Category: Music

A Story of a Promising Young Life Cut Short by Another’s Irreparable Actions

Continuing his march up the stairway to stardom, burgeoning upstart Singer/Songwriter/Producer Rob Eberle has teamed up with powerful vocalist April Rose Gabrielli for “Reckless”, the latest offering from his forthcoming sophomore release. 

LISTEN TO RECKLESS ON SPOTIFY 

The after-prom that was supposed to be the start of their lives was lost due to irresponsible intoxication. Two lovers attend a party, drink then drive and only one makes it out alive. Guilty of his actions, he can’t stop thinking about her; as if she’s haunting him. He can’t remember much, just sirens.

Rob writes all of his own music, lyrics and works with various producers to create unique moments within his songs. Each one of Eberle’s songs are stories and moments into his life and others around him.

Influences from an eclectic group of artists such as FINNEAS & Billie Eilish all the way to Madison Beer, Olivia Rodrigo and Panic! At the Disco have helped to create Eberle’s genre bending darker-alternative to traditional Pop Rock.

For More Information on Rob Eberle, Go To:

www.Instagram.com/robeberle 

About Rob Eberle:

Rob Eberle is a young, versatile singer & songwriter and producer from Long Island, NY. Rob’s ability to capture snapshots of his life and other’s experiences is a special gift that separates him from lyricists within his genre. 

With the release of his debut ep, “WHERE’S MY MIND?” The 17-year-old New York native captures what it truly means to be heartbroken. Since the release of Eberle’s first single, “Enough” in 2020, he continues to raise the bar with impeccable lyricism. Currently working on the release of his sophomore ep, Eberle is gearing up for what’s next.

(New York) Acclaimed UK based eclectic rock band Otherish, has released the video for “Their Mistake”, a smashing single from the recently released album “Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues”, to YouTube.

Who are Otherish? George, Paul, Mark and Francis: Irish-English outsiders, musician-poets, sweethearts, alchemically active friends. 4 gifted misfits with confusing outsider music career pedigrees: together and alone, they have toured the world, lived the dream, done their time, somehow survived as musicians, friends, and brothers.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “THEIR MISTAKE” ON YOUTUBE

“I suppose the thing about ‘Their Mistake’ is, it’s trying to be a frolicsome tune engaging with a heavy notion, how we seem stuck in a feedback loop with those who manifest our collective shadow, who thus become ever more powerful and inevitably use that power to push us all ever deeper into the shadow, to the point of darkening our spirit completely. But (and hurrah!), if they were to accomplish this all-consuming obsession, lifeless matter is all they’d win and all they’d become.” – George

(photo by Charlie Romjin Barr)

“Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues”, 14 songs by George, Paul, and Francis. 3 songwriters: Paul, George, and Francis, with Mark, Paul’s brother, on drums. A fallen iridescence here, a cinema-sweep of themes and sounds: The 13/8 timed opener “Boil Me into Life”, with Paul’s improvised one-take speechsong, is probably unlike any other known music, heralding George’s rueful paean to the damaged soul of “England”; waves wash up on a Gael’s waking dream in Francis’ “Kingdom of the Birds”. “Their Mistake” swanky broadside at spirit-sucking ghouls and their vapid acolytes gives way to elegiac lost-friend memorizing with “Planxty Mark Loudon”; “Car Park” finds itself on the brink in the rain, then disintegrates to the sublime, teasing “Dreams He’s Awake” and a quest for “the good, the real, the beautiful”; “Come Away” lives in liminal worlds, between faery and human, at the water’s edge, far out to the West; “Loughshore Dim” also occurs by a shore, in the shivering air, in the 1970s near Lough Neagh; “Lies Today”, gently punching us in face for the ovine acquiescers that we (mostly) are; “My Lagan Sunrays” cavorts with the sparklewaters of Belfast’s river; “Gold in the Stormwaves” surrenders to the waves that shared space with our ancestors, the first living organisms; “Passing Show”, life’s petty-serious play, sweet flickering candle, heat, light and universes toying with time; “Right All The Time”, an epic message from the future.

LISTEN TO “GONE WRONG RAINBOW BLUES” ALBUM ON SPOTIFY

“In the everywhere fallout of the gone wrong rainbow, Otherish treat listeners as intelligent and sensitive creatures. Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues, an articulate and original album, is made to be worthy of your time and could even be a modern classic” – Barbara Smandler

Otherish go back a long way with each other, and always have a laugh when they are in each other’s company. They appear like a vector of the vanishing-rare uncynical gene, mapless, illuminated from within. Professorial buckeejits, nice funny guys, poet artists, witty and sharp.  Powerful experience of life’s answerless questions, still here.

“Wonderful life forms evolved in an earthly paradise of natural creativity until finally discovered a mere 800 years ago, whereupon many of this pristine archipelago’s stranger and more beautiful lifeforms were butchered and eaten…” explains a friendly bletherer. “Otherish is a bit like medieval New Zealand.”, he concludes. Another describes Otherish as “perched at the edge of the big plate everyone alive is on, looking around in all directions.”

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Quietly, almost imperceptibly—and most often entirely out of view—inspiration comes knocking and entices someone to veer off the beaten track. In the darkness of the unknown, where it’s too far to turn back but there’s still no sense of where one might arrive… that is the place where the Belfast-via-Bristol quartet Otherish find themselves on their sophomore album Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues. 

Four misfits with three distinct songwriters in their ranks, it took Otherish decades to get here. In fact, they weren’t here just a year ago, they can’t tell you how it happened, and they can’t even describe what it sounds like. That’s a good thing, because it’s best when bands that strike gold on blind intuition stay blind. From a listener’s standpoint, however, the appeal of Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues is far less difficult to pin down. 

