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OurStage Model U.N: Turkey

bethanys — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:00:57 +0000

While turkey is sure to be the delicious main course many of us will enjoy this week, OurStage urges you not to confuse the feathered friend with the country (whose music has inspired this week’s Model U.N.) The Republic of Turkey, previously of the Ottoman Empire, is a Eurasian country stretching across parts of Western Asia and southeastern Europe. With it’s unique geography (Istanbul is the only city in the world which lies on two continents) it’s no surprise the area boasts a richly colored culture and history. The Trojan War and the infamously deceptive Trojan Horse, Homer and King Midas are just a few of the best known “Greek” legends native to Turkey. Not only is this historical Mediterranean country known for its love of apple tea and ornate rugs, its music scene is also eclectic and noteworthy. Here on OurStage, we have quite a few jazz artists, instrumental experts and rockers representing their Turkish homeland. Make sure you check out all Turkey has to offer; musically and on your Thanksgiving table.
Batu Caldiran is a Turkish musician who has the experience of a professional despite only being 21 years old. Starting out on the piano, Batu’s began classical training at age 6. His uncanny ability to showcase his undeniable talent with a mix of both classical and contemporary is unparalleled and should not be missed.
If you enjoy jazz, look no further than Turkey-born Fahir Atakoglu. His fusion of classic jazz and unique vocals make him a special blend that showcases the culture of his unmistakable music. As a pianist, composer and arranger, it seems Fahir can do it all, and that includes impressing all who hear his creations.

Painted on Water is Turkey’s ultimate jazz/rock duo. This team mixes its cultural influences into its music and has a firm hand in all aspects of their sound. From vocals to production it seems as there is nothing members Sertab Erener and Demir Demirkan can’t do. Make sure to check them out!

And if you’d like to see some new spins on Turkish music, Kung Fu-Turkey is the band for you. Having won contests throughout The Republic, this band of four amazing musicians has the following, to match their musical chops. Kung Fu-Turkey is the epitome of an original cover-band.

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The Honor Roll: Some October OurStage Winners You May Have Missed!

Rainy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:00:30 +0000

Welcome to The Honor Roll! In this feature, we’ll be doing even more to help you discover some of the best music and video OurStage has to offer. From recent winners to staff picks to diamonds in the rough, what you’ll find here are killer playlists and major shout-outs.

This week we’re bringing you a handful of October winners who secured the top spot in a few of our different Channels—just in case you didn’t hear.

INDIE ROCK: Everybody Lies by Jarrod Gollihare

Just enough synth-rock mixed with addictive vocals. Turn it up loud.

JAZZ: Venus Atmosphere by Alexis Baro

A unique, rocking intro that leads into more excitement than you know what to do with.

FUNK: Trigger Happy (I Need Something) by Charmaine Bingwa

Funky and fresh, leaving nothing to be desired except more, more, more!

SOFT ROCK: The Beauty Has Come by The Season

The Season has had a number of Top 10 finishes, but this is their first win!

MODERN ROCK: On My Own by Sofia

Driving, radio-friendly rock with 3 (or… more?) distinct vocalists running the show. Love it!

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Stay Tuned for more Honor Roll features in coming weeks!

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Cakewalk’s Your Music Anytime, Anyplace Songwriting Contest: Artist Entry Deadline Approaching

Sam C. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:30 +0000

The artist deadline to enter Cakewalk’s “Your Music. Anytime, Anyplace.” Songwriting Contest is coming up but the contest is far from over! Artists wanting to compete in either of Cakewalk’s Rock or Urban “Anytime, Anyplace” Contest Channels have to enter their song before November 22nd for a chance to win a mobile studio. But don’t forget to tell fans to judge the competition. The best fan predictor from each channel will win an Intel Core i7 laptop plus other goodies from Cakewalk!

Three high ranking artists from each “Anytime, Anyplace” Channel will be selected to win top of the line mobile studios from Cakewalk featuring an Intel Core i7 laptop, Cakewalk’s new V-Studio 100 recording interface and top of the line Cakewalk recording software! To sweeten the deal, the six grand prize winners will be announced at Winter NAMM 2010!

