RADIOHEAD TO ATO -- DONE DEAL? The rumor floating around for about a week or so has been that the ATO/Red Light Management folks have been meeting with the Radiohead team...

Makes sense -- Ron Laffitte, former Capitol A&R exec, is now at the label/mgmt. co., as is Phil Costello, who formerly headed up Capitol's Radio Promo staff...

With Will Botwin, Bruce Flohr and Corin Capshaw heading up the ATO/Red Light team, what better company is there to align with? I mean, aside from doing it all themselves -- they're f'in RADIOHEAD after all!

(**UPDATE: New reliable sources tell us that the deal ISN'T done and Warner Bros. Records is still has their hat in the ring.

Another question - Will the band suffer fan backlash after word gets out about their plans to release their CD with bonus tracks not available as part of their much reported-about 'pay what you want' album download? If we payed ten bucks for the download and have to buy the album all over again to get the extra tracks, we're very happy to punch Thom Yorke in the throat!)

WHAT'S UP AT YAHOO! MUSIC? Rumor has it half the music staff has been handed their walking papers...

UPCOMING LOS ANGELES SHOWS OF NOTE:

Sept 25 - Meiko - Hotel Cafe
Sept 25 - Dead Rock West - Bordello
Sept 26 - Buddy - Bordello
Sept 27 - Fire Rocket Red - Troubadour
Sept 28 - Jim Bianco - Hotel Cafe
Sept 29 - Conspiracy Of Thought - Viper Room
Sept 29 - Miranda Lee Richards & Quincy Coleman - Bordello
Sept 30 - Meiko, Eric Hutchinson, others TBA - El Rey
Oct 2 - Eric Hutchinson - Hotel Cafe
Oct 3 - AM - Hotel Cafe
Oct 25 - Girth (Feat. Dena Deadly) - Temple Bar

A&R RUMORS & RUMBLINGS -- Lots of chatter about TALENTfilter artists Jessie Baylin and Brendan James-- will these two fantastic artists BOTH have deals done before month's end? It's Vervy possible that this will Deccanitely be the case! Rick Rubin is reportedly slashing up the Columbia Records roster he inherited -- we hear Aqualung, Perry Farrell's Satellite Party (receiving regular rotation airplay on L.A.'s KROQ and Indie 103-1) and almost ALL of the hip-hop development deals that had been ...well ...developing, will soon be droppity-dropped if they haven't already. Gossip blogger Perez Hilton is putting on a concert in Los Angeles at the El Rey Theatre on Sept. 30 featuring some of his favorite recently-discovered acts -- the sold-out show will include performances by two unsigned artists who have been having some amazing success on iTunes over the past two weeks --L.A. buzz-girl Meiko and Maryland popster (formerly signed to Maverick) Eric Hutchinson.

TALENTFILTER ARTIST UPADTES -- Miranda Lee Richards, once signed to Virgin, is reportedly thiiiis close to signing on the dotted line with Nettwerk...L.A.-based bilingual Rockers Monte Negro (formerly called Madrepore) are rumored to have signed with indie Adrenaline Music Group...Atlanta-based singer Sonia Leigh (first mentioned by TALENTfilter over seven months ago) is in L.A. recording a new album with Marshall Altman...Andrew Paul Woodworth, whose Eddy Ate Dynamite LP will be released in early '08 through Rodeostar Records in Europe, will travel from LaLa Land to Germany for a brief promo stint beginning Sept. 17. The buzz is so strong about this album that almost all of the major European publishers are lining up to talk with him (EMI is supposedly the front-runner in this derby). Woodworth is still without a U.S. deal and is actively searching for management...Unsigned Arizona band Obadiah Parker (first mentioned here in February), whose cover version of Outkast's "Hey Ya" is the #6 Folk song on iTunes, has been chosen to perform at the Alternative KEDJ Phoenix "EdgeFest" on Sept. 29...Unsigned/unpublished L.A.-based singer/songwriter Meiko is featured on the front page of iTunes this week -- she's currently got the #1 Folk album on iTunes U.S. and Canada, and she's a Top 20 Roots artist on iTunes Australia. Meiko is currently touring with Brett Dennen, and will have a song featured in the season premiere episode of "Grey's Anatomy".

