Dying A Slow Death

self evident

2009-06-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Cotton & gin had their laptop self destruct, and did not seem to have any back up, hence the title of their rush release next week:
Things We Lost in the Catastrophic Failure of Our Mac Book Hard Drive
Tracks:
Uitburo
A Bad Trip in the Leidseplein
dubofourdub
Guayama (edit)
The 17th Temptation of Heaven
The Beekeeper's Sylvan (fragment)
Jon in 84 (fragment)
Theme from F.O.X.I. (TV) (fragment)
Itchy Crack Up (demo fragment)

Evidently the duo is a bit strapped now and so will use proceeds from the sale of the EP to get a new Macbook.
wonder how this will fly on iTunes? Stay tuned....

Looking for the KLF!

2009-06-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ninthwave recieved a note slid under our door last night with this message typed on it. CLues to follow -

POP INC founders John Matthews and Brooke Aldridge collided whilst combing the Internet for The KLF.

Aldridge- the granddaughter of Top 40 co-founder Jim “Grahame Crackers” Richards- and Matthews- creator of Synth-Pop duos Spray and The Attery Squash- were joined by Drinking With Ian chanteur Neil Schultz as well as guitarist Uzi (A:Pod, 80-D). Guest stars include: Simon Jones (BBC’s Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy); video remixer/DJ Danny Morris; Rockamerica debutante Lolly Pop; J. Evan LeFreak (All The Pretty Horses) as well as Matt “Dr.” Fink (Prince, MTV’s Making The Band).

http://www.myspace.com/popincorporated

Head turning trip to St Lucia

2009-06-16T08:31:00.001-07:00

OK, so Ninthwave is not going to become a Soca lable or anything (anyting?) but I highly suggest you sit tight and listen keenly to this man's album - Herb Black's Calypso Jail

Calypso Jail - Herb Black

What's in a Rename album?

2009-05-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Real Music for Real People
Weblink http://www.berlin-bridge.de/real/

Rename is doing a sort of subscription album. They’re not the first, not by a long shot, but they are the first in the synthpop scene to do this.

Some positive observations –
1. Most synthpop releases sell less than 500 copies. With this they sell to about 115 die hard fans, the ones who would have picked up the CD anyway, but get a premium for it. Instead of about $5 a sale they get about $55 a CD sold. Not bad.
2. And they get to make the album, press it, all at not cost to them. And key is there is no upfront cost, no credit card interest to pay etc.
3. It certainly has generated some buzz (i.e. – uhm, this blog!)

Some not so positive observations –
1. My impression is, and tell me if I am wrong, is that they are going to get $250 from Joe Smith and then record a song called “Joe Smith.” Not a song dedicated to Joe Smith (like others doing this scheme have done), but the actual song will be about Joe Smith. Pretty cool if you are Joe Smith, everyone else? Not so much.
2. In my mind music is about art, in the broadest way possible. Especially at this level where you don’t make real money. Art means different things to different people, but having someone pay you money and then say – write a song about this one thing – that’s uh, not art, it’s commerce, it’s Britney Spears territory. Now I know that patronage is an age old way to get art made, and often the patron would direct the artist to paint or sculpt something directly, but this feels different.
3. Ok, but, you can say, the band is still making music their way, it’s not like they are going to do a country song if Joe Smith likes country. True, but this leads me to my third point – by catering soooo much to fans are they going to Trekkie themselves (yes I just made that up, © 2009 me)? That is, will they appeal only to the people who already like them and not try to expand at all? Where is the incentive to chase new fans (however hopeless that is these days)? They made their money up front – Frankly they will come out of this (if it sells) just slightly ahead- why bother pimping the album when there is no reason (beyond fame, etc.!)

In short. I think it’s a trap. This particular idea. I will say that I have been watching these ideas (particularly the Jill Souble one) and have an idea to try it with Spray. Say $30 gets you the 3 Cd limited set, a T shirt and all of the digital singles that will come off the album…

I like something like this better because it does not tie the artist down at all yet it still gives the fans the feel of being on the inside.

Still, when all is said and done I wish Rename the bets of luck.

