new york city MUSIC

Radiohead Debuts New Album

2011-02-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

Radiohead released their new album "The King of Limbs" today on the bands website, a day earlier then planned. A wonderful gift, but not a surprise to Radiohead fans who are fully aware that the band is about the music and about getting it out there to the masses.

The full album, including an MP3 download, 2 vinyl records, a CD and tons of artwork, is available for $48 but fans are also able to purchase just a downloadable version for a cool $9. Now we all can wait with bated breathe until the new tour is announced...can't be long now!

Check out this video of the first single "Lotus Flower" for a little taste of the new album:

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact NYC based PR firm AMP3 Public Relations at 646-827-9594 or email: info@amp3pr.com.

Dion Roy U.S. National Tour

2010-10-22T10:29:00.001-07:00

AMP3 Public Relations client and NYC based singer songwriter Dion Roy is currently on a National U.S. tour. Dion is criss-crossing the United States, along with fellow singer-songwriters Tyler Hilton and Josiah Leming, in support of his latest EP "The Nearest Light" which debuted in June 2010. To find out more about Dion Roy you can visit his website at www.DionRoy.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Tour Dates

10/06 - Upland, CA - The Wire
10/07 - Orangevale, CA - The Boardwalk
10/08 - Modesto, CA - Modesto Virtual
10/09 - Grants Pass, OR - Pulse
10/10 - Portland, OR - The Alberta Rose
10/12 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Sodo
10/14 - Provo, UT - Velour
10/15 - Salt Lake City, UT - Mo's
10/16 - Denver, CO - The Walnut Room
10/18 - Cedar Falls, IA - The Hub
10/19 - Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop @ ISU
10/20 - Des Moines, IA - The Vaudeville Mews
10/21 - Winona, MN - Somsen Auditorium @ WSU
10/22 - Madison, WI - The Loft
10/23 - Marshfield, WI - Columbus High School
10/25 - Evanston, IL - Space
10/26 - Columbus, OH - The Basement
10/27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel
10/28 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
10/29 - Boston, MA - Cafe 939
10/30 - Fairfield, CT - StageOne

10/31 - New York, NY - Dominion
11/01 - Cortland, NY - SUNY Cortland
11/02 - Vienna, VA - Jammin Java

11/03 - Charlotte, NC - Visulite
11/04 - Atlanta. GA - Vinyl
11/05 - Nashville. TN - 3rd & Lindsley
11/06 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay
11/07 - Fayetteville, AR - NWA Showcase
11/08 - Dallas, TX - The Loft
11/10 - Scottsdale, AZ - Martini Ranch
11/11 - Redondo Beach, CA - Brixton
11/12 - San Diego, CA - Lestat's
11/13 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Coach House
11/17 - West Hollywood, CA - Roxy Theatre

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at 646-827-9594 or info @amp3pr.com.

NYC Based Singer Songwriter Dion Roy Plays Singapore

2010-09-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

NYC based singer songwriter Dion Roy is currently playing a week long showcase at the soon to be legendary TAB Music Complex in Singapore. This is Dion's first tour in Singapore, and based on his recent Facebook posts he seems to be having a blast. Dion's Singapore tour is in support of his latest EP "The Nearest Light" which debuted in June 2010 and reached #8 on the iTunes singer-songwriter album charts.

Only back from his summer tour for a short while before heading off to Singapore, word is that there may be another west coast tour coming soon (unconfirmed at this time). That should certainly have west coast fans going crazy, as it's been quite some time since Dion made his way out west.

The West Coast certainly is calling though. The new EP has been really well received and tracks have already been licensed for use in Hollywood on MTV's "The Real World" and "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" on E! Additionally Dion's song "The Wave" from the new EP was featured twice the other week on an episode of the show "Bad Girls Club Miami" on Oxygen, check out the promo clip here (listen from second 40 to the end).

While in Singapore Dion did a video interview with Power of Pop, a Singapore music blog, check it out:

If you are interested in finding out more about Dion Roy, head to his website at www.DionRoy.com.

If you are interested in Music PR representation, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at info@amp3pr.com or 646-827-9594.

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins Teams With Blazetrak For Global Talent Search

2010-07-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

Super-producer, Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, and AMP3 PR client, Blazetrak, are teaming up to launch a global talent search. Auditions will be accepted throughout the month of August with all aspiring producer/songwriters invited to submit their best track to “Darkchild” through the Blazetrak platform at www.blazetrak.com. The talent search will ultimately result in a signed publishing deal with Darkchild/RJ Productions LLC.

On October 1st, 2010, one lucky winner will be announced LIVE on Ustream and will be offered the production/publishing deal. Darkchild has produced hits for Lady GaGa, Mary J Blige and Michael Jackson among many others.

A little big about Blazetrak...Blazetrak provides direct access to a roster of celebrity professionals and industry experts in the areas of: music, fashion, tv/film, sports, business & lifestyle. Users are able to browse these professionals and the various opportunities they are offering, and can submit to their pro of choice (for a fee) and in return, they receive GUARANTEED VIDEO FEEDBACK directly from their chosen pro.

Check out the full article here.

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at 646-827-9594 or info @amp3pr.com.

Dion Roy Single "Want's It" Appears on Tosh.0

2010-07-15T14:26:00.000-07:00

If you happened to catch last Wednesday's episode of Tosh.0 on Comedy Central then you definitely heard the Dion Roy single "Want's It" from his debut album "Gallery".

Dion also has a new EP out, "The Nearest Light", which debuted on June 23rd. The new EP reached the #8 spot on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter music charts.

Tosh.0 is currently Comedy Centrals highest rated show (higher then Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert), and Wednesday night's episode was the networks best performance since The Chappelle Show in 2004.

To find out more about Tosh.0 check out this article in The Hollywood Reporter.

To find out more about Dion Roy visit www.dionroy.com

Check out the hilarious video here.

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at 646-827-9594 or info@amp3pr.com.

Dion Roy Summer Tour

2010-06-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Dion Roy is is hitting the road on a summer tour with Josiah Leming of American Idol fame and Todd Carey. Hear him live as he plays songs from his debut album "Gallery" and his latest EP "The Nearest Light" (co-produced by Scott Reibling who is known for his work with Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship, etc). Tour dates are below with more info to follow.

Summer Tour 2010

7/31- Cleveland Oh- Wilbert's

8/1- Pontiac MI- Pike Room

8/2- Indianapolis IN- Birdy's

8/3- Pittsburgh PA- Club Cafe

8/5- New York NY- Rockwood

8/11- Vienna VA- Jammin Java

8/14- Charlotte NC- Evening Muse

8/15- Columbia SC- White Mule

8/16- Birmingham AL- WorkPlay Theatre

8/17- Nashville TN- 3rd and Lindsley

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at 646-827-9594 or info@amp3pr.com.

NEW EP From Dion Roy Debuts at #13 on iTunes

2010-06-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

The new EP from NYC singer/songwriter Dion Roy, "The Nearest Light", officially debuted yesterday, June 23rd. The icing on the case though was that the EP debuted at #13 on the iTunes singer/songwriter album charts and is still charting a day later.

In celebration of the new EP, a release party was held last night at The Living Room on the lower east side of Manhattan. Dion, along with a full band, took the stage a little after 7pm to play a set for the packed house. Dion's band included, Peter Roessler on guitar, Ed Marshall on bass, and special guest Boots Factor, of Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers, on drums.

Dion engaged the crowd with short anecdotes and the sound was great, the crowd seemed to be having a blast and offered a full applause with hoots and hollers after each song. Dion appeared to be in his element up on stage and word is that he'll be heading out on a full tour this summer.

