Hello world and good people of earth, pleasure we meet like this again. There was a major announcement made yesterday that NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) and its digital industry hub digitalmusic.org will collectively be known as the Music Business Association (MusicBiz.org), to fully encompass everyone involved in music commerce in the United States.…
Category: FEATURES
Feature stories and artist interviews
PIXIES VIDEO “ANDRO QUEEN”
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Fortified with eight instantly-sold-out U.S. club shows, a sold-out UK/European tour, and critical and fan acclaim for the live shows and five brand-new songs, Pixies announce that a 33-city, coast-to-coast North American leg has been added to its 2013-2014 world tour and will kick off in Toronto, Canada on January 15, 2014. Tickets go…
WIDOWSPEAK SINGLE “CALICO”
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Widowspeak are back today with another cut off their forthcoming EP The Swamps (out 10/29) with the single “Calico”. Following in the footsteps of first single “True Believer”, the track is dripping in melodic optimism and romantic nostalgia. Jangling guitars are seeped in folky haze creating a sweeping, warming atmosphere that will hypnotize. Click Here…
JAZZ MILLS VIDEO “LITTLE BABY”
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Born in San Angelo and now residing in Austin, TX, singer Jazz Mills has lent her angelic vocals to recordings with over 30 bands and performed with even more, collaborating with artists such as The Black Angels, The Kills, Cowboy and Indian , Leopold and His Fiction, Gemini Dreams, and The Indie Annas. The…
HOW NOT TO MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS
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I had the same dream as every other unsigned musician when the internet (supposedly) leveled the playing field. This is going to be great, I remember thinking. I can just do it on my own now! Who needs a label? All I have to do is put it out there, right? And so…
JU-TAUN NEW VIDEO “BY THE RIVER”
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Brothers Jake and Jamie Evans, along with childhood friend Samoeun Cheng, formed Ju-Taun while attending high school in Williamstown, New Jersey. No newcomers to the business, Ju-Taun have been touted as one of Billboard’s “Top 10 R&B Artists 2009,” as well as two time “Best Male R&B Group” at the Undergound Music Awards. They’ve…
DENIRO FARRAR VIDEO “DEATH OR FOREVER”
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On “Death or Forever” Farrar gets a clutch assist from northeastern synth-pop pair Child Actor, who lend a crisp hook to the otherwise hazy groove. Meanwhile, Farrar rhymes about vicious cycles and hard-won victories. The video, directed by J Williams and Anthony Supreme, is appropriately trippy, comprising computer-generated tunnels, satellite views of the planet, and…
IVAN IVES “HIGHER” VIDEO
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Russian born/bred L.A. resident Ivan Ives presents the self-directed music video for “Higher”, the Aaron Marsh-produced new single from his new album Stranger. Ivan Ives originally stepped into the hip hop world in 2007. Rolling Stone named him among the next 40 artists to watch; SPIN called him one of 8 top unsigned artists; and…
MUSICIAN ELIZABETH BUTLER WEARS MANY HATS
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Georgia native and longtime Texas resident Elizabeth Butler is a marathoner, triathlete, mother of three, entrepreneur, and, oh yes, a musician as well. Skope recently tracked her down to ask a few questions… I read that you have some background with guitar. Do you compose or perform the guitar tracks? Yes, I play most of…
EYEZON NEW SINGLE “RUBIES & RAINDROPS”
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South African native and Northern California resident Eyezon presents “Rubies & Raindrops”, produced by himself and London producer Joshua DaMonoway. “Rubies” is from his forthcoming FUTURE WEAPON SOUL album, a mixture of synths and 808 mixed with live instrumentation. Set to drop in early 2014, FWS will be Eyezon’s last full hip hop project before…
CULTS VIDEO FOR “HIGH ROADâ€
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Cults have released a music video for their single “High Road” off of their forthcoming sophomore release Static, out October 15 on Columbia Records. The Hiro Murai (Earl Sweatshirt, St. Vincent, The Shins) directed clip, that stars the duo, is a hypnotic drive through a subconscious set afire. To view the clip visit: http://smarturl.it/HighRoadVideo…
TRASHBEAT DROPS A NEW TRACK “TOYSâ€
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Trashbeat, the rock & roll brainchild of venerable bassist Steve Trash, has released a teaser track for download. “Toys” will appear on Trashbeat’s full-length album (dropping in 2014 via Major Label) which features guest appearances from members of the Sex Pistols, Blondie, and the Stranglers. “Toys” is a chunky, beat-driven track with chiming…
NEW SINGLE BY HIT IT FEAT CHRISTINA MARIE MAGENTA “SINISTER”
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Industrial rock band, Christina Marie Magenta joins Hit It hit makers on a compelling new single, “Sinister”. Christina Marie Magenta (CmM), based in Northern VA, consists primarily of composer and professional model Christina Marie (vocals and electronics) and her brother, guitarist George Weidner. The 1st album, “Burn”, was released everywhere in 2011, and the 2nd…
NISSIM VIDEO “REVERED”