UNSIGNED ARTISTS ADDED TO CLEAR CHANNEL "UNDISCOVERED" HD RADIO STATION -- Songs from the following unsigned artists have been added into regular rotation on the Clear Channel "Undiscovered" HD Radio channel: AM Conspiracy, Apartment, Bassboosa, Chris Brady, Cry To The Blind, Dan Mangan, Goldenhorse, Goodbye Sergeants, Ingrid Michaelson, Mexicolas, Nick Hall, Pete Murray, Quincy Coleman, Silver Sun, Steriogram, The:Hair, Transport, Tyrone Noonan, UXL, The Wolfmen, 4LYN.

The station, featuring music from unsigned / up-and-coming artists from around the world, is available for streaming HERE.

MORE NEW SIGNINGS, RUMORS, ETC. -- Brett Dennen, once signed to Dualtone, is rumored to have been scooped up by Downtown… What L.A.-based female singer, once signed to Virgin, is thiiiiiis close to inking a deal for her new record with the folks at Nettwerk? Coolfer reports that Ween has signed with Rounder…Sixteen year-old MySpace darling Ashley Gearing has been signed by Curb…What Sacramento-based band, recently dropped by a major, has had label reps from the East coast flying West to see them lately? Gary Savelstein reports that the Capitol Music Group has signed Saving Abel …Sigur Ros, dropped by Geffen, signs with XL/Beggars …Driveblind has also been dropped by Geffen…Which unsigned L.A.-based singer’s recent show at the Hotel Café caused the city's Fire Marshal to show up and find out what all the ruckus was about? Which NY-based singer/pianist has more than a few major labels trying to sign him -- Atlantic and Universal being the two frontrunners?

KROQ FEATURES LOCAL ACTS AT THEIR "L.A. INVASION" CONCERT -- Los Angeles Alt-outlet KROQ will hold their "L.A. Invasion" concert at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA on Sept. 15, featuring Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, Kid Rock, Chris Cornell, Cypress Hill, Perry Farrell's Satellite Party, and, before you think we mean that this concert already happened in 1998, Hot Hot Heat, Paramore and Against Me!.

The station will also have a "Locals Only" stage, featuring OneSideZero, New Years Day, Orange and The Pricks. No word on whether the bands were asked to waive their performance royalties ;) Oh yeah, the tickets that are still available for purchase are either $76.10 or $101.05 each (including the TicketMaster Convenience Charge).

CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO ONCE AGAIN ASKING UNSIGNED ACTS TO WAIVE ROYALTY RIGHTS?!? -- Clear Channel's L.A. Modern A/C KYSR (Star 98.7) is having a contest where the winning artist gets a song placed on their upcoming Star Lounge CD, a 'Star Lounge Concert' at the Guitar Center Studio and $10,000. Cool right? Well, we took some time to read the official rules:

BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, YOU ARE VERIFYING THAT YOU ARE THE OWNER AND PRODUCER OF THE SUBMITTED MATERIAL AND THAT NO THIRD PARTY OWNERSHIP RIGHTS EXIST TO THE SONG SUBMITTED.
YOU RETAIN ALL OWNERSHIP RIGHTS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR SONG IF YOU HAVE CREATED YOUR SONG YOURSELF. HOWEVER, BY SUBMITTING THE SONG, YOU HEREBY GRANT TO THE COMPANY A PERPETUAL, WORLDWIDE, NON-EXCLUSIVE, ROYALTY-FREE, SUB-LICENSABLE (THROUGH MULTIPLE TIERS) RIGHT AND LICENSE TO USE, PUBLISH, REPRODUCE, DISPLAY, PERFORM, ADAPT, MODIFY, DISTRIBUTE, HAVE DISTRIBUTED AND PROMOTE SUCH CONTENT IN ANY FORM (INCLUDING ANY TITLE OF THE VIDEO AND YOUR NAME AND LIKENESS), IN ALL MEDIA NOW KNOWN OR HEREINAFTER CREATED, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, FOR ANY PURPOSE.

Yikes. Just by ENTERING your song, you're no longer eligible to collect royalties from the largest radio broadcasting company in the U.S. AND you give them sub-licensable rights.