"The Nearest Light", a follow up to Dion's debut album "Gallery", was produced by Dion Roy and Peter Roessler and mixed by Scott Reibling of Weezer, Cobra Starship and Fallout Boy fame.

To find out more information about Dion Roy, please visit www.dionroy.com.

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at 646-827-9594 or info@amp3pr.com.

Celebrate Brooklyn! 2010

2010-05-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

The Celebrate Brooklyn! 2010 Summer Season kicks of on Wednesday, June 9th, with the Opening Night Gala at the Prospect Park Bandshell. The gala includes a free public concert featuring Norah Jones at 8pm.

Full Celebrate Brooklyn! 2010 Line Up
http://www.bricartsmedia.org/performing-arts/celebrate-brooklyn

06/09/10 Opening Night Gala w/ Norah Jones
06/12/10 Allen Toussaint & Davell Crawford
06/17/10 Eugene Mirman & Pretty Good Friends
06/18/10 JG Thirwell's Steroid Maximus & Dr. Lonnie Smith
06/19/10 Bitches Brew Revisited with Graham Haynes, James Blood Ulmer, DJ Logic and more!
06/24/10 Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club featuring Omara Portunondo/ Nelida Tirado
06/25/10 Kid Koala: Short Attention Span Theater vs. The Slew/ Hess is More
06/26/10 Texas Tornados & Red Clay Ramblers
06/29/10 Passion Pit w/ Tokyo Police Club and Suckers (Benefit-SOLD OUT)
07/01/10 Zoom: Zvidance & Son Lux with Lottdance
07/02/10 Fab 5 & Uzalo
07/08/10 Itutu: Armitage Gone! Dance featuring Burkina Electric
07/09/10 Ozomatli & Fidel Nadal/ Toy Selectah
07/11/10 OkayAfrica with The Roots, Talib Kweli and more!
07/17/10 African Festival with Konono No.1, Omar Pene, Super Diamono and more!
07/20/10 Rufus Wainwright (Benefit-Tickets Still Available)
07/22/10 The Chaplin Mutuals: Carl Davis/ The Two Man Gentleman Band
07/23/10 Bomba Estereo & La Secta Allstar/ Rita Indiana
07/24/10 Field of Dreams (Un Mundo Nuevo): Andres Levin & The Bruce High Quality Foundation
07/27/10 The National w/ Beach House (Benefit-SOLD OUT)
07/30/10 The Swell Season & The Low Anthem
07/31/10 Sonic Youth, Talk Normal & Grass Widow
08/03/10 The Dead Weather (Benefit-Tickets Still Available)
08/05/10 Metric, Joan as Police Woman & Holly Miranda
08/06/10 House of Usher: Marco Benevento & White Magic
08/07/10 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Budos Band and more!
08/08/10 Brady Rymer & Elizabeth Mitchell

Celebrate Brooklyn! is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals. The festival was launched in 1979 as a dual effort to both rejuvenate the Brooklyn performing arts scene and to bring people back into Prospect Park after years of neglect. Over its history, Celebrate Brooklyn! has presented over 1,700 artists and ensembles reflective of the borough's diversity, ranging from internationally acclaimed performers to emerging, cutting-edge artists. All Celebrate Brooklyn! performances (excluding benefit concerts) are free and the festival attracts upwards of 250,000 attendees from across New York City to the Prospect Park Bandshell each summer.

Location
Prospect Park West & 9th Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

If you are interested in Music PR, please contact AMP3 PR at 646-827-9594 or email info@amp3pr.com.

-Ashley for AMP3 Public Relations

6th Street to perform LIVE in NYC

2010-04-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

AMP3 music pr client and Los Angeles based duo 6th Street will be performing two live shows in New York this week.

The first of the two shows is tomorrow night, Tuesday April 27th, at Kenny's Castaways. The show begins at 8pm, there will be no cover for the show. Kenny's Castaways is rock and roll institution in New York City, it is located at 157 Bleecker Street.

6th Street will be performing again on Saturday May 1st at Arlene's Grocery. Arlene's is located at 95 Stanton Street on New York's LES. The show begins at 8pm, there will be a $10 cover at the door.

Check out 6th Street at their show's this week or give them a listen at www.myspace.com/6thstreetmusic.

If you are looking for music pr representation or are interested in finding out more about 6th Street, please contact 646-827-9594 or email info@amp3pr.com

-Ashley for AMP3 Public Relations

AMP3 PR Signs 6th Street

2010-04-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

AMP3 Public Relations recently signed 6th Street to their growing music pr roster. 6th Street, a Los Angeles based group, is made up of band members Grant Cook and Mike Miller. 6th Street recently appeared at the SXSW Music Festival where they played two shows at Bob Woody’s Shakespeare’s on Sixth Street. Being back in Austin must have been like a homecoming for the University of Texas graduates. The local crowd enjoyed a set list that included new EP material like "Try and Stop Love", a song with a young electronica pop vibe, and the soulful "Angels Falling."

If you're a true Manhattanite, always waiting to find out about the next big thing, you have two chances to check this band out at their upcoming NYC shows. They'll be performing at Kenny's Castaways on April 27th at 8pm and at Arlene's Grocery on May 1st at 8pm.

To find out more about 6th Street, visit their myspace page at: www.myspace.com/6thstreetmusic

If you are interested in music pr and representation, please contact AMP3 Public Relations at info(at)amp3pr.com.

-Ashley for AMP3 Public Relations

Ryan Cabrera and Audrina Patridge- STILL DATING

2010-04-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

After a myriad of unsubstantiated reports hit the press over the past couple weeks announcing that Audrina Patridge, of "The Hills" fame, and musician Ryan Cabrera had broken up, Audrina has finally confirmed that she and the musician are in fact still a couple. Audrina was a guest on late night talk show Lopez Tonight this past Tuesday and while addressing the stories she told host George Lopez, "We started reading all of these rumors and seeing it on TV that we broke up and we're sitting there and we just start laughing about it, like, "Wow, did we really break up?" That's not true."

She then simply stated, "We're still together."

Good news for fans who were hoping to catch a glimpse of the starlet on April 27th when her boyfriend performs aboard a boat cruise along New York's East River with our very own Dion Roy. Keep your eyes peeled she may end up out in the crowd after all. To find out more about the boat cruise click here.

-Ashley for AMP3 Public Relations

Dion Roy and Ryan Cabrera Set Sail

2010-04-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

AMP3 PR's very own Dion Roy will be rocking the boat with Ryan Cabrera on April 23rd 2010 aboard a NYC Harbor Concert Cruise along the East River. This won't be the first time that the two have performed together, just this past January they put on a stellar performance at the Highline Ballroom. Now, together again, they'll be kicking off the spring/summer season right. Doors will open for the show at 7pm with the boat departing the Skyport Marina promptly at 8pm and returning around 11pm.

Just back from the SXSW Festival in Austin, TX and currently playing a show with Eve 6 at the University of Michigan, Dion will be performing tracks from his new EP "The Nearest Light" at the show, including his latest single "The Wave". The new EP, a follow up to his debut album "Gallery", is set to be released in June 2010. NYC Harbor Concert Cruises are know for their great music and good times, and this night will not disappoint.

If you are in the market for music pr and publicity, please contact us at info(at)amp3pr.com.

-Ashley for AMP3 Public Relations

Adam Lambert vs. ABC or ABC vs. The World?

2009-11-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

There’s been a lot of hoopla over the “racy” performance from American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert at the American Music Awards on Sunday night. For those who don’t know (or don’t care), Lambert kissed another man on stage, as well as pushed a man’s head into his crotch – which eventually led to his appearance on Thursday’s “Good Morning America” to be cancelled. However, CBS’s “The Early Show” was quick to pick him up for their show tomorrow instead.

