This is cool on so many levels.  How many stars can you spot? Daft Punk definitely fit in well.

Kelli Scarr Releases Album Art & Tracklisting For Piece
Look Out For US Summer Tour Dates To Release Debut LP Piece On Silence Breaks July 27th

Tracklisting

Salt of the Sea
Driftwood
Break Up
Pure Gold
Brother
Baby Boom
Anything
So Long
The Wonder
Come Back to Me

http://www.myspace.com/kelliscarr

http://silencebreaks.com/kelliscarr/

During her grueling recording schedule, Mz Bratt was kind enough to lend us her free time to answer some questions about where she started, who influences her and the challenges of turning a passion into a career.

Tuned-Out: When and how did you get started throwing rhymes together?

Mz Bratt: I started writing poetry from primary school days but actually lyrics at the age of about 13. I used to listen to Eminem a lot & Dizzee Rascal & I used to write their lyrics out & learn them, then i just started to write my own lyrics & learn them & gradually progressed I guess.

TO: What comes first – the theme of the song, the beat or lyric ideas?

MB: It can go either way depending on the creative energy, sometimes I may need a kick start so the beat would come first but other times I may go to a producer with an idea in mind.

TO: Which song are you most proud of to date and why?

MB: The last track I recorded because I progressed from the one before.

TO: Who are your influences in your writing style?

MB: I used to look to people like Kano, Dizzee Rascal, DMX, but now I just focus on what I want to say and how I want to say it.

TO: Dream collaboration – who would it be and why?

MB: I’d love to wok with Will.I.Am. I think he’s mad creative & makes fun tracks.

TO: Your studio recordings are tight and the music layering is solid with thick beats. Do you have challenges re-creating this sound when you perform live?

MB: Performing a studio track is a challenge in itself but I’m very focused & dedicated to making the live show as tight as possible, I go jogging & work out when I can to make sure my breathing is on point, although I never have rehearsals its hard to find time.

TO: How involved are you in the mix-down of the recorded tracks? Do you come in, run your lines and trust the engineers and producers to work their magic or do you insist on being involved every step of the way?

MB: At the moment I’m not really involved, the engineer will mix the track send it to myself & my manager & I’ll let them know what I think needs to be changed or worked on.

TO: Do you ever see yourself doing cross-over work? Say, collaborating with a rock group adding your stylings to their hard sound?

MB: Yes. I love all kinds of music & understand the process of progression & growing as an artist, I think it would be so cool to have a rock influenced track or rock influenced style. For example, Rihanna’s making it work.

TO: I know you did a mini-tour in the U.S. before. Any plans to return and extend your visit?

MB: I hope so, I was meant to be coming over soon to record, had some interest from Ruff Ryders.

TO: It’s difficult for up and coming rhymers to get radio play in the U.S. Do you have similar challenges over there??

MB: Yeah & no, to a point you have to prove yourself & the DJ’s have to believe in you, but the DJ’s over here are extremely supportive.

TO: Have you ever sung on a track or is that out of your comfort zone?

MB: I have sung on a few tracks, I actually love to sing I’m just not that comfortable with it. I need to learn how to use my voice more.

TO: Is the song “I Like You” written about a guy you had a crush on? Give us the details on that one!

MB: It’s about a guy I used to fancy throughout school but passed away so I wrote this song & another about him.

TO: What are you working on now?

MB: I’m just about to release my new single ‘Selecta’ & I’m just working on my album at the moment, grafting away in the studio daily.

TO: Fast forward 5 years from now. Where do you see yourself and what are you doing?

MB: Hopefully I’ll be a well established artist who inspires a lot of young people & motivates them to pursue their dreams. In regards to myself I’d like to think id be in a position where I have more control over my music.

TO: You come from a family with a lot of siblings. Are they as talented as you? Are any of them in the entertainment business?

MB: They’re all talented in their own ways. My oldest sister is only 22 and shes just graduated University and is now a teacher. One of my younger brothers is very much into music as well. He plays the guitar & has a band. He’s a wicked skateboarder, too -  he’s only 12.