Spray
"Queen Of Summer" (mp3)
from "Children of a Laser God"
(Ninthwave Media)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at eMusic
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Puretracks
Buy at Amazon MP3
Buy at appliedSB / Groupietunes
Buy at mTraks
More On This Album

Create Your Own Disneyland

2009-05-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Bob Lefsetz is a crazy old crumugeon who writes a rambling email newsletter about the music business. The really frustrating thing? He is almost always right. Not just obvious right, but often very insightful, the kind of right that instead of just saying "amen!" you say - hmmmm, that's an interestig idea that I should think about more....

Today he was writing about Disocbiscuit fest (Campbiscuit) - huh? Some jam band I never heard of (my encylclopedic knowledge of Jam bands begins and ends with Dave Matthews - who used to play on the college where I grew up during party weekends - had to keep the W&L boys happy).

Anyway - Bob said something, and I am paraphrasing here - "Create Your Own Disneyland." Disco Busicuit have had a summer fest for 8 years now and he pointed out that they were doing this for their fans, not to get Miller Lite on board.

Now, no, I am not going to go out and start a Ninthwave Fest. ADD tried that and is probably still paying it off. And no, I am not going to resurrect SynthCon (ugh! that was a clusterfvck from the get go). But I like the idea of catering to fans.

This is what A Different Drum has done. People bitch and moan about ADD and how cheesey their releases can be, how out of fashion. Well, ok, maybe, but here they are around 11 years later still releasing new music. Why? Because ADD caters to the fans, treats them like friends not just customers.

I am of two minds about that - one- I think it is a great idea. Bob is right (Todd is right) you need to make the people who pay you happy, not the look-e-lou hipster kids who want free downloads. True dat. But, and this is a big butt! I think you run the risk of playing to a smaller and smaller core of fans. How do you avoid that reality? Journey used to play to sold out Arenas now they play to state fairs. Not a bad gig, but each year their fans fall off (or die off). I know - I used to go see Steely Dan year after year, I was such a huge fan. When they came back in the 90s I went for the first three summers, so grateful to be able to see them live! But then, well, after awhile I stopped going. Going to Great Woods is not cheap nor easy, and I realized that Becker and Fagen were going to just tour each summer until no one showed up or one of them dropped dead. The thrill was gone.

ADD is like this - after a while I just oculdn't keep up, did not want to. Too many releases that sounded similar. I wanted to move on. I am talking to three bands right now about releasing their music on Ninthwave. One is a fairly standard electrodance act but it has an industrial edge, no vocals. The second is a straight on club/circuit boy dance act, disco for the aughts. The last is a caberet act- yeah, caberet Simon Cowell, the real deal. Why? Because I like the music, why not? Its not like I am signing death metal bands (although if the right one came along)...

Anyway, the point is of this rambling post- I want to create a Disneyland - not sure how, but I am going to think about it this summer.

The Electroluvs
"Blonde" (mp3)
from "Synthetic Dance Music"
(Ninthwave Media)

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Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

oops

2009-05-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

Ever have one o fthose... weeks? Well I posted up the new Empire State Human single for Melancholic Afro - only to find out I had put up the wrong edits and the remixer names had been dropped from the titles. Ugh. So I am pulling the whole thing and starting over. Sorry.
Meanwhile the new version of "Butterfly" that I popped up from Smile.dk has taken off like a jet rocket (or jet butterfly, lol).
Also late last week I added "Summer Party" to Jango.com radio - the band's fan base hit 100 members today and has really taken off at Jango.
Today I added "Canadian Girls" by Spacemarch to Jango, to see what happens with a lesser known band etc.
A few weeks ago I popped up "Intergalatic Life" by Cotton & Gin and they easily made the 50 "like" votes for general rotation. Only a dozen fans though. :-)
Arron from Eight To Infinity told me that Intergalatic Life sounded like an early 80s song from NASA. Wow, that is random huh?
Judge for yourself :-)
Cotton & Gin
"Intergalactic Life" (mp3)
from "Intergalactic Life"
(Ninthwave Media)

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More On This Album

Moving the Needle #3

2009-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last night the IODA digital sales report showed the second sale of the Garland Cult's Glitterazzi Album in two days. The band has been getting mad press for it's great cover of a Boy George tune that has been posted for free on a Boy George Fan site -

I think it is getting people to go check out the Garland Cult stuff. I have to say that, like a lot of stuff ninthwave puts out, TGC frustrates me to no end. It is really good dance music, done with some originality and creativity (not just slapped out ther elike so much dance music) and yet getting people to check it out has been difficult. I think the average synthpop fan at A Dfifferent Drum is turned off by how dance friendly the music is and the average dance music fan probably thinks the music is too pop oriented.