A few questions lies here: did ABC just start up a PR firestorm by canceling Adam Lambert? Did GMA execs just vocalize their double standards of society’s take on homosexuality? No one was flipping out about Britney and Madonna kissing at the VMAs a few years back, but the minute a guy does it, it’s blasphemous? And isn't it a bit hard for ABC to swallow the fact that a rival network was so quick to embrace Adam Lambert? According to a mediabistro article, only 1,500 people called the FCC out of the 15 million viewers to complain.

Some people are claiming that ABC is being unfair, even showing their homophobia, in terms of their treatment of Lambert because he is openly gay. Talk about the cancellation of Lambert’s performance on GMA became a hot topic on Twitter, with “ShameOnYouABC” as a trending topic. It seems that much more people were complaining about the inequality that ABC seems to be voicing rather than the actual complaints filed by the FCC.

With Lambert's music already dominating the charts and having a very large and tight-knit fan base, as well as the country being in the midst of a LGBT civil rights movement, it seems that ABC has dug themselves a bit of a deep grave and will need quite a decent amount of help to detangle this PR mess.

- Sabina for AMP3 Public Relations.

The Used to host "Tweet-for-Ticket" album listening party

2009-08-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

On Monday, August 31^st, punk-rock band and AMP3 PR’s client The Used will be hosting the first ever 24-hour tweet-for-ticket album listening party for its fans.

The premise? Fans will tweet a message regarding the release of the new album from the band, Artwork, which will allow them to have access to a virtual listening party, built by Culture Jam Labs and Warner Bros Records.

Inside the listening party, fans will be able to stream the entire album of Artwork, see other fans in the party, and possibly be one of the first fans to be able to buy the album from iTunes, Rhapsody or The Used’s official website.

Interested? Remember, just one tweet about the album release gets you in!

- Sabina for AMP3 Public Relations

News from The Used!

2009-08-19T12:17:00.001-07:00

Here's some news tid-bits about The Used as the release date for their new album, "Artwork," is right around the corner. Lots to look forward to!

1) The limited edition CD/DVD package of "Artwork" is almost sold out You can pre-order the package until tomorrow, August 20th, with a delivery date of August 25th - so not only do you get awesome memorabilia, but you get it 6 days before the actual album release!

2) Purevolume.com has exclusive live acoustic sessions from The Used, singing some oldies but goodies, as well as a song from their new album, "Empty With You."

3) Pre-order "Artwork on iTunes and get 4 bonus songs. Woo hoo!

4) Want to celebrate the release of "Artwork" with the band themselves? SmartPunk.com is hosting The Used's CD release party at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA on August 31st and you can get on the guest list for the party by pre-ordering the album at SmartPunk! The band will also have signings and intimate performances across the country - keep your eyes peeled for dates on theused.net/tour.

5) And finally, the US tour dates for The Used were announced and tickets are available for pre-sale on August 20^th. Are you seeing the trends with the perks when you buy early? J Buy your tickets during the pre-sale and get some cool digital freebies!

For more detailed info, check out their newsletter here!

MTV Times Square studio to close its doors?

2009-08-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who used to come home everyday after school and turn on the TV to watch “Total Request Live” like I did, today is a sad day. The New York Post reported that MTV and its parent company, Viacom, did not renew the lease on its iconic studio at 1515 Broadway in the heart of Times Square. This means that the glass-walled flagship studio, which was famously known as the stomping grounds of teenyboppers and screaming fans hoping to catch a glimpse celebrities and oh yeah, that guy who hosted the show, Carson Daly, may no longer be in existence come the end of the year. Cue high-pitched wail by tweens everywhere.

However, there is still time for MTV and Viacom to make a bid on the space. Should they not renew the lease in the next few weeks, the management company, SL Green, says they will be putting the space on the market and MTV will need to move out by the end of the year.

Perhaps the studio doesn’t serve much as much of a purpose as it used to after TRL went off the air last November. With the price of the studio costing almost 12 times more than what it was in 1997 when MTV acquired it (the space used to cost a mere $40 per square foot, but now is as high as $450 per square foot), it seems pointless for MTV to keep holding on to a studio that they don’t use daily.

Still, with memories of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera battling it out for the top spot and the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC shutting down blocks across Midtown when they visited the studio, I can’t help but feel that a piece of my teenage years just died.

- Sabina for AMP3 Public Relations

2009 MTV Video Music Awards Nominees

2009-08-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

This year seems to be the year of female empowerment – at least in the eyes of MTV. The MTV Video Music Award nominees were announced this week – with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé leading the pack with the most VMA nominations: 9. Close behind is Britney Spears with her musical comeback at 7 nods.

All three ladies will compete in the Video of the Year category – Lady Gaga for the addictive “Poker Face,” Beyoncé for the also addictive “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and Britney Spears for the slightly hypnotizing “Womanizer.”

Beyoncé said on behalf of her nomination: “I've been blessed this year to have 'Single Ladies' become a video people really connected with and responded to. I've spent so much time watching all the great versions people created all around the world. It's beautiful to feel you touch people and bring a song to life with a video.” Lady Gaga, on the other hand, had a bit more of a bizarre statement by thanking MTV “for being our video flagship, and for supporting this bunch of inspired kids, who love to get wasted and make art, together."

The contenders for Video of the Year in addition to those single ladies are Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” and Eminem’s “We Made You.”

Other nominees included Coldplay (“Viva La Vida”) and Kings of Leon (“Use Somebody”) in the Best Rock Video category, Jay-Z (“Death of Auto-Tune”) and Asher Roth (“I Love College”), and Katy Perry (“Hot n’ Cold’) and Kelly Clarkson (“My Life Would Suck Without You”).

The VMAs are on September 13^th at Radio City Music Hall, hosted by British funnyman Russell Brand.

You can check out the complete list of categories and nominees here.

New Video for "Blood On My Hands" is out! New Used Album

2009-07-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Used have just release a new video for their first single off their new album "Artwork" The song is titled "Blood on my hands" and is "really gross" according to their lead singer. The Orem UT band has expressed a lot of anticipation for this new album, and this new video just proves that fact. Check out this in detail review on the new Blood On My Hands Video

The Making of The Used's new video "Blood on My Hands"

2009-07-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

With the upcoming release of their 4th studio album right around the corner, The Used are gearing up for the album drop with their first single, "Blood on My Hands."

“Blood on My Hands” is now circulating and the music video premiere’s next week on their MySpace on and TheUsed.net on July 28th.

Their new album, "Artwork" hits the streets on September 1st, 2009.

Here's the making of their video for their new single:
Blood On My Hands Trailer

Apple Releases Logic 9 as part of Logic Studio July 23rd 2009

2009-07-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

Apple announced today that they would begin shipping the latest version of Logic Studio, which includes Logic 9. Its been about 4 years since the last update, so this comes as a very anticipated release. Apple did not promote the heck out of it ahead of time, so it will be interesting to hear what the engineers, producers, and logic 8 users have to say about it. Hopefully it wont be quite as buggy as previous version. Apple made the announcement here - http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/whats-new/

The music world is sure to be shaken by this, and at the very least I know of a few design firms, and new york pr firms, that will be using the new version for all of their upcoming projects! Provided its not buggy as hell! Though on second thought we could probably get by with my macbook pro and garageband for most audio recording!

Rev. Al Sharpton Campaigns for a USPS Michael Jackson Stamp

2009-07-06T09:00:00.001-07:00

Reverend Al Sharpton is campaigning with NAACP board member Willis Edwards for a commemorative Michael Jackson U.S. Postal Service Stamp.