TO: Do you find that you’re being recognized more and more when you’re out and about in public? I recall seeing a tweet from you where you said someone recognized you and was surprised to see you riding the train. Does that become a challenge for you?

MB: Sometimes I just want to hide to be honest, I’m never rude to people that recognize me but sometimes I mistake staring for rudeness and forget that I’m known, but it means I’m doing good things for people to recognize me.

TO: Craziest fan experience – Any interesting stories to share?

MB: Probably a bunch of young girls asking me to sign their boobs  – that was weird.

TO: Any upcoming shows or releases you want to let everyone know about?

MB: My new single is about to drop so look out for that, its called ‘Selecta’.  Also hit me up on twitter @BrattOnline

http://www.mzbratt.co.uk/

http://www.myspace.com/brattonline

Mz Bratt on Facebook

Selecta

I Like You

http://itunes.apple.com/us/video/torture-techniques/id374001404

The Great Kat’s “Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” Music Videos Now Available for Download on iTunes!

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-great-kat/id368743108

The Great Kat Shred Guitar Virtuoso: “Top 10 Fastest Shredders of All Time”

The Great Kat Guitar Virtuoso www.greatkat.com, announced that Shred/Classical music videos from the best-selling “Beethoven’s Guitar Shred” virtuoso guitar DVD are now available for download on iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-great-kat/id368743108.

Great Kat Shred/Classical Music Videos available on iTunes include:

• “The Flight Of The Bumble-Bee” (Kat Shreds Guitar at 300 BPM!) at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/video/the-flight-of-the-bumble-bee/id368743107
• Beethoven’s “5^th Symphony” at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/video/beethovens-5th-symphony/id368743633
• Paganini’s “Caprice #24” at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/video/paganinis-caprice-24/id368743262
• Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto #3” (Kat Shreds 6 Guitars!) at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/video/bachs-brandenburg-concerto-3/id368743861
• & More Outrageous Great Kat Music Videos!

“BEETHOVEN’S GUITAR SHRED” DVD http://greatkat.com/store/page27.html

The Great Kat Web Site: http://www.greatkat.com

KAT STORE: http://www.greatkat.com/07/index07.html

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-great-kat/id368743108

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Great-Kat/296984350242

Twitter: http://twitter.com/greatkatguitar

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/KthomasPR

The Great Kat Accolades:

“Top 10 Fastest Shredders Of All Time” (Guitar One Magazine)

“50 Fastest Guitarists Of All Time” (Guitar World Magazine)

“The 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes” (Classic Rock Magazine)

“12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists” (Elle Magazine)

Juilliard graduate violin virtuoso/Concertmaster of the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra

Winner of the Artists International Competition on Violin/Carnegie Recital Hall Debut on Solo Violin

Girls Music is the new label from Ninja Tune’s latest signing Toddla T and Raf Rundell, and it is set to be the source of a barrel load of fun, forward-thinking, bass-heavy music. For their first release the Girls have invited a Lady into the fold, teaming up with NW London’s Lady Chann for the anthemic ‘Sticky Situation’. The track’s produced by UK Garage super-producer Sticky.

Sticky Situation is out now on Girls Music – buy here -

http://www.ninjatune.net/ninjashop/index.php?cat=0&type=EP&by=6&code=GIRLS002#GIRLS002

Girls Music album launch tonight at Corsica Studios, feat Ms Dynamite, Toddla T and Jamie XX – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=347611713918&ref=ts

1. Sticky Situation

2. Eye Too Fast

3. Sticky Situation (Toddla T / Seiji refix)

http://www.ninjatune.net/home/
http://www.myspace.com/toddlat
http://www.toddlat.com/

TORONTO, May 20, 2010 – NXNE announces this year’s Conference Village schedule of workshops, panels and keynote interviews. Bringing together leading music industry professionals, Conference events take place from June 16 to 19, 2010 at the festival hub – the Hyatt Regency Toronto. NXNE Priority Passes are available for purchase at www.nxne.com/tickets.
 
This year’s Conference Village presents the freshest ideas from the brightest minds in the business, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for artists and managers to develop new revenue streams, break into new markets, manage their brand – and do it all independently.
 