Startlingly fresh, Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues lands like a welcome splash of cold water to the face, immediately recognizable as a work that captures a band stepping decisively out onto its own limb. Conversely, the album bears a familiar quality, as Otherish somehow wrap their arms around the full arc of rock music and emerge with a seamless amalgamation—familiar and inviting yet undeniably offbeat. 

So effortless and natural is the band’s ability to channel its influences that listening to Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues is like looking into a mirror, where the listener hears elements of whatever they themselves bring to the table: fans of ‘60s folk and psychedelia, ‘70s prog and classic rock, ‘80s baroque pop, ‘90s alternative, art rock, contemporary indie pop, chamber pop and even avant-garde composition will all hear themselves reflected in the album. 

Nevertheless, there’s an unmistakable sense that this music could only have been made right now. Like an author who’s spent a lifetime borrowing books from the library and realizes that their own voice came into fruition somewhere along the line, Otherish have invented their own language on tracks such as “Boil Me Into Life,” “England,” “Planxty Mark Loudon,” etc. As the album unfolds, it becomes apparent that Otherish have become one of those groups that can only be described in terms of their own sound. 

Sure, the band unabashedly wears hallmarks of other artists on its collective sleeve: a touch of, say, Peter Gabriel or David Bowie here and, perhaps, a dash of Richard Thompson or Nick Drake     there, etc—all underscored by Beatles harmonies and faint hints of post-punk’s exploratory spirit, as well as echoes of Gaelic folk music and an innate affinity for written verse that’s a pillar of Irish culture. 

The secret to the way that Otherish allow these styles to bleed into one another is that the band’s four members have essentially been doing the same with each other for half a century: the bond between brothers Paul and Mark Bradley and their bandmate Francis Kane runs as deep as their bond with one another. Kane, in fact, was born in the same home as the Bradleys, just days apart from Paul. 

In the ‘80s, the Bradleys and Kane relocated one by one from their native Northern Ireland to Bristol, England, each lured by the nurturing embrace of the arts community there, as well as by Bristol’s collective ethos that puts a premium on humility. As Kane points out, it’s fitting that the most famous artist to ever emerge from Bristol—the street-art legend Banksy—remains staunchly anonymous. 

Along the way, Mark, Paul and Francis came across George Claridge, an Englishman born in Wales who joined the crew in time for them to form the fringe alternative outfit Me in the early ‘90s. (The late keyboardist Nick Scooper, also English, joined in ‘93. His presence endures in Otherish even after his passing in 2018.) Once proclaimed “best band in Bristol” by NME, the lads now concur with the assessment that Me’s impact was “not enough even to render cult status.” They didn’t escape Radiohead’s notice, but that’s a story for another day…  

Looking back on the way Me fumbled through their bid for wider recognition, Kane, Claridge and the Bradleys recall playing to empty halls. They also insist they had the time of their lives. In hindsight, they understand that trying too hard often takes you further afield from your artistic truth. These days, Otherish are refreshingly unencumbered by self-consciousness, so much so that they’ve managed to recapture something akin to the naiveté that guides children when they fingerpaint. 

No surprise, the buzz around Gone Wrong Rainbow Blues comes as a surprise that no one in the band expected. It shouldn’t, however, surprise anyone on the outside looking in: with George, Francis and Paul all contributing songs, vocals and multiple instruments, Otherish functions as a microcosmic example of multiplicity flourishing against all odds. Kane’s elaborate, expressionistic wordplay about ancient excreting slime on “Kingdom of Birds,” for instance, runs in direct opposition to Claridge’s direct, almost deadpan delivery on “Their Mistake.” 

The album, in fact, brims with examples of contrast and complementarism. Seasoned by all the years of playing together, it’s as if Otherish can’t help but draw from a kind of unwitting intuitive wisdom. They would probably balk—maybe even laugh out loud—at the suggestion that there’s any wisdom involved. 

“It shouldn’t work,” says Kane, “but it does.” 

50th Anniversary Edition Announced
Due for release December 2nd via A&M/UMe

Newly remastered album available on 180-gram vinyl and hi-res digital for the first time since its original release

Following the 50th anniversaries of Yusuf / Cat Stevens’ seminal albums Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman, and Teaser and the Firecat, 2022 will see the legendary singer-songwriter celebrate 1972’s Catch Bull At Four with a newly remastered 50th anniversary edition. The platinum-selling title, which marked Cat Stevens’ most successful chart album, will be available on vinyl for the first time since its original release on both 180-gram black vinyl and limited edition 180-gram orange vinyl, which will be available exclusively on CatStevens.com, UDiscover Music and Sound Of Vinyl. Catch Bull At Four will also return to CD for the first time since its reissue in 2000 and the new remaster will also be available for streaming in both standard and stunning hi-resolution audio. All formats will be released December 2nd via A&M/UMe.

Pre-order Catch Bull At Four: ycs.lnk.to/CatchBullRemasteredPR

Speaking about the experience, Yusuf / Cat Stevens remembers:

“Contrary to the spiritual nature and theme of the album, Catch Bull At Four went straight to number one and became one of my biggest commercial accomplishments. It was scary! I feared it would divert me from my spiritual goal. That’s precisely why I followed it up with an album called Foreigner, which would sacrifice my newly acquired crown for a welcome return to obscurity.”