The USPS traditionally waits 5 years before issuing a commemorative stamp but Sharpton and Edwards are working hard to get the stamp committee to make an exception. The 1993 Elvis Presley commemorative stamp is the best selling U.S. stamp with 124.1 million sold. Jackson's stamp could very well beat this record.

In a news conference outside of the First AME Church Edwards stated, "It's going to work out with the reverend in a meeting soon. It's going to start soon, I think we have to find out all of the procedures" in regards to the commemorative stamp campaign.

Rev Sharpton said he befriended MJ over the years as Jackson would visit his mentor the late James Brown.

"Down the years, Michael would always come to visit Mr. Brown and we got to know each other better because James Brown was one of his idols," Sharpton said. "When he (Michael) got into trouble we came and stood with him."

The late pop music icon Michael Jackson continues to grab headlines all over the world as his life is celebrated by millions of fans.

BMI Sues LES Music Venue Pianos

2009-07-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

A music industry law that has been overlooked by many in the NYC scene is that a venue cannot play a copy written song without having the secured licenses from the performance rights group (ie: ASCAP, BMI,) who represent the songwriter.

BMI is now focusing their attention of Lower East Side music venue Pianos, who have according to BMI "caused great and incalculable damage" after illegally playing hit songs like Europe's "Final Countdown" The Rolling Stone's "Paint It Black", and Weezer's "Say It Ain't So".

Check out the lawsuit documents below courtesy of Cityfile

070109_pianos

Michael Jackson Dies at Age 50

2009-07-01T07:47:00.000-07:00

On June 25th 2009 we said goodbye to the King of Pop who died in the hospital after suffering from a cardiac arrest at his home in Holmby Hills. When the paramedics arrived, they found MJ without a pulse, not breathing. As they rushed to UCLA hospital paramedics tried to revive Michael but were unable to. Upon arrival at the hospital, medics attempted to resuscitate him but he was unresponsive. Michael Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:25PM PT Thursday.

The following day, Jackson's music dominated iTunes, Amazon, music television stations, and the radio. On iTunes, 8 of the 10 top selling albums for download were Michael Jackson's, while on Amazon 10 of the 25 top selling albums were MJ's as well.

The internet rush of people following the Michael Jackson news temporarily shut down major entertainment news sites like TMZ and Perez Hilton. Twitter, Google, and AOL Instant messenger were all dominated by MJ conversation.

According to AT&T Wireless spokeswoman Jeannie Hornung, "News of Michael Jackson's death yesterday caused the largest spike in SMS traffic in our network history. Nearly 65,000 texts per second were sent as fans reached out to each other to share the sad news."

After Friday's autopsy results, a second autopsy has been requested by Michael's family, and toxicology results are expected to take four to six weeks.

Michael Jackson is survived by Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.

Virgil Mobile Festival 2009 is FREE

2009-06-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

The Virgin Mobile Festival of 2009 is indeed happening but this time...it's free! Virgin Mobile USA announced yesterday that they will host their year's festival at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland on August 30th for FREE. Previous Virgin Mobile Festival ticket buyers will be given first dibs on the 35,000 free tickets and then the rest will be released to the public to snatch up.

FreeFest is a generous move made by Virgin Mobile USA to give back during the touch economy and promote donations to homeless youth agencies from coast to coast as part as the RE*Generation charity by the company.

Dan Schulman, CEO of Virgil Mobile USA stated,

" Instead of focusing on layoffs or the state of the economy, we want to focus on concrete ways to provide assistance to those in need. People need outlets to both lend a helping hand and to escape and relax, for free, even if just for one day. We want to throw some good news in the mix"

This year's acts include Taking Back Sunday, Blink-182, Weezer, Franz Ferdinand, The Hold Steady, St. Vincent, Jet, The National, The Bravery, Public Enemy, Girl Talk, Pete Tong, Danny Howells and many more!

Checkout the official press release here for more info

When: Sunday August 30th 2009
Where: Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD
Admission: FREE

Jammie Thomas-Rasset Must Pay Nearly $2 Million to Major Record Labels

2009-06-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

A Minnesota court has ordered Jammie Thomas-Rasset to pay the music industry, including Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment [an excessive] $1.92 million after posting 24 copyrighted songs on Kazaa for other users to download. The award amounts to $80,000 for each song she uploaded to website

In 2007 Ms.Thomas-Rasset was originally ordered to pay $222,000 ($9,250 per song) in damages. A retrial was decided after Judge Michael J. Davis of the U.S. District Court withdrew the verdict after providing the jury with false information.

Following the $1.92 million verdict, Thomas-Rasset expressed her disappointment saying , "The only thing I can say is good luck trying to get it, because you can’t get blood out of a turnip.” She is a natural resources coordinator for the Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibw.

Kiwi Camara of Camara & Sibley (her lawyer) claims that Thomas-Rasset may try to negotiate a settlement or appeal the verdict. Other lawyers of Thomas-Rasset claim that the record labels had no solid proof that she had posted the songs on Kazaa, and that the verdict is not appropriate for the case.

Of the more than 35,000 legal actions that the Recording Industry Association of America has filed against people it claims illegally shared music, this is the only case that has gone to trial.

Universal Music and Virgin Media Create Unlimited Download Deal

2009-06-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

Universal Music Group and Virgin Media in partnership announced Monday that they would now offer unlimited downloads to enforce anti-piracy.

With this new business model, Universal will be offering its entire music catalog (free of copy protection) to Virgin Media customers as monthly subscriptions but did not yet announce the cost of this service. Virgin Media will then work to reduce piracy on its network in return.

In reaction (positive) to the new deal, Stephen Carter, British communications, broadcast, and technology minister said: " Government has a role in creating the right legal and regulatory framework for rights and copyright. However, the market will flourish through innovative commercial agreements between companies, and agreements such as this will help significantly in reducing any demand for piracy."

Mark Mulligan, an analyst at Forrester Research said, " This is a really high-stakes game, Universal and Virgin have come to the table with all they can offer."

Virgin noted that they will be talking with another three major music companies- EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group to try to include them in the new deal.

Weezer to Release a "Wuggie"

2009-06-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Weezer wearing Snuggies while on tour^

Nerdy alternative rock band Weezer will be releasing their own branded Snuggie blanket (the infomercial sensation: a blanket with sleeves) and will rename it a "Wuggie" as confirmed by their publicist.

The company (Allstar Marketing Group) behind the blanket will promote the "Wuggie" with the band.

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo said explained to Rolling Stone, “A Wuggie is basically exactly like a Snuggie, except it says Weezer on it. The people at Snuggie are doing it with us and promoting it with us. It’s a totally legit Snuggie."

Weezer has announced their tour dates with Blink-182 which includes a show on August 25th at Nikon Theater at Jones Beach so bring your wuggies to the beach and get ready to rock.

Adam Lambert Works it on the July Cover of Rolling Stone

2009-06-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

American Idol runner up Adam Lambert is (to no surprise) on the cover of Rolling Stone this month. His obsessed fans have been waiting impatiently for today to arrive, when they can buy a ridiculous amount of copies of Lambert's Rolling Stone issue. So ok, we know how his fans reacted to what they've seen online..(they loved it!)...but, how did Lambert react to his first RS cover shot?

Speaking with RS contributor Vanessa Grigoriadis Lambert said,

"Right after the finale, I almost started talking about it to the reporters, but I thought, 'I'm going to wait for Rolling Stone, that will be cooler,'"

Check out the video here of Adam seeing the cover for the first time. Rolling Stone sent him a Flip MinoHD so he could record the moment!

Below is a behind the scenes video of Adam Lambert's Rolling Stone cover shoot.

After recently signing deals with 19 Entertainment and RCA Recordings, Lambert is currently working on new music for his debut album release expected this Fall. In several interviews, he has explained that the album will be comprised of a variety of music genres.

