BandFreaks Music News for Today: August 11th, 2005

Today's Indie Music Headlines
+++TOP NEWS STORY: Susaye Greene, the Last Supreme, Steps out in her "Brave New Shoes"
+++ Psychedelic Soul Stirring Blues from San Francisco's John Anaya
+++ A Crack In Time and the Break of Dawn - Gateway to the Everlasting Now
+++ New Pro Audio Training Video Released: Pro Tools LE-MP—Know It All
+++ Available exclusivley on Itunes. Hardage “The Genius of Love”
+++ Mspot Launches Interactive Music Radio For Java-Enabled Mobile Phones

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Susaye Greene, the Last Supreme, Steps out in her "Brave New Shoes"

Susaye Greene, the last member of the world famous Supremes signed to Motown Records, releases sophomore cd, "Brave New Shoes" at online outlets around the world. The singer, songwriter, and producer, famous for penning such hits as "Free," and songs for LiL Kim, Fabolous, Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson creates a futuristic multi-genre cd. (PRWEB) -- Susaye Greene, the last member of the Supremes, has, in her sophomore CD, “Brave New Shoes”, created “the album she’s always wanted to make”. As much a canvas for studio experimentation as it is a celebration of Greene’s often underappreciated singing/songwriting abilities, Shoes is an album with enough varied sounds to appeal to underground hip-hop heads, lovers of the lost arts of traditional soul, R&B, and jazz, and even a classic rock enthusiast or two. "Ray Charles taught me that if you enjoy and are influenced by all kinds of music, then that’s what you should do," the singer has said bluntly about her work to date; "That’s why he was around for so long. That’s why, if I like a rock song, a jazz song, an aria, or even a nursery rhyme, then I’m gonna sing it, and put my whole heart into it." While the same could be said about Susaye’s last album, No Fear Here, a passionate set of songs ranging from alternative ballads, to jazz-tinged soul, to even a Roger’s & Hammerstein tune, in this follow-up, Greene has pushed her eclectic tastes to an even higher plane. Here, Greene has abandoned the retro sound of her No Fear Here, in favor of a mesh of musical genres that she has dubbed "Bio-Soul," mixing the smoothness of R&B, the hard-hitting swagger of industrial rock, and the wall of sound exemplified in electronica and dance music, all wrapped up in a package of polished production and solid songwriting skills. This lattice of influences is seen in standout tracks like the futuristic "Livin’ In A Vacuum," the fast-moving, fun-filled club pace of "Time," the jazzy funk of "Get What You Give," which possibly best shows Greene’s melodic strength and lyrical capabilities, and a cover of the Led Zeppelin rocker, "The Ocean," in which Susaye’s wail may even match Robert Plant’s. So as not to scare Supremes’ loyalists or the musically conservative, however, Ms. Greene has taken care to mix this newfangled stuff with enough nostalgia to keep in touch with her fans. Among the work people may recognize, is a reinterpretation of club hit "High Energy," a standout from Greene’s former group, the Supremes. "I always enjoyed performing it on stage, and I felt it was still relevant." The centerpiece of the album, originally a collaboration with English saxophonist Courtney Pine, titled "Children of the Ghetto Revisited, (an Urban Drama)," touches on social issues in a masterfully unique way, due to the added perspective of rapper ingénue, Schism, as well as Susaye’s still poignant vocals. The Last Supreme steps out in her "Brave New Shoes", even to the extent of the cover art. Her intense portrait of Supremextreme, the comic book character she has created, captures the essence of her artistic talent. Painting, one of the many passions that she is following aside from music, can be fully appreciated on her website, http://www.supremextreme.com, where her personal gallery can be viewed. Her artwork can also be seen on Deviantart.com at http://www.supremextreme.deviantart.com/, the world’s largest online art community, which she thanks for rekindling her love of painting. "DeviantArt is a place where artists of all ages and backgrounds, from all around the world come together to support and encourage each other’s talent, and display their artwork. Being able to view over 14 million works of art and personally contact any of the artists has made me realize my artistic strengths once again. I’m thankful to all of them for that. There’s a cultural phenomenon of community going on there right now that has never been seen in the world before.” Because of this support from other artists, Susaye Greene has recently started to work on the animated films for her created characters, Supremextreme and the Shadow Ranger, projects that were on hiatus for a period of time. "Supremextreme is maxin’ the millenium!" says Susaye Greene, and so is she. "Brave New Shoes" can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com and http://music.msn.com/album/?album=43553481 and available worldwide as of August 2nd on the Dollface Music Label. [ back to headlines ]

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Psychedelic Soul Stirring Blues from San Francisco's John Anaya

San Francisco producer John Anaya crosses the mixing board to the stage ...Bringing the blues to a whole new level...

