WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE A&R DEPT. AT CAPITOL MUSIC GROUP? Our TALENTfilter moles are hearing of a mass exodus over the next few weeks...stay tuned!

TALENTFILTER ARTIST UPDATE

Brendan James (Featured in June 2007) -- Now signed to Decca/Velour, Brendan will see a Spring release for his debut album, The Day Is Brave -- The first single will be “Green.” Brendan is still available for publishing – get on this pubcos!

Jessie Baylin (Featured in March 2007) -- Now signed to Verve Forecast, Ms. Baylin is taking part in some of the Hotel Café Tour dates and will continue on the road through the end of May, opening for Newton Faulkner and Teitur.

Andrew Paul Woodworth (Featured in March 2007) -- This L.A.-based singer/songwriter's latest album has been licensed by Rodeostar for Europe. He will embark on a trip overseas in April for a month of dates in Germany ...Woodworth is still available for licensing outside of Europe, as well as publishing, management and booking.

Kate Walsh (Featured in March 2007) -- Now signed to Mercury UK and Verve US, will embark on the “Amoeba Music Tour” of the States in May with another TALENTfilter artist, Quincy Coleman.

Rebekah LeBeau (Featured in January 2008) -- Rebekah has had her song “Nobody Has To Know” licensed and featured in the March 24 episode of MTV’s “The Hills”. Rebekah is available for management, signing and publishing.

Lionel Neykov (Featured in January 2008) -- This talented young NY-based singer/songwriter had one of his home-made videos (for the song “Freeze My Senses”) randomly wind up on the front page of YouTube – the video now sports over 440,000 views and his debut album, Songs Of Want And Loss, shot to the #1 spot on CDBaby’s Best Seller list. Lionel has some NY-area dates lined up in April – check his MySpace page for specifics – he’s available for signing, licensing, publishing, management and booking. Here's the Youtube video:

RANDOM LABEL SIGNING UPDATE -- The Wombats have signed to Roadrunner in the U.S. Their album will be released Stateside on July 29… Victory Records signs The Scenic…Universal Music Publishing has signed Foals… San Diego screamo act Sever Your Ties signs with Solid State... Wichita has signed The Dodos for the UK ...Century Media signs Terror…

THE PANGS (unsigned outside of UK, unpublished) -- Damn. We haven't heard something this refreshing in a while. If Maroon 5 were less femme, from London, shared rehearsal space with Gorillaz and were best buddies with Aphex Twin, they'd sound like The Pangs. Check the video (fucking WICKED -- and made for about 1000 pounds!):

UPCOMING L.A. SHOWS OF NOTE:

Mar 27 -- Bob Schneider -- Safari Sam's
Mar 27 -- Colorforms -- 3 Clubs
Mar 28 -- Camp Lo -- Knitting Factory (c'mon -- remember "Luccini"?)
Apr 1 -- Astra Heights -- Silverlake Lounge
Apr 3 -- Iglu & Hartly -- Viper Room
Apr 7 -- Aushua -- The Echo
Apr 9 -- Whole Wheat Bread -- Knitting Factory
Apr 12 -- The Jakes -- The Roxy
Apr 13 -- Meiko, Holly Conlan -- El Rey
Apr 19 -- Stacy Clark -- Hotel Cafe
Apr 19 -- Anal Blast, Meat Shits (c'mon!!!) -- Knitting Factory
Apr 23 -- Lucinda Williams, Zack de la Rocha, John Doe, Michael Franti, Meiko -- Skirball Center
Apr 27 -- Dead Rock West -- The Echo
Apr 28 -- MUSEXPO Conference -- House Of Blues Sunset
Apr 29 -- MUSEXPO Conference -- House Of Blues Sunset
Apr 30 -- MUSEXPO Conference -- House Of Blues Sunset

WE BLEW IT... Apologies to the folks who'd asked for our SXSW Tip Sheet... We got really busy preparing for this year's festivities and totally slept on posting it...

Check back next week, though, for a full TALENTfilter recap!

(or...check in throughout the week to see if we decide to post some late-night drunken showcase reviews -- YEEE HAWWW!!!)

