, taking into consideration she is the co-writer of nine of the thirteen tracks. A renovated Rihanna is back to stay. Now it’s her time to shine. The semi-instrumental one-and-a-half-minute intro ‘Madhouse’ prints the new Rihanna intentions from the very start. The whole thing is grotesquely terrifying! Especially the freaky spooky organ notes that follow Rihanna’s voice inviting us to “come on, come on,… -
The Saturdays - Ego - Single & Video Review
19 Nov 2009 | 7:23 amThis time last year, I didn't hold out much hope for The Saturdays breaking into the pop charts in any big way. However, aided by some cracking pop tunes and capitalising on the misfortunes of Sugababes and the slumbering Girls Aloud, they've miraculously returned for a second album, Wordshaker. Personally, I'm glad they are, although they've ditched the bright colours that were their trademark throughout the promo for the first album. I loved Wordshaker's first single, Forever Is Over, for all its divaesque posturing and melodrama, though sadly I didn't review it. Radio 1 Top Ten Weekly read… -
Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind - Single review
19 Nov 2009 | 6:49 amIf there's one thing that Ghostbusters taught us it's that New Yorkers love their city. Am I right? And Sinatra's New York, New York might have a little competition as the city's anthem if this collab between Jay-Z and Alicia Keys has its way. I first heard this track on the MTV EMAs, and it didn't initially make much of an impression. However, after some repeat listens the irresistable chorus was lasered into my brain. You find yourself running around sporadically yelling "Noo Yawk! The concrete jungle where dreams are maaaade up! There's nothing you caaan't do." As a collaboration, it… -
Leona Lewis - Happy - Single Review
19 Nov 2009 | 6:26 amLeading off her second album with a Ryan Tedder-penned track, Happy, the lovely Leona Lewis is clearly sticking to the formula with this one. Now, we're obviously fans of Leona here on Unreality Shout - I've read brilliant reviews penned by RandomEnigma and Jay-D lately. Unfortunately, Happy gives me mixed feelings. With Leona, the voice is a given. It will always be flawlessly crystaline and beautiful, even on the high notes. But the song is a wrist-slashingly plodding tedderballad. Radio 1 Top Ten Weekly read more
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Idolator
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The American Music Awards: Keeping the Michael Jackson Tributes Going
20 Nov 2009 | 5:02 pmHey folks, just a quick note to let you know we’ll be liveblogging the American Music Awards this Sunday night (ABC, 8/7central — we’ll be here for the Pacific time zone broadcast) so please come by as we bow down to/bitch about who won what, who blew whom off the stage and who ripped off Lady Gaga’s look most blatantly. A few things we should all reasonably expect to see: Janet Jackson opening yet another awards show with an eight-minute medley of her hits, followed by her getting winded after repeat visits to the stage to accept trophies for her late brother. (He picked… -
Adam Lambert is an Equal Opportunity Sadomasochist in his ‘For Your Entertainment’ Vid Preview
20 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pmWhile Adam Lambert’s dragging a lady (gosh, what will Out think?) across the floor in preparation for his AMA performance this Sunday, buzz is building for his first music video, the clip to accompany lead single “For Your Entertainment.” A little sneak peek at the video showed up today, and guess what? He’s writhing around in an erotic club with men and women. So there. Yes, yes, we know it’s Access Hollywood. They had the exclusive, what could we do? Let’s just focus on the information at hand: it appears the treatment “For Your Entertainment”… -
Yes, That’s Brooke Hogan In Toni Braxton’s New Video
20 Nov 2009 | 2:26 pmToni Braxton’s video for new single “Yesterday” premiered on The Wendy Williams Show today. In the sultry clip, Braxton catches her man getting frisky with a busty blonde who—Whaaaaa?!?—turns out to be Brooke Hogan. And how does Toni react to this act of complete betrayal? By writhing around on a piano, of course! All in all, not a bad slow jam! In fact, “Yesterday”—which also features vocals from Trey Songz—is highly reminiscent of Braxton’s golden phase of hit ballads (”Another Sad Love Song,” “Breathe Again”), circa 1993. -
Whatcha Say About Jason Derulo’s New Song ‘In My Head’?
20 Nov 2009 | 12:47 pmHow does Jason Derulo follow up his J.R. Rotem-produced debut single “Whatcha Say,” the monster that bumped Owl City’s “Fireflies” off the top of the Billboard Hot 100? By hooking up with Rotem again for the (slightly) more up-tempo, (slightly) rock-infused “In My Head.” Derulo’s new single appeared on the 20-year-old singer’s MySpace. How does he fare without the use of a ubiquitous Imogen Heap sample? “In My Head,” of course, isn’t to be confused with Iyaz’ current hit “Replay,” which contains the… -
Kris Allen on ‘Kris Allen’
20 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pmKris Allen certainly has his work cut out for him. His album is expected to post the lowest first-week sales from an American Idol winner in the show’s eight seasons—not that opening weeks mean everything. (Ruben Studdard’s best-ever first week didn’t exactly herald longevity.) And although Kris beat Adam Lambert for the AI title back in May, Adam seemed pre-destined to become the bigger media darling/pull-quote generator. But in reality, Allen’s no less passionate about music (and he did win), so we chatted up the soft rock singer/songwriter at Us Weekly’s Hot in…