(PRWEB) -- John Anaya brings psychedelic soul stirring blues to another level. SF producer/guitarist layers ebow over sultry blues and jazz licks, all the while penning thoughtful, intelligent lyrics with highly charged political undertones. He weaves swirling rock and roll trances when backed by bassist Ray Ruiz and drummer Christian Williams. Anaya’s voice is reminiscent of a sultry Tom Waits or a Steve Earle.

Anaya settles in for a night of revelry Thursday August 25th at the Connecticut Yankee (www.theyankee.com) in SF’s Potrero Hill district. Get ready for a night filled with special guests. Anaya calls up his pet producer’s projects and show the Bay area that his ears are as good as his chops. Matt Alber (www.attalber.com) steps up for a song as do members of the Jazz Congress and Anaya’s jazz-funk-soul side project 5150.

You can check out Anaya’s impressive list of producing and engineering credits that includes Carl Lee, Neko Case, Dirty Dozen Brass band, UFO, Michelle Shocked, Fearless Heart and SF’s Diegos Umbrella at www.allmusic.com or check out his website at www.johnanaya.com. His latest release ‘Wasting the Spark” is available at cdbaby.com & itunes.

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A Crack In Time and the Break of Dawn - Gateway to the Everlasting Now

A group of artists and musicians are forming a collaboration aiming to put out a 'virtual album' on the net.

(PRWEB) -- You can now follow the creation of a 'virtual album' at www.crackintime.com. A group of artists and musicians is forming a collaboration aiming to put out a 'Virtual Album' on the net. A concept that while shouldering on the musical content will utilize the latent power of the internet to let visual art become an integral part of the music. It is believed that potentially, this will help channel the message of the music.

How much time do you spend in the future? How much time do you spend in the past? When will you return? Suppose that you subtract everything in the conscious mind that is not directly related to the past, nor is it related to the future. What will be left? These are the key questions forming the basis for the project 'a Crack in Time and the Break of Dawn', a musical and artistical expedition reaching out for the ever-present, everlasting Now.

In a remote area of Norway, surrounded by mountains and forests, lies the studio "Aagseth Studios". Here a group of musicians and artists from a diverse musical and artistical background, will gather for a full 48 hours starting on the 19.august 2005. Microphones will be placed both inside and outside of the building. All activity will be recorded: music, conversations and ambiences alike. There will be a live-room for drum-kits, electric guitars and basses. There will be an acoustic room for acoustic guitars, flutes and percussion. There will be a vocal room for vocals and trumpet. Microphones will be placed outside and around the studio to capture ambiences from the surrounding forest and to allow for outdoor performances. Visual artists and musicians will be working in parallel.

The music created and the artistic work done within these 48 hours will form the basis for what is to become a 'Virtual Album', where music and visual art spawn from the creative flow of the same moment will be united. The theme being the ever-present, everlasting Now.

You can read more and follow the progress of the project at www.crackintime.com.

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New Pro Audio Training Video Released: Pro Tools LE-MP—Know It All

The Digital Music Doctor today announced the release of a new interactive video course, Pro Tools LE-MP—Know It All! This course contains over 2 hours of interactive videos as well as sample sessions covering all aspects of audio and midi recording, editing, and mixing using Pro Tools LE 6.9 and M-Powered 6.8.

(PRWEB) -- The Digital Music Doctor today announced the release of a new interactive video course, Pro Tools LE-MP—Know It All! This course contains over 2 hours of interactive videos as well as sample sessions covering all aspects of audio and midi recording, editing, and mixing using Pro Tools LE 6.9 and M-Powered 6.8.

The course contains 22 modules and is organized into 5 sections: There is a Quick Start section which provides an overview of the features and functions in Pro Tools as well as brief explanations of their use. The next four sections contain detailed instruction on how to use the major functions in Pro Tools and are built on session examples. The Mixing & Mastering section includes an example of mixing using Sends, Inserts, Plug-ins, and Automation as well as a mastering session using iZotope Ozone. The Loops & Remix section explains the Beat Detective and also walks through creating a loop composition. The MIDI section demonstrates the use of the MIDI Studio Setup and MIDI Operations functions. The Tools & Techniques section covers Recording and Video, as well as Rewire and Software Synthesizers including the use of Propellerheads Reason and the VST-RTAS Adapter.

Pro Tools LE-MP—Know It All! is presented using Macromedia Flash and is available in DVD and digital distribution formats for Microsoft Windows XP and Macintosh OS X 10.3 or later.

Pro Tools LE-MP—Know It All! is available at the Digital Music Doctor website www.digitalmusicdoctor.com and Amazon.com as well as various online publishers and pro audio dealers. The Digital Music Doctor website also features demos of the course. This Pro Tools course is the eighth release in the Know It All! series which provides training for DigiDesign Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase and Cakewalk Sonar as well as Sony Acid Pro and Sound Forge audio and music production systems.