WBCN BOSTON GOES BACK TO THE '90S: From AllAccess -- Alternativ(ish) WBCN Boston announces the return of the "WBCN River Rave" on June 1st at the Tweeter Center with (seriously) Stone Temple Pilots, Filter, Everlast, Pennywise and more to be announced. What the shit?! Who's the "more" gonna be, Spacehog? Tracy Bonham? Primitive Radio Gods? Geez, ya think Geggy Tah is available? Maybe Edwyn Collins?

Anyway, the other cool thing they're bringing back is the 30th annual "WBCN Rock N Roll Rumble" -- 24 local bands will compete for a whole-bunch-of- stuff-that-helps-bands-out and a spot on that 90's-rific stage. Last year's winner was Township.

Harvey Danger maybe? Cornershop? What's Ruth Ruth doin' these days? OK we'll stop.

UNSIGNED TALENTFILTER FAVE PERFORMS
ON KCRW LOS ANGELES

LABEL SIGNINGS UPDATE -- Matt Wertz has signed with Universal/Republic ...This is old news, but Marc Broussard is releasing his new EP through Atlantic ...Thieves And Villains sign with Victory ...Finnish folksters Real Ones signed with Warner Music Norway ...San Diego's We Shot The Moon have signed with The Militia Group ...in the world of metttalllll, Pittsburgh's Hero Destroyed has signed with Relapse ...Medeia inks with Fullsteam Records ...Metalcore act Century have signed with Prosthetic ...experimental act Pyramids have signed with Hydrahead

(Got any label signing news? Get it over to us at TALENTfilter@gmail.com)

UPCOMING L.A. SHOWS OF NOTE:

Feb 28 -- AM, Simon Lynge, Meiko, Kelly Dalton, NK Band, Low Stars -- Knitting Factory
Feb 28 -- Fleet Foxes -- Troubadour
Mar 3 -- The Airborne Toxic Event --Troubadour
Mar 7 -- The Jakes, Billy Boy On Poison -- Roxy
Mar 20 -- The Answer, Carlotta -- Viper Room

CLEAR CHANNEL PULLS THE PLUG ON SOME HD RADIO STATIONS -- After conducting a survey of 340 HD2 stations to determine their programming needs, the folks at Clear Channel have dumped a number of their HD 'Format Lab' stations due to a lack of demand. According to the Clear Channel Format Lab website, 46 HD stations are left to carry, including stations with names including "Standing Room Only Showtunes" (Broadway, theatrical and movie musical selections), "Pride Radio" (a channel for the Gay community), "JokeJoke" (all comedy, all the time) and "Wack Comedy" (Seriously. It's called "Wack Comedy").

UNJUST (unsigned, unpublished, no management) -- Bay Area rockers Unjust have been around for almost a decade and we've been following their slooooooooooow but steady progress for a few years now. Their last album, 2003's Glow, garnered some solid specialty radio airplay across the U.S. on commercial Alternative stations (in fact hometown Alt-outlet Live 105 has been and continues to be a strong supporter), and was released on ultra-indie Koolarrow Records (owned by Faith No More bassist Billy Gould). The album featured hooky melodic Alt-rock -- think of them as the best songs the Deftones never wrote.

Their new offering, To Lose A Name, picks up where they left off with Glow, but with 'kicked-up' guitar riffs, super-big production and angst-riddled vocals. This one was built for folks who wish My Chemical Romance wore less makeup, Muse was less British, Dredg had some hits and Mike Patton hadn't fallen completely off his rocker. Peep the song "It's Not Enough." Ready-made for KROQ, ready-made for BBC One. Quick, get Kevin Weatherly and Zane Lowe on the horn!

UPCOMING L.A. SHOWS OF NOTE

Feb 7 -- Meiko -- Hotel Cafe
Feb 7 -- Troy This -- Viper Room
Feb 18 -- Colorforms -- Viper Room
Feb 19 -- Meiko, Stacy Clark -- Hotel Cafe

KROQ LOS ANGELES ADDS UNSIGNED BAND INTO REGULAR ROTATION -- This past week, Alternative KROQ Los Angeles officially added The Airborne Toxic Event's "Sometime Around Midnight" into regular rotation. Quite a feat considering that regular rotation slots are few and far between on the musically conservative station and they're almost always reserved for major label priority artists. This song is fantastic, and we're very excited for the band! Check it out on their MySpace page. Expect maximum weaseltude at their Spaceland show Thursday night, January 31st. they're unsigned and unpublished, booked by Paradigm.

