Radio remains one of the most powerful marketing tools available to the recording industry, despite skyrocketing costs of gaining access to the airwaves via independent promoters. While word-of-mouth, video and Internet brush fires occasionally catapult unknowns to stardom, radio remains the most reliable and efficient means of enticing listeners to record stores. Yet many fans surfing the airwaves are far from satisfied. The complaint: Consolidation has made radio even more cookie-cutter bland, with narrow, unimaginative playlists. Demographic targeting and audience testing eliminate variety, stifle regionalism and foist the least objectionable music on the public. Failing to recognize that an individual’s… Read more »
The thin line between pop and punk just got thinner. Green Day, Blink-182 and Sum41 have long charmed the “TRL” audience with their pop hooks and eye candy videos, but now there’s a new crop of punk bands going after pop fans a little more directly. OK, a lot more. On Punk Goes Pop, released last month on Fearless Records, several up-and-coming punk bands cover hits from the cream of the pop star crop. Further Seems Forever speeds up ‘NSYNC’s “Bye, Bye, Bye,” Stretch Arm Strong gives Pink’s “Get the Party Started” a hardcore makeover, and the Starting Line turn… Read more »
Despite what Lil’ Bow Wow and Britney have shown us, stardom doesn’t always come before you can vote or get behind the wheel of a car. The past few years have been a boon for the high school (Aaron Carter, B2K, Lil’ Romeo) and graduation set (Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton). Even though it may have felt like it, it hasn’t been all teens all the time, though. Veteran acts such as U2, Nickelback, Creed, No Doubt, Train, Sugar Ray and R. Kelly have been banging the charts all along. And lately, singers like Tweet and rockers Unwritten Law and Jimmy… Read more »
Madonna, Britney Spears, Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Lonestar, Ray Charles, Stone Temple Pilots, Patti LaBelle, Dolly Parton, Michelle Branch, Tim McGraw, Rosie O’Donnell, and Oprah Winfrey are just a few of the stars who have donated autographed items to the American Red Cross Nationwide Virtual Auction. The auction, hosted by the auction website Ebay (ebay.com), features more than 1,500 unique items donated by participating Red Cross chapters across the U.S. The auction will raise funds for disaster relief and other Red Cross humanitarian efforts. Twenty-one of the auction items were personally solicited and donated by country superstar Wynonna Judd. “I… Read more »
Everything Everywhere All At Once is like a mind-expanding hallucinogenic balm that restores some of our humanity.
Ushered in by Eva Longoria, in an outfit so sharp Nick Fury himself would be jealous, the DNC began their Avengers Initiative styled call-to-action to save Democracy.