Last.fm Founders Move On to Pursue New Ventures

2009-06-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

Last.fm founders have been highly successful since their start in 2002. Seven years later,the founding trio Felix Miller, Richard Jones, Martin Stiksel are handing over the company to their successors in order to pursue new ventures. However, they will be staying on as consultants to ensure the transition goes smoothly. Best of luck to these guys and thanks for all of the great music! Below is their goodbye post on the Last.fm blog:.

by Felix Miller
filed under Announcements
Comments: 78

After two years running Last.fm within CBS we feel the time is right to begin the process of handing over the reins. This is the latest stage in a long journey for us founders, which began in a living room in East London in 2002, and took us to the headquarters of one of the biggest media companies in the world.

It’s been a privilege working with the incredible team here in our London office, and we’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together. Last.fm’s users have more than doubled in the last 12 months (we are now at an all-time high of 37.3M monthly unique visitors), and we’re confident the site will continue to go from strength to strength. Being a part of CBS, and the recently formed CBSi music group, continues to open up many opportunities for Last.fm. Recent product releases such as the new visual radio, and the Last.fm on XBox announcement, are an indication of how much more Last.fm will achieve.

A huge “Thank You!” has to be said to all of you in front of your computers. With your contribution, enthusiasm and scrobbles you have helped to make Last.fm into what it is today: the best place for music online. Big up yourself for that, as we say here in East London.

That’s all folks, we are going to miss you!

Felix, RJ and Martin

Another Shocker in Entertainment TV...

2009-06-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Now unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you must have heard about the phenomenon that is Susan Boyle. With a quick international rise to fame, the 47 year-old shocked everyone when she belted out her first notes on Britain's Got Talent. She has gained quite an international following of supporters, all of whom hoped the "underdog" would prevail last week on the show's finale.

However, Boyle was beat out by Diversity dance troupe, who according to bbc.co.uk truly didn't think they would win. Boyle's transformation from an unemployed charity worker living alone with her cat to an international superstar in such a short period of time has definitely taken a toll and Sunday night checked into a clinic due to exhaustion.

The folks over at E! Online recently blogged on what they think the next steps for Susan Boyle should be and, as a PR junkie at a music pr firm, I have to agree with them. Though exhausted from the amount of pressure, media and fame bestowed upon her, Boyle better get back in the game quick to make sure she keeps her name in the headlines. Or else she may just wind up in a "Remember When of 2009" article.

Check out the video of her first performance on Britain's Got Talent that shocked everyone and first introduced her to the world.

Susan Boyle Stuns Crowd with Epic Singing - Watch more Funny Videos

Kris Allen with the Shocking American Idol Win

2009-05-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

So as of Wednesday night, Kris Allen now holds the title of "American Idol" after winning by a large margin according to a source at FOX.

Many expected Adam Lambert to win but in the end, it was Kris who came out on top. When asked why he thought he grabbed the win over Lambert, Allen explained,

"There's not a whole lot of people that approve of the whole guy-liner thing and the nail polish and all that. But for me, I love Adam and I think he's one of the greatest people that I've ever met so far. For me, I'm just a regular guy and I think a lot of people just related to me."

Kris owes his success to the support from his wife saying,

"She's been my biggest supporter and since we got together seven years ago, she's always tried to make me work harder at music. She believed in me a lot because there were times when I wanted to give up and she was like. 'No, dont stop, you're really great and you need to keep doing this and you're not gonna be happy unless you keep doing this', and I think she's happy that my dream has come true"

Fans definitely gravitated towards Kris Allen's charming personality, and Arkansas good boy background. While there has been a bit of backlash from Lambert fans saying Allen didn't deserve the win, we see Kris Allen's good "sportsmanship" as a respectable music artist on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night after telling the audience to "give it up for Adam, seriously":

Breakfast At Sulimay's: Music Reviews by the Elderly!

2009-05-21T12:39:00.003-07:00

On Breakfast At Sulimay's, (a web video series) senior citizens review the latest and greatest indie music. The commentary is very funny, and it's always nice to hear new music! Here are two of their latest review sessions:

Dan Deacon's "Snookered" and The Doves' " Kingdom of Dust"

Favorite quote: "I... I think I suffered from an overlong intro. I think this could be improved with judicious editing of the music."

Common's "Universal Mind Control" and Bon Iver's "Blood Bank"

Favorite quote: In response to Bon Iver: Bill: "It's a sad song." /Ann:"But it's sad" /Bill: "I like it...because I'm a sad person"

The series is created by Woodshop Films. According to the official site,
"Woodshop Films is an independently owned multimedia company housed in a working woodshop in Philadelphia, PA. Founded by artist Marc Brodzik, the company serves as a think tank for the creation and production of cutting edge documentary films and multimedia work pieces."

L Magazine's First Annual Northside Festival

2009-05-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

The official schedule for L Magazine's first annual Northside Festival has finally been posted! To make things even more awesome, the infamous Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, BK will be closed down for street traffic 12PM-9PM Saturday June 13th!

For those of you who don't already know, Northside Festival is a four-day indie art and music festival kicking off on June 11th-14th in Williamsburg and Greenpoint Brooklyn.

According to L Magazine "...it is, as we've grown accustomed to saying, a four-day celebration of the independent music and art scene that thrives here in New York City, with live music being held at nearly every venue in the area (including some that haven't even opened yet), and art events at some of the most relevant galleries in the neighborhood."

Additionally, L Magazine has teamed up with the Williamsburg Gallery Association to open up the doors to some of the greatest exhibitions in the area.

With rooftop BBQs, late night shows, and a SXSW atmosphere with (hopefully) not as many ultra-sweaty pretentious hipsters... I'm really looking forward to this!

See the full line-up here

Event sponsors include Heineken, The Daily News, KangaROOS, Twitter, ASCAP, and The Williamsburg Gallery Association

The official site states " All-access badges for the Northside Festival are available now on Brown Paper Tickets. We’re selling a limited number at only $45, which works out to be, like, zero dollars per show or something, so act now. Badge holders must be 21 years of age. " Get your badges here

You can get into the shows without the full festival 4-day pass but at $45 it's definitely worth it with over 30+ venues and hundreds of bands

TAKING BACK SUNDAY RELEASES NEW SINGLE OFF FORTH-COMING ALBUM, “NEW AGAIN”

2009-05-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

TAKING BACK SUNDAY RELEASES NEW SINGLE OFF FORTH-COMING ALBUM, “NEW AGAIN”

This weekend, Warner Bros. Records artist, Taking Back Sunday, is dropping a brand new single on MySpace “Everything Must Go.”

The new album, aptly titled “New Again” due to the new band member, hits the streets on June 2nd, 2009. The newly rejuvenated group is excited to emerge with their new guitarist Matt Fazzi on board and a fresh new sound as a result. “We kicked around a bunch of different titles, but [New Again] always remained at the top of the list, and that’s because it really does feel like a new band,” says lead vocalist, Adam Lazzara. And when it comes to the newbie, Lazzara can’t wait for the fans to get to know Fazzi, “His drive to get out there and play for people is just where it was with our first record; it’s like that energy, it’s like we bottled it. He brings an excitement and a fearlessness to working on music that really makes us feel even more so that we can do anything and still call it us.”

The new single, “Everything Must Go,” is being dubbed as one of the record’s most unique tracks; a mid-tempo tune that starts with slow keys before peaking into big guitars, all of which provide the backdrop for some of Lazzara’s most mature lyrics to date. “Lyrically it’s real autobiographical, whereas normally I try to mask all that just so people can take whatever they want from it. But that one was one of the more straight-forward tunes on the record,” claims Lazzara. It’s a song that Lazzara, now 27 and married, says reflects his own life a lot.