Here’s what’s popular with the fans so far in both “Anytime, Anyplace” Channels. Don’t agree? There’s only one way to let your opinion really be heard: judge now!

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Metal Monday: Metal Gluttony for Thanksgiving

Munson the Destroyer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:00:18 +0000

Thanksgiving is just around the bend, so I think it’s about time to get into the turkey frame of mind. Everyone knows that Thanksgiving is for, well, giving thanks (obviously). But it’s also a day when many Americans stuff their faces with more food than they can shake a stick at. So the holiday is as synonymous with gluttony as it is thankfulness. In the spirit of stuffing (and gravy and pie), this playlist features five metal songs about overeating. Naturally, some of these songs feature things that you wouldn’t necessarily want on your Thanksgiving plate, such as human flesh (shout to all you zombies out there!).

Get ready to loosen your belt and fill up on these gluttonous metal songs before you hit the Thanksgiving buffet.

“To Taste The Living” by A Vision Grotesque – Now, I’m not a zombie or a cannibal, but the wording of the title of this song makes eating living things sound like an absolute treat.
“Devour the Dead” by Dysentery – A step closer to normalcy, this song isn’t about zombies eating live humans. Instead, it’s about eating dead ones. Or maybe not, but I can pretend. If I had to imagine what the musical equivalent of cannibalism woudl be, this song is it.
“Dirge of the Flesh Eaters” by Fetal Butchery – I’m a live human being. That being said, I can’t really get on board with mourning any sort of creature that would be a glutton for my flesh, but that’s what this song is about.
“Eat Your Weight” by Nobody Lives Forever – In any way you interperet the name of this song, it is very brutal.
“Gluttony” by Drunk on Power – There is no mistaking what this song is about, given the song name.

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Punk On The Rocks: Roller Derby Wreckers

BethanyLeavey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:25 +0000

While roller derby enjoyed waves of popularity in the past, including televised bouts in the 1970s, the release of Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut Whip It brings the sport of roller derby back into the spotlight. What started as traveling teams of co-ed endurance racers doing laps around a portable banked track in the 1930s transformed into a modern day, all-girl DIY phenomenon, with teams sprouting up all over the US and all over the world. Today, the most popular form of roller derby is flat track where points are scored by “jammers” passing “blockers” on the opposing team, and players often use pseudonyms inspired by pop culture figures like “Jodie Faster” and “Killery Clinton.”

Drew Barrymore and Ellen Page in 'Whip It'

The new millennium roller derby revival is closely linked to the punk community. Both share a DIY ethic, and derby bouts often feature punk or rockabilly bands for added entertainment. In addition to the bands, exciting moves like body checking and whip assists (not to mention the looming possibility of a crash) make roller derby a popular spectator sport. In honor of Whip It and OurStage’s own derby girl Rainy, I’ve put together some tunes fit for tearing up the track. Keep it clean, girls. Remember: no elbows.

Jersey Shore Roller Girls

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The Bayone Bleeders

Funday Steve

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Mystic Knights Of The Cobra

Why Do You Do Me Like You Do?

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Metal Monday: Metal Videos 101

Munson the Destroyer — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:06 +0000

Unlike many genres of music these days, the metal community is still making music videos with as much fervor as ever. By and large, metal video features some of the same common traits. Here’s a list of things you need to make sure you put in your metal video so that people instantly know it is a metal video, without even listening to the song:

All members of the band must be wearing black. Color is not an option.
Band members are required to headbang, scream, shred, look angry, act violent.
Under no circumstances, should any band member look happy. Smiling is acceptable only if it is, in fact, a maniacal grin in response to a grotesque and heinous crime.
Video location is key. Consider a mountain top, boiler room, abandoned industrial park, hell, motorcycle rally, graveyard, bar, cave, crime scene, the woods, car accident, prison or desert as your backdrop. Really, anywhere dark will do.
The more closeups of band members playing their instruments the better. Except the bassist. No one cares about the bassist.
Bonus points for covering props in blood and/or setting them on fire. This is metal to the max.
For solos, it’s best to focus the camera on the performer of said solo. This is just good manners.
When considering video themes, stick to war, vikings, violence, politics, sacrilege, inclement weather conditions (e.g. snow, rain, thunderstorms), evil, zombies.
Rapid camera changes make for a more extreme video so switch up the camera angle whenever possible. Shake the camera if need be.

