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INDIE NEWS BEAT
Xenia Accomplishes Two Single Dance Songs
"Dance With Me," Xenia's first single is about a need of a boyfriend's company as a girlfriend misses dancing and conversing with her boyfriend. The song says plenty about the affection the girlfriend has over the boyfriend. "Prodigy," Xenia's second release, is about the artist's beat having something extraordinary or inexplicable come to life. A sound used in making of the song generated by a synth resembles a guitar. The same sound is blended with dance beats to bring out the charm. Through Xenia's web site, the releases can heard and listeners can take advantage of a distinctive approach in securely purchasing downloadables, at reasonable pricing, through eSellerate.com. Now, buying downloadable music has never being easier using this collaborative site. Har-Bal Helps MCA Recording Artist Tameko Star Take The Indie Route
December 2003 - Atlanta, GA - Tameko Star is no stranger to success. As the lead singer for dance-pop trio Livin' Joy, she was responsible for their first #1 hit in the U.K. "Dreamer" 1994, followed by their #5 single "Don't Stop Movin'." Her early success drew the attention of MCA Europe that quickly signed the group, which spawned numerous top ten hits while wowing audiences worldwide with her dynamic stage performances. But as she strikes out solo on her upcoming album, Tameko wants to retain control over its production and quality. "I enjoy the creative control I have now," she told Music2Showcase in a recent interview. "I know what I want my music to sound like and there's no middleman." So it was no surprise that she turned to Har-Bal (Harmonic Balancer), a powerful mastering equalization system, to optimize the sound quality of her music. "I don't have to take my product to a high-end studio to be mastered anymore," explained Tameko. "Studio engineers charge thousands of dollars while the Har-Bal application offers the same benefits at a fraction of the cost. And it's allowed me to master my songs in my own home studio while achieving that high-end studio sound." But while cost was an important consideration in Tameko's choice Har-Bal ("there are plenty of high-end hardware devices available, but they cost a fortune"), the difference it made in her music was the real clincher. Har-Bal is the first of its kind software that introduces a new process of Harmonically Balancing recorded music. The software allows users to create original and re-mastered recordings that sound absolutely incredible. "I'm no sound engineer, but after running my tracks through Har-Bal, I can actually hear how dramatically the sound quality improved. And Har-Bal is different in that it allows me to visually see any errors in the song and make immediate corrections." "Feel Good" (Tameko Star): Before x After "For example, I am able to now increase the volume of my songs when I am playing them with no distortion. The bass area on my tracks sounds super tight and that is very important to me because I like to play my music loud!" Tameko's self-titled album is scheduled for release in the spring of 2004. Tameko Star can be reached at tameko1@comcast.net. Har-Bal is a New and Novel Approach By obtaining the right spectral balance when mastering a sound recording, Har-Bal merges the existing technologies of linear phase digital filtering with spectral analysis to provide an unprecedented level of control over the spectral balance of a recording. You can download a demo version of Har-Bal. CD Baby And Tower Records Partner The top online retailer of independent music, CD Baby, recently inked a deal with Tower Records, the 43-year-old Sacramento, California-based chain known for their deep catalog and vast selection of obscure and popular titles. The deal will allow Tower.com, Tower Records' online commerce site, to offer CD Baby's 50,000 independent titles for sale to its consumers, making Tower.com the largest retailer of independent music on the web. "We're very excited to work with a company as well renowned in the music industry as Tower Records," says CD Baby President and owner Derek Sivers. "Many amazing artists are shunning record labels, choosing to self-release their music directly to fans. By going through CD Baby and now Tower, their music is getting the distribution it deserves, while still leaving the musician in control of their work." CNET Networks Announces Strategy To Serve Music Fans And The Independent Artist Community CNET Networks, Inc. announced its strategy to serve the needs of music fans and the independent artist community. The Company is planning two upcoming music site launches: a free independent artist upload/download site that will be featured on CNET Download.com starting in early 2004, and the re-launch of MP3.com as a comprehensive music information site shortly thereafter. The music upload/download site that will be featured on CNET Download.com, the world's largest download library, will serve the needs of the independent artist community and its fans. Music fans will be able to easily find their favorite artists and music types, and sample songs for free. Independent artists were notified last week that they should copy and hold their music files for transfer to the new site, and turn to http://music.download.com between now and its launch for updates. When CNET Networks re-launches MP3.com next year, it will address the increasing demand for a central information resource focused on music, leveraging CNET Networks' strength as a premier provider of innovative, interactive content. The emergence of digital music on the Internet is changing the music landscape, impacting fans, artists, and the music industry. Court Grants NYU's Demand For The Bottom Line's Eviction Today is a dark day for the arts in the City of New York. Despite the protests of artists and citizens throughout the world, the court has granted New York University's demand for the eviction of The Bottom Line. As a result of NYU's action, the music that has played for nearly 30 years at 15 West 4th Street will soon be silenced. Since June, we have presented New York University with numerous proposals in the hopes that this day would never come. As recent as two weeks ago we sent a counterproposal to the onerous terms which NYU submitted to us; alas, they never had the courtesy to respond. Indeed, just last week the judge offered to mediate a resolution between NYU and The Bottom Line. Sadly each and every one of these solutions has either been ignored or rejected by NYU. Over the last month many concerned private and corporate citizens including: Sirius Satellite Radio, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Karmazin, Richard Wissack and AT&T have all offered financial commitments to help demonstrate to NYU that they were the custodians of something much more valuable than a piece of "undervalued real estate." In fact, in a cultural and historic sense this piece of real estate might be the most valuable property in their portfolio. Touring For A Living: Help Your Artists Get The Mo From The Road NARIP Workshop with Chris Arnstein Paul McCartney, Phish, The Temptations, B.B. King, the Pointer Sisters, Jimmy Buffett. Record sales may not be huge in recent years, yet some have set income records by touring. Your clients can tour successfully, too! Learn the tips and tricks of the big acts, and get all the info used by mid-line artists, newly signed artists, and indie artists who are making the most of touring opportunities. Plus, learn the best ways to turn concerts into CD sales! This NARIP workshop will also cover: * Success for acts in all career phases and stages NAMM's 2nd Annual International Fastest Drummer Contest NAMM International announces its second annual quest to find the 'World's Fastest Drummer'. This highly charged Interactive Event will be a feature at this year's NAMM Winter Session in Anaheim, Ca. The contest, which consist of two categories, Fastest Hands and Fastest Feet starting at 11:00am Thursday, January 15th, with "heats" continuing through Friday and Saturday until 4.00pm. The top ten Fastest Hands and top ten Fastest Feet will compete in a 'Finals Battle' of both categories held on NAMM'S main outside stage at 1:00pm Sunday, January 18th. Included in this year's event will be technical demonstrations, insight sessions and appearances by WFD Champions Mike Mangini, Art Verdi, Johnny Rabb, Tim Waterson and Jotan Afanador. "To see these guys go at it, full throttle, smooth as silk with their hands and feet moving over 18 times per second for an entire minute is simply an amazing work of technical proficiency." Says Boo McAfee, co-founder of Extreme Sport Drumming.
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