"The Pack"

Esperanza Spalding Holding her Grammy

Independent Music got a huge boost with this year’s Grammy award for Best New Artist as unsigned artist Esperanza Spalding beat out the well-know artist Justin Bieber, as well as the high-profile artists Drake and Florence & the Machine.  Living in Los Angeles, the home of the Grammy’s, I caught a story on one of our local television stations about Esperanza Spalding.  As it turns out, this lady is quite talented and has taught herself to play many instruments; but ultimately settled on playing the double bass at the age of 16.

Winning a Grammy is a remarkable accomplishment and one that few artists ever experience, let alone an independent 26-year-old jazz bassist and singer.  In fact, according to the report I watched on ABC News, Esperanza Spalding’s Grammy for Best New Artist was the first time ANY Jazz artist has won the Best New Artist category.

As a huge supporter of a collection of Independent artists known as “The Pack”, I was quite impressed and excited with Esperanza’s Grammy.  Why?  Because her success proves that an artist DOES NOT necessarily need to be signed with a big label or have corporate ties to succeed.  What I did learn, however, is there were a few key ingredients that may have helped her win.  You see, Esperanza is a musical prodigy and through the years, she has acquired some famous fans and many critics have applauded her music.

“Esperanza first started playing when she was just 4 years of age and within on year, at the age of 5, she joined the Chamber Music Society of Oregon, in the United States. At the age of 20, she became the youngest faculty member at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

While she won the best new artist award this year, she’s been around for a while. “Esperanza,” her 2008 album, spent more than 70 weeks on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart and was the most successful internationally selling debut that year. She recorded her first album, “Junjo,” in 2006. ” (ABC News, February 14, 2011)

50K Music Magazine is all about supporting independent music and since I have the same passion, 50K Music Magazine and I thought it would be a natural fit to team up and help promote the  indie artists we support. Personally, I am looking forward to this new collaborative effort.  It’s a win/win for everyone and with a little creativity and a lot of hard work…who knows, one of the artists we support may be on that stage one day…holding a Grammy.

Anyone who knows me understands the passion I have for “The Pack”.  I am proud of these artists; but completely devoted to them as well.  They are all exceptionally talented, intelligent, and super hard-working artists who all deserve out support.

Beginning in November of 2010, Radio Enkhuizen out of the Netherlands started playing music by “The Pack” on a regular basis and just last week, another radio station, Vixen FM, The Fox’s Den Radio ProgrammeVixen 101 FM out of England welcomed their music, as they played songs by 9 of the artists.  Next week, they will play music by the other artists. Additionally, I’ve submitted a couple of CDs to NPR radio from the United States…the world’s largest radio station and a HUGE supporter of ALL music.  Next, I’ll be shooting for Los Angeles radio stations…which would be the ultimate prize!  People in Los Angeles spend a great deal of time in their cars and because of this…radio is a major part of the LA lifestyle.

It’s all about reaching out to as many people as possible; because if the music is good, people will not only request it…they will buy it.

To everyone who supports independent music…thank you!  Collectively, we can all make a difference…it’s our choice.

-Wolfman

Just a couple days back, Katie Thompson released her single “Good As Gold” worldwide and it has just topped the iTunes Country Charts in New Zealand!

Congratulations Katie!!!

Tomorrow, Radio Enkhuizen will be jammin to the rhythmic sounds of Reggae!  NRG Rising will be joining the likes of Bob Marley, UB40, Third World, and many other excellent bands as they fill the airwaves with 3 awesome hours of symetrical rhythmic music.

The show begins at:

• 21.00 CET
• 3:00 PM EST
• 12:00 PM PST

And on Saturday, January 15, 2011

• 4:00 AM in Perth, Australia
• 9:00 AM in New Zealand

You can view the playlist on Beach Radio.  This is going to be a memorable broadcast and I hope you tune in, because if you do, you will be one of the first to hear NRG Risings debut Album, “Darkness to Light“!

See ya there!

The life of an Indie Artist is not an easy one…in fact, it’s downright brutal.