Released in the autumn of 1972, Catch Bull At Four marked Cat Stevens’ sixth studio album and fourth release on Island Records – A&M in the U.S. – following Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman (both 1970), and 1971’s Teaser and the Firecat. In the two years leading up to the highly anticipated title, the British singer-songwriter had soared to incredible heights, becoming a global star with such hits as “Father and Son,” “Wild World,” “Where Do The Children Play?” “Morning Has Broken” and “Peace Train.”

The album found Cat Stevens reuniting with producer (and former Yardbird) Paul Samwell-Smith and guitarist Alun Davies, who collaborated with the artist on his previous three records.

Joining them in the studio was drummer Gerry Conway, who appeared on Teaser and the Firecat, plus bassist Alan James, and keyboardist Jean Roussel. The album’s title, meanwhile, was inspired by Kuòān Shīyuǎn’s “Ten Bulls of Zen,” a series of short poems, in which a protagonist sets out in search of a bull, catches and tames him, and, through the experience, finds enlightenment.

When examining the years leading up to Catch Bull At Four, it’s certainly no surprise that the artist found himself looking increasingly inward. After having initial success as a teenager with hits like “Matthew and Son” and “I Love My Dog,” Cat Stevens faced a near-fatal battle with tuberculosis. As he endured months of recovery, the artist made significant changes to his life and began to explore spirituality.

This metamorphosis was also reflected in his songwriting, as he embraced a stripped-down, folk-rock aesthetic, while his lyrics became increasingly reflective and poetic.

During this period, which proved to be quite prolific, the artist wrote more than three dozen songs – the majority of which appeared on Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman, and Teaser and the Firecat. By the time Cat Stevens began work on Catch Bull At Four, however, he was entering a new creative chapter.

The songs on Catch Bull At Four find the artist grappling with his dizzying rise to fame, while, at the same time, delving deeper into his spiritual journey. This search for meaning is illustrated in the album’s title, which specifically references the challenge and strength one must summon as they seek enlightenment. 

The opening track, “Sitting,” also speaks to this dichotomy. Cat Stevens sings, “Sitting on my own not by myself/Everybody’s here with me/I don’t need to touch your face to know/And I don’t need to use my eyes to see.” Later, the artist speaks to the trappings of celebrity: “Bleeding half my soul in bad company/I thank the moon I had the strength to stop.”

Sonically, the songs reflect a stylistic shift, with Cat Stevens opting for a more elaborate sound than his previous three records, introducing a broader array of instrumentation, backing vocals, and lush, multi-layered arrangements.

This development resulted in no small part from the fact that Cat’s steep ascent into superstardom meant that he found himself performing in ever bigger venues to increasingly large crowds. He felt the need to expand his sound accordingly and began to lean on his love of R&B, soul, and even musical theatre to do so. These influences can be heard across the album, but particularly in such tracks as “Can’t Keep It In” and “O’Caritas,” both of which find the artist expressing his concerns for the state of the world.

The foreboding album closer, “Ruins,” takes these sentiments a step further. In many ways the song can be seen as a successor to the prescient ecological anthem “Where Do The Children Play?” although, this time the outlook seems considerably more bleak. “Ah but it’s all changed winter turned on a man/Came down on day when no-one was looking and it/Stole away the land, people running scared, losing hands/Dodging shadows of falling sand, buildings standing like empty shells/And nobody…helping no-one else,” he sings.

Catch Bull At Four certainly has plenty of moments of optimism as well. A joyful, romantic spirit runs through songs like the tender “Sweet Scarlett” and the playful “Angelsea,” featuring guest vocals from singer Linda Lewis. Cat Stevens also offers a message of hope with “Silent Sunlight.” Bolstered by strings and woodwinds, he sings about embracing a childlike sense of wonder: “Sing a song of love and truth/We’ll soon remember if you do/When all things were tall/And our friends were small/And the world was new.”

These songs contain all the charm, sincerity and imaginative flair that were so instrumental to the success of his previous three albums, and his gift for timeless folk storytelling arguably reaches its zenith with the glorious “The Boy With A Moon And Star On His Head” Clocking in at nearly six minutes long, the song weaves the elaborate tale of a man’s passionate and deeply romantic transgression prior to his wedding. A year later a baby is left in a basket upon his doorstep and the child grows to become a sage who gives voice to the enlightened message of universal love “And people would ride from far and wide just to seek the word he spread/I’ll tell you everything I’ve learned/And love is all, he said.”

Upon its release Catch Bull At Four built on the massive success of its predecessor, becoming Cat Stevens’ first album to top the Billboard 200, where it remained No. 1 in the U.S. for three consecutive weeks. Certified Platinum by the RIAA, and broadly acclaimed by critics, Catch Bull At Four also topped the album charts in Canada and Australia and peaked at No. 2 in the U.K. Single “Sitting,” meanwhile, was a Top 20 hit in the U.S., while “Can’t Keep It In” peaked at No. 13 on the UK pop charts.

Now, a half a century later, fans can enjoy Catch Bull At Four at its best, with audio digitally remastered at 24bit/96kHz from the original stereo production tapes by Mazen Murad. The LP edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket, featuring newly-restored artwork. The CD edition, meanwhile, includes a new 16-page booklet featuring photos and press clippings from the era, as well as lyrics.

50th Anniversary Editions of Catch Bull At Four will be released on December 2nd via A&M/UMe. Full format details are listed below.