JOHNNY LLOYD ROLLINS (unsigned, unpublished) -- TALENTfilter is up in Park City Utah doing some 'Sundancing' -- and we're SO psyched to have seen Dallas' Johnny Lloyd Rollins perform with his band, The All Nighters (arguably Dallas' best musicians). This was SERIOUSLY A+ stuff.

Imagine a young, super-good-looking guitarist/frontman with a voice that's a melding of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Paul McCartney, and ...erm...that dude from Train. Backed up by the BEST Led Zeppelin cover band you've ever heard in your life. We mean that in the most overly-complimentary of ways.

Johnny's album, Let's Get Poor Together, features some really well-written songs with multi-format radio potential (and by that we mean AAA, Hot and Modern A/C, Top 40, and even Country)...

So let's see: Great band with great songs, good-looking singer, fantastic live show and more radio-friendly than half the crap currently being serviced to radio (have you looked at FMQB's "Available For Airplay" list lately? Who the hell is SIGNING this garbage??)

We heard a new star last night and his name is Johnny Lloyd Rollins. This guy will be signed before the Summer. Get on it.

(If you're still at Sundance, he's doing a show today [1/26] at the Star Bar on Main Street at 4:30)

Q+A W/5FDP -- We had a chance to catch up with one of our favorite bands we'd tipped you to in the past -- Five Finger Death Punch. ...Alright, who are we kidding -- we didn't catch up with them -- the band's PR people forwarded our questions on to them. Still, though, they were cool enough to answer them, so here's where we do the ol' cuttin' an' pastin':

When we came across your album in early '07, you guys were pretty much living in the DIY world. As we watch more and more bands decide to NOT renew their contracts with their respective record labels, what was appealing to you guys about potentially singing to a label?

I cant really speak for other bands choosing not to renew. I can tell you that we choose to sign with The Firm because of who they are and how truly excited they were to work 'with' us. We are extremely fortunate to have a unique relationship with The Firm that you really wont find elsewhere.

What, specifically, about The Firm was the most appealing to you?

For me personally, it was not only their reputation but the energy and excitement they presented to us from day one.

Some say that having a label also acting as your manager is a conflict of interest. No checks & balances, etc. Why were you OK with entering into an arrangement like this with The Firm?

'Some' say things all the time. I think what's important to understand is that if you enter the conversation with concerns of 'checks and balances', you're in a negative arena mentally. I think its crucial to work with people and share a mutual respect. We work together with Label and Management. It's in everyone's best interest to work towards the same goal and in doing so, we help each other instead of fighting for power.

What are some of the things The Firm has done for you so far in your relationship that impress you?

I am most impressed by their commitment to 5FDP. They are an extremely talented group of people who do everything they say they will and more. The door is always open and we have the ability to converse (about) any topic 24/7. I really couldn't have asked for more in Label/Management.

While the TALENTfilter blog is read mainly by music business executives, we do have some aspiring artists as regular readers. What kind of advice could you give them regarding what to look for or what to watch out for when being approached by a record label?

Well, do your homework first. It is imperative that if given choices for labels, you deal with the correct label for your project. I have seen a lot of artists going for the biggest bang when what you really need is a group who truly understands your genre and is the "right fit" for what you trying to achieve.
Are you still available for publishing? If so, what are you looking for in a potential publisher?

I can't comment on that at this time.

Tell us briefly what lies ahead for 5FDP in 2008.

2008 will be a huge year for 5FDP. We're doing some new videos, and writing some new material. We're so excited to be touring again this summer -- it's like a race horse waiting for the gate to open. We have such an amazing fan base (the KNUCKLEHEADS) who make the shows truly amazing. It's what FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is all about. True metal, amazing energy, solid shows and as corny as it sounds, GOOD TIMES!!!

STACY CLARK (unsigned, unpublished) -- Take Björk, Dolores O'Riordan, Imogen Heap and Lisa Loeb, stick 'em all on a deserted island, "Lost"-style, with the two dudes from The Postal Service and maybe the kids from OneRepublic or The Fray, let 'em all run around naked, singing and writing, writing and singing, and the sonic outcome would probably sound similar to the music heard on Stacy Clark's debut full-length Apples & Oranges. This Buffalo, NY native, now residing in Orange County, CA, is gearing up for a spring/summer West coast tour, and we wanted to make sure you're aware of her material. Really great stuff -- super-syncable, catchy as hell. Check her MySpace page for a couple of songs, but pick up her album from iTunes as well -- there are some gems on there, fer realzies. You can catch Stacy on our HunnyPot friends' radio show (www.hunnypotunlimited.com) on Jan. 28, and if you live in SoCal, she'll perform at the Hotel Cafe on Jan. 31.