NXNE Conference Highlights:
 
The Town Hall meeting opens the Conference on Wednesday night at Second City (51 Mercer Street) where an esteemed group of managers and music agency representatives take stock of the music business in 2010 and discuss how to do more with less.
 
Thursday’s Music Meeting “FM USA” offers insight into the inner workings of America’s most influential radio programs and explains how top radio programmers put together their playlists.
 
Celebrity Interviews with X and Mudhoney take a look back at the early days of LA’s punk landscape and the rise of American Punk as well as Seattle’s Sub-pop and grunge scene, while considering the influence of both bands in the development of their genre.
 
On Friday, artist Sebastian Grainger is joined by industry experts in the SOCAN case study that examines how songwriters can earn a living in a shifting music marketplace.
 
Urban music gets the 360 review on Saturday with panel discussions that deal with issues ranging from branding to the rise of the producer. Damien Abraham from Fucked Up leads a panel about how you should disregard everything else at the NXNE Conference but listen to his session of expert advice instead.   
                                                                                                   
New this year, the Music Managers Forum presents Speed Dating – an initiative for artists to network their way to success by getting face-time with seasoned music managers. Interested artists can sign up on Friday at the walk-up kiosk in the registration area at the Hyatt Regency Toronto for a Saturday session.
 
Additional Panels include:
 
Race for the Prize: The Competitive World of Synch Placements & Publishing
Loose Change: Do We Owe You Money?
On the Good Side of the Tax Man: Understanding Income Tax from Touring
Modern Love: Winning the Online Hearts of Bloggers
 
For the complete list of panels and panellists visit www.nxne.com.
 
16 Years, 650 Bands, 50 Stages, 40 Films, 15 Conference Sessions, 7 Days.
NXNE festival experience takes over Toronto with the best new bands and international headliners, screenings of dynamic music films, compelling conference village sessions, rock n’ roll keynotes and insights from the most forward-thinking interactive media innovators, and a charity soccer match. This year’s festival runs from June 14-20, 2010. Visit NXNE online at nxne.com.

An opportunity like this doesn’t come along every day.  After the release of her latest album “Peace & Love”, we were able to grab some of Juliana’s time to answer some questions about her music and uncover why she decided not to tour for this album.

Tuned-Out:  Over your long and very productive career as the member of at least three bands and creator of ten solo albums you’ve always managed to stay sounding like yourself – do you feel that you established your identity early on?  Was that easy for you?

Juliana Hatfield: I had a certain sound and a certain shtick, if you will, but it was always completely uncalculated and natural and naive. I think my sound has evolved on its own over the years, as I have evolved as a person. I still have certain instincts like, say, with melody, that have always been there but I think my voice has changed.

TO:  Your new acoustic album “Peace And Love” was composed, arranged, performed, produced, engineered and mixed by you – what are the key ingredients of the Juliana Hatfield sound? How easy is it for you to recreate your studio sound live?

JH: I knew I couldn’t recreate the sound live and that’s partly why I didn’t tour for this album. 

TO:  I love James Parker’s written introduction to the new album on your site, the part about recording “in your second-floor Cambridge apartment, faintly multitracking your own voice and guitar, keeping it down so as not to disturb the neighbors” and references to your dogs “wandering about somewhere, ticking across the wooden floors, or watching you perhaps in that quizzical doggy way” create a really nice, homely, warm backdrop to this very intimate record.  What was it that attracted you to (literally) home-record the album?  Was it an enjoyable experience?  How did it compare to previous recordings you’ve made?

JH: It was cheap and that was a large part of the attraction. Recording at home was pretty much a necessity, economically.

TO:  Do you have a favorite song on the album?

JH: Not really.

TO:  Is there one song on the album that sums up where you are emotionally right now?

JH: No but a funny thing is that “I won’t give up on peace and love”- the chorus of the title track-  is so not me. I have never really believed in love or in peace. Don’t believe they are possible or even really real, to me.

TO:  You recently started blogging on your website – is this your first blog? What attracted you to start?