The track hit this weekend click here to hear the new track! And stay tuned to this music blog for three new live songs coming soon as well! The new album is turning out to be amazing!

Exciting NYC Music News

2009-05-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some quick music industry updates:

Wilco is streaming their new album "Wilco" live here

A full review with photos by Brooklyn Vegan of Amanda Palmer's Neutral Milk Hotel-Inspired High School production can be found here

Blondie, Pat Benatar, and the Donnas have announced their 2009 tour dates. This is going to be an amazing tour, not to be missed! Check the ladies out in NYC FOR FREE on August 13th 2009 at Asser Levy Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn! I'll be there!

The John Lennon Exhibit by Yoko Ono titled "John Lennon: The New York Years" has officially opened at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex in New York City.
Yoko Ono has included some truly shocking pieces including the a paper bag containing the bloody clothes John Lennon wore on the tragic evening he was shot in 1980 by Mark David Chapman. Ono explains that these pieces were "hard to include" but she felt thatit was "important for people to see that, and for people to understand what violence is about." She went on to say the following at yesterday's press conference regarding the exhibit:
"All aspects of John's experiences in New York are represented in this important exhibit...John was a musician, artist, peace activist, father and husband. New York City provided him the foundation and freedom to be all of these things. I'm happy to share that part of our lives with you."

New York City is definitely the place to be this summer for the best music events!

Sawists Needed at 7th Annual NYC Musical Saw Festival to Break Guinness World Record

2009-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

The NYC Musical Saw Festival has been approved by the Guinness Book of Records, and will try to break a current word record for the "Largest Musical Saw Enemble" . The currently record comes from Poland and stands at 27 musical saw players playing together. Sawists are welcome to come and be a part of the record breaking attempt on July 18th, at the annual NYC Musical Saw Festival.

The Guinness World Record attempt will begin at 2PM at Trinity Church located at the corner of 37th Street and 31st Avenue in Astoria, Queens.

Admission is $10.00 and all are welcome to come check it out!

For more info head over to: www.MusicalSawFestival.org

Checkout the video below of last year's Musical Saw Festival in NYC

New York native Musician Regina Spektor releases new single

2009-05-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

We have been watching Regina Spektor for years develop into an undeniably influential musician. Regina's Begin to Hope and Soviet Kitsch has been on our Itunes and Blip.Fm playlist for years and it looks like its going to be on this Music PR firms Itunes and Pandora playlist for years to come.

NYC / Lower East Side Neighborhood native Regina Spektor released her new single "Laughing With" on her myspace page. The reviews on the new song are as varied as her musical style however they are almost always positive. Its nice to see an artist who played the entire Ludlow St music/band circuit doing so well and selling hundreds of thousands of her cd.

You can read more on this topic and other music news here at this Music Blog

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Sings Along With Schoolgirl

2009-05-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

Remember those music concerts in grammar school where you were given the solo performance and were horrified? I do...I'm still recovering.

Katya Kazakova, schoolgirl in Moscow suffered from some serious stage-fright while singing a famous patriotic Russian wartime song in front of Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The performance took place yesterday in Moscow at a girl's boarding school for the children of Russia's military.

Extremely nervous, Kazakova forgot the words to the wartime song but Putin was able to ease off his tough reputation and saved her from further embarassment. Putin immediately accompanied the schoolgirl in singing a duet of the World War II Russian Soviet victory song "The Dug Out".

The Prime Minister bursted out singing: " "The fire is pulsing in a cramped stove/ The resin on the firewood is like a tear/And in a dugout an accordion is singing/About your smile and your eyes,"

Then, feeling a bit self-concious himself, Putin commanded the other schoolchildren and war veterans to sing together loudly. The singalong is sure to stir up even greater admiration for The Prime Minister as Russia's people see more of his warmer, compassionate side.

Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer Creates Indie-rock inspired H.S. Play

2009-05-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls graduated from Lexington High School in 1994. Since then she has became a known artist in the punk-cabaret scene with her band the Dresden Dolls.www.dresdendolls.com/

Under Palmer's direction, her old high school will be performing an original play based on an indie rock staple(and a favorite of mine), Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 album " In the Aeroplane Over the Sea".

"It's thrifty, profound, high-quality theater that happens to have been created by high school students," says Palmer.

The play is called "With The Needle That Sings in Her Heart" featuring and inspired by indie rock band Neutral Milk Hotel's music. The play is about Anne Frank's reliance on her imagination to escape from the terrifying experiences in a concentration camp during World War II. According to Palmer,

"The scenes underneath it are about creativity and how, as human beings, our creative impulse is one of the most subline tools we have to defeat suffering."

The play will kickoff tomorrow May 7th through May 9th in Lexington, Massachusetts. As a long-time Neutral Milk Hotel AND Dresden Dolls fan, I can only expect that this play will be a huge success!

For more information and to buy tickets, click here

NIИ's Trent Reznor Rages at Apple After Latest iPhone App Gets Denied

2009-05-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This article contains profanity taken from a quotation that may be inappropriate for young readers.

Apple has recently learned a valuable lesson: be prepared for a smack down when you deny an iPhone application from a Metal band. Frontman,Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (NIИ) was VERY upset (to say the least) when Apple rejected NIИ's newest iPhone application, saying that the iPhone update contained "objectionable content" from "The Downward Spiral" and contained violations of the iPhone SDK Agreement.

Reznor immediately jumped on Twitter and publicized the news saying: "Apple rejects the NIN iPhone update because it contains objectionable content. The objectionable content reference is 'The Downward Spiral' " So OK, that wasn't so bad but then...

Trying to keep his fans informed, he then revealed Apple's email on the official band website , providing further details on the content that Apple deemed unsuitable:

The iPhone app is in violation of Section 3.3. 12 from the iPhone SKD Agreement which bans "obscene, pornographic, offensive or defamatory content or materials of any kind (text, graphics, images, photographs, etc.), or any other content or materials that in Apple's reasonable judgement may be found objectionable by iPhone or iPod touch users."

Enraged by Apple's email, Reznor responds uncensored saying:

“What do you want us to change to get past your stupid fucking standards? And while we're at it, I'll voice the same issue I had with Wal-Mart years ago, which is a matter of consistency and hypocrisy. Wal-Mart went on a rampage years ago insisting all music they carry be censored of all profanity and "clean" versions be made for them to carry. Bands (including Nirvana) tripped over themselves editing out words, changing album art, etc to meet Wal-Mart's standards of decency - because Wal-Mart sells a lot of records. NIN refused, and you'll notice a pretty empty NIN section at any Wal-Mart. My reasoning was this: I can understand if you want the moral posturing of not having any "indecent" material for sale - but you could literally turn around 180 degrees from where the NIN record would be and purchase the film ”Scarface" completely uncensored, or buy a copy of Grand Theft Auto where you can be rewarded for beating up prostitutes. How does that make sense?”

“You can buy The Downward Fucking Spiral on iTunes, but you can't allow an iPhone app that may have a song with a bad word somewhere in it. … Come on Apple, think your policies through and for fuck's sake get your app approval scenario together.”

While Reznor did not go about dealing with the situation professionally, other developers can empathize with his frustration. I'm sure NIИ music fans loved Reznor's response. Cheer up Trent, your Spring 2009 NIИ tour with Jane's Addiction and Street Sweeper Social Club starts next week!

Lady Gaga's Journey From Catholic School Girl To Provocative Pop Music Sensation

2009-05-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

The always shocking, 23 year old Lady Gaga has an interesting story about how she became a major pop artist. In regards to her career she says, " I am defying all preconceptions we have of pop artists"...that's an understatement!