LIONEL NEYKOV (unsigned, unpublished) -- Fans of David Gray, Damien Rice and even Paolo Nutini will immediately gravitate toward NYC-based singer/songwriter Lionel Neykov. His recently completed full-length called Songs Of Want And Loss is quite great. Looks as if he's doing all the right things to help create awareness of the material this early in the game, especially sans record label. Peep his MySpace page for a couple of homemade 'me & my guitar' videos, and be sure to listen to "Hey Ruth" and "I Want You". The album is now available through iTunes and CDBaby. Bottom line is this: Lionel has the potential to be a song-licensing ANIMAL. He's worth signing based on that alone. 'Nuff said.

AUSHUA (unsigned, unpublished) -- We've been fans of Orange County's Aushua since seeing them live back in the Fall of last year. Figured it's time we hip you to their hipness. They're working on a new EP right now and will tentatively showcase at SXSW in March with a tour to follow in the Summer. Labels and publishers should reach out, shake hands, and play nice with these guys NOW, before every other industry douche jumps into the ring. They're managed by the same guys who rep Cold War Kids, Thrice & Rufio. Hit up brett@newnoisemanagement.com for music and info.

HOLY CRAP -- BIG RADIO NEWS! Our spies in Atlanta Georgia tell us that WNNX (99X), one of the best Alternative radio stations in the U.S., is flipping formats to a more Rock-leaning outlet, and longtime programmer / morning show co-host Leslie Fram has left the building.

NEW YEAR, NEW COLOR SCHEME ...AND SOME NEW ARTISTS!
The pink was startin' to bug us, to be honest. Time to mix it up a little bit. Please do check out some of the acts we've got featured in that Amazon.com widget down there on the right -- can't hurt to click on a couple of acts any support them by buying their MP3's right? Anyway, here are a couple new artists we've come across lately. Love to hear what you think about 'em.

REBEKAH LEBEAU (unsigned, unpublished, no management) – 26 year-old L.A.-based singer/songwriter Rebekah LeBeau recently put up a MySpace page featuring three newly-recorded songs – all three are GREAT, hooky, radio-friendly hits. No shit. Word has it she’s got more written and is in the process of getting them tracked – we’ll keep you posted, but remember where you heard about this girl first! Seriously, tweak the production a bit and tell me you can't hear these songs all over Hot/Modern A/C radio. Sign her up, silly rabbits!!

FIRE IN CAIRO (unsigned, unpublished) – L.A./Orange County, CA - based four-piece Fire In Cairo has been garnering some regular love from local ‘World Famous’ Alt-outlet KROQ – and no, they’re not a Cure cover band. It’s early days on the development front, but they’ve got three demo tracks posted on their MySpace page that are quite good. Connect these guys in with the right producer, keep them out on the road for a bit and you just might have yourself a successful new Alt-Rock act with U.S. AND U.K. appeal!

2007 TALENTFILTER RECAP

As 2007 comes to a close, we’d like to take some time to highlight some of the artists we’ve written about in this first year of the TALENTfilter blog. A handful of acts have made great strides and we’d like to congratulate them for their hard work. The main goal of this blog has been to help label and publishing execs find new talent to work with. To 'filter' through all the clutter and present the cream of the crop. Yes, in certain months we’ve strayed from the path and wrote about industry goings-on, but you have to admit, it’s been a wild year and some things just HAD to get reported.

We feel we do a pretty darned good job getting you the early scoop on things – if you’ve got any suggestions as to how we can make the blog better, though, we’d love to hear from you! E-mail us with ideas or thoughts – we’ll hit ya back for sure. Anyway, have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Team TALENTfilter
talentfilter@gmail.com

In February 2007 we featured the L.A.-based hard rock act Five Finger Death Punch. At the time, they were unsigned and unpublished, with no major management. The group was eventually approached by The Firm, and a profit-sharing label/management deal was struck. On the first week of its release, the group’s debut The Way Of The Fist LP landed on the Billboard 200 chart, while the first single, “The Bleeding” became the Most Added record to rock/metal radio in the U.S. A couple of weeks later, the album claimed the Number One spot on Billboard's New Artists chart. The Way Of The Fist has ‘Scanned over 50,000 copies since its rele ase, and “The Bleeding” is currently #15 with a bullet on the Active Rock chart.