CATCH BULL AT FOUR

1LP 50th ANNIVERSARY REMASTER
Side A
1. Sitting
2. Boy with a Moon & Star on His Head
3. Angelsea
4. Silent Sunlight
5. Can’t Keep It In

Side B
1. 18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)
2. Freezing Steel
3. O’Caritas
4. Sweet Scarlet
5. Ruins

50th ANNIVERSARY REMASTER (1CD, 24bit/96kHz Hi-Res Digital, Standard Digital)
1. Sitting
2. Boy with a Moon & Star on His Head
3. Angelsea
4. Silent Sunlight
5. Can’t Keep It In
6. 18th Avenue (Kansas City Nightmare)
7. Freezing Steel
8. O’Caritas
9. Sweet Scarlet
10. Ruins

Posted by Entertainment Magazine

LOUIS ARMSTRONG’S FINAL RECORDING FEATURED ON FIRST-EVER CHRISTMAS ALBUM, LOUIS WISHES YOU A COOL YULE, DUE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON VIA VERVE/UMe

HIS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED RENDITION OF CLASSIC HOLIDAY POEM, “A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS,” SET TO NEWLY RECORDED MUSIC BY PIANIST SULLIVAN FORTNER

AVAILABLE TO STREAM OCTOBER 28; CD, RED VINYL AND LIMITED EDITION VINYL PICTURE DISC DUE NOVEMBER 11

STREAM/SHARE “A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS”

Louis & Lucille Armstrong

 Just months before his death, the legendary Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong fired up his reel-to-reel tape recorder at his home in Corona, Queens, New York and recorded himself reciting Samuel Clement Moore’s beloved poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas.” It’s unknown why exactly the ailing artist felt compelled to record the holiday staple months after Christmas, but it would end up being his final recording, and now an unexpected gift for fans more than 50 years later. The poignant recording marks the first new Armstrong track in more than 20 years.

The previously unreleased track, which is available today to stream and download, has been paired with a newly recorded musical underbed by New Orleans pianist Sullivan Fortner, and will be featured on Armstrong’s first-ever Christmas album, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule, releasing digitally October 28th, followed by CD, red vinyl, and a limited edition vinyl picture disc on November 11th via Verve/UMe. Additionally, all 11 tracks have been mixed in immersive Dolby Atmos and hi-res audio.

Stream “A Visit From St. Nicholas” here: https://louisarmstrong.lnk.to/StNicholasPseudo

Pre-order Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule: https://louisarmstrong.lnk.to/LouisXmas

Much like Santa Claus himself, Armstrong devoted his life to “the cause of happiness,” as he once put it, bringing joy to audiences around the globe every time he put his trumpet to his lips or crooned with his instantly-recognizable, gravelly voice. Yet, while Satchmo’s holiday recordings have become standard yuletide fare, he never released a Christmas album during his lifetime. Now, for the very first time, Louis Wishes You A Cool Yule presents Armstrong’s holiday recordings as a cohesive body of work. The collection includes nearly the entirety of Armstrong’s holiday output: six Decca singles from the ‘50s, including “Cool Yule,” “Christmas Night in Harlem,” and the swinging “‘Zat You Santa Claus?.” The 11-track album also features duets with two of Pops’ favorite vocal partners, Velma Middleton (“Baby, It’s Cold Outside”) and Ella Fitzgerald (“I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm”). An official video for the Louis and Ella classic, hand-drawn by director and animator JonJon in his distinctive “line and shape” style, is available to view here: https://louisarmstrong.lnk.to/GotMyLovetoKeepMeWarm

Rounding out the record is the artist’s signature hit, “What a Wonderful World,” which has become something of a yearlong hymn of hope and celebrates its 65th anniversary this year.

The album will feature new liner notes from GRAMMY®-Award winning writer, Ricky Riccardi, author of two Armstrong biographies (“Heart Full of Rhythm” and “What a Wonderful World”) and Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

Since his passing in 1971, Armstrong’s legacy as one of the most beloved and influential jazz artists of all time has only continued to grow, while his enduring catalog of recordings remains timeless. Born in New Orleans, Armstrong (1901-1971) began his career in the ‘20s, bringing his Dixieland background to Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles. By the time he became an internationally-renowned star in the ‘40s, the hardworking singer, bandleader, actor, and trumpet player was spending nearly 300 days on tour every year. One constant throughout these shows, however, was the spirit of Christmas.

As a child, Riccardi writes, Armstrong “did not have much time for Christmas… life necessitated that he drop out of school and go to work while still a young boy to help support his mother and sister.” After his marriage to Lucille Wilson, however, the holidays took on a new meaning—particularly when the couple was on the road. Riccardi continues, “With the holidays approaching, Lucille bought a small Christmas tree and set it up in their hotel room. According to Lucille, Louis ‘just looked at it and looked at it and told me, ‘This is the first tree I’ve ever had.’ Louis refused to let Lucille take it down and insisted they take it with them on the rest of the tour. The Armstrongs would continue this tradition, Lucille later remarking that they continued setting up ‘a table tree and holiday fixings in whatever hotel in whatever country we happen to be in.’

Perhaps, it is that love of Christmas that accounts for Armstrong’s somewhat mysterious reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Whether Satchmo was giving fans one final present, or simply finding comfort in his favorite holiday, it is certain that the recording, and this album, will deliver plenty of Christmas magic.

As one of his many acts of generosity, Louis Armstrong established the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, to, in his words, “give back to the world some of the goodness he received.” Founded and funded by Louis and Lucille Armstrong in 1969, LAEF is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to perpetuating the legacies of Louis and Lucille Armstrong throughout the world. Its mission includes supporting musicians, jazz education, performances and programming. LAEF is a living legacy to Louis Armstrong, the most important creative force in the early development and perpetuation of America’s music, jazz.  His influence, as an artist and cultural icon, is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.

Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule Track Listing
(1CD/Digital)

1. Cool Yule 
2. Winter Wonderland 
3. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (w/ Ella Fitzgerald) 
4. ‘Zat You Santa Claus? 
5. Christmas In New Orleans 
6. White Christmas 
7. Christmas Night In Harlem 
8. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (w/ Velma Middleton) 
9. Moments To Remember 
10. What A Wonderful World 
11. Reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with Sullivan Fortner, piano accompaniment 

Louis Wishes You a Cool Yule Track List
(Vinyl)

SIDE A
1. Cool Yule 
2. Winter Wonderland 
3. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (w/Ella Fitzgerald) 
4. ‘Zat You Santa Claus? 
5. Christmas In New Orleans 
6. White Christmas 

SIDE B
1. Christmas Night In Harlem 
2. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (w/ Velma Middleton) 
3. Moments To Remember 
4. What A Wonderful World 
5. Reading of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with Sullivan Fortner, piano accompaniment

Posted by Entertainment Magazine

UP-AND-COMING RAPPER TIA P. WINS GRAND PRIZE
IN UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION

Judges Include: NLE Choppa, Locash, Darryl McDaniels (RUN DMC), Aimee Mann, Nicholas Petricca (Walk The Moon), Sanctus Real, Derek Brown (The Flaming Lips), Robert Smith (The Cure), and More



Nashville, TN, September 26, 2022 – The Unsigned Only Music Competition is pleased to announce its 2022 winners. It is with great pleasure that Unsigned Only bestows its highest honor, the overall Grand Prize, to the Inglewood, CA rapper Tia P. for the song “That Action.” The Grand Prize winner is awarded a prize package totaling $50,000, including $20,000 in cash (US) and more in merchandise and services geared toward helping an artist’s career.

Winners were selected by a judging panel comprised of high-profile industry experts and renowned recording artists, including: Aimee Mann; Sanctus Real; O.A.R.; Ruthie Foster; Robert Smith (The Cure); NLE Choppa; The Devil Makes Three; LoCash; and many more (see complete list below). Also on the judging panel were industry executives as well as music journalists from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Guitar Player, JazzTimes, Seattle Times, Yahoo Music, Pandora, Guitar World; No Depression; Blues Music Magazine; and more (see complete list below).

Established in 2012, Unsigned Only is the leading international music competition honoring artists who are not signed to a major record label. Selected from almost 7,000 entries worldwide, the winners share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes split among 38 winners.

“Tia P. is one of the most dynamic and exciting artists in the contemporary music world today. Not only is she a prolific, in-demand performer and songwriter, but she also has some serious drumming chops,” say Candace Avery and Jim Morgan, the founders of Unsigned Only. “We first became aware of her when she was only 11 years old, and throughout the years we have been lucky enough to watch her incredible growth as an artist. She is undeniably a star in the making.”

Hailing from Inglewood, CA, Tia P. is an extraordinary and multi-talented artist whose skills include rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and drummer. Influenced by artists such Missy Elliott, Lauren Hill, and Pharrell Williams, she is the voice of a new generation embodied in the soul of the old.

She is a charismatic artist with an impressive and enviable list of accomplishments that showcase her talents She first became widely known to the public when she was on BET’s The Next Big Thing. Since then, her music has been heard all over hit tv shows such as Shameless, Empire, Grown-ish, Charmed, Cobra Kai, Black Lady Sketch Show, and many more. Her music has also been used in a myriad of commercials for Pepsi, Sprite, Hyundai, and more. Her recent collaboration with five-time Grammy winner Brittany Howard (lead singer/guitarist, Alabama Shakes) for the LA-based Angel City Football Club resulted in the single “Running With The Angels” and is the first original anthem for a U.S. women’s professional sports team. She is currently working on a new album and also songs for the upcoming Warner Bros. Barbie movie.
Tia P’s winning song “That Action” is emblematic of her drive as an artist and takes her cue from a director’s call: Lights, Camera, Action – meaning don’t slow down until they yell CUT. Clearly this inspires the ways she creates music and live her life.

The complete panel of judges includes:
NLE Choppa; Aimee Mann; Robert Smith (The Cure); Sanctus Real; LoCash;  I Am They;  Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC);  O.A.R.;  Nicholas Petricca (Walk The Moon); The Devil Makes Three; Janiva Magness; Ruthie Foster;  Derek Brown (The Flaming Lips); Russ Landau;  Zbigniew Preisner; Tinariwen; Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone); Lyndsey Parker (Managing Editor, Yahoo Music); Christopher Scapelliti (Editor-In-Chief, Guitar Player); Kevin McNeese (President, NewReleaseToday); Jeff Zuchowski (VP, Artist Marketing/Industry Relations, Pandora); Damian Fanelli (Editor-In-Chief, Guitar World); John Dibiase (President, Jesus Freak Hideout); John Cameron (Editor-In-Chief, Selector); Angel Romero (Music Consultant); Hilary Saunders (Managing Editor, No Depession); Cyrus Kyle Langhorne (Founder, AttackTheCulture.com); Art Tipaldi (Editor, Blues Music Magazine); Brandon Chitwood (Founder/Writer, The EDM Scholar); Mac Randall (Editor, JazzTimes); Brinson Strickland (President, Collective Music Nashville); James Kempner (Owner, JMK Connections); Jennifer Taunton (Music Supervisor, Level Two Music); James Whitting (Partner, Paradigm Talent Agency); Alison Bonaguro (Freelance Country Music Journalist); Angela Stefano (Editor-In-Chief, The Boot); Gaston Leone (Talent Buyer, Goldenvoice); Dylan Berry (Owner, SmashHaus); Mike Locke (VP, Creative Synchronization & Marketing, Atlas Music); Mark Garfield (Co-Director, Pop-Up Music UK Ltd.); Debra Delshad (Sr. Director, Synchronization & Licensing, Angry Mob Music); and Daryl Berg (VP, Music Strategies and Licensing Hallmark (Crown Media)

Unsigned Only is sponsored by: Celebrity Access; Dark Horse Institute; Disc Makers; Ernie Ball; Eventric; Lurssen Mastering; My Sheet Music Transcription; Make Music, Inc; Mojave Audio; Radio Airplay; The Music Business Registry; Merch Cat; and View Maniac.