Whatever.

A lot of people have been complaining (since oh, 1999?) about free music on the internet. I am one of them (proud to say that Ninthwave is now listed on the Chilling Effect website as a company that is "chilling the freedom of speech" onthe net. Ha!)

But I think that free music done right can really help people discover music. I know I have discovered dozens of bands, most of whom I bought stuff from, since I discovered Hypem this spring. And I think Jango is moving stuff. It's a long slow battle, but hey, I got plenty of time, that's free right?

The Garland Cult's press release :
The Garland Cult in exclusive association with 100% Boy, announce the May 6th official release on FREE download of a special cover version of Jesus Loves You's "Generations of Love" title 'return of G.O'D mix'. Backed with an original electro-pop instrumental called "Glory, Glory" (positive vibes mix) ... this is a totally free feel good release, which is totally dedicated to George and we hope his upcoming release from jail.

The download zip file (containing artwork by Stuey at 100% Boy) is available from this link below -
http://www.martyrmantras.com/boygeorgeuk/news.htm

Please click and grab and pass on the link to anyone who may be interested ... spread the positive vibes and some good feelings!!

Check out the video by Frankie Shane at -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MryN7NaQhUE
Kind regards,
Aidan & Lar
The Garland Cult
http://www.myspace.com/thegarlandcultofficial

The Garland Cult
"Talking With Aliens" (mp3)
from "Glitterazzi"
(Ninthwave Media)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Rhapsody
Buy at Napster
Stream from Rhapsody
Buy at Puretracks
Buy at appliedSB / Groupietunes
Buy at mTraks
More On This Album

Kissy Sell Out, 4 new Ninthwave Singles, stuff

2009-05-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Firs thing- some free music for your week – Kissy Sell Out are from Essex UK and while they are, um, a bit odd, they will grow on you. They sound like as if Squeeze produced an Orange Juice comeback… You can get a free song from them that is one of the best singles I have heard this year “Apple Jelly.” It is kind of insane how much good stuff is out there right now.
http://www.kissysellout.com/

Scour the web for these gems too:
I Go I Go I Go 3:12 Wave Machines - Sounds kind of Sparks in a hyper kind of way.

When Love Takes Over /feat. Kelly Rowland 3:09 David Guetta - This should be the rave up dance anthem of the summer instead of whatever the latest crap Beyonce is shoving our way…..BTW- coolly “samples” Coldplay, um, I mean Cat Stevens…

Hold The Line (Coin Operated Boy Remix) 4:54 Major Lazer – No idea who this is, but it is a kind of cool electro/drumsnbass/ragga kind of mash.

Kid On My Shoulders 4:34 White Rabbits – I have been hearing abit about them as of late. Nice rock tune, not very electronic per se, but any song that loops a piano as its central musical portion is fine by me.

empire_of_the_sun_we_are_the_people_modernaire_remix - Best remix of this song I have heard yet.

I posted up four new Ninthwave releases- they should start to hit the digital services soon:
Empire State Human – Melancholic Afro Remixes – 5 new mixes of this great track.
The Garland Cult – All Good Things- I have been meaning to get this out for ages…
Leonard T – Robot After All – great song of his forthcoming Ninthwave debut.
Smile.dk “Butterfly 09” new track, they cover themselves 

When I get these up on the Ninthwave site I will let you know.

We have big plans ahead for Spray – stay tuned, but it involves a CD release of Children of a Laser God along with 2 additional CDs of remixes and rare tracks. Well, actually I guess that is about all I know about the release. So um,stay tuned for other things.