In March we did a piece about an unsigned singer/songwriter from Brighton, England named Kate Walsh who we’d accidentally (but happily!) seen perform a daytime two-song set at a SXSW party in Austin. In March, she put her self-recorded Tim’s House album on sale through iTunes UK, and the folks at iTunes featured her song “Talk Of the Town” as a “Free Single Of the Week.” This exposure helped Tim’s House rocket to the top of the iTunes UK Top 100 Albums chart (knocking Amy Winehouse from the top spot!), and THEN the major labels came a’sniffin. Kate did a deal with UMG’s Mercury Records, and sales to date have exceeded 35,000 copies. Verve Music Group will release Tim’s House in the U.S. on January 29 (catch her perform on Conan O'Brien on 1/28). Click here for a 12/28 story about Kate (looks like someone at Billboard has been readi ng the ol’ TALENTfilter blog – their January 5, 2008 feature mentions a BUNCH of artists we’ve tipped you to).

Also in March, we featured the then-unsigned, un-managed L.A. chanteuse Jessie Baylin. We were admittedly a bit late-to-feature Ms. Baylin, whom we’d become fans of WAY before March, but these things happen. EVERY label wanted to do a recording deal – and Jessie resisted. Finally, after a few successful tours, Jessie put together a deal with Verve Forecast and secured management. In November she headed to Nashville and began recording what will be her debut full-length. According to management, she’s working with producer Roger Moutenot (Rogue Wave, Yo La Tengo) and has more than a few A-list players on board lending their skills. Jessie is taking some time over the holidays to travel in Australia, but we look forward to hearing the outcome of her Nashville sessions!

In May, we tipped you to the then unsigned, unpublished Staten Island singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson. If you’re in the film/TV music supervision world, you were more than likely already very familiar with Michaelson, as her songs had been featured in shows including "Grey’s Anatomy", "One Tree Hill", "The Real World: Denver", "The Bad Girls' Club" and a Canadian Chevy TV ad. If you program specialty radio in the U.S., you may have known about her, too. Her album, Girls & Boys, was digitally self-released in 2006, but over the summer, Ingrid put together a very creative deal with Original Signal Records – they (and RED Distribution) did a physical release of Girls & Boys in September, with Michaelson retaining ownership of her masters (and publishing). Since then, more key TV placements have come (including the HUGE Old Navy campaign), a great radio story building (#6 at AAA, #20 at Hot A/C), VH1 “You Oughta Know” status, a "Last Call with Carson Daly" performance, press up the wazoo, and sold-out shows across the country. To date, Girls & Boys has reached #2 on the iTunes Pop chart and has ‘Scanned approx. 70,000 copies.

June brought a bit of an industry buzz regarding Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Brendan James. James, who had been signed to Capitol but dropped when the label merged with Virgin, recorded some FANTASTIC new material with the advance money he’d walked away with. He placed an EP on sale at iTunes and has sold over 26,000 singles, also reaching #11 on the iTunes Alternative chart. After numerous label discussions, Brendan recently decided to sign a profit-sharing deal with Universal/Decca. A May 2008 release date is set for his full-length, which will be titled The Day Is Brave. “Green” (our favorite track) will be the first single. Brendan is still available for worldwide publishing, but not for long.

UPCOMING LOS ANGELES SHOWS OF NOTE:

Jan 3 -- Airborne Toxic Event -- Spaceland
Jan 4 -- You Me & Iowa -- Spaceland
Jan 9 -- Meiko, Buddy -- Hotel Cafe
Jan 10 -- Dynamite Walls -- Knitting Factory
Jan 14 -- Linda Strawberry -- Viper Room
Jan 14 -- Matthew Moon -- Hotel Cafe
Jan 17 -- Lissie -- Troubadour
Jan 18 -- Brian Wright & The Waco Tragedies -- Hotel Cafe
Jan 18 -- Building A Better Spaceship -- The Roxy
Jan 20 -- Jeremy Enigk -- Troubadour
Jan 24 -- Ingrid Michaelson -- Troubadour
Jan 26 -- Miranda Lee Richards -- Troubadour

POPPY CHICKY SIGNINGS -- Universal/Republic has signed pop-country singer Shannon Nicole . They've kicked ass with Colbie Caillat (and of course Amy Winehouse), let's see if they repeat in '08! Also on the label is new/developing artist Schuyler Fisk (check her out at one of her Hotel Café residency dates in January)…

Los Angeles popster Mandi Perkins has inked a deal with Sony/BMG... Her record will be released through a new label venture being spearheaded by Fred Ehrlich, John Ingrassia and Charlie Walk. Larry Hamby will handle A&R duties.