JH: I’ve actually kind of stopped doing it. I felt it was starting to become a distraction from my work.

TO:  On your blog you recently wrote about fame, your glimpse of it in the 1990s and your attempt over the past fifteen years to “get unfamous”.  You said “I believe that seeking the approval and applause of large numbers of total strangers is a weakness and a character flaw, a sign of immaturity”.  Do you think it’s possible to be an artist these days without being immature in this way?

JH: Yes , I do. 

TO:  In the last decade independent musicians have been creating more sustainable models to the major labels’ way of doing things – can you talk about how you moved on to running your own label in recent years?  How is it working out?

JH: No label would have me on my terms, in the end, so I started the label out of necessity. It was never my dream to run a business and it’s not really all that fun for me, if you want to know the truth. I’m an artist, not a businessman. Musicians are not known for their business sense. My label is basically a really bad investment in myself.

TO:  Did your negative experiences with Atlantic Records in the mid-nineties inform the decision to become more independent?  How do you feel about the majors now that you run your own label?

JH: I wouldn’t say that my experience with Atlantic was negative. I made friends there (hi, Bobbie!) and they let me do what I wanted and they sold a bunch of my records so I can’t complain. The Atlantic team did a lot of work for me that I now have to do for myself. Major or indie, there are both pros and cons.

TO:  Do you think having commercial success and subsequently deciding not to court that attention has freed you artistically, or were you always sure about your musical aims?

JH:  I was always free, artistically. I made sure of that. I wanted success on my own terms and I never compromised but I also failed to achieve lasting success on my own terms. But I failed with integrity!

TO:  If you were starting out as a musician today do you have any thoughts on how you’d go about making it your livelihood?

JH: I wouldn’t do it. I would go to medical school. Do something useful.

TO:  You’ve collaborated and performed with a host of amazing musicians and bands during your career, from Jeff Buckley to Evan Dando to Belly – do you have a favorite memory you’d like to share of those times?

JH: I have a really bad memory but I loved them all, all those guys. I feel lucky to have known them.

TO:  To artists like myself who spent their teens listening to artists like you, Belly, Throwing Muses, Pixies and all of those great bands the nineties seem like an idyllic time to have been making alternative, grungy music – is that a rose-tinted view?  Is it always just about being good or are we at the whim of the zeitgeist?

JH: It was kind of fun at the time but it wasn’t fun every second of every day and I never really got into the Pixies.

TO:  Canine welfare is a subject close to your heart – your recent article for the Huffington Post, “Save The Satos”, highlighted the issue of dogs being dumped and left to fend for themselves in Puerto Rico and you have been using your website to try and find a home for a puppy you found there. Did you manage to rehome the puppy?  What can people do to help the Save The Satos campaign?

JH: The puppy was sent to a shelter in Massachusetts and was adopted up here. People can send money to the Save a Sato website if they want to help that way. The shelter can always use donations.

TO:  You published a memoir, “When I Grow Up” in 2008.  [I'm sorry to say I didn't know it existed and have just ordered it online!]  I think it’s wonderful that someone is writing about the reality of life as a musician – the idea that people should hide all the normal stuff in favor of building up some fake, puffed up mythological creature is idiotic and really unhelpful to artists trying to establish themselves independently of the pop world.  Were you happy with the reaction the book got?  Do you have plans for a follow-up?

JH: I’m working on another book but I wouldn’t call it a follow-up. It’s a different subject.

TO:  Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

JH: Here. Still here.

TO:  And where do you see the music industry in ten years’ time?

JH: One label, one artist.

Juliana breaks down Peace & Love track by track for us:

PEACE AND LOVE

I try always to learn from painful experiences, and to forgive- both myself and others- and to move on, with an open heart and mind. At some point one realizes that anger is a real waste of energy,  it’s draining and damaging, and one learns to deliberately let go of it, and the letting go brings a lightness, a new freedom and hopefulness that may unfortunately be hard to sustain at all times. Peace and love are ideals toward which we reach.