UPCOMING LOS ANGELES SHOWS OF NOTE:

Aug 28 - Dan Mangan - Molly Malone's (LA)
Aug 29 - Meiko – Hotel Cafe (LA)
Sept 1 - Medusa - Temple Bar (LA)
Sept 3 - The Prix - Viper Room (LA)
Sept 7 - Brian Wright & the Waco Tragedies - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Sept 9 - Sonia Leigh - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Sept 13 - AM - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Sept 16 - Resident Hero - Viper Room (LA)
Sept 21 - Joshua James - Hotel Cafe (LA)

SIGNINGS, ETC. -- MySpace Records picks up L.A. trio Nico Vega and Tokyo noise-popsters Polysics. The label will also (finally) release the debut from Hollywood Undead on Sept. 18. Switchfoot has left Columbia Records...Word is that the derby to sign 19 year-old Queens (via Puerto Rico) singer Carmireli is all but done -- more news as we get it... This could be old news, but it's news to us: "Heroes" actress Hayden Panettiere signed a record deal with Hollywood Records... Thrice, dropped from Island Records, gets picked up by Vagrant...

T'WAS A WEEK OF FANTASTIC SHOWS IN LOS ANGELES -- Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week we were at the Hotel Cafe -- both nights to see performances from NY's Ingrid Michaelson and L.A.'s Meiko. Both nights were packed to the rafters. Both ladies impressed.

These two artists make up quite the little bill! Both equally compelling singer/songwriters, but in different ways. Let's try to put it this way: If both girls were in your high school class, Ingrid would be your pal during after-school Drama practice and you'd cheat off of her in Honors Chemistry. Meiko is the girl you'd cut class with 'cuz she knows of a guy who could make a great fake ID. Make sense?

If you haven't picked up music from Ingrid Michaelson, go here and buy music from iTunes. The songs will be recognizable -- she's had lots of them featured in TV shows over the past year or so. The live show absolutely holds up to the recordings -- Michaelson exudes the confidence of an artist whose toured the world, and her guitarist/backup singer Allie Moss nails the harmonies every time. Sometimes the 'tween song banter is reminiscent of those SNL "Delicious Dish" skits (the ones in which Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon play NPR radio hosts), but you can't deny the overall cuteness of their set. We are officially super-fans. Good times.


L.A. singer/songwriter Meiko, who we've been championing on this blog from almost day one, will apparently have her music available through iTunes sometime over the next week or so, too. Stay tuned! We can only imagine it's just a matter of time before we hear HER songs in TV shows across the dial as well. Check out her MySpace page for concert dates -- she's hitting the road through September with Brett Dennen.


Thursday night, we were at the Hotel Cafe AGAIN (props to the bookers there -- they know their shit) -- this time to see NY's Brendan James and L.A.'s Jessie Baylin (both previously written about on TALENTfilter as well). Watching Brendan James was like watching a young Billy Joel or Elton John. Seriously. This guy is GREAT and you can SEE that he's going to be huge. Our only hope is that as he evolves as a writer, he'll add into the mix some of those non-ballad-y hits that guys like Billy and Elton have had success with. If he doesn't, he may run the risk of being thrown into the corner with Damien Rice and other way-too-mellow-for-the-masses acts. A little birdy tells us that Atlantic Records and Universal Records are the two front-runners in the label derby. More unsubstantiated 'news' as we get it!

Jessie Baylin put on a fantastic 'homecoming' performance as well -- looks like those dates with UK crooner James Morrison have really paid off! Much more like a rock star than a 'regular chick', Baylin and her band have outgrown the small stage circuit -- we look forward to seeing her at larger venues! If she can keep things in check and remain endearing and approachable, she could have a great future. Aanother little birdy tells us that Jessie is thiiiiiiiiiiis close to signing on the dotted line with a major label. We applaud her holding out for this long and hope she gets a fair deal!