Lots and lots of female artists are bubbling under the radar on both sides of the Atlantic -- Epic Records is currently working Sara Bareilles… Original Signal/RED is kicking butt with Ingrid Michaelson... Jive signing Lesley Roy has been busy readying her debut album, titled Silently Screaming (the first single will reportedly be "Psycho Bitch")…Blue Note has had Priscilla Ahn in the studio for the past six months (?!?) recording her debut full-length…MySpace Records is currently working Kate Voegele...

Across the pond, keep an eye out for Adele, Duffy, Robyn, the continued success of Kate Nash, Scottish singer/songwriter Amy MacDonald, chicky folksters Laura Marling, Kate Walsh and Emmy The Great.

(***Editor's Note: Adele and Amy MacDonald have JUST been added into A-list rotation on BBC Radio 2. BOO YAA!***)

METAL SIGNINGS -- Atlanta band Steadlür have signed with Roadrunner...Dallas rockers Broadcast Sea has signed with indie Pluto Records (they've also got Divide The Day and Horse The Band on the roster)... Tampa, Florida's Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky (swear to God, that's the band name) have signed with Nuclear Blast... Ferret Music has signed San Diego's Lower Definition... Strong Island's Stray From The Path have signed to Sumerian Records.

STAFF CUTBACKS AT INTERSCOPE AND GEFFEN -- WILL THE LABELS SOON MERGE?

From All Access: While there is no official comment on a staff downsizing at INTERSCOPE and GEFFEN RECORDS, or the rumors of a combined promotion staff for both labels, it was a very tough day for everyone. ALL ACCESS has been able to confirm that a number of folks have left the labels.

On the INTERSCOPE side:

Nat'l AC & Hot AC Promo Dir. SCOTT EMERSON leaves after nearly 15 years. Reach him at home at (818) 762-8826 or the cell at (310) 403-4529, or emerdood@aol.com.

CHARLOTTE-based CAROLINA's promo veteran of 18 years JAY LEWIS. Find him at home at (843) 921-1247 or jayamylewis@bellsouth.net.

Tour Marketing exec JENN FEDERICI.

On the GEFFEN side:

Nat'l AC & Hot AC Promo Dir. DARA KRAVITZ is leaving after 8 years. DARA is at dara.gottfried@gmail.com or (917) 554-2468.

NEW YORK-based promotion rep JIMMY FAY. He's available at (917) 721-0243.

BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON veteran DAN WATSON who moves on after 7 years. Get to him at (240) 988-1946 or sd_dan@yahoo.com.

SOUTHEAST Rep BEBOP HOBEL exits after 8 years. Get to BEBOP on the cell at (678) 464-2532 or home at (404) 874-0368, via email at bebopatl@aol.com, bebopatl@bellsouth.net, bebopatl@gmail.com.

Also out at Interscope is longtime A&R guru Mark Williams.

WHOA! WE'RE NOMINATED FOR A MUSIC BLOG AWARD! Lookie! We've been nominated for a Music Blog Award by the readers of music biz blog Hypebot.com (we're nominated in the Best Music Discovery Blog category). Voting begins on Tuesday 12/11 through 12/19. Check it out (and fer fuckssake - vote for us!) at http://hypebot.typepad.com/hypebot/2007/12/announcing-the.html