Some more free music for your weekend – from the new The Garland Cult release:

The Garland Cult
"All Good Things" (mp3)
from "All Good Things - Remixes"
(Ninthwave Media)

More On This Album

Success with Jango

2009-04-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

OK
SO Jango reported yesterday that I had spun all 2500 plays I bought for Smile.dk's "Doki Doki" single. They had 317 "fave" votes, 50 are needed to be put into rotation.
Well, I guess that was pretty successful. I smiled to myself.
then I noticed a little report "Overlap" - I clicked on that and it showed me who else people who liked Smile.dk were listening too.
#1 was Aqua. Well, duh. I had linked their music to Aqua so when someone liked Aqua Smile.dk would eventually play on their Jango station.

#2 was Hannah Montana. WTF? Really? Hannah Montana? I would have NEVER added her as a link to Smile.dk. I mean, relally, come on. After that were people like Avril Laveigne (sp? whatevah!) MAriah Carey, Miley Cyrus (hye, wait a minute...) all people I would have never thought of. Ever.
So, what the hell, $50 more bucks to buy another 2000 spins. Have to see if it makes any difference.
That was 10 am.
It is now 3 pm, they have played the song another 120 times using the new link to people I added (Cyrus etc). Smile.dk's faves went from 317 to 327. Not bad, ok.

Then I just happened to slip over to amazon where the download had been stalled in the 15k range for the past week.
It was at #1,318. And has stayed there for three hours.

Was it Jango? I dunno, Smile.dk di dplay at an Anime convention 2 weeks ago to 10,000 people, but I doubt it's just due to that.

I don't think Jango will Save The Music Industry or anything, but I can think of worse ways to waste $50.

Head in the Clouds - what the next 6 months looks like

2009-04-21T09:47:00.000-07:00

Filling out a form for Beatport they asked what was our release sked like for the next 6 months.
Hmmmm,well, in the best possible world....(D) = digital only
1. Spray – Children of a Laser God Deluxe (with a second disc of remixes) (eurodisco)
2. Synthetic Dance Music 2 (fea. Pacific!, Yelle, DJ Keri, Heaven 17, -subject to contracts-) *mostly electro- bargain sampler meant to give a taste of current electronic pop)(D)
3. Empire State Human fea. Wolfgang Flur of Kraftwerk –“Melancholic Afro” Remix EP (D)
4. DJ Keri “Beautiful Girl” Remix single fea mixes from Russ Harris, DJ Michael Anegelo & the Dream Krew, 3 Bad Boys, Cotton & Gin, Qubiq and others. (House- mixes are tribal, circuit, hiphop, electroc)(D)
5. Cotton & Gin “Platine “ EP (breakbeats)(D)
6. Leonard T “Robot After All” single/mixes – deep house – mixes TBD.(D)
7. the Garland Cult - new album TBD – pop dance/euro dance (D)
8. Smile.dk – Butterfly 09” Eurohouse/bubblegum disco(D)
9. Various – “A Decade o fNinthwave” remixes of ninthwave catalog – synthpop/electro mostly. (D)
10. the Modern – Industrial Revenge (reissue of their debut [which was released as being by The Matinee Club, long story…. with remixes on a second disc) Produced by Stephen Hauge (New Order, others).

What I am listening to now

2009-04-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

There is so much good music these days it makes my head spin. I have been shoving songs into an iTunes playlist for a couple of weeks now intending to make a CD for my car. Well, I did that today and there were 3.5 hours o fmusic.

Here is the first CD's worth - with comments

Mowgli's Road 4:10 Marina & The Diamonds you MUST check her out - http://www.myspace.com/marinaandthediamonds
New In Town (Fred Falke remix) 7:29 Little Boots -Her new album should rock -http://www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic
Pas Fait En Chocolat 2:20 Tricot Machine http://www.myspace.com/tricotmachine
Metropolis (The Twelves remix) 4:04 Cicada http://www.myspace.com/cicada1
Time To Let Go (Lindstrom Remix) 10:58 Sally Shapiro
Obessions 3:38 Marina & The Diamonds
Meddle 3:17 Little Boots
Bulletproof 3:28 La Roux -- This is even better than her current single, by a mile,!
Your Disco Needs You (Casino Radio & Club Mix) 3:40 Kylie Minogue -old I know
Seventeen 3:02 Marina & the Diamonds
The Fear 3:27 Lily Allen ---look, this album is really very good, you should own it ---
Dog Days Are Over 4:11 Florence and the Machine -BRILLIANT STUFF
F*** You 3:43 Lily Allen It's
A Cause Des Garçons (Riot In Belgium remix) 4:33 Yelle
La Musique 4:27 Riot in Belgium
Murder On The Dancefloor 3:51 Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Chick Lit (Danger TV Remix Edit) 3:51 We Are Scientists
Meddle (Old Money Edit) 5:03 Little Boots

ok, so some stuff is old, the Ellis-Baxtor for example, but a lot is new too.