Saturday night's alright for fighting, but the only folks we wanted to smack around last night were the bookers/promoters at L.A. venue The Mint. What happened to that place? We were there to see the talented L.A. singer/songwriter Andrew Paul Woodworth, and walked in to what appeared to be a cheesy strip club -- sans strippers. MC Douchebag was up there by the soundboard doing his best 'make sure you tip your waitresses and bartenders' shtick, and Woodworth and his band went on 45 minutes late. The sound is notoriously shitty at this place, but someone deaf was behind the board last night. Oof. Thumbs down to the staff at The Mint. Get your shit together people.
Regarding the show -- Woodworth was in prime form -- playing with an almost entirely new band, he blazed through his set of, well, entirely new songs, with experienced professionalism. Woodworth recently got married, and his new material is a lot less angst-y and a lot more love-y. Tough to immediately digest, especially if you've known him for being the 'on the verge of a nervous breakdown'-type frontman, these songs will be 'growers'. His new record, Eddy Ate Dynamite, will be released in Europe soon and he hits the road for a string of dates in Germany beginning September 19. Woodworth is available for signing outside of Europe, and iss actively seeking management and a publishing deal.

ZANZIBAR LEWIS WINS THE STAR 98.7 "ROCKSTAR THING-A-MA-JIGGY" -- Congrats to them! Hopefully they've got a great music attorney. Looking forward to hearing what's next! (All folks who took us on our odds -- the checks are in the mail)

STAR 98.7 ROCKSTAR SEACH FINALISTS ANNOUNCED -- Los Angeles' Modern A/C station KYSR (Star 98.7) has named the five finalists in their recently launched "Star 98.7 RockStar Search"...

The five local groups include Zanzibar Lewis, Drew Bray, Kat'l-ist, Garvy J and Brooke White.

Zanzibar Lewis singer Suzanne Santo has a sexy, smoky voice on top of her stunning good looks. Good stuff -- looking forward to hearing more...

Drew Bray is OK -- seems a bit generic... He may need a few more years before we take him seriously...

The song on Kat'l-ist's MySpace page, "Give You My Life" is a big fat Hot A/C hit. Seriously. Syrupy-sweet, hooky, just enough guitar to keep it out of rotation (for a while) in your nearest doctor's office...Some label should sign them and immediately change that horrible name -- seriously -- why make it hard on the soccer moms trying to find the disc at Wal-Mart? Or God forbid the problem they'll have trying to figure out how to correctly type Kat'l-ist into the iTunes seach function. Oof.

Garvy J is...just...eh.

Brooke White his SUPER hot, but her voice is so-so...

All the acts will perform live for an audience and a panel of judges at the Key Club in Los Angeles on Friday (Aug. 17). The grand prize winner gets $25,000 in cash and a record deal from Keifer Sutherland's Ironworks Music label.

Here are the odds we're offering up:

Kat'l-ist -- 2-1
Zanzibar Lewis -- 3-1
Brooke White -- 5-1
Garvy J -- 10-1
Drew Bray -- 20-1

UPCOMING NY / LA SHOWS OF NOTE:

Aug 14 - Ingrid Michaelson w/Magic Numbers – El Rey (LA)
Aug 15 - Dena Deadly - Knitting Factory (LA)
Aug 15 - Meiko - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Aug 16 - Anya Marina - Living Room (NY)
Aug 19 - Colorforms - Viper Room (LA)
Aug 21 - The Go – Knitting Factory (LA)
Aug 22 - Meiko, Ingrid Michaelson - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Aug 23 - Jessie Baylin, Brendan James - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Aug 24 - Elizabeth & the Catapult - Rockwood Music Hall (NY)
Aug 25 - Andrew Paul Woodworth - The Mint (LA)
Aug 28 - Everest - Spaceland (LA)

TALENTfilter ARTIST UPDATE!

Unsigned/unpublished singer-songwriter Brendan James has his recently-recorded self-titled debut EP featured in the 'What's Hot" section (on the FRONT PAGE) of the U.S. iTunes Store. Seriously. This guy's the next (better-looking, less-irritating) James Blunt.

