First off I’d like to take time to thank Katherine Sage, Courtney Boulding and especialy John Hornyak for putting this event together. It’s a testament to the foresight of our local Grammy chapter that they were able to pull together such an amazing group of people. I’d like to thank all of my fellow panelists on the Taking The Digital Plunge panel – Rachel Hurley from Scenestars & The Commercial Appeal, tobi from XM Satellite Radio’s XMU, Lindsey Collins from CDBaby, Rick Reed from eMusic, Neeta Ragoowansi from SoundExchange, Harold Whaley from Urban Network, Steve Mack from LUX Media, and Matt Temple from Visible School for the insights they provided to me and to those in attendance.

This type of workshop and panel opportunity doesn’t come around very often here in Memphis. Those who came and took advantage of the chance to meet with and learn from industry professionals and leaders did themselves a huge favor. Nancy Prager, an entertainment and intellectual property rights attorney based in D.C. but originally from Memphis, sent out a clear message to those in attendance to the “IP: The Real Money Maker” panel that should resonate with everyone reading: “You have to remember that this is a business. If you want to be taken seriously, there are certain things you have to consider.”

The showcase following the panels, held at The Warehouse, showcased some of Memphis’ truly amazing talent — of particular note were Mr. White, Secret Service, Men-Nefer, Chess Club, Black Sunday, and Brad Postlethwaite + Friends. The feeling of Memphis being a city on the move was a common topic of discussion by those of us watching and listening. Believe me — people are watching and listening and they are enthusiastic about what they see and hear. Congratulations to all of the performers for making their impact felt during the showcase.

After a long day of panels and showcases, we ended up at Bluefin attending a private party thrown by Ray Flemings, head of the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission. We were also graced with an appearance by Justin Timberlake and his friends Chase & Kim. It was a great way to end off an exciting day of entertainment and education for both me and for all of the out-of-town visitors.

I’m honored to be participating in this conference with several of my colleagues within the music industry and some others. If you’re a musician looking to find out how to move forward with your career, attending this conference is one of the smartest things that you can do. This is an opportunity not to be missed out on. If you do, you’ll just be short-changing yourself. Save $25 from your next gig and buy a ticket. It’s a chance to get inside the minds of people who make the music industry happen.

If you’re in a band with four people, it’s only $19.25 a ticket to participate. Take advantage of this deal. Many of these folks have never been in Memphis to speak before, and you’ll wish you had been there if you miss out.

Panelists:

- E.J. Friedman, Independent Musician, Writer/New Media Consultant, Publisher, Loudersoft.Com

- Rachel Hurley, Music Journalist, The Commercial Appeal

- J. Reid Hunter, Entertainment Attorney, Serling Rooks & Ferrara, LLP (Drive-By Truckers, Soundtribe Sector 9, Redeye Distribution/Yep Roc Records, Ray Lamontagne, The Fray)

- Steve Manning, Publicity/Marketing Director, Sub Pop Records (Nirvana, The Shins, Postal Service, Iron & Wine)

- Shawn Rogers, Television & Film Licensing, Sub Pop Records

- Patrick Moxey, President, Ultra Records (Indie label DJs John Digweed, Ferry Corsten, The Crystal Method, Morcheeba)

- Lil Keke, Artist (Houston, TX)

- Jeff Powell, Recording Engineer (Alvin Youngblood Hart, North Mississippi Allstars)

- Ralph Sutton, Recording Engineer (Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott)

- Larry Crane, Recording Engineer, Founder/Editor of Tape Op Magazine

- Brett Clark, Product Specialist, digidesign

- Cameron Mann, VP of Operations, Memphis Records/Young Avenue Sound

- Jody Stephens, Director of A&R, Ardent Studios

- Michael Watts, Founder & CEO, Swisha House Records (Label to Paul Wall, Mike Jones and leading distributor of chopped & screwed recordings)

- Mike Clarke, VP Marketing/Promotions, Swisha House

- Billy Hume, Producer/Mixer (Ying Yang Twins, Ludacris, David Banner, Lil John, Nelly)

- Michael Weeman, Weeman Entertainment Group (Manager to producer Billy Hume)

- Vanessa Satten, Deputy Editor, XXL Magazine

- Wendy Day, President, Rap Coalition (Coined major label deals for Eminem, Master P, Cash Money, Twista, Ruff Ryders)

- Peppa Williams, Mouth of the South Management (Former manager to Yo Gotti, Three 6 Mafia, indie promotions)

- Ricardo Hunter, Hunter Promotions, TVT Records

- Wes Phillips, Select-O-Hits (One of the largest urban indie distributors in the country)

- Howard Q, DJ/Promoter (First DJ to break Yo Gotti)

- Lindsey Collins, VP of Operations, CD Baby

- Nakeeta Ragoowanski, Director of Artist/Label Relations, Sound Exchange

- Rick Reed, Label Relations Representative, eMusic

- Al Thrash, Director New Business Development, Emergent Music Marketing

- David Fleishman, Fleishman Promotions

- Bob Merlis, Publicist, Merlis for Hire

- Jim Green, TCB Concert Promotions

- David Less, President, Memphis International Records

- Tonya Butler, Entertainment Attorney

- Nancy Prager, Attorney, Intellectual Property

- Thomas Cain, VP Writer/Publisher Relations, BMI

- Jay Healy, Financial Advisor (and former recording engineer to Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M.), Progress Capital Inc.

