“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” ~ David Bowie
A month ago, this quote was posted on Facebook by Abdias Ernesto Garcia, the object of our musical affection in this week’s “The Weekly Rhythm”. The quote seems a fitting commentary on his work, whether that’s what he was getting at or not.
“Spurs of the Moment” is your up-to-date source for all happenings in the country music community. Make sure to check in bi-weekly to see just what’s going on with your favorite country singers and stars!
February—the month of love. And now, since this month’s announcement of upcoming summer tours, I have fallen even more in love with country music and its stars.
While the submission deadline has passed for entries in OurStage’s February promotional channels, there’s still plenty of time left to judge! Your votes could have a big impact on an up-and-coming artist’s career. Judge in in the “Get Your Music Featured on VIBE.com” Channel to help VIBE find the next urban music star. Or maybe you can be a tastemaker in the “Beat Kangz Independent Artist Challenge” Channel and help a few deserving acts win new revolutionary beat production gear from Beat Kangz Electronics.
Want to win big for judging? Beyoncé is giving one lucky judge in the “Beyoncé Sweet Dreams at the Wynn Cover Competition” a Sony laptop preloaded with Beyoncé’s I AM…Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas Live DVD! Judge in either the audio or video channels for your chance to win.
So what are you waiting for? Click on one of the channel banners and start discovering the best new music:
"Get Your Music Featured on VIBE.com"
"Beat Kangz Independent Artist Challenge"
"Beyoncé Sweet Dreams at the Wynn Cover Competition"
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months you’ve probably noticed the “latest craze” in pop music. The harmonizing boy bands and sugary pop stars bound to go bad of the’90s and solo acts, like Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé, of the early ’00s need to make way for today’s electro-pop wonders with their club-worthy beats and robotic, auto-tuned vocals. Now, Jay-Z may have declared death to auto-tune, but let’s face it, it’s here to stay. With bands like Owl City and Cobra Starship topping the charts, and T-Pain’s auto-tune iPhone app that puts the power of the voice-altering device in the palm of your hand, there is no way to escape the buzz. And we all know resistance is futile so maybe the best way to deal with it is to embrace it. Go Periscope is a perfect example of a group that has embraced it, and expanded it to include soaring melodies, catchy hooks and a mix of both organic and synthesized sounds.
Read more about pop wonders Go Periscope
There are two kinds of rock stars: those who style their hair to look like they just rolled out of bed and those who just rolled out of bed. Either way, both kinds of rock stars often face the same burdens that arise during a tour. Whether it be a lack of personal hygiene, over-indulging in previous nights festivities, or inadequate cleansing facilities, grease-ballin’ has been a problem for artists for many years and probably will continue to be an issues long into the future.
When good ole’ Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, everyone dug their heels in for another six weeks of winter. Since the snow is no longer angelic and white, just grey and gross, six weeks seems like forever away. So to get you through this mid-winter slump, here’s a pick-me-up: A dose of sunny folk to melt away your winter blues. This playlist will certainly brighten your day.
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| Sound of Calling Love | by: | Annafair |
| The Weathered Road | by: | The Weathered Road |
| Dying Day | by: | Barndi Carlile |
| Dreamin' Alone | by: | Hightide Blues |
| Kali All I Do | by: | Ascetic Junkies |
Continue reading ‘Folkin’ Around: Through The Mid-Winter Slump’
Friday is upon us, which means a wrap up with this week’s Needle in the Haystack artist, Metermaids. The duo has given away a free download, interviewed with MTV Music, and done a Tweet & A with OurStage. We even discovered a unique connection between a popular author and the rappers– hear about that in the video below! It’s time to wrap up this week’s pick by showing off their high energy music video and hearing a few words from one of the lyrical masterminds himself, Sentence.
Welcome to the fourth video blog installment of Ask Marcus: the place where artists from any genre can ask Marcus Johnson, a Billboard charting jazz pianist, professor at Georgetown University and founder of Three Keys Music, questions about the music business.
Are you an artist with a question? Ask Marcus HERE. You could end up in his next video blog!
Spring may be a good time for cleaning, but it’s also a great time for touring as evidenced by the plethora of punk bands getting together to tour the country and the world. From the East Coast to the West Coast, Canada to Europe —punks are covering more ground this spring than Carmen Sandiego. Read on to find out who’s coming to a town near you!
The Good
Gaga sweeps Brit Awards
Lady Gaga
Looking like Marie Antoinette in a wedding cake, Lady Gaga swept three categories at Tuesday’s Brit Awards, picking up trophies for International Female Solo Artist, International Album and International Breakthrough Act. For her performance, the singer paid an emotional tribute to the late Alexander McQueen, donning the designer’s lobster claw heels for an acoustic version of “Telephone.” Here’s the video.
The Bad
EMI to sell Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road, the album
Abbey Road Studios, a space that gave birth to albums by Pink Floyd, Radiohead and a little band known as the Beatles, may or may not have been put on the market. EMI, who has owned the studio since 1929, has declined to comment on the reported sale.
The Ugly
Mary J. Blige covers “Stairway to Heaven”
Mary J Blige
Forget the bustle in your hedgerow, here’s something more alarming. R&B singer Mary J. Blige, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and guitar legend Steve Vai have joined forces to record a cover of Led Zeppelin’s iconic hit, “Stairway to Heaven.” The superstar group has taken over Studio A at the Capitol Records building in Hollywood … they’ll either emerge with a genius remake, or an abomination that will leave Robert Plant yowling louder than he did on “Immigrant Song.”
Miscellany