The Grammy nominated pop music singer went from an innocent Catholic school girl known as Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta of Yonkers, NY to provocative, glam pop star.

At the young age of 13, she wrote a piano ballad and would later acquire early acceptance into NYU's Tisch school. Though she was already on top of her game, Germanotta felt like she needed to become who she felt she was meant to be, and so Lady Gaga, the Lower East Side NYC music scene socialite was born. In an interview LG explains:

"I went against all I was brought up to be; I moved out of home, wouldn't take any help from my parents [her internet entrepreneur dad and his business partner wife], and supported myself with waitressing jobs and stripping," she said. "I discovered a real personal freedom through it."

It was producer Rob Fusari who she was working with at the time that created her unforgettable stage name Lady Gaga. When Fusari realized LG's voice sounded like one of her idols, Freddie Mercury of Queen, he named her after Queen's hit song "Radio Ga Ga".

At 20 years old, she wrote songs for the Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, and New Kids On The Block! Clearly, Lady Gaga knew that Entertainment was her gift and was not going to let go of that. LG's burlesque act "Lady Gaga and the Starlight Revue" was popular in downtown nightclubs but wasn't cutting it for the mainstream. Record labels and musicals turned the other cheek as they saw LG's act as ridiculous. Looking back on her journey she recalls:

"A lot of record labels thought I was too theatrical. Then, when I auditioned for stage musicals, the producers said I was too pop"

It wasn't until rap star Akon recognized her vocal talent that he signed her to his own label, Kon Live Distribution. Lady Gaga has since been signed to Interscope Records where she has released several hit singles and remixes including "LoveGame [Robots to Mars Remix]" "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich" "The Cherrytree Sessions", and her first full album, "The Fame" (Released October 28th, 2008)

Lady Gaga has not only made her presence known in the music scene, but is now also pursuing fashion line. With David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, and Madonna influences, her next move with fashion is unpredictable. Remember Lady Gaga, you should aiming for dressed to kill styles, not UNDRESSED

Awkward Girls Can Be Winners Too!

2009-04-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

10 year old Hollie Steel graced the Britain's Got Talent stage in a darling little tutu as she awkwardly danced like a precious little ballerina. Seconds before Simon was about to send her back to daycare little Hollie opened her mouth and began singing " I Could Have Danced All Night" from the classic musical, 'My Fair Lady'. Everyone in the room was blown away by the performance including Simon who said:

" Hollie, Hollie, Hollie, I didn't like what you were wearing because you came over as typical little girl who wants to be a ballerina." I wasn't crazy about the song then I heard you sing.I think, Hollie, that you have a fantastic voice. I really do. The fact that you don’t know how good you are is what I really like about you. But this just might just be the tip of the iceberg because I think you're better than that"

Sounds like Susan Boyle has some competition! So who will win Britain's Got Talent? Will it be disheveled looking Susan Boyle or awkward dancer Hollie Steel? Maybe it will be one of those touching moments in television where the top two finalists are both winners and sing together on the season finale!

Checkout the video below!

Dave Grohl's New Daughter Is "Loud As Hell"

2009-04-23T11:25:00.000-07:00

Foo-Fighters front man Dave Grohl and wife Jordyn Blum welcomed their second daughter Harper Willow into the world on Tuesday April 21st 2009. Harper Willow is a healthy baby, weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and is 20 inches long. The coupled named their second daughter after Grohl's great uncle. The rockstar says the new baby takes after him and is "loud as hell". Hopefully she'll become a musical genius like her father!!

The attractive couple married on August 2nd 2003 and welcomed their first daughter, Violet on April 15th 2006. With all these little foos running around, maybe Grohl will start another side project!

Lollapalooza Lineup Announced!

2009-04-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lollapalooza (August 7-9th 2009) has finally announced this year's lineup. Some of the most surprising acts include:

Tool, (newly reunited! ) Jane's Addiction, Depeche Mode, Beastie Boys, and Snoop Dogg.

Some other acts I'm excited about:
Animal Collective, The Decemberists,Coheed and Cambria, Santigold, and The Raveonettes.

Click here for the full lineup!

For those of you who prefer electronic, and dance music, you can look forward to acts like MSTRKRFT, Hercules and Love Affair, Simian Mobile Disco and Boys Noize among others spinning at Perry's.

Lollapalooza is a yearly music festival in Chicago, Illinois. This year's three-day festival will take place at Grand Park.

I'm kind of bummed that neither Radiohead nor Rage Against the Machine will be performing this year. Nevertheless, Lollapalooza is going to be an awesome three days of some of the best music in the industry.

Who Shot Rock at the Brooklyn Museum

2009-04-20T13:16:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for the upcoming exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, Who Shot Rock.

From Brooklyn Museum's Spring 2009 Press Release:

"Who Shot Rock: Photographers of Rock and Roll
October 30, 2009–January 31, 2010
(Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, 5th floor)
Who Shot Rock: Photographers of Rock and Roll is the first major museum exhibition to put the photographers in the foreground, acknowledging their creative and collaborative role in the history of rock ’n’ roll. From its earliest days, rock ’n’ roll was captured in photographs that personalized, and frequently eroticized, the musicians, creating a visual identity for the genre. The photographers are handmaidens to the rock ’n’ roll revolution, and their images communicate the social and cultural transformations that took place from the 1950s to the present. The exhibition is in six sections: rare and revealing images taken behind the scenes; tender snapshots of young musicians at the beginnings of their careers; exhilarating photographs of live performances that display the energy, passion, style, and sex appeal of the bands on stage; powerful images of the crowds and fans that are evocative of historic paintings; portraits revealing the soul and creativity, rather than the surface and celebrity, of the musicians; and conceptual images and album covers highlighting the collaborative efforts between the image makers and the musicians.
Organization: Who Shot Rock: Photographers of Rock and Roll is organized by the Brooklyn Museum with guest curator Gail Buckland, a distinguished photographic historian."

Whether you're hoping to view some rare photographs of Led Zeppelin or looking for that shocking Amy Winehouse shot, this exhibition welcomes music fans from a variety of rock genres. My passion is music public relations, and I know this exhibition will inspire me to dive deeper into the music culture of New York City!

Record Store Day 2009

2009-04-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

Record Store Daywill take place at record stores country-wide on April 18th, 2009. Limited editions/special releases by various record labels, bands, and music artists will be available for purchase. To add to the exciting news, there will also be live music and listening parties so bring your wallets and put on your dancing shoes!

At various record stores in New York City, the limited edition music releases will be available for purchase at the stores exclusively (no online orders). Click here to view a list of participating stores in New York. The music releases that will be available can be seen here Record Store Day will offer limited edition releases from a variety of genres including rock, punk,folk, pop, and hip-hop from new artists and classics we all know and love. Looking for that Bob Dylan rare release or Radiohead EP? Head to Record Store Day on the 18th to get the missing piece of your ultimate music collection.

Coachella 2009

2009-04-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Coachella 2009 music festival starts today in Indio California. For all you New Yorkers who couldn't make it over to the West Coast this year, dont fret! Several performances at the music festival can be streamed live online courtesy of AT&T here

The full Coachella lineup and set times can be viewed here. Coachella is an all-ages, three-day music festival featuring artists and bands from a variety of genres ranging from indie rock to dub and folk to hip-hop. Some of this year's biggest acts include Paul McCartney, M.I.A., The Cure, The Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and Vivian Girls. Stay tuned for the Coachella 2009 wrap up of the top rated performances.

Daniela Schachter Quartet Dizzys NYC

2009-04-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Daniela Schachter Quartet will be performing at Dizzys NYC, April 21st through April 25th, 2009. Daniela Schachter started early in her career. In her mid teens she was already performing live and doing studio sessions. Her love for music pushed her past her classical studies in Italy to Boston at the Berklee College of Music. To make reservations now, call - (212) 258-9800.