The story has it that he was signed by Dan MacCarroll and Andy Slater at Capitol in 2005, recorded a record that he (Brendan) wasn't completely happy with, some back & forth went on, Capitol merged with Virgin, Jason Flom released him from the deal, he took the buy-out money and recorded a brilliant set of songs with Mikal Blue and there's a whole new buzz building around him. This is just what we hear. What do we know.
New York label weasels can check him out August 2nd at the Living Room. L.A. weasels have to wait till August 23rd at the Hotel Cafe.
Unsigned/unpublished singer/songwriter Meiko has had a busy few weeks -- the glowing review by our blogger-in-arms Perez Hilton sent her MySpace plays up over 50,000 per day last week. Her most recent gig at the Hotel Cafe sold out, Yahoo! Music has placed two of her songs into HEAVY rotation on three of their LAUNCHcast Radio stations, and SIRIUS Satellite Radio has officially added "Piano Song" into regular rotation on their tastemaker "Left Of Center" station. Meiko will play at the Living Room in NY on August 5th and at Mo Pitkin's on August 6th, followed by a KCRW-sponsored August residency at the Hotel Cafe in L.A. every Wednesday of the month.
A Fine Frenzy, signed to Virgin, has reportedly garnered a publishing deal with Warner Chappell. The group, featuring singer/songwriter Alison Sudol, is on the road with Rufus Wainwright and Sean Lennon in support of the debut album, One Cell In the Sea.
L.A.-based RAWKERS Five Finger Death Punch, first tipped in February and soon thereafter scooped up by The Firm for management AND label duties, just released their debut album, The Way Of The Fist. The band will embark on a 20-date "Family Values" trek across the U.S. on August 3rd. Their album-release show at the Roxy in L.A. was SICK -- metalheads young and old will dig these guys. TALENTfilter holds the horns high for FFDP! (**UPDATE: According to StreetPulse, The Way Of The Fist is the #1 Active Rock Sales Debut this week)
Andrew Paul Woodworth, who recently licensed his latest Eddy Ate Dynamite LP to European indie label RodeoStar, has been in talks with several Stateside labels about releasing the album on this side of the Atlantic. The singer, who was once tipped by legendary Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones as being, "...the best lyricist I have ever worked with", has also been approached by publishing companies in Europe, the UK and in the U.S. Not familiar with his music? Check the MySpace page. Live in L.A.? Catch him live at the Mint on Aug.25. Woodworth is currently seeking management as well. Congrats are also in order for Andrew -- he's getting married this weekend!

CITY OF L.A. SUPPORTS LOCAL ARTISTS VIA ...ON-HOLD MUSIC? Saw this on www.thedailyswarm.com -- kinda random, but kinda cool!

"City of Los Angeles will launch annual collection of new songs to showcase local music for callers while they are on hold on City phones. The new program is called HEAR IN LA. The Department of Cultural Affairs is looking for 10–12 unsigned local acts per year, in diverse genres of music (rock, latin, pop, rap, jazz, r&b, electronic/dance, instrumental…).

They will pay individuals/ensembles $500 each, for permission to play one original composition as hold music on City of LA phones for 12 months. In order to cross-promote the selected musical talent, artist headshots and biographies will be posted on the City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) website, www.culturela.org. Program launches each September.

Send disc, play list and notes of introductions to: City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Cultural Affairs Community Advancement Manager, Grants Section, 201 North Figueroa Street, Suite 1400 LA, CA 90012"

UPCOMING NY/LA SHOWS OF NOTE:

July 26 - Meiko - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Aug 2 - Brendan James - Living Room (NY)
Aug 2 - Blair - Hotel Cafe (LA)
Aug 4 - Essie Jain - Genghis Cohen (LA)
Aug 5 - Various Artists - Living Room (NY)
Aug 6 - Various Artists - Mo Pitkin's (NY)
Aug 6 - Tyrone Wells - Knitting Factory (NY)
Aug 6 - Mighty Six Ninety - Viper Room (LA)
Aug 8 - Ingrid Michaelson - Mercury Lounge (NY)
Aug 11 - Castledoor - Spaceland (LA)
Aug 12 - Barcelona - Knitting Factory (LA)
Aug 14 - Ingrid Michaelson w/Magic Numbers – El Rey (LA)
Aug 15 - Dena Deadly - Knitting Factory (LA)
Aug 19 - Colorforms - Viper Room (LA)
Aug 21 – The Go – Knitting Factory (LA)

(* This list is quite chick-heavy -- if anyone has some good RAWWWK tips, please E-mail them to TALENTfilter@gmail.com *)

PORTLAND OREGON SUPPORTS LOCAL MUSIC – Got an E-mail blast from tastemaker Alt-outlet KNRK (94/7) Portland, OR and it mentioned that their HD Radio sister station, “94/7 Too – Independent Radio”, will play nothing but bands from the Northwest.