Thankfully, the Internet has changed the game and leveled the playing field.  Aly Cook, an Independent Country/R&B artist from New Zealand is using every resource the Internet has to offer and it’s paying off!

Inspired by the success of fellow “Pack” artist Katie Thompson, Aly embraced the possibilities of a fan-funded album when she joined Sellaband.com on August 3, 2009 with the goal of raising the capital necessary to produce a professional album.  Well, not only did this very talented Kiwi raise the cash; she did it very quickly, as she closed out her project on December 8, 2009!  In just 4 short months, 224 people from around the world embraced Aly Cook and invested their hard-earned money to back her soon-to-be-released album,  “Brand New Day“.

These people recognized that Aly is no ordinary musician.  They all saw the same qualities as I…a super hard-working, entrepreneurial, and very talented musician who deserves the chance to reach her life long dream…to be a successful recording artist.  Well, her dream is coming true!!

To promote her upcoming album, Aly will be touring the world and to help fund the tour, she started another project, the “Strumming Around the World” Documentary and Tour project on IndieGoGo.com.  With roughly 3 months remaining in this project, Aly appears to be on her way to completing the project goal.  Just yesterday, Aly picked up a major investor, who will be bringing her music to the Woodstock Hotel in Hokitika, New Zealand, to perform a single release party, the day after the Wildfoods Festival on March 13th, 2011.  Additionally, Electric Body recognized Aly’s talent and vibrant beauty and officially become her first American Sponsor.

The “Strumming Around the World” Documentary and Tour project promises to be exciting and rewarding.  I invite you to join me in supporting this electric, energetic, and entertaining artist…you’ll be happy you did!  All it takes is a minimal investment of $10 US; but you can invest as much as you would like.

I hope to see you there!

Wolfman

Lori Greco has a new BandPage on Facebook and she would be thrilled if you would stop by and say hello!

Follow Lori on Twitter

Monika Piotrowska, a dear friend of  “The Pack”, just release her new EP, “Speed Away“, on CDBaby.   David Malachowski, producer/guitarist on “Speed Away” sums Monika up as follows:

Like the weather, Moni P is a force, changing often and at a whim, at times breathtaking and graceful, other times forceful, compelling and almost dangerous.  Growing up in Szczecin, Poland, her first dream was to be an athlete, and she did well in contests and championships before finding her true halling as a singer songwriter. Since then, she has performed many high profile shows, notably, she opened the Superjedynki Opole Festival (the largest festival in Poland) in 2006 together with Polish showman Krzysztof Skiba.

Her group Mopi came together in 2007 in Szczecin, when she joined by Chance as a replacement singer, and soon became the rage in Polish clubs and concert halls, as well as on Myspace, where she has an international following.

Piotrowska now works odd jobs while singing in the band, worked with children, and as a personal advisor in the District Labour Office in Police helping people at risk of social exclusion.  A scorching beauty that commands the stage with an exotic presence and aggressive stance, her lyrics convey worldly themes of love and longing, with an infectious manner.  Her clever phasing is propelled by a strong, flexible, emotional voice that will stop you in your tracks.  Because she lives slightly under the radar in Poland, the world hasn¹t quite caught on yet, but it soon will.

Moni P recorded “Speed Away” in the United States in October of 2010 at Bennett Studios with Grammy winning engineer Dae Bennett (Tony Bennett), and producer/guitarist David Malachowski (Shania Twain, Savoy Brown, Commander Cody) and a group of world-class musicians including Gary Burke (Bob Dylan, Joe Jackson, Rick Danko) Pete Levin (Annie Lennox, Paul Simon) Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel) Daniel A Weiss (Joan Osborne), Lorenza Ponce ( J. Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow..), Peter Sachon ( Billy Joel…)Moni P mania is about to explode be prepared!

Moni is most definitely going to shake up the music world.  Please support her…all it takes is $4.99 in US Dollars to become the proud owner of her incredible vibe!

Fleur Jack and The Twitch are going on tour at the end of October to promote the release of their 2nd album, “Time For Change“.  The name of the tour is “The Tattoot Tour” and for good reason…it is being sponsored by numerous tattooists who will be tattooing the members of “The Twitch” in every town.  The Tattoo Tour will be playing shows throughout New Zealand and Melbourne Australia.