Obey these rules to ensure your video is as metal as it can be. Follow all nine of these rules, and you have probably created the most metal video in the history of music videos. Now that we’re clear on the precepts of metal videos, let’s check out some awesome OurStage examples that may (or may not) abide by these rules:

On a side note, check out this post from Away-team.com giving some press to the current Hard Rock and Metal number ones!

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NOW PLAYING: MUSIKDIGGER’S FAN PICKS

Rainy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:00:17 +0000

***CALLING ALL MUSIC LOVERS! We need more Fans to feature in upcoming Now Playing and You Be The Judge posts. Want to share your killer playlist or become a critic? Tell us! Email rainy@ourstage.com and don’t forget to mention which feature you’re interested in doing.***

“Now Playing” features playlists as well as information about the mix maker. This week’s picks are from Gentlemen Hall bassist MUSIKDIGGER!

About Me: I’m the bass player in Boston’s Gentlemen Hall. Cleveland native but for whatever reason I’m diehard Celtics and Red Sox. Fair-weather fan? Maybe. I’ll brag that I have a unique and eclectic itunes library but the truth is I probably have the same songs on my playlists that you do. I like the color green. I’m infatuated with the Beantown music scene. I’m horrible at chess.

Favorite Artists: The Brothers Johnson, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jamiroquai, Imogen Heap, Telefon Tel Aviv, Revis, Parliament, Chromeo, Gipsy Kings, Lostprophets, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke.

Favorite OurStage Artists: Clarias, Green Line Inbound, Six Strings and a Piece of Wood, The Alchemystics, Drene Millet, metalkpretty.

If I Were a Rock Star for a Day I’d Be: Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Because… I’d be a badass bass player with a free spirit who could tour the world, make incredible music and get away with anything I want. At 40+ years, pulling off a mohawk would be an accomplishment I definitely aspire to.

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Six Strings and a Piece of Wood

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50 STATES IN 50 WEEKS…WEEK 20: NEBRASKA

BethanyLeavey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:25 +0000

Home of: Saddle Creek Records, Fred Astaire, Marlon Brando, Azure Ray, Bright Eyes, Tilly and the Wall, Smashmouth, The Faint, 311, Cursive

Fun Facts: State flower; goldenrod, state song; “Beautiful Nebraska,” state beverage; milk

The Venues:

While you may not think of Omaha, Nebraska when you think of jazz and R&B, the city actually has quite the history. Home to Wynonie Harris, Preston Love and Buddy Miles, the city was a regular stop for many Kansas City jazz musicians. For the past 6 years, Omaha has celebrated its musical heritage with the Omaha Blues, Jazz & Gospel Festival. This year’s festival included Everette Harp, Kelly Hunt and Little Brian and the Zydeco Travelers.

The biggest new development in indie rock in Omaha is Slowdown, a new all ages venue owned by Robb Nansel and Jason Kulbel, the duo behind Saddle Creek Records. Opened in 2007, Slowdown is part of a building complex (also owned by Nansel and Kulbel) that houses Saddle Creek Records, a coffee shop, retail stores (including an Urban Outfitters) and a movie theater. The venue was named after Omaha band Slowdown Virginia, which later went on to become the much loved indie band Cursive.

The Music:

The Beat Seakers – The broad appeal of The Beat Seekers straight up powerpop will have both teenagers and parents tapping their feet. The rock radio nostalgia track “Dead Air Radio” sounds like it could be an outtake from an early Sugarcult album. If you like what you hear, the band is offering their full-length Dead Air Radio for free here.

Lucas Hitch – Growing up in a musical family, pop singer-songwriter Lucas Hitch started playing shows when he was ten year old. In the last ten years, he has played 1500 concerts to over a half a million people. This August, Lucas released his first full-length album Fade. Because of his musical background, Lucas played almost all of the instruments on the album. Check out standout track “Wander On.”