From the E-mail, “Yes, you will need an HD Radio to listen on a regular basis, but for now, you can stream 94/7 Too by clicking on the ‘Listen Live’ button in the middle of the homepage at 947.fm”

Before you get your panties in a tizzy thinking that they’re just dumping all local music onto an HD graveyard that no one can hear, KNRK has always supported local unsigned bands and will continue to do so on the main station. Kudos to them.

RILO KILEY FANS SLAG NEW VIDEO -- Oof -- Looks like fans of Rilo Kiley don't dig the video for their new song "The Moneymaker" -- Check out the pages and pages of negative comments. Too bad, really. We like THEM (...ahem...we initially had this post written to sound as if Rilo Kiley was a 'she' and not a 'they' -- the band's "forum moderator" was quick to correct)...
The Moneymaker

SIGNINGS, ETC. -- HITS Magazine reports that RCA will upstream the forthcoming album from Immortal Records' Scary Kids Scaring Kids (once sales reach a certain point)... Soulsavers, signed to V2 in Europe, Japan and Australia, have been picked up by Columbia in the U.S. Mark Lanegan sings on 8 of the 11 tracks featured on the new album titled It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land (HOT!)... The Signing Power blog informs us that The Parlor Mob, recently dropped by Capitol, will release their record through Roadrunner/In De Goot (In De Goot is the band's management company which also has an imprint through Roadrunner)... Finally, we hear that NYC-based band Vampire Weekend has signed with the UK XL imprint Abeano Music...

WE JUS' THREW UP IN OUR MOUTHS A LIL BIT -- Our friends at Hypebot report that the Southeastern U.S.-based fast food chain Krystal (known for their...ahem...'unique' breakfast food like the "Scrambler," a mixture of eggs, sausage, pancakes and grits) has partnered up with the Universal Music Group to offer two free downloads with the purchase of their new "Chik'N Stik'Ns". Yyyyyyyeah. THAT'S what it's come to, people.

WALTER MEEGO SIGNS MULTI-ALBUM DEAL -- My Old Kentucky Blog (one of our faves) reports that Walter Meego has entered into a multi-album agreement with uber-credible pseudo-indie Almost Gold Recordings. Almost Gold is a subsidiary/incubator/farm-team/whateverthehell the term is this week -- of Columbia Records. They've also got the rights to Peter, Bjorn & John and Calvin Harris records in the U.S. Walter Meego is a great signing. A little bit left-of-the-curve right now, but we think there'll be a walk on the more-mainstream side of things very soon.

GAVIN CASTLETON (unsigned, unpublished) -- Wow. Lotsa talent here. Gavin Castleton is one of the more interesting artists we've come across in a while. Hailing from just north of Providence, RI, Gavin is the keyboardist and 1/2 vocalist for regional faves Gruvis Malt. It's his solo stuff and his production skills, however, that have won us over. What's he sound like? Think Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) / Atmosphere / Sage Francis -- then you'll have an idea of what's up.

Here's what's particularly interesting about Gavin's work: His most recent EP, Hospital Hymns, is a five song narrative which chronicles a day of deliveries for an eccentric 76 year-old stockroom worker in a Rhode Island hospital. Random, right? Check out "Hymn 2: Women's Care" on his MySpace page. Just awesome.

The album prior to the Hospital Hymns EP, 2006's Grace Land, features lyrics transcribed from interviews with a Staples Office Supply Superstore worker. Like...wha??? Check out the song called "The Wedding" (also onthe MySpace page). Sick.

While Gavin isn't the best vocalist in the world, honestly, his material certainly warrants some serious attention. Gavin's new album, For The Love Of Pete, is, "a collection of songs inspired by and written for the dame that made his heart twitter from 2000-2007." We've heard some songs. Tasty.

MORE NEW ARTISTS ADDED TO CLEAR CHANNEL "UNDISCOVERED" HD RADIO STATION -- The following acts have new music being officially being added into rotation on Clear Channel's "Undiscovered" HD Radio station: A. M. Pacific, AM, Angie Mattson, Benji Hughes, Brendan James, C-Mon & Kypski, Castledoor, Chamber Flow, Chapter 11, David Hillman, Dena Deadly, Gavin Castleton, The House Harkonnen, Jessica Owen, Jessie Baylin, The Lab Rats, Leeroy Stagger, Meiko, The Mother Truckers, Simon Lynge.