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The new video, directed by Sawyer Purman and Ben Anderson of Altrac Productions, finds Nissim wandering through deserts and mountains, his own journey mirrored by a group of nomads also seemingly on a spiritual quest. Sprawling landscapes, sun-drenched horizons, and vibrant, glowing star-filled skies echo the passion of the track, which explores broad themes of…
SHE MIGHT BITE SINGLE “THE KEY”
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She Might Bite, the brainchild of Tara Kimes, has been described as “surf- garage-rock-poetry” by local press. Fans have said: “if you could blend Loretta Lynn and Nine Inch Nails,” “a punk Loretta Lynn,” “reminds me of Patti Smith,” “reminds me of Queens of the Stone Age,” “PJ Harvey sound,” “bluesy punk,” “Florence and the…
PHIVE REPS MORE THAN MUSIC BUT A LIFESTYLE MOVEMENT
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Not just a production group, but also a “lifestyle movement,” GodBody is the brainchild of Orlando resident “Phive.” Since GodBody’s 2011 inception, Phive has been up to a fair amount of diverse activity. Skope recently tracked him down for a few questions…. What’s the story behind the name “GodBody”? Well the name GodBody came to…
LOCAL SALES OUTLETS FOR YOUR MUSIC
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The Music industry and its respective music buyers have not, yet, strictly endorsed a digital music file environment for sales. As such, musicians/recording artists are still expected to have CDs available for both representing their music and for sale, particularly, during their live performances. The below list presents various types of local sales outlets…
FORTE SIGNS WITH SYCO/COLUMBIA RECORDS + “CARUSO”
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Forte, the multicultural, operatic tenor trio whose performances on America’s Got Talent captivated millions and launched the group into the national spotlight, has signed with SYCO/Columbia Records. Forte is pleased to announce the release of their self-titled debut album, available everywhere November 12. The lead single “Caruso” is available digitally today: http://www.smarturl.it/forteiTunes. Pre-order the album…
NEW EP POSTED BY DJ GINA TURNER
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A true electronic music maven, DJ Gina Turner is at again. Having played shows around the globe, hosted multiple radio shows, to opening her own record label (Turn It Records). DJ Gina Turner is constantly making forward thinking contributions to the world of electronic music. Gina’s latest offering comes in the form of the…
BEFORE WINTER COMES IN STOLI GOES BACK TO THE OCEAN
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Here we are again. A new week is upon us, and it’s going to be a good one. Should we be upset that the US government is closed or should we be celebrating? So before we begin today I want to start by talking about how excited I get when I see music marketing &…
ILL NIÑO PREMIERE NEW MUSIC VIDEO
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ILL NIÑO have premiered a new music video for “Forgive Me Father”, the latest single from the album, Epidemia. From the pews to the pit, join Christian Machado (vocals) for a metal-infused sermon bound to convert all non-believers. Watch “Forgive Me Father” here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDYL7dkGHdY Currently on the road for The American Epidemia Tour, ILL NIÑO…
POMPEYA VIDEO “SLAVER”
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Pompeya is about a month away from releasing Tropical, their first LP in America out on October 29th via No Shame (see below for the artwork and ‘limited edition’ vinyl pre-order link). Today, the band is putting out the single for the third track on the album, “90“, and a music video for the song…
SAMMY HAKIM RELEASES NEW SINGLE “GET A LITTLE CLOSER”
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Sammy Hakim is a 17 year-old from Vienna who first showed musical promise at a young age. She writes her own music, in addition to singing and playing the guitar, piano, ukulele and violin. She released her first EP, “Locked You Out,” in October, 2011. As with Locked You Out, her new…
LISTEN TO THE COURTNEY JOHN PROJECT “PRAISE YOU”
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The Courtney John Project does “Praise You.” Originally called Take Yo’ Praise recorded in 1975 for Camille Yarbrough on her first album, The Iron Pot Cooker, this track is a suitable choice of song for the group to cover. Lead singer Courtney John said that he really liked Fatboy Slim’s 90’s cover of…
BA DA BING PRESENTS CROSS RECORD
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Ba Da Bing is very excited to welcome Cross Record to its ever-growing family. After seeing Lady Lamb the Beekeeper and Xenia Rubinos play live in Chicago, 25-year old Emily Cross took a chance and sent her music to our office. One listen was all it took for the entire BaDaBing team to…
BLACK GOD NEW SINGLE “GHOST IN YOU”
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Blitz-rock quartet BLACK GOD leap back into the fray for another collection of two minute punk rock blasts gloriously pressed onto seven inch vinyl. Since 2011 No Idea and Black God have teamed up each year to release a new six song edition of to-the-point melodic punk/hardcore via the cleverly titled EPs One, Two, and…
JAZZ FUSION SINGER/SONGWRITER JAGA GLASSMAN ON THE RISE
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“The best way to predict the future is to create it!” Bold words from an artist determined on making waves in the music industry. Jaga Glassman was raised around jazz and European sounds all her life and embraced the fusion of both. As a young lady she learned to master the guitar and dabbled with…
