MUSIC DIRECTOR AT WRXP NEW YORK RESIGNS -- Bryan Schock, MD and on-air personality at Triple A WRXP New York, leaves the building to relocate back to southern California for personal reasons. Schock programmed Alternative 91X San Diego for many years prior to the move to NY. Does he know something we don't about Emmis' plans for the New York signal? The ratings have been horrible since they've signed on ...Stay tuned! We wish the best of luck to Mr. Schock - he's one of the good ones.

WHAT'S UP AT BUZZNET? After laying off more than 10% of its workforce before the holidays, some more have left the building this past week. Jeezus.

INTERSCOPE LAYS OFF 75 STAFFERS TODAY -- That's the unconfirmed report we're getting - very quietly, 75 folks in various departments were handed pink slips. Not good.

KORDA MARSHALL RELAUNCHES INFECTIOUS RECORDS -- (ripped straight from Music Week) -- Marshall, who founded Infectious in 1994, has teamed up with his one-time business partner, Mushroom Records founder Michael Gudinski and music, theatre and sports entrepreneur Michael Watt, who have both taken a significant shareholding in the new company.

The first signing to Infectious Records are Australian band The Temper Trap, who are signed in Australia to Gudinski’s Liberation Music.

Marshall, who left Warner Music in October 2008, says “I’m incredibly excited about going back to running an independent label. These are really interesting times for the music industry, which continues to evolve and although there are still big challenges to overcome I believe there are fantastic opportunities for labels who are willing to embrace new ideas and new ways of working with artists.”

In addition to the label Marshall plans to launch music publishing and artist management arms.

Marshall has also hired former Infectious Records executives Pat Carr of Remote Control and Mirelle Davis of Wind Up Bird as consultants to oversee General Management and International Marketing respectively for the new company. He has also engaged Robert Horsfall and Mike Skeet’s teams at Sound Advice to handle the company’s legal and financial affairs.

UPCOMING L.A. SHOWS OF NOTE

Jan 26 -- Bangkok 5 - Roxy
Jan 28 -- Astra Heights - Viper Room
Jan 29 -- Holly Conlan - Hotel Cafe
Feb 2 -- Aushua - Silverlake Lounge
Feb 4 -- Johnny Lloyd Rollins (early 7PM) - Hotel Cafe
Feb 4 -- Little Boots (late) - Spaceland
Feb 10 -- Mark Lanegan - Troubadour
Feb 11 -- Castaneda - Club Moscow (Boardners)
Feb 12 -- Jonneine Zapata - Silverlake Lounge
Feb 18 -- Castaneda - Club Moscow (Boardners)
Feb 21 -- Meiko (w/ Joshua Radin) - Henry Fonda

\m/ \m/

Mar 16 -- Skid Row - House Of Blues
Mar 17 -- Skid Row - Key Club

REBECCA JORDAN (unsigned, unpublished) -- If Corinne Bailey Rae had a smarter, cuter, hippy-dippy L.A.-based cousin, it'd be Rebecca Jordan. She's self-funded and self-released her debut EP, The Trouble With Fiction, and the video of her take on Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams" is currently being featured on mtvU's "The Freshmen" program. Check her MySpace page to hear other songs from the EP - we like "This Town" and "Hey Kid."

Side note: Rebecca (who also sometimes spells her name Rebekah), wrote Kelly Clarkson's song "Beautiful Disaster."

Peep the "Dreams" video here:

LOS ANGELES ALTERNATIVE RADIO SUPPORTING BABY BANDS - L.A.-based TALENTfilter band Iglu & Hartly, who we first reported on in early 2008 (and have since signed with Mercury in the UK and Universal Republic in the U.S.), have their first single, "In This City" officially added into regular rotation on L.A. Alt-outlet KROQ. As there is no 'official' add date set, this is a huge score - and will more than likely make the Uni Republic folks rush the single to the rest of the Alternative radio panel. Woo hoo!

Indie 103-1 Los Angeles has been heavily supporting Brooklyn-based Amazing Baby as of late. Their song "Head Dress" is in a solid all-daypart rotation. While the band's MySpace page states that they're signed to "psilocybe", we know that the announcement of a major label signing is coming shortly.

TALENTFILTER UNSIGNED ARTIST UPDATE - Some of the artists we've written about on the blog are steadily building some traction on their own without the help of a record label - here's a bit of an update:


HOLLY CONLAN (unsigned, unpublished) had her song "OK" featured on this week's episode of "90210" - another one of her tracks, "You Are Goodbye" on this week's episode. A regular performer at L.A.'s Hotel Cafe, her holiday track was included on the venue's Hotel Cafe Presents: Winter Songs compilation (Epic) - she'll perform at the Hotel Cafe on January 28. KCRW Los Angeles loves her, iTunes loves her ('single of the week' this summer) - you should too.

GAVIN CASTLETON (unpublished), signed to uber-indie Five One Records, recently recorded (and videotaped) a remake of the Prince classic "Nothing Compares 2 U" which is f**king mind-blowing - this YouTube link was forwarded to us by a manager:

N@th1ng C@mpare$2U (cover) live


It won't be released, but it'll certainly help create awareness of Gavin as an artist. His album titled Home will be released by Five One in mid-February, and the first single, "Coffeelocks", will be serviced to Alternative Specialty radio this week. Hear "Coffeelocks" here.

Eighteen year-old Hermosa Beach singer/songwriter KATIE COSTELLO (unsigned, unpublished) has moved to the east coast - several labels including Jive and Atlantic have shown serious interest. Katie has dates on both coasts posted on her MySpace page.





JOHNNY LLOYD ROLLINS (unsigned, unpublished) has picked up a significant amount of label interest since we wrote about him after last year's incredible performance at Sundance - he'll be in Los Angeles meeting with labels and publishers in February, and has a show confirmed at the Hotel Cafe on February 4. Expect multiple majors in attendance.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! While you're recovering over the weekend, take a sec to mark these dates on your calendar - we'll have some unsigned artist updates, industry nooz and new acts to tip you to during the week:

Jan 5 -- Low Stars (and Sarah Bareilles but shhh) - Hotel Cafe
Jan 9 -- Chloe Leighton - Hotel Cafe
Jan 15 -- Meiko - Hotel Cafe
Jan 28 -- Astra Heights - Viper Room
Feb 4 -- Johnny Lloyd Rollins - Hotel Cafe

Seems the bookers at every other venue in Los Angeles aside from the Hotel Cafe forgot about bands for January! Yikes.