To stream the "Undiscovered" station, click HERE

PORTLAND, OREGON ROCK STATION STARTS LOCAL MUSIC SHOW -- (From www.AllAccess.com) -- KUFO Portland, OR will launch a local music show called "Viva La Luna" this Sunday night. The program will feature original songs from 10 to 12 area bands every week, plus live interviews and performances from artists and other figures from the region’s emerging music scene. Program Director Mike Tierney says the show's title is a tip-of-the-cap to La Luna, the Portland club that reigned supreme among music fans from 1992 to 1999 as a stage for both local acts, as well as those on the national scene.
...No info on the radio station's website about the show just yet...

We had drinks with an old friend tonight -- he does Radio Promotion for a major record label. The Promo guys - God bless 'em, they're always the last to realize shifts in musical trends and overall changes in the music industry. They get paid to get records played on the radio. End of story. Anyway, tonight this friend announced: "Ya know the business is getting tougher -- people under the age of 20 don't buy music anymore -- they just download it for free or rip friends' CD's into their computers. There's no way for record labels to make money anymore. So drink up, I'm not sure how long this company credit card is gonna last -- I'm just gonna ride this dinosaur into the ground."

Now, if this was a label head or even an A&R executive saying this, we'd have smacked him upside the head. But he's a buddy of ours whose (well paying) job it is to polish turds. We gave him a pass.

People over 20 will still pay for music. Who the hell do you think it is buying all those goddamned Paul McCartney CD's from StarFucks? Who bought that horseshit Bon Jovi country record?

We could go on and on about this ad nauseum, but instead we figured we'd hip you to (ANOTHER) unsigned artist who will appeal to an adult with a credit card and a longstanding passion for good music:BRENDAN JAMES (unsigned, unpublished) -- Born and raised in New Hampshire, now based in New York, Brendan James has got the GOODS. Proficient pianist. Good looking. FANTASTIC voice. No label. No publisher. His lawyer is Reid Hunter. Brendan will perform at the Living Room in NY on August 2 and at Joe's Pub on August 21. As Howard Stern's dad once said: "Don't be stupid ya moron." Get it done. Keep your expense card a while longer.

THE LAB RATS (unsigned, unpublished) -- Columbus, Ohio's The Lab Rats bring us some REALLY well-done hip-hop -- they bring it in a different way, however. Brian Brown, the MC, also plays guitar. KW, the DJ, has his turntables, but also plays keyboards, congas and pedal steel. The duo played the main stage at the city's annual Comfest this past weekend in front of over 10,000 fans -- they've got a RABID fanbase. Peep out the songs on their MySpace page. Check the video below as well. Someone please help these kids get the hell outta Ohio!

TORI KELLY (unsigned, unpublished) -- We're TOTAL suckers for great young pop singers. Guilty pleasure we guess. Fourteen year-old Tori Kelly is one of our favorite new discoveries. Tori started super-young -- she became a "Star Search" semi-finalist in the 4th grade and appeared on the PAX TV show "America's Most Talented Kids" at the age of 11. She's worked with producers including MidiMafia and The Underdogs, and written with Diane Warren and Raphael Saadiq (among many others). Now, at the age of 14, she's finished junior high school, continues to write, rehearse and record -- and she's without a label. Some song clips are available to hear on her MySpace page -- click HERE and HERE to see some YouTube clips of her TV performances. Tori's parents are currently handling management duties. Owen Sloane is her attorney.

AUDIO CLUB SIGN WITH INTERSCOPE -- Audio Club, the pop group featuring 18 year-old singer Ashley Alan-Lee, rapper Brooks Buford and producer/svengali Tommy Henriksen, tell us that they've signed a deal with Interscope Records. Their debut album was finished earlier this month, but songs have been spinning on Top 40 stations across the country for a few months. You might remember Brooks Buford from his rap/rock act Rehab, or from his hosting the MTV series "Trailer Fabulous." Check out songs from the album on their MySpace page.