LIBEL’S NEW TRACK “THIS IS LOVE”
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Brooklyn based garage rock revivalists Libel release “This Is Love” off their recently released album Music For Car Commercials. Blending grunge era riffs with a 70s progressive vibe, Libel creates a rock sound reminiscent of Nirvana but with the added flair of David Bowie and the modern influences of their contemparies á la The Raconteurs,…
TONIGHT ALIVE DEBUTS NEW VIDEO FOR “COME HOMEâ€
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Aussie rock band Tonight Alive has premiered a new video for their latest single, “Come Home,” from the band’s sophomore album, The Other Side, which was a top 3 album in Australia. Fans can pick up a copy of the new record from iTunes, MerchNow, Fearless Records and local national and indie retailers. …
SCHOOL OF ROCK: HOW TO TAKE YOUR BAND TO THE NEXT LEVEL
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So you finally have the band you’ve always wanted, everyone sounds good, everyone get’s along, you’re playing pretty regular gigs, and people are starting to take notice…now what? All bands dream of pitching off the shackles of the 9-5 routine and making money doing what they love, but how does one get started navigating the…
FEMALE FRONTED ROCK BAND THE BROADCAST FIRST SINGLE “DON’T WASTE ITâ€
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Asheville based ground shaking soul driven powerhouse of sound The Broadcast have released Dodge The Arrow available on all digital retailers now. The first upbeat, timeless, piano driven single “Don’t Waste It” is available for free download. The six-piece “led by lead singer and lyricist Caitlin Krisko, whose vocals are simultaneously smoky and sensuous” (Hickory…
IFÉ VIDEO FOR “DETROIT BLUES”
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Alt-rock singer-songwriter Ife Mora captures the true spirit of her hometown in her new music video “Detroit Blues”. “Detroit Blues” is just the latest single from her sophomore album Fire Inside Me, which is described as a masterful blend of powerful vocals and skill for narrative songwriting. The songstress’s songs travel the country, painting portraits…
NEW VIDEO BY SONYA TITUS
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Houston-born and worldly-wise, Sonya Titus has lived in Australia, Norway, America, New Zealand, and now, London, UK. Her tracks are heavily-influenced by the multicultural shifting she has experienced whilst growing up. Reoccurring themes of self-worth and purpose, individuality, and ultimately love, acceptance, and celebration of humanity are at the heart of Sonya’s music. Video: http://youtu.be/rKk2PhKG0ic…
ASHLEY JORDAN NEWEST MUSIC VIDEO “IF I HAD YOUâ€
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Singer/songwriter/musician ASHLEY JORDAN has just released her newest music video “If I Had You”, a haunting song with an underlying message about loss. The original song was written by Ashley and recorded in early 2013, and the video was created this summer with the help of filmmakers at Dark White Media in Massachusetts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJNEvBxeiek…
MO BLISHEN’S WIDE AWAKE AND HIGHLY STRUNG
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From New Zealand comes Mo Blishen, who has just finished recording her album “Wide Awake And Highly Strung” which should be available by the time this interview is published. I could describe her sound but I think it would be best if she told you in her own words. so without further ado… Skope: Tell…
THE WYLD VIDEO FOR “ODYSSEY”
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The Wyld just finished recording Odyssey, along with the rest of their upcoming EP, Abstract, in the Red Bull Studios in Auckland. Needless to say, the title is a perfect encapsulation of The Wyld’s gracious pairing of ballooning, smoothly layered lyrical flow and fever-pitch rhymes. ‘Odyssey’ comes together strand by strand with drum beats,…
PSYCHIC FRIEND NEW VIDEO FEAT SARAH SILVERMAN
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To accentuate the deluxe edition of My Rocks Are Dreams, which can be found on iTunes now, Will Schwartz of Psychic Friend decided that it was time to go big. This time around, when releasing the video for the album’s second single, “We Do Not Belong,” Schwartz called in a favor from an old college…
NEW EMPIRE “SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT” VIDEO
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Australian rockers New Empire have released the breathtaking video for the debut single “Say It Like You Mean It” off their upcoming LP In A Breath. They will also be hitting the road this October to tour Australia. http://youtu.be/bqFQ-XyiB7Y Their 2011 release Symmetry garnered attention on a global scale, receiving praise from the likes of…
GET THE WORD OUT: HOW TO ADVERTISE YOUR BAND
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For a band to be successful, advertisement is of utmost importance. It is publicity that leads to more gigs, more fans, and more likes on Facebook. Unfortunately, not all musicians have the gift of marketing built into their DNA, and as a result, a great many artists and bands who have unparalleled talent, might not…
YOU GOTTA HEAR CHERIDY ADAMS’ NEW SINGLE “LIES LIES LIES”
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Cheridy has been writing and singing since age 3 starting in church and progressing from there. Cheridy has had many high points in life due to her vocal ability and incredible stage presence. She is wowing crowds of various sizes when she takes stage and after meeting and becoming friends with one of…