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Available exclusivley on Itunes. Hardage “The Genius of Love”

The Genius of Love” is the first single taken from the forthcoming Hardage album “The Five Doubts.” Currently featured artists are: Jocelyn Brown , Mark King (Level 42), Joy Malcom (Incognito), Michael Franti (Spearhead), Gaudi, Z*Star, Robbie Craig (Artful Dodger). More featured artists are to be unveiled.

(PRWEB) -- It's definitely the first time these well-known artists are featuring on a chillout/electro/lounge album.

The Album “The Five Doubts” will be released in October 2005 and currently features artists: Jocelyn Brown, Mark King (Level 42), Joy Malcom (Incognito), Michael Franti (Spearhead), Gaudi, Z*Star, Robbie Craig (Artful Dodger). More featured artists are to be unveiled.

“The Genius of Love” is the first single taken from this forthcoming album. It features Mark King! Mr. 'Thunder thumb,' front man and bass master of Level 42, which in the 80’s were one of the most successful and popular bands in the world, racking up hit after jazz-funk hit.

A mixture of early Level 42 “flavas” and modern electro chillout flow through this track as it builds with steady determination and ultimately peaks into a deep melodic vocal theme.

“The Five Doubts” is a journey through different musical atmospheres through out which the featuring artists are challenged in a musical field they have never been before.

Hardage has been involved with the production of …Artful Dodger, Romina Johnson, Chic, Dino Lenny, Jocelyn Brown, Barbara Tucker... during which time he has dreamt of creating a project such as the “The Five Doubts.”

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Mspot Launches Interactive Music Radio For Java-Enabled Mobile Phones

Mobile Entertainment Start Up’s Second Service Enables Music Lovers to Discover, Listen to and Purchase New Music through Java-Enabled Streaming Radio Service

PALO ALTO, Calif., (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) -- MSpot, a pioneer in premium mobile entertainment, today announced the launch of MSpot Music Radio, an interactive streaming music service for Java-enabled mobile phones. MSpot Music Radio features 17 channels of commercial-free streaming music, a “Featured Artists” channel with a slide show of music videos and singles, exclusive music mixes from popular DJs, music reviews, celebrity news and interviews. In addition, MSpot Music Radio is powered by a seamless user experience that enables consumers to purchase CDs, Music Tones and screensavers as they listen to new music and favorite hits on MSpot Music Radio.

“With the number of Java-based mobile phone users reaching well over 120 million and climbing, the demand for multimedia content geared toward these devices has also increased,” said Daren Tsui, CEO and co-founder of MSpot. “MSpot Music Radio meets this demand by enabling consumers to discover and sample new artists and bands, listen to streaming radio and then immediately purchase items related to the song they’re hearing  Music Tones, CDs, screensavers  all with a touch of the key pad.”

MSpot Music Radio is geared towards music lovers, offering the perfect medium for consumers to discover and learn about new artists and songs, listen to exclusive music content and add to their CD collections directly from their Java-enabled mobile phones. MSpot Music Radio is available for $5.95 per month and includes:

* 17 Streaming Music Channels
MSpot Music Radio brings 17 channels of commercial-free streaming music to Java-enabled mobile phones. Genres include: Fresh Cuts, Shuffle, Hip-Hop/R&B, Throwback, Today’s Top Hits, Pop, Alternative, Classic Rock, Dance, Jazz, Latino Pop and more.

* Featured Artists
MSpot Music Radio’s unique “Featured Artists” channel showcases new artists and albums directly from major music labels and indie artists, including behind-the-scenes content such as music videos, artist interviews and individual song tracks.

* Exclusive Content
In addition to its 17 channels of streaming radio, MSpot Music Radio features programming created exclusively for the service, including: MSpot Music Radio-exclusive shows from EUR Report, RadioScope and Breakdown FM with world-renowned DJ Davey D.

* New User Experience
MSpot Music Radio allows users to purchase Music Tones, CDs and screensavers all through the mobile handset. Pushing the limits of Java capabilities on mobile handsets, MSpot Music Radio is easy to navigate and has a sleek, modern interface similar to many of the digital audio file players consumers are familiar with today.

“We are excited that our Manhattan Records act, Low Millions, is the featured artist for the launch of this new service from MSpot,” said Thomas Ryan, senior vice president Mobile and Digital Development, EMI. “The mobile medium provides a great new way to introduce music lovers to new bands. We look forward to showcasing music and videos from Low Millions' debut album, ‘Ex-Girlfriends’, to mobile users nationwide through this promotion."

MSpot’s first subscription service, MSpot Radio, is also currently available to US consumers. MSpot Radio features 13 live and on-demand music, news, sports, finance, weather and talk channels. MSpot has plans to introduce additional mobile entertainment services in the coming months, including major motion pictures, premium video programming and mobile-exclusive original programming. Through its partnerships with mobile carriers, music labels, film studios and the most popular media corporations, MSpot is poised to emerge as the leading provider of premium mobile entertainment services.

www.mspot.com

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