For more information and to enter, go to www.unsignedonly.com. To listen to the winning songs, go to: www.unsignedonly.com/winners.

The list of 2022 winners is as follows (see website for Honorable Mentions):

Grand Prize
Tia P.  (Inglewood, CA, USA) – “That Action”

AAA (Adult Album Alternative) 
First Place: LT (Cairns, QLD, Australia) – “Rollercoaster”
Second Place: Johnny Walker’s Dead Horses (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) – “How Are Your Friends”

Adult Contemporary (AC)
First Place: Lost Blonde (Golden, CO, USA) – “Dreamin’ About You”
Second Place: The Eves (Edinburgh, Scotland) – “Big Love”            

Americana
First Place: The Red Clay Strays (Mobile, AL, USA) – “Wondering Why”
Second Place: Drumming Bird (Nashville, TN, USA) – “American Spirits”

Blues
First Place: Trudy Lynn (Houston, TX, USA) – “Golden Girl Blues”
Second Place: Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps (Los Angeles, CA, USA)  “Takes One To Know One Ft. Anson Funderburgh”

Christian
First Place: Daniel Doss (Martin, TN, USA) – “Revival”
Second Place: Maria Hilman (St. Cloud, MN, USA) – “Never Fail”    

Country
First Place: Clayton Anderson (Bedford, IN, USA) – “Let Me Go”
Second Place: James Johnston (Wingham, NSW, Australia) ­ “Raised Like That”

EDM
First Place: Rheo Uno (Leicester, England) – “Deep End”
Second Place: Steve Brian (Nordstemmen, Germany) – “Sweet Little Lies”

Folk/Singer-Songwriter
First Place: Alix Page (Costa Mesa, CA, USA) – “Radiohead”
Second Place: Sam Heselwood (Christchurch, New Zealand) – “Don’t Speak”

Instrumental
First Place: Delphi Project (Albuquerque, NM, USA) – “Runaway”
Second Place: Sherwood-Roberts (London, England) – “Suspicion”

Jazz
First Place: Marquis Hill Blacktet (Chicago, IL, USA) – “Law & Order”
Second Place: Carsten Dahl, Tim Hagans, Jukkis Uotila, and Johnny Åman (Copenhagen, Denmark) – “Old Voyage”

Latin
First Place: Stefany (Mendrisio, Switzerland) – “Fuego”
Second Place: RaiNao (San Juan, Puerto Rico) – “Plug”

Pop/Top 40
First Place: Halle Abadi (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – “Focus”
Second Place: HARLOW (Omaha, NE, USA) – “Dirty Mouth”

R&B/Hip-Hop
First Place: Mia Delamar (Atlanta, GA, USA) – “Cool”
Second Place: Kéwork (Almere, Netherlands) – “Flying”

Rock
First Place: Beddy Rays (Redland Bay, QLD, Australia) – “Sobercoaster”
Second Place: Mild Orange (Otago, New Zealand) – “What’s Your Fire?”

Screen Shot
First Place: FKA Rayne (Surrey, BC, Canada) – “Sour Candy”
Second Place: Illumen (Stockholm, Sweden) – “Drifting Apart”

Teen
First Place: Sade Frame (Kailua, HI, USA) – “Dating Isn’t Fun”
Second Place: Vaughn Prangley (Johannesburg, South Africa) – “Avalanche To The Sea”

Vocal Performance
First Place: DarylAnne (Milwaukee, WI, USA) – “Might As Well”
Second Place: Maria Manuel (London, England) – “Happy Place”

World Music
First Place: Ras Canly (Tshilamba, South Africa) – “You’re A Winner”
Second Place: Chris St. Hilaire (Brooklyn, NY, USA) – “Black Christ”

Fandemonium (online public vote)
Dylan Lock (Penetanguishene, ON, Canada) – “Time For A Change”

Special Promotion Winners

Sad/ Happy Song
Sad Song Winner: Kylie Price (Dunedin, New Zealand) – “Stay”
Happy Song Winner: Max M (Bry, France) – “Imaginary Problems”

Get Published
Winner: James Johnston (Wingham, NSW, Australia) – “Raised Like That”

Runners-Up:
Cozi anda Flounder (Dallas, TX, USA) – “No One Can Take Away”
Daniel Duke (Edinburgh, Scotland) – “Lies”
Maria Hilman (St. Cloud, MN, USA) – “Never Fail”
Megan Slankard (San Francisco, CA, USA) – “I Want To Be Loved”
Riley Pearce (Perth, WA, Australia) – “Bottle It Up”
Sam Heselwood (Christchurch, New Zealand) – “Don’t Speak”
Skyler Day (Cumming, GA, USA) – “The Best Worst Thing”
Taryn Papa (Stafford, CT, USA) – “Changed”
Timothy James Bowen (Bomaderry, NSW, Australia) – “Let Love Reign”

Win Some Love
Winner: Ben Drysdale (Canberra, ACT, Australia) – “I’m Flyin Now”
Winner: Mikalyn (Guelph, ON, Canada) – “Ready To Love You”
Winner: Bree Rusev (Newcastle, NSW, Australia) – “Younger”

Network Now
Winner: Alix Page (Costa Mesa, CA, USA) – “Radiohead”

Video Only
Professional Video Winner: Duff Kelly (Rutland, SK, Canada) ¬– “Holy Lady”
Homemade Video Winner: Dani Rocca (Houston, TX, USA) – “Woman”

Copyright © 2022 Unsigned Only, All rights reserved.