THE END OF THE WAR

I love the 5/8 time signature. I love how it bounces and propels itself forward. The “war” here could be seen as a metaphor for two people not getting along. When it’s over there is a quiet calm and it’s really sweet and nice but the sweetness is bitter  because you’ve suffered a lot to get to the end of the fighting. But you fought fair and that feels good and your sanity and integrity are intact, and even strengthened.

WHY CAN’T WE LOVE EACH OTHER

Pretty self-explanatory, this one. Trouble makes me wonder why it’s all so complicated when it seems that something as universal as love should be so simple.

BUTTERFLIES

I had a dream that I was standing in a hilly field surrounded by dead butterflies. Butterflies represent…what?  Souls? In this song I bring all the butterflies back to life. 

WHAT IS WRONG

I want to solve the unsolvable problems. I always think moodiness must be explained to be mastered. I sensed he wanted out but he never vocalized it or gave me any reasons and so in this song I try to figure it out myself. I ask him, I ask the universe, What is wrong?  What is wrong with us and with everything but also what is wrong with me for getting myself into yet another complicated and unhappy situation? 

UNSUNG

I’ve always wanted to put an instrumental on an album but for some unknown reason never got around to it until now. I recorded the electric guitar direct into the 8-track machine, foregoing any amp, and the result was this dweeby guitar sound. I think it’s charmingly dweeby. I’m a dork, okay? And I’m not afraid to show it.

EVAN

I recently got together with my old friend after we’d been estranged for a few years. Seeing him again made me realize that we will be bonded forever, through bad and good, no matter if we fight or never even talk to or see each other ever again. It is a friendship that we have not exactly nurtured over the years but nevertheless we have a history and a connection that transcends time and distance and circumstance. At the roots Evan is still the same Evan I met when we were just kids first starting bands and I’m still the same girl who was drawn to him for all his darkness and light; for his remarkable, original mind and his talent and his humour and the way he liked to play with words and his utter lack of judgment of other people. Did I get all that in the song? I think you have to read between the lines forthe details.

LET’S GO HOME

This is a true story- I really was sad on the train; I really swept under the couch (in advance of his visit) and stocked the fridge with his favorite foods, etc. He thought I had a messy, dusty, unorganized home and I tried to make it warm and comfortable and sparkly for him so he would want to be there. But his distaste for my bohemia was just an excuse masking our larger problems, and I couldn’t solve them with the Windex and  paper towels he bought me.

I PICKED YOU UP

Two people who had kind of given up on other people find each other by accident. 

FAITH IN OUR FRIENDS

Friends are good to have when everything falls apart, or seems to. Your friends accept you as you are, with all your faults and weaknesses and pimples and bad habits and breakdowns. Friends are invaluable in times of crisis and grief. It’s a simple concept, but so true.

I’M DISAPPEARING

This one is told from an anorexic’s point of view. I’ve suffered from this in the past and people would say things to me like “You’re shrinking” or“You look so small”. In this song I try to explain what it’s like to be that person- how it feels to be smaller than I should; smaller than I used to be,and how weird and scary and baffling and overwhelming and how literally self-defeating it can be.

DEAR ANONYMOUS

This could have been called “Sympathy For The Devil”. It’s addressed to a stalker, name unknown, written by the stalkee. This victim, who doesn’t consider herself a victim, contemplates why she is being harassed.  She doesn’t know who the perpetrator is- he’s a stranger to her- but she knows not to take it personally; she realizes with an impressively level head that she is the random innocent target of her tormentor’s own pathology. Having sympathy for one’s antagonist initially requires a lot of forgiveness and generosity of heart and mind, but then it becomes sincere curiosity (Why are you like this? What made you this way?) and empathy (I’m screwed-up, too- we are more alike than you know.)

For more information on Juliana, please use the following links:

http://www.julianahatfield.com/
http://www.myspace.com/julianahatfield

Note: Realizing the gravity of this opportunity, I opened up to the readers asking them if they wanted to contribute questions for Juliana. Laura Kidd stepped up to the plate and we want to thank her for helping us out!