Bombs Blast- The Bombs Blast press kit describes the band’s music as “Spit in your face Punk Rock,” and it’s obvious from the first chords of “Treachery” that they mean business. The band has been spreading the punk gospel, playing shows everywhere from backyards to dive bars for the past two years.

Check out these acts and other great Nebraskan artists in the playlist below! Who are your favorite OurStage Nebraskans? Where do you like to see live music in Nebraska? Let us know in the comments!

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NOW PLAYING: BETHANYCHICKADEE’S STAFF PICKS

Rainy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:27 +0000

“Now Playing” features playlists as well as information about the mix maker. This week we bring you the staff picks of BethanyChickadee.

About Me: I am the mastermind behind “50 States In 50 Weeks” and “Punk On The Rocks,” as well as the Marketplace Manager here at OurStage. Born and raised in Massachusetts, I don’t have an accent but I do say “wicked” a lot. When I’m not working, I like to sing and play guitar, and have recently taken up the ukulele.

Favorite Artists: Weezer, The Modern Lovers, Desmond Dekker, The Moldy Peaches, Toots & The Maytals, The Specials, The Ramones, Gossip, Why?, The Apples In Stereo, Shonen Knife

Favorite OurStage Artists: Cobalt & The Hired Guns, Gentlemen Hall, Cedarwell, Dujeous, You Say France & I Whistle, Air Traffic Controller

If I Were a Rock Star for a Day I’d Be: Henry Rollins

Because… I would get paid to make music and travel the world, and then get paid again to stand on stage and yell about making music and traveling the world. Also, I would be friends with William Shatner—which is awesome.

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April Smith and the Great Picture Show

Black Lung

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Cedarwell

Want to share YOUR playlist? Click HERE to find out how!

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50 STATES IN 50 WEEKS…WEEK19: VIRGINIA

BethanyLeavey — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:30:49 +0000

Home Of: George Washington, Dave Matthews Band, Patsy Cline, The Carter Family, Timbaland, Clipse, Gwar, The Dismemberment Plan, Lamb of God

Fun Facts: State flower; American Dogwood, State dog; American Foxhound, State bird; Cardinal

The Venues:

For a unique live music experience, check out The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the only national park for the arts in the United States. There are two venues in the park: The Filene Center, a 7000 seat outdoor amphitheatre and The Barns, a smaller indoor venue.

The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA is one of the leading folk clubs in the country. Artists like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt and Vince Gill all played here early in their careers.

Like roots music? Head to the 36th annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival on October 24th. The festival celebrates the folk traditions of the area, including Blue Ridge ‘mountain music,’ played by musicians native to the area. This year’s festival will also be honoring Virginia’s part in the history of rockabilly music.

The Music:

The Honey Dewdrops – Listening to The Honey Dewdrops is like stepping into a time machine. Their old-timey twang and close vocal harmonies bring to mind the music of The Carter Family and their contemporaries. Their throwback sound impressed the staff of A Prairie Home Companion, who named The Honey Dewdrops the first place winners of their “People in their Twenties Talent Show” in March 2008. The band is currently touring in support of their May 2009 debut album If The Sun Will Shine, so check out “Wandering Boy” and catch The Honey Dewdrops in your town!

The Splints – The Splints’ punk influenced rock ‘n’ roll hits you like a kick in the chest, so it comes as no surprise that their rhythm section includes an ex-Marine. The band’s first full length, Love Letters And Broken Bones, was engineered by the legendary engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey), with the track “Linoleum” winning a Top 10 achievement in the October 2008 Punk Channel.

My Radio – Boston music scene staple JP Powell thought he was moving to Roanoke, VA to give up rock and roll for good. He couldn’t have been more wrong. After a chance meeting with hard-hitting drummer Hunter Johnson, the two decided to form the Rock/Pop powerhouse that is My Radio. The band recently signed with music publishing company Ocean Park Music Group, and their song “Yeah Yeah Yeah” will be the soundtrack of the Fox Sports Cleveland Cavaliers halftime highlights for this upcoming NBA season.

Check out these acts and other great Virginian artists in the playlist below! Who are your favorite OurStage Virginians? Where do you like to see live music in Virginia? Let us know in the comments!

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