Posted by Entertainment Magazine

“29” MARKS THE FIRST VIDEO BEING RELEASED BY VEVO AS PART OF DEMI LOVATO’S OFFICIAL LIVE PERFORMANCE SERIES

Vevo, the world’s leading music video network, announces the release of Demi Lovato’s Official Live Performance of “29” off her new album, HOLY FVCK, out now (listen HERE). Vevo’s Official Live Performances are the result of close creative collaboration with artists and their teams, resulting in a series of very special exclusive performances. Vevo and Demi Lovato have a long history working together, including a 2012 “Vevo Presents” set, 2017 Vevo x Demi Lovato performance of “Tell Me You Love Me,” and Footnotes videos of “SUBSTANCE,” “SKIN OF MY TEETH” and “Dancing With The Devil.”

Official Live Performances are the flagship original content for Vevo, working with the biggest names in music – they are the result of close creative collaboration with artists and their teams, resulting in a series of very special exclusive performances. Specifically tailored creatives meant to fit the vision of each individual artist chosen, these performances connect artists with their global audience of fans adding to their visual library.

“Our team has had the privilege of working with Demi for the past decade, and we were thrilled to bring our partnership to the next level with an Official Live Performance,” says JP Evangelista, Vevo’s SVP of Content, Programming & Marketing, “Demi’s artistry is truly unmatched, and she has carved out her place in the industry. We really dug into the creative with Demi and collaborated throughout the entire process, she was incredibly intentional with the vision for the set and how we could elevate the vibe of her new music. Working with such an involved artist makes all the difference in these partnerships, and we really feel that it shines through on screen. These edgy performances are truly all Demi and better than ever!”

Demi Lovato closely collaborated with Vevo’s team to create a completely bespoke set that allowed room for honesty and vulnerability. The intention of the performance space was to strike a balance between alluring and disorienting, clean and approachable. The camera pans in to find Demi on a red carpeted platform illuminated by a grid of bright white lights. Clad in a black leather skirt and black blouse, Demi stalks towards the camera, snarling and belting with her band supporting from the side.

“My new album HOLY FVCK is a deeply personal journey that begins with pain and anger, and through this emotional release, the album concludes in a hopeful place of joy that allows me to take my power back from the very things that made me angry,” Demi states. “I knew I wanted to showcase my new music in a unique way for my fans, both visually and sonically. So when an Original Live Performance with Vevo was on the table, I immediately started to brainstorm creatively – the lighting, the room design, my look and outfits, how to incorporate our incredible female live band – all of it! The Vevo team made this vision a reality with me, and I hope my fans can feel the emotion and power through these live performances.”

Additionally, Demi will bring the album to fans across South America and North America this Fall on the HOLY FVCK Tour. Fans can expect to hear new songs from the album as well as reimagined rock versions of Demi’s hits, including “Sorry Not Sorry,” “Cool for the Summer,” and more. Tickets and VIP packages are available now at demilovato.com.

ABOUT VEVO: Vevo is the world’s leading music video network, connecting an ever-growing global audience to high quality music video content for more than a decade. Founded by Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment in 2009, Vevo offers fans worldwide a vast array of premium content to choose from, showcasing official music videos alongside a constantly developing lineup of live performances and innovative original programming. From top superstars to rising new talents, Vevo brings incomparable cross-promotional support to artists across the musical spectrum, at every stage of their careers.

Vevo has consistently evolved over the past decade to lead within today’s ever-changing media landscape, embracing partnerships with a number of leading distribution platforms to deliver extraordinary content within ad-supported environments. With more than 25B views across television, desktop and mobile devices each month, Vevo brings music videos to the world – when, where, and how fans want them.

Vevo is available on YouTube, Samsung, Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Echo Show, PlutoTV, Apple TV, Roku, Comcast (Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex), VIZIO, Sky (NowTV and SkyQ), Foxxum, XITE, NetRange, Redbox, T-Mobile Play, Virgin Media, Xumo, Telstra, Foxtel, Fetch, Rogers, Shaw, Local Now, and Vewd.

Posted by Entertainment Magazine

THE WHITE BUFFALO ANNOUNCE EIGHTH STUDIO ALBUM OUT NOVEMBER 11 VIA SNAKEFARM

‘YEAR OF THE DARK HORSE’ 

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

THE WHITE BUFFALO will return this fall with his eighth studio album titled YEAR OF THE DARK HORSE.

The Oregon-born, Southern California-bred artist has completed the record with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Fidlar) at his Neon Cross studio in Nashville. For THE WHITE BUFFALO, aka singer-songwriter-guitarist JAKE SMITH, it was time to take the less-traveled path and embark on a voyage of discovery.

“You think we’re a country band? A folk band? Americana? Rock? What the fuck are you gonna say now?!” says SMITH. “With this album, I wanted something outside of what I’ve ever done. I wanted to open up. Do something dangerous. I’m hard to put into a singular genre as it is, but now I really wanted to take away any kind of preconception or pigeon-holing.”

