Quietdrive’s sophomore release Deliverance debuted last week at #1 on Billboard‘s Alternative New Artist Chart, beating out other releases by We The Kings, The Secret Machines, Ludo, Mayday Parade, Ra Ra Riot and Black Kids, among others. Deliverance is currently streaming in its entirety exclusively on Purevolume. Head over to www.purevolume.com/quietdrive to listen to the album now. Tour stalwarts hailing from Minneapolis, Quietdrive feels completely at home on the road which is where they’ll be spending most of their time promoting Deliverance. It’s the life they’ve dreamed of and it’s the life they can’t give up. Having played well over… Read more »
Consumers transferred 1.81 billion digital media files using the Kazaa, MusicCity and Grokster file-sharing applications during October, a rise of 20% from the 1.51 billion files downloaded during September, according to Webnoize (http://www.webnoize.com). All three applications use software licensed from FastTrack, an Amsterdam-based peer-to-peer technology company, and share the same network. During the month, 1.3 million users were typically logged on to the combined network at any one time, compared to 1 million simultaneous users in September. “The growth of the FastTrack network continues to be astounding,” said Webnoize Senior Analyst Matt Bailey, who led the study. “During the last… Read more »
The Yankee Group today released a new study that examines the viability of webcasting, even as online-only broadcasters such as Live365, RadioWave, ClickRadio, and NetRadio suffer losses, announce layoffs, and face the specter of shuttering operations altogether. Ryan Jones, the analyst who authored the report, said in the executive summary, “The challenges facing Internet-only webcasters are significant enough to keep broadcasters in the lead for the foreseeable future. But a growing listener base, falling streaming costs and an increasingly cooperative advertising community are all aligning to mark webcasting as a soon-to-be profitable complement to broadcast radio.” The report indicates that… Read more »
“This tragic event has awakened a new interest in news and information for 12-25 year olds that had never existed before,” says Cromwell Broadcasting’s “Czar of Programming” Brian Krysz, referring to the terrorist acts of nearly a month ago. And would anyone argue with his statement? This generation has had its defining moment, just as the Great Depression and World War II were for our parents or grandparents, or the assassination of JFK and the Vietnam War so clearly defined the next generation. After the events of September 11th, 2001, everything in our world, including radio programming, has entered a… Read more »
Maybe the Recording Industry Association of America had better watch its back. The Recording Artists Coalition – which counts founder Don Henley, Sheryl Crow, and Alanis Morissette among its members – is making strides toward becoming a formidable opponent. The RAC, which claims that the RIAA doesn’t always operate in the best interests of artists, has recently hired an executive director, laid out plans for offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and folded another high-profile artists’ rights group under its wing. In March, Henley said the RAC boasted 57 high-profile members, including Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Bruce Springsteen.… Read more »
Fisher upped by Columbia, to direct the field promotion staff to maximize airplay of the label’s artists at Alternative Radio. Charlie Walk, Executive Vice President, Promotion at Columbia Records Group has announced the appointment of Nan Fisher to the position of Vice President. Alternative Promotion. In both 1998 and 1999, Fisher was named GAVIN Indie Label Promotion Person of the Year, and has been instrumental in launching the careers of artists such as Cake and 311. Based in New York, Ms. Fisher will oversee the Columbia Records Alternative Promotion department and will report directly to Mr. Walk. She will direct… Read more »
One Napster alternative that’s attracting thousands of downloads a day is taking a wholly different approach to file-swapping – and looks to be circling the wagons against potential legal threats. First, Aimster is encrypted, so users can’t be spied on, something the recording industry did to Napster to collect evidence of copyright infringement. Aimster also asks users not to trade in pirated files. Aimster piggybacks on instant-messaging services including America Online’s AIM, allowing users on the same “buddy list” to share files. A new version of Aimster posted late last month attracted 200,000 downloads in its first 10 days –… Read more »
Roe Kapara fits in a genre all of his own, one that is best summed up as “bleak bangers.” Using his wide platform and catchy alternative sonics, he tackles topical issues. Rightfully so, he confronts the idea of “the American dream” and its empty promises. Today, he shares one of his most scathing indictments on systemic failures with “Life In America.” If you are capitalism’s No. 1 hater, this song is a must-add to your playlist. “Come see the carnival/We’ll laugh at the poor/They all dance in desperation/Watch them crawl on the floor/You stole the fruits of my own labor/I’ve… Read more »
It’s the most wonderful time of year once more. Eurovision is back, and it continues to get bigger and more prominent worldwide. Though it is known as the institution that turned ABBA into superstars and showcases the wildest and weirdest creations that Europe has to offer, there is still room for some rock ‘n’ roll in the ranks. Over the years, pop has been the predominant genre in which countries project their entries. Though guitars have been making their way slowly but surely, they sometimes take the whole competition by storm. From masked monsters and nu-metal stalwarts to glam-rock superstars,… Read more »
Following the release of their debut full-length record Nowhere, which arrived on May 9, Chicago’s Friday Pilots Club announced a massive tour spanning North America. The tour begins on September 13 at Vancouver’s Fox Cabaret and concludes in their home city at Metro on October 25. “We’d kind of been working with the title of Nowhere for the record and I’ve been trying to figure out why it felt right to me,” bassist Drew Polivick says of the LP’s name. “Sometimes you end up at this place that’s not exactly what you thought it was gonna be. We all had… Read more »