(KINDA) ABRIDGED REVIEW OF (SOME) TRANSMISSION CONFERENCE ARTIST SHOWCASES -- No reason to get TOO wordy here -- how 'bout we just describe what we saw the way we'd explain it to our A.D.D.-riddled friends (ie: you!) -- Apostle Of Hustle - Cool show...guy from Broken Social Scene and some friends apparently got the Latin percussion bug at some point whilst away from the Great White North...not much more than a quirky little side project from some quirky little artists...we're sure them's fightin' words to some die-hard Canuck fans, but honestly -- not much mass-appeal goin' on here. Attack In Black - Missed 'em. Clare Bowditch - Australian chick who couldn't handle the fact that some drunken conference-goers were talking while she was playing. Boo hoo. Her songs are rad, though, and perfect for film/TV sync licensing. Live show left us WAY un-impressed, but the tunes rule. Signed to EMI in AU...not sure about the rest of the world. Dan Mangan - We're big fans of Dan. Mellow, and there are certainly a shit-ton of 'old-soul' male singer/songwriters out there, but Dan has great songs, he's a good guy, and he'd work his ass off if a label would back his play. Die Mannequin - Whoa. So, we got to the venue a little late, walked to the bar for some drinks, and before we knew it, Care Failure (sexy female vocalist/guitarist) ran from the stage, jumped onto the bar (foliding tables) and kicked cups and Jack Daniels bottles all over the floor. One of the very few RAWK moments of this kinda-uptight Canadian conference. Didn't even realize there were some dudes still onstage playing with her. This chick is a rock star. they need to get outta Canada (with the greatest respect, of course, to our friends up North). Eleni Mandell - Meh...not much to say here. Hayley Sales - She's sexy, but that's about it. Les Breastfeeders - Missed 'em. Sorry. Meiko - She rules. We've written about her a million times. 'Nuff said. Mother Mother - Gotta say -- this group REALLY impressed us. If the B-52's were in their 20's and were doing their best Tegan & Sara imitation, they'd sound close to Mother Mother. Or...if the Dixie Chicks were into quirky indie rock (and from Canada) and had their femme older cousin as the 'frontman'...you get the idea. We think there's something here but they've signed a worldwide deal with Last Gang Records (???) so we wish 'em luck. Patrick Watson - WHOA. We're gonna drop a couple names here, but don't immediately guffaw, ok? Wow we just typed 'guffaw'. This guy is Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley squished into one. Fuckin' A. Someone please steal him from Secret City Records (what tha?!?) SICK live show. Head ana shsoulders above almost everyone else. Meiko was better, but we dig chicks. Plants And Animals - Eh...a little too 'indie' for us. Pride Tiger - Good RAWK. They like Thin Lizzy a LOT. Corrosion of Conformity too. Signed to EMI Canada. Hopefully they build up enough of a story to have one of the EMI labels pick 'em up Stateside. Did we mention they like Thin Lizzy? Like...a LOT?? Rubik - Talented young Finnish band -- singer has a WICKED voice, but their songs aren't really well-structured. Shout out out out out - Missed em. Mainly 'cuz a bunch of Canadian hipsters were running around asking if anyone was 'staying for Shoot oot oot oot oot'. Smoosh - Aww! We've seen these girls before, but now the 13 year-old drummer Chloe and 15 year-old singer/keyboardist Asya has their 11 year-old sister on bass! SO CUTE! For ten minutes. Then we did shots. Sweet Thing - This new EMI Canada signing could potentially have worldwide success. Imagine if Ryan Seacrest's twin brother sang Mika songs with Robbie Williams' backing band. We DARE ya not to dance. The Acorn - Missed 'em.

AXE FALLS AT COLUMBIA RECORDS -- Lots of folks in artist development, tour marketing and publicity were let go at Columbia Records on Friday. VP Rock/Alternative Promotion JJ Grossman is also out. This does NOT bode well for 2008 Columbia releases from AC/DC and Aerosmith, follow-up singles from Bruce Springsteen and Coheed & Cambria, and new projects including The Coral, Pat Monahan (from Train), Absentstar, MGMT, Luna Halo, Soulsavers and Manchester Orchestra (among others). Anyway, we wish everyone lots of luck finding new gigs (we wish the BANDS luck, too).

A&R CUTS AT ISLAND/IDJMG - According to some postings on the Velvet Rope, Island/IDJMG U.S. has cut some folks (and their hefty salaries) from the staff -- Rob Stevenson and his whole Stolen Transmission label (& staff), Paul Pontius, and Greg Thompson are all out. Yikes. Merry X-Mas, guys. While the money Island is saving on paying these guys could get Third World countries out of debt, layoffs before the holidays blow.

Rumors of SonyBMG and Universal also going through big cuts in January, right after what will more than likely be a shite holiday season for music sales. Ho Ho Ho!