Indie Feed

2009-04-10T10:48:00.001-07:00

Mystrey solved, maybe. Why did the needle move on Cotton and Gin? Well maybe Indiefeed is to blame! They (or more precisely Chris McDonald, thanks Chris!) Featured C&G's "Intergalatic Life" March 26 as one of their free download. A number of blogs pick up the indiefeed for their blogs (I am going to try and add it here).

So maybe that is what moved things. Cool.

moving the needle - the needle moves (barely)

2009-04-08T10:04:00.000-07:00

Moving the needle

Sometimes it is very difficult to know what kind of promotion works and what doesn’t. In the end word of mouth is everything. I have done very little to promote Spray recently, yet they continue to sell a lot of stuff.

Other times I do try to push releases a lot. I am ramping up pushing the new Empire State Human CD for example. So far I have
1. Mailed out Cds to a number of goth/electro websites (sideline, Regen, Outburn, etc.)
2. Added a track to Jango.com (only a few plays so far)
3. Gotten two other blogs who appear on the Hypem list to add remixes of “Melancholic Afro” (not sure they have actually added them yet, but when they do I will add a link)
4. Purchased a banner ad on Sideline

I am really trying to get blogs to add a remix of Melancholic Afro as a free download – this way people can hear the music but it doesn’t necessarily involve giving away an album track.

We’ll have to see if I can move the needle on Audio gothic

I have gotten two small moves on other releases

1. Smile.dk – so far as of April 6 Amazon has sold more copies of their Cd than all of last month (March). Part of this may be people getting excited about the Sarucon event next weekend (April 10-12). Smile.dk plays two nights there, up to 10,000 people are expected to attend the Anime convention. So I am hoping next weekend and next week to see a big bump.

But also I purchased 2500 plays on Jango for the Smile.dk song “Doki Doki.” So far they have played it 188 times and 51 people have “liked” it, which means it gets added to Jango’s regular rotation. I suspect that a few people on Jango were Smile fans and maybe not aware of the album so this is why Amazon got such a big hit, why the needle moved for Amazon sales.

2. More puzzling is Cotton & Gin. In the past week they have sold 3 copies of the song “Intergalactic Life” on iTunes. Not much, no, but it’s the first thing they’ve sold after being out for a couple of months. With Cotton & Gin we tried something different. We gave away both the EP and the single on their blog, in fact I am pretty sure almost all of those tracks are still up, for free. We also made three videos. The first of which (see below) got some traction because people were curious about the use of old Ub Iwerks animation. A second video, for Good Things, got featured on the LArgeweekend blog, but that did not get much of a bump.

The video for Intergalactic Life (see below) got 7 hits, pretty sure most of those were me checking to make sure it played well on YouTube.

Then last night I get an email from youtube saying a comment had been made on the video. So I went there and , lo, all-of-a-sudden there are 21 plays.

So my question is what moved the needle? I guess randomly 14 people could have clicked on the video but not sure 3 random people would have purchased the track from iTunes within 4 days, not for song that is not getting any play anywhere (except Youtube now).

I have googled the song to see if a blog featured it, but no luck.

Funny, and frustrating. How do I make it happen again, how to I make sure that others can use the same way to hear the music when I don’t know how they heard it to begin with?

American Idol

2009-04-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

OK- so this season has been, like many, kinda lame. Then in swished Adam Lambert, singing Tears of a Clown like nothing I had ever heard. Then last night, to return to the Tears theme, he tackled "Mad World." Wow, really? Is American Idol really going to let him pick decent songs (all the other 80s hits, a defacto 80s night since it was Year You Were Born night - were really horrible choices - "All She Wants to Do Is Dance"? uh, ok, that song is about production, not songwriting, even Don Henly would agree).

anyway, Glambert really did the song justice- not as huanting as Gary Jules' version, but a lot better than what might have been.