- Bruce Newman, CPA/Attorney

- Stanley J. Blue, VP, First Tennessee Brokerage

- Steve Mack, Principal, LUX Media (podcasting, streaming, webcasting)

- Michael Allensby, Associate Manager, Red Light Management (Los Lobos. North Mississippi Allstars, John Butler Trio)

- tobi, Program Director, XM Satellite’s XMU Channel 43

- John Allen, Sr. Creative Director, Bug Music Publishing

- Devin Steel, Program Director, K97 FM

- Andria Lisle, Music Journalist, MOJO/Spin/Paste/Harp/Wax Poetics Magazines

Indie Impact Seminar & Showcase
May 13, 2006
Seminar: Bridges, 477 N. 5th St., Downtown Memphis, 12 – 6 p.m.
Showcase: The Warehouse, 36 G.E. Patterson St., Downtown Memphis, 9 p.m. – Midnight

The Indie Impact Seminar is a day-long series of panels focused on independent artists and labels.

Workshops include:

* What’s your goal….do you want to be a major or an independent artist; the pros and cons of both, and who to surround yourself with in order to reach your goal.
* Label operations
* Turn your music into money (performance rights, digital royalties, copywriting, publishing, attorneys and more)
* Financial management
* Independent marketing and public relations
* Independent distribution
* Booking/promotions
* Hands-on recording workshop hosted by Digidesign (maker of ProTools)
* How to get your music in movies, commercials, on iTunes, etc.

An independent music showcase featuring the top indie rock and urban artists in the Mid-South will be presented after the seminar at 9 p.m.

Tickets for Recording Academy members are $25, non-members $45, and bands up to four members may attend for $99. Or join The Recording Academy for $100 and attend the Indie Impact Seminar & Showcase for a discounted rate of $20.

Contact the Memphis Chapter for tickets.

http://myspace.com/cherryblossomspecial is the address to go to for show dates, new songs, and other various and sundry ramblings and insanities. Feel free to add me as a friend. Any friend of mine is a friend of mine.

I got a message from DANGERDOOM today with this puzzling and slightly incomplete blind item inside of it –

HAVE YOU BEEN TO A STORE AND BEEN TOLD THEY WILL NOT SELL YOU A DANGERDOOM CD BECAUSE DISNEY IS PREVENTING THE SALE OF CDS?

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE HEARING. THE MOUSE IS TRYING TO STOP THE MOUSE IN THE MASK?!?!?!?!

Not exactly sure why that would be happening unless Disney is getting crazy about “the mouse” and any overt reference to its main mouse, Mickey. But what the eff does Mickey Mouse have to do with DANGERDOOM? Someone out there please clarify this because it sounds like an interesting story or a great way to stir up fake drama in order to boost record sales.

Either way, that DANGERDOOM record is D-O-P-E!

Today, the official announcement came down. CBGB’s, the landmark Bowery nightclub that was a starting ground for pioneers of punk rock and new wave like Television, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Blondie, The Ramones, and about a half a gojillion others, will close its original home on 3rd Avenue forever on Halloweeen of 2006.

[CBGB's owner Hilly] Kristal is hoping to move the club to a new spot on the lower East Side and has looked at several spaces.

But he also is considering opening a namesake joint in Las Vegas and is negotiating with deep-pocketed partners.

“I’m trying to stay in New York, but New York is expensive,” Kristal said.

The Bowery Residents’ Committee, a non-profit group who provides assistance to homeless people, agreed to allow CBGB’s to stay through Halloween of 2006 before closing its doors for good. This may give Kristal a chance to find new digs for the venue whose name is synonymous with the punk rock and new wave movement of the 1970′s and 1980′s.

Augustine’s CD Release Party is Friday Night @ The Hi-Tone, but you already knew that. The band’s website is undergoing a renovation of sorts, but you can still peep it out by clicking here for a visit. The article in today’s Memphis Flyer pretty much explains it all for you, but you can draw your own inferences. Click here to visit their MySpace Page and listen to four new songs from the CD. You can also call to request the song “Roll Commercial” on 93X anytime by calling 901-535-0939. The more requests, the more likely it will be added into regular rotation. Okay, enough chit-chat. Get to it.

If you went to the Hi-Tone earlier this year for an appearance by Hasidic reggae artist Matisyahu, you already know the score: the growing popularity of Jewish Hip-Hop is explosive and dynamic, and there’s a good reason why. Today, Reuters has an excellent story about the surging popularity of this offshoot of the musical artform commonly associated with black inner-city youth culture.

“It’s very much a representation of the cooperative state of Jewish and black relations today,” said Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, which is chaired by hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons. “I view cooperation, not conflict, as the defining element.”

Now I don’t know about y’all, but personally I have always been a fan of hip-hop and there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of Jewish thrown in for good measure. Sure, I like hearing about Hanukkah and The Torah to a funky beat, but the article also makes a point that for bands like Chutzpah it’s not all gefilte fish and chips:

Chutzpah treads the line between seriousness and satire. Parody acts in Jewish hip-hop have been common. Among them, 50 Shekel was a takeoff on 50 Cent. M.O.T. was managed by Meshugge Knight, a takeoff on Suge Knight. And 2 Live Jews featured Dr. Dreidle and Ice Berg.

Head over to Reuters and check out the full story. I’m hungry, make me anything on this entire page.

I thought I was out of my mind when I read it too, but this is the cold hard facts –

4 December 2005
SONG SALE £70M FOR COURTNEY
ROCK widow Courtney Love will net £70million by selling her late husband Kurt Cobain’s songs.

The actress and rock singer is selling a quarter of the Nirvana frontman’s back catalogue to disgraced US lifestyle guru Martha Stewart.

Released from jail this year after five months for insider trading, Stewart wants the songs as an investment.

A friend said: “It’s an astonishing deal. It sorts out Courtney financially.”

Cobain and Courtney, 41, wed in 1992. They had a daughter Frances Bean, now 11, before he killed himself with a gun in April 1994, aged 27.

Cobain rose to fame with songs like Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are. The album Nevermind sold over 10 million copies.