Green Day NYC Album Release

2009-04-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Green Day is rumored to appear at New York's Bowery Ballroom on May 18. That's 3 days after the release of Green Day's 8th album, "21st Century Breakdown".
This will be an uncharacteristically small venue for Green Day. But, they have been doing a lot of small concerts recently, possibly being mindful of the weak economy.
The new album's first single, "Know Your Enemy," is supposed to launch April 16. The video for "Know Your Enemy," directed by Matthew Cullen, will air April 24 on all MTV and VH1 channels worldwide.

Jazz in the Diamond District NYC Premier

2009-04-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

The film, "Jazz in the Diamond District", an urban drama, will premier in New York City April 30th.
"Jazz in the Diamond District" is a story of a young woman, Jasmine Morgan, played by Monique Cameron, who decides to forgo college and pursue a musical career amidst the backdrop of the underground music scene in D.C. The film is set during the Murder Capital of World 1990's era of Washington DC.

Bruce Springsteen responds to infidelity claims

2009-04-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Rock and Music Legend Bruce Springsteen has replied to an allegation that he had an affair with a another married woman, People.com reports. On March 27 2009, divorce papers were filed by a New Jersey resident who claimed that his wife had "committed adultery with the one and only Bruce Springsteen, who resides in Rumson, NJ and Colts Neck, NJ at various times and places too numerous to mention." A Music PR representative for the singer responded that Springsteen stands by what he said following a separate but very similiar 2006 allegation of another infidelity - that his relationship with his wife Patricia Scialfa "remains just as strong as the day the 2 were married." Lets hope this rocker and trained musician isnt harassed by the press any more than he already has.

McCartney Ringo Cosmically Conscious Video

2009-04-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here is video from Radio City Music Hall, NYC April 4, 2009. It's Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr doing, "Cosmically Conscious". The entertainment at Radio City was meant to draw attention to bringing meditation to schools across the world.

Paul McCartney and Ringo at Radio City

2009-04-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

On April 4th, 2009 ex Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Star held a concert at New York City's, Radio City Music Hall. The ex Beatles aim to promote Meditation in public schools. They said there have been 600 or 700 scientific studies that prove in their minds that meditation is good for the human soul. McCartney and Ringo have felt strongly about meditation since their visit to India back in the 1960's.
The concert, called “Change from within,” benefited the David Lynch Foundation, which raises money for teaching transcendental meditation. The concert's artist lineup included Eddie Vedder, Moby, Sheryl Crowe and Ben Harper.

Take the A Train to Baghdad

2009-04-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

New York musician Alvin Atkinson and the "Sound Merchants" played in the gardens of Baghdad's Rasheed Hotel under a bright hot sun. They played Duke Ellington's "Take the 'A' train" in Baghdad's "Green Zone" today, nearly 50 years after the jazz legend himself played in the Iraqi capital.

Willie Nelson Wynton Marsalis Lincoln Center

2009-04-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

In 2007, the initial thought of Country Music legend, Willie Nelson teaming up with Jazz legend Wynton Marsalis at New York City's, Jazz at Lincoln Center was a little strange. But it only takes a second of thought to realize that this would probably be a great match up. And it was, enough so that the DVD of the performance is now out in stores.

Bow Wow Celebrates New Album

2009-04-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Lil Bow Wow is now just Bow Wow and he has a new album out. The release of his new album, New Jack City II was celebrated with a release party at New York City's, Santos Party House. There was no VIP section, drinking or ho's. It was a sober, free and thankful concert he gave to his fans of all ages.

New York Musician Johnny Pacheco

2009-03-31T10:56:00.001-07:00

New York 1 just did a great story about the New York musician, Johnny Pacheco. Johnny Pacheco is known for coining the music term, Salsa. Pacheco said he named his brand of music salsa because it is a great mix. Johnny Pacheco said that his band, Fania All-Stars was a sauce, made up of Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, 2 Jews and an Englishman. Pacheco said, "You have the condiments, so you have a nice salsa.”

Johnny Pacheco not only created a whole genre of music, he also invented musical instruments from material he found on the streets of New York City.

High School Choir Kills at Carnegie

2009-03-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

High School Choir Kills at New York City's, Carnegie Music Hall. The performance by the Gilroy High School Chamber Singers' was said to move grown men to tears and a rousing standing O. The High School choir had worked incredibly hard to get to New York's famed Carnegie Music Hall. The adults in the audience weren't the only ones moved to tears. A few of the High School singers confessed it was very emotional for them as well.

New York City House Music

2009-03-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

The best live New York City House Music is going to be at Cielo. You might as well stop trying to figure out a way around it. Yes, Cielo is somewhat trendy and you have to not look like a slob, but their are advantages to both. Two disadvantages you cant get around is the $10 or $20 cover charge at the door and the price of drinks once you're in. The trendy factor is slightly muted by the fact that its not as trendy as the surrounding clubs in the Meat Packing District.
Mondays you have DJ Francois K playing 'Deep Space'. Wednesdays you get Louie Vega and Kevin Hedge mixing in Classic House.
So, hide your trees, get over the clothes thing, drink before you arrive and drop the "issue" you have about paying to listen to great music. $10 during the week isn't asking too much. And by the way, don't even enter the MPD Friday to Sunday morning.

Rihannas New York Tattoo Artist

2009-03-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

Rihanna's New York Tattoo Artist, BangBang was flown out to Los Angeles to ink a gun on her ribcage. BangBang took pictures of Rihanna's tattoo and posted the photos on his MySpace Page. Also on BangBang's page were pictures of Rihanna's other tattoos which include a "shhh" on her finger, a Pisces sign behind her ear, stars down her back and a music note on her ankle.
The New York City Musician originally wanted to get the gun tattoo closer to her armpits, like the gun was in a shoulder holster I guess, but elected against that because of her Cover Girl contract.
This is all happening after news surfaced that their is a movement to pass something called, "Rihanna's Law". The law would prevent photos of crime victims from being published.

The Real Live Show - Local New York Band

2009-03-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

The Real Live Show is a local New York City band. The Real Live Show is a mix of Jazz and Hip Hop. The music is great, I am still undecided about the rapping. Sometimes it's killer, sometimes not so much. The above video was live from Nublu (NYC) and the below video was live at the New York Club, Blue Note.

New York Philharmonic gets New Music Director

2009-03-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

The next Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert is returning to New York for 2 weeks of programs with the orchestra. Alan Gilbert will be taking over as Music Director in September of 2009. The last time Alan Gilbert conducted with the New York Philharmonic was in November 2008 at Carnegie Hall. Click Here to see a list of showtimes.

Woodstock New York City

2009-03-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

There is serious talk about bringing Woodstock to Central Park, New York City. Central Park was just one of a few outdoor spots in NYC considered for the event. The Who, Crosby Stills and Nash, Santana, the Dave Matthews Band and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are some of the names being thrown around to participate in the Woodstock revival. Read the complete story.

Music PR Tips Video from an unsigned artist- Good find :)

2009-03-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Music PR Tips Video from an unsigned artist- Good find I think :)

This is a cool music video. very pretty : Sara Lov - New York

2009-03-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

This is a cool music video. very pretty : Thanks Sara Lov - New York.

Posted by: Singer Songwriter - Dion Roy

Amanda Dolan Art PR

2009-03-14T00:43:00.001-07:00

Art PR Client Amanda Dolan at the Warde Nasse Gallery

2009-03-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

Dion Roy playing at Arctica bar in NYC!

New York City Music Blog

2009-03-13T23:11:00.001-07:00

This blog will cover recent music happenings in New York.

Heres a start!