I still think he should have done Smalltown Boy ;-)

catch up - new ESh Cd is out/in the mail!

2009-04-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, been very busy here with a lot of projects, but I have a few things to update to you guys about:

The new Empire State Human cd came in this week. A Different drum should have it by the weekend. Amazon has it for pre order
[Audio Gothic].
All around pre orders for this Cd were the best we’ve ever had except for Smile.dk, even better than Heaven 17 (!) We’ve sold about 1200 Heaven 17 cds in the past three years, so we’ll see.

Reaction to the album has been very good. Reviews should start popping up in the next few weeks.

ESH’s remix contest on laptoprockers.com finished up. Go here for results. Ninthwave will release an EP of the five best (as picked by the band) very soon.

Hey! If you have a favorite blog let me know about it (slow@ninthwaverecords.com) - there are so many out there (ahem!) that I figure the best ones to try and reach out to are the ones fans of ninthwave go to.

I also have the pleasure of telling you that we just signed a new act, Leonard T (his myspace page). He is old skool synthpop with all the bells and whistles. I know that you guys will love his album. Details to follow.

Cotton and Gin are thisclose to finishing up another EP, this one with guitars in every song (!)

Alan Replica has gotten at least one of his songs placed in a new movie about men and testosterone (don’t ask, I have no idea, really!) I will let you know how that goes.

Smile.dk play an anime convention this next weekend (April 11th) details on their website.

OK, now back to listening to more of the 55 remixes of Melancholic Afro that laptoprockers got in their contest….

deal-io of the day - Gary Flanagan for $7 - Amazon

2009-03-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this - the new Gary Flanagan set for Just $6.99

Day and Date

2009-03-24T06:24:00.001-07:00

I think the main problem is that the industry is simply working with an outdated model.

Here is a classic example – three new bands have released records in the UK on major labels in the past week. LaRoux, Little Boots and Filthy Dukes. All three are electronic (the 80s are back.. again) bands, not the kind you would like I guess, but I enjoy them. One can see plenty of videos on You Tube for these bands; hear their music (you know, like you used to hear new songs on the radio!)

So they have released records over the past two weeks in the UK, even charted. Under the old model (last updated mid 90s) the majors let the artist build in the UK and then a few months later (or many months later) they sub-license the record out to one of their US sister labels. Meanwhile if you really like the music you buy the import CD single for $10.

Well, that was the old model. Trouble is now with this new fangled intetynet I don’t have to wait 9 months for the US release or shell out a tenspot for the import single- I can do a quick blog search on Hypem and find people who have posted the songs in their blogs.

That’s right Bob, I stole! Look, I went to iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, trying to find the file to purchase, but it simply was not there. So I guess I stole it. For the record I will probably buy some of these guys on CD when it does come out here, but not everything.

If the movie industry has figured out that day and date release is a good way to get ahead of piracy why hasn’t the music industry? I know that Madonna or similar big bands get day and date, but whey not the smaller bands? I am guessing it has to do with the focus on first week sales. If say Little Boots was released here right now it would probably not sell well the first week – too little time for set up, etc. But you would get sales. And I think you could also get bigger sales down the road. There is still room for artists who build (just ask Adele).

the old model of doing it territory by territory is dead, imho.

2009-03-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

There is a new Empire State Human album "Audio Gothic,"out April 14th 2009

- you can pre order the album and get a cool t shirt too:
(here is a paste up of the design >>>>>>)

This package deal is limited to 50 copies and will be shipped before April 14th.
Please tell us if you want large or X large shirts.

CD & T Shirt is $22 for US/Canada/Mexico
$33 overseas airmail.