Laura Kidd: strident purveyor of grungey dystopian gloom-pop as solo
artist She Makes War, vocal chameleon for The Young Punx, Redroche,
Michael Gray and Super Mal, ex-bassist for Tricky, I Blame Coco and Alex
Parks, filmmaker, photographer, social media reporter and proud owner of
Mister Benji the Miniature Schnauzer.

She Makes War http://www.shemakeswar.com
filmmaker, photographer, social media reporter  http://www.laurakidd.co.uk

The Murkle Man returns, showing a very different side to his musical character than that displayed on “Party Animal.” Produced by Rapid (best known for his work with Tinchy Stryder) this bass-heavy, grimey, electronic production is the perfect platform for Jammer to strike back at the itty-bitty, wannabe grime stars who spend their time online giving the metaphorical middle finger to anyone more successful than them. That this is achieved with a fair amount of humour and the use of the occasional outlandish put down (“I’m a Lambo/You’re just a Z3”) is testament to a recording artist who keeps on striving to make better music rather than looking for an excuse to – metaphorically or otherwise – shank someone.

Remixes come from West Coast beatmaster Lorn (part of Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder crew) and Brighton-based d&b duo, The Prototypes. Lorn takes the original and turns it into hard, dustep-influenced hip hop. The Protoypes, meanwhile, first slow down Jammer’s vox and then speed them up for an arena-crumbling drum ‘n’ bass workout.

Jahmek Power aka Jammer is one of the true pioneers of the grime scene. A builder of bridges and peacemaker rather than a loose cannon, Jammer is one of the few people in London who can count both Dizzee Rascal and Wiley amongst his friends and who has worked with Jay Sean, Kano, Tinchy, Chipmunk, Boy Better Know and just about everyone else, underground and overground. And if none of them have a bad word to say about him, that’s because, at heart, Jammer believes more in music than he does in ego.

“Better Than” should be enough to remind people that, contrary to current trends, you don’t have to rap about selling drugs and killing folk to be real. All you have to do is let your character shine through.

“Better Than” video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP3k7vD1eaI

Also, here’s the song on Tweet for a Track: http://www.tweetforatrack.com/Jammer

This has got to be one of the most intense, Jazzed-up Trip-Hop experiences of my life. The disc explodes with an exquisite waterfall of instrumentation and layers. The beat is your foundation while a myriad of sounds swirl around your head like a swarm of hipster bees.

The tracks flow seamlessly. It feels like you’re a part of an experience as opposed to listening to a CD. Listen to “One-Armed Bandit” and you’ll know what I’m talking about!

Where others have failed, Jaga Jazzist succeeded. Every layer and change meshes evenly and is not choppy. I would love to experience this live. Not your typical Jazz ensemble!!!

Click here for a free track from the album:
http://www.ninjatune.net/jagajazzist/eflyer.php

The album “One-Armed Bandit” is available now. A must for anyone who is into: Red Snapper, Lamb or experimental Jazz

For more info:

http://www.jagajazzist.com

I only knew of Lou Rhodes as the soulful vocalist for Lamb – A Jazzy, Trip-Hop group that still exists in my daily rotation of music. Needless to say, I was intrigued when her upcoming release “One Good Thing” was sitting on my desk.

Before listening and reviewing this solo album, I decided not to listen to Lamb for the previous week to clear any pre-existing notions regarding her voice and the difference in music I was about to experience.

One Good Thing is a real look into the talented writing and singing of Lou Rhodes. Many of the great singers we hear on the radio are often over-processed and don’t write their own songs. How refreshing is this album to know and understand the songwriters songs – sung the way they intended and in their own voice.

I wouldn’t classify this album as folk, nor would I classify it as blues or country. Consider this 11 tracks of someone bloodletting. Poetry in motion sounds very cliche, but that’s exactly what this is.

Anyone who digs jazzy, smokey soulful vocals will love this very chill album. Most of the tracks are just Lou and her guitar. Very honest and straight-forward musically. Her vocals and finger picking bring the complexity.

Stand out tracks:

Why Wait for Heaven?

One Good Thing

The More I run

The album comes out Mid-March. Get ready!

http://www.lourhodes.com