So here’s the cool part – they would like to take a camera man on tour with them to capture footage of the shows, tattoo sessions, and the road trips, and then have it edited to make a professional music video.  This is where they could sure use your help and if you like this concept and the video below, you can become a part of this video by supporting their “Tattoo Tour Project” at http://www.indiegogo.com/TheTwitch.  They have 57 days remaining to raise the $4,000 US necessary to fund this project and would love to have you join them on this exciting project.

“Time For Change” was produced by Jimmy Christmas (The D4, Luger Boa), mixed by Andrew Buckton and mastered by Zed Brookes in Auckland City.  The Twitch are renowned for their high energy live shows and inspired by the true Rock’n'Roll lifestyle they lead.  The band have etched themselves indelibly, like a fine red wine stain on the New Zealand music scene, winning the NZ Battle of the bands in 2005 and touring New Zealand three times in 2007.

The Twitch are: Fleur Jack, vocals, bass and all-round rock star; Jesus, guitar, vocals and legendary party messiah; and Josh Crowther, drums, vocals and captain of chaos juice.

Once again, Catself conducts another wonderful interview; but this time, with Natalia Safran and you can hear it about halfway through the podcast at http://www.talentcast.nl/listen.php?page=podcast

Natalia gives the listeners an insightful look into her journey towards her debut album, which she still has to disclose.  This is a must listen!!

Catself did a wonderful job getting the inside scoop and Natalia was thorough and she even offered the listener’s a freebie; but to get it, you’ll have to listen to the podcast.  This is a very good interview and one you won’t want to miss!

Thank you Cat and TalentCast for another wonderful interview!

Yesterday, Apryl Evans‘ rapid accent towards her first professionally produced Album made BIG strides as she surpassed the first milestone of raising $1,000 towards her budget of $25,000.

Apryl is the newest member of “The Pack” and brings a World-class R&B Soulful sound to this impressive collection of International Independent musicians. Her song, “I Shouldn’t” is up for nomination on USA4Real.com for the 2009 Indie Hip-Hop/R&B Single of the Year. As of this writing, Apryl is leading the competition with a 7-vote margin.

For me, “I Shouldn’t” is one of the most incredible songs I have ever heard! Apryl sings about what she once had, while drowning her heartfelt sorrows.    I could feel her pain and this is something that cannot be taught…it’s a gift!

I loved the way she held the notes throughout the song.  Instrumentally, the organ and the guitar were just right!  Her vocals were perfect and I loved the soft touches; in fact, I can’t imagine anyone else singing this song as she did…in a nutshell, she nailed it!  Her backing vocals were spot on…the tempo was perfect…I simply can’t find anything but positive things to say about “I Shouldn’t“. Apryl should win a GRAMMY for this piece…it’s that good! Thank God, USA4Real.com recognized this!

I think most people can relate to her message…we’ve all been there. She did something incredibly remarkable with this composition and she was able to touch me in the deepest way possible and I thank her for that. This song has platinum written all over it!

Apryl has a lot of thank you’s to everyone who supported her, as well as some other insight into her musical style and plans for her next CD.    I hope you enjoy her video!

Wolfman

Aly Cook is Taking the Country Music world by Storm!

High energy all the way…just like Aly!  This is Country Music at it’s best and New Zealand has one hell of a Star to be proud of and as one of her supporters, I couldn’t be happier!

Chip Martin and Paul Sparkes were the perfect marriage for Aly’s video, “Country Storm“.  As you will see in Aly’s “Thank You” video, they were able to capture her high and contagious energy,  which is perfect for this up and coming Super Star!

Please join me in celebrating Aly’s incredible achievement of reaching the halfway point in her Sellaband journey!  If you’re not familiar with Sellaband, please stop by and check it out.  For as little as a $10 USD investment, you can partner with Aly and become a part of her album.  This is a rare opportunity and one that is not only rewarding for you and her…you will also gain many new friends in the process.

Enjoy the Video!

Wolfman