North American order use this button (paypal takes credit cards as well)

Overseas Airmail use this button:

Airmail Orders for AUdio Gothic pkg

label wrap up news March 19

2009-03-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.myspace.com/thegarlandcultofficial
Check out Myspace to hear TGC's cover of Generations of Love - orignally released by Boy George. There is also a new song "Glory Glory"
TGC explains why they did the song -
Dear friends,
In a surprise move .. to all involved ... we are returning TGC to the studio to record a special cover of "Generations Of Love" by Jesus Loves You, which once we're happy with the mix, we've an agreement in place with 100% Boy http://www.boygeorgeuk.com/ to exclusively host the free download/release of it to all fans of Boy George. We're in talks with Stuey (100% Boy) to complete the artwork and also with the proposal of getting a video shot with the help of a true fan of George in the US. We hope that happens, as all promo options are vital these days ...

Regards,
Aidan & Lar
TGC

Very cool song btw- worth checking out, some great guitar work.

The Empire State Human CD is in press, I sent the files to IODA to upload, so look for it in the next week or so on Amazon, iTunes.

I also sent the Gary Flanagan set, so that should start popping up to.

Lastly, I sent out the United Synthpop Artists 2 set as well. This is a fund rasier for people involved at the Church shooting (the one a few months ago, not the most recnet. Jesus, that was a depressing setence to type...) in Knoxville at the Unitarian church. Bobby clark (Synthetik FM) put it together and it really is the cream of the current synthpop scene.
Tracks:
01 - Hand On The Gun - Empire State Human
02 My Hapiness - Synthetik FM
03 - Sometimes - Nukleon
04 - So Sweet The Promise - Seven Words
05 - The Other Side - Wave In Head
06 - Far Beyond The Stars - Ganymede
07 - Out Of Space - I Satellite
08- Patience Waiting - Haberdashery
09 - Days After Night - Davidmahr 1
10 - All Fall Down - Hypersoul
11 - If Not Now When - Color Theory
12 - Lives Balanced On A Grave - Spurious!
13 - Oxygenius - Cosmicity
14 - Summer Tide - Bit Pixel
15 - Despite All Our Worries - Gary Flanagan
15 - Holding On - Tony Reed
17 - Bloom - Eloquent
18- Our Children's Garden- Paris By Air

I iwll let you guys know when it is out. All (and I mean all!) proceeds go to this worthy cause :-)

Help Color Theory

2009-03-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Could not have said ti better myself, so here is an email I got this morning. I second Bobby 100%

Hi everyone ...

As you all may or may not know, one of my passions is producing and promoting modern synthpop and electronic music, most of it inspired by 80's bands like Erasure, Depeche Mode, Human League, and Pet Shop Boys.

One of my longtime friends in the underground electronic scene for many years is Brian Hazard, who goes under the stage name of Color Theory. I have been listening to his music since 2001, and his style is modern electronic mixed with piano ballads. Anyway, quite recently, he entered a song of his, "If it's my time to go", into the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and placed first in the electronic category.

While this is quite an accomplishment (the JLSC is a very prestigious award) the next round of judging begins this Thursday, where Brian's song will go up against someone else. The judging is based on internet votes, and whoever wins this contest will get a 1,000 CD package and a 1 in 12 chance for $20,000 cash!

If you'd like to help out (and for me, it'd be much appreciated) please go to http://colortheory.com/help and have a listen to this song ... the voting will begin this Thursday, and runs from March 19 to April 27. You are allowed to vote once on each of these days.

I hope nobody minds me posting this here, but Brian is a really good friend of mine who has been struggling to catch a break with his music, and this just might be the big one for him! Plus, his music is really good too.

Thanks a bunch ...

Bobby

Empire State Human - Audio Gothic Pre Orders

2009-03-12T07:33:00.001-07:00

In celebration of the imminent release of their new album, here is a video to an edit (the album version has a very cool intro) of the title track to the new Empire State Human album "Audio Gothic". It is out April 14th 2009

Hey! And also just announced (what a remarkable coincidence) - you can pre order the album and get a cool t shirt too:
(here is a paste up of the design >>>>>>)

This package deal is limited to 50 copies and will be shipped before April 14th.
Please tell us if you want large or X large shirts.

CD & T Shirt is $22 for US/Canada/Mexico
$33 overseas airmail.

Order before April 1 and we'll include the new album by Figaro (a side project from ESH lead singer Aidan Casserly).