SMITH adds, “And don’t ask me, cos I don’t know what it is! It’s a genre-bending thing–there’s elements and influences from ELO, Daniel Lanois, Tom Waits, The Boss, circus, pirate music, yacht rock, and I’m driving and pushing some of these numbers in a way I’ve never done before.”

Roughly based around the shifting of the seasons paralleled with the shifting of a relationship, on YEAR OF THE DARK HORSE, SMITH continues his evocative storytelling through emotionally weighted songs that allow the imagination of the listener to play an important part throughout; the music builds on a tale of debauchery (of the drunken variety) and blame, of love and loss, a life lived against the odds, the whole thing set in one lunar year, following our anti-hero through the highs and lows of the seasons. 

From highlights “Kingdom For A Fool,” “52 Card Pickup,” and “Donna,” YEAR OF THE DARK HORSE offers an invigorating and wonderfully unpredictable listen. A collection of 12 musical vignettes individual yet constant in flow, it’s THE WHITE BUFFALO’s most ambitious and well-rounded work to date, with the full scope ofSMITH’s songwriting craft is on view.

THE WHITE BUFFALO– now with seven albums plus various EPs in its locker–is rounded out by touring/recording compadres CHRISTOPHER HOFFEE, bassist/keyboards/guitars, and drummer MATT LYNOTT. 

NPR’s All Songs Considered tagged THE WHITE BUFFALO as an “amazing storyteller,” the Los Angeles Times added “Smith’s baritone echoes with villains and misfits, drunks, and philistines,” and Classic Rock magazine declared TWB“America’s darkest country/blues export…imagine a blue collar Tom Waits, or Nick Cave pumping gas in a station just off the highway.” 

YEAR OF THE DARK HORSE is the follow-up to THE WHITE BUFFALO’s last album, On The Widow’s Walk (Snakefarm, 2020) which was released one week after the entire world stopped during the global pandemic.

A powerful and prolific storyteller through his songcraft, SMITH’s body of work includes prominent song and soundtrack placements in the worlds of TV and film including the shows Sons Of Anarchy, This Is Us, Californication, The Punisher, The Terminal List, and the films Shelter, Safe Haven and West of Memphis. THE WHITE BUFFALO’s dark blues and light Americana-roots-tinged folk provided a soundtrack of tunes for the entire seven season run of the FX original series Sons of Anarchy, which included 11 songs overall. The last song in the series finale for SOA “Come Join The Murder,” earned THE WHITE BUFFALO his first-ever EMMY Award Nomination.

Click to experience THE WHITE BUFFALO’s live performances below, from the BBC’s Later…with Jools Holland to a full concert from Rock Palast in Germany; expect more clips in the coming months.

With intense live performances, unique songwriting, humor and an independent attitude, THE WHITE BUFFALO has played to over 1 million fans globally and spent the past decade touring the world and winning over audiences at clubs and at U.S. and International festivals. THE WHITE BUFFALO has headlined tours in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, and Canada and has toured with Jack Johnson, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Flogging Molly, Steve Earle, Chuck Ragan, Chadwick Stokes, Ryan Bingham, Donovan Frankenreiter, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Gomez, Ziggy Marley and more. Notable festival appearances in the U.S. and across Europe have expanded their global footprint including Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, Ohana Music and Arts Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Riot Fest, Under the Big Sky Music Festival, Electric Forest, Bourbon & Beyond, Ramblin’ Man Festival (UK), Bluesfest (UK and Ireland), Mad Cool, Blues Cazorla and Azenka Rock Festival in Spain, and Strafe Blu Festival, and Aerasonica Festival in Italy, and more.

THE WHITE BUFFALO will launch a string of Canadian dates in early September and on Friday, September 16, THE WHITE BUFFALO will perform their first festival appearance this year at Beachlife Festival in Redondo Beach. Expect the group to announce a full Fall tour run soon.

THE WHITE BUFFALO:

THE WHITE BUFFALO.COM | IG | FB | TW | SPOTIFY | PANDORA | YOUTUBE

Posted by Entertainment Magazine

NICKI MINAJ’S BLOCKBUSTER “SUPER FREAKY GIRL” IS “FIRST SOLO FEMALE RAP TRACK TO DEBUT AT #1 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 SINCE 1998!”

ACHIEVES “BIGGEST SALES WEEK FOR ANY TRACK THIS YEAR” & ”BIGGEST CONSUMPTION DEBUT FOR A LEAD FEMALE ARTIST THIS YEAR”

NEW YORK, NY (August 22nd, 2022) – Diamond-selling hip-hop icon Nicki Minaj makes history this week with her blockbuster new single “Super Freaky Girl.” 

It bows at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as she earns “the first solo female rap track to debut at #1 since 1998.” It achieves a myriad of milestones. Nicki stands out as “the first female lead artist to debut at #1 in 2022,” “the first female rapper with multiple #1 debuts,” and the “first female rapper to reach #1 without a video in over two years.” It also conquers TikTok at #1 on Top US Tracks.

Scoring the “Biggest Consumption Debut for a Lead Female Artist in 2022” and “Biggest Sales Week for Any Single of 2022,” this also marks her fourth Digital #1 of 2022—the most of any artist this year—and 12th Digital #1 overall, enshrining her as the fifth artist to do so. She eclipses her own record for “Biggest Digital Sales Week of Any Track in 2022,” dethroning her own “Do We Have a Problem?” [feat. Lil Baby]. With 21 now, it also reaffirms her record as the “female artist with the most Top 10 entries on the Hot 100 of all time.”

Nicki Minaj has set the pace for the culture in 2022 with “the biggest song of the year” and paved the way for her massively anticipated fifth full-length album—coming soon.

Posted by Entertainment Magazine