North American order use this button (paypal takes credit cards as well)

Overseas Airmail use this button:

Airmail Orders for AUdio Gothic pkg

Why Amazon isn't going away, why NASA endures

2009-03-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

A lot of digital music services have been touted as "iTunes killers." Pretty much all o fthem except maybe eMusic have failed. eMusic has a great model, but limited selection. It's never going to kill iTnes.
A lot of people had high hopes for Amazon. And they should, but not because it is going to kill iTunes, but because it will keep iTunes honest. Digital stores may come and go, but Amazon probably won't. Here's why - Amazon isn't in it to make a fortune selling MP3s. [And neither is iTunes, after all the main point to to drive purchases of iPods].
But unlike iTunes, Amazon can/should make money from MP3s, just not directly. When I go to iTunes to buy a song, or even a low riced album for $5.99 - I do just that- I buy the song, 99 cents, and leave, happy.
Amazon, and all of you Amazon junkies will attest to this, is an entirely different story. I go to Amazon to pick up Lily Allen for $1.99, remember my son wanted a new Shaun the Sheep video and that I needed a gift for my Aunt's birthday and $87.55 later I check out. And yes, I got the MP3, but Amazon had much more.

I know that iTunes has movies, books, apps, but come on. Amazon has everything, including the kitchen sink.

It has gotten to the point now where I go to Amazon first to price things (and often order) before I go anywhere else, or even go to local store.

So I don;t see Amazon getting out of the download business anytime soon- even if they sell things for $1.99, look at it as a loss leader. iTunes will have enough trouble selling enough iPods to make up for losses at $1.99, other services simply won't be able to even think about making up the losses.

I would place my bet on Amazon in the long run.

My second part today focuses on the swedish group NASA. Their album and two singles are among our top sellers this week on Amazon's MP3 pages. (click here to see). NASA still sells well even now, almost 10 years later. Part of it may have to do with some new collaboration called N.A.S.A. (David Bryne, MIA, Santigold and others working with Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon) Maybe some people assume that the Ninthwave album (from 1999 people!) is somehow related...Hey, I don't think people will be dissapointed.
But I think the main reason it continues to do well is that, uhm, well, it is good music. Not just good electro or synthpop, but good music, songs you could sing with juts a guitar and a campfire if you wanted to.

top digital sellers of 2008

2009-03-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

OK, so why is this 3 months late? Well, digital services seemd to be about 2 months behind, then IODA takes a month and here we are in MArch getting December sales reports.

Still. Some interesting stuff - in 2008 we sold 676 digital albums, or about 48% of album sales (tomorrow I will work out track sales and album-equivilant sales). That's up from I think about 35% last year. I fully expect 2009 to be over 50% digital album sales. One main factor is that this year I am less likely to release a CD than just to pop up an album.

Here are the top 11 - all sold double digits :-)
1 - Smile DK - Party Around the World
2. Matinee Club (R.I.P.) - The Modern LP
3. Melody & Mezzo - Nightshade
4. Melody & Mezzo - I Wanna Be Your Star
5. Spray - Children of a Laser God
6. Heaven 17 - Hands Up To Heaven - The Qubiq Mixes
7. Spray - Living In Neon
8. Heaven 17 - Hands Up To Heaven - The DJ Mixes
9. Various - Electricity III
10. Spray - I Am Gothic Remix EP
11. Empire State Human - Rarity?

#6 seems odd, but most services have it as "album only" so you have to buy both songs to get it, hence all sales are "album sales. "

Hear some of the new ESH album now!

2009-03-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

OK folks, I updated the ninthwave web page to add some tracks from the new ESH album today
http://www.ninthwaverecords.com/

Go there now to listen :-)

Some related ESH news - I got word that the album will be out.avaliable April 14 2009. But don;t rush over to Amazon just yet, I am planning a cool offer for pre orders that will come with a limited edition (50) T Shirt designed by band member Aidan Casserly. I will probably have stuff up later this week on how to get it.

3 mps for you today

2009-03-06T11:42:00.000-08:00

OK folks
Three little tunes for you to hear:

Astromill- Kansas

Electroluvs - Kitchen Sink

and Ric Autobahn's album sampler megamix "The Format"

download here!

enjoy your weekend!