A winner will be chosen in each North American city that the tour visits. That winner will have the opportunity to perform a full set with other emerging artists on the “Village Stage,” the same stage that featured artists like Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado and Tegan and Sara ten years ago. 

“We are thrilled to partner with the such an important and prestigious tour as Lilith and to help deserving female artists earn regional and national exposure,” shares OurStage CEO Ben Campbell. “OurStage is in the business of delivering life-altering opportunities for worthy artists so this is really exciting for OurStage and our whole community.”

Lilith co-founder Terry McBride adds, “We are really excited to be partnering with OurStage.com. It was extremely important to us to choose a partner that was artist friendly, had a strong platform for discovering regional talent, and had the ability to enable the fans to sort through the best music in a scalable and fair manner. Together, we provide an exceptional platform for discovering and promoting the best emerging female artists.”

At this time, 17 North American cities are tapped for the Lilith 2010 tour, with more cities to be announced soon. Artists should only enter the talent search if they live in or near one of the Lilith tour stops. Further details, rules and regulations will be announced at a later date. Interested female musicians should visit www.ourstage.com/go/lilith to enter the contest and create a profile.

Stay tuned for more information, including artist announcements and more cities!

This week marks year number three for the Portland, Oregon music and arts festival, Siren Nation. Featuring music, film, crafts, panels and workshops, Siren Nation honors the women in Portland’s vital arts scene. I spoke with Siren Nation founder Natalia Kay about the joys and challenges of putting on a successful festival in these tough financial times.

CD: How did you come up with the idea for Siren Nation?

NK: It came out of conversations I had with a friend who I was producing events with. I was very inspired by Ladyfest and the Michigan Womyn’s Festival. Portland deserved and needed an event of that magnitude to honor the amazing array of talented women artists in the area. We knew we could put together a national-caliber festival just with local bands and thought it spoke volumes about the quality and quantity of great women artists in the area. We also figured that there would be an audience here, and hoped that people would travel to Portland to experience the magic of a women’s music festival. Additionally, we were continually disappointed to see that women were underrepresented in local and regional music festivals, so there clearly was a need to shine the spotlight on women.

CD: What is important in doing an event that speaks specifically to women?

NK: People often question the validity or need for having a space that focuses solely on the work of women. In some people’s minds women are hugely successful in the arts and having women-centered events is kind of antiquated. However, the music industry is hugely controlled by men and women are still incredibly underrepresented, not as musicians, but as the best-paid musicians with the best opportunities. I look at festival line-ups in Portland, the region and nationally and am constantly disappointed to see that women are not given equal air time in the larger venues. It is incredibly frustrating because women are not less talented than men but they are judged by a different standard. If they don’t look a certain way they are not considered marketable. Women are making great strides in the arts but there are still gross inequalities as far as gender goes, not just in music but visual arts, film, etc. We like having a space where women decide what is important (our board is 100% women) and women’s talent is front and center.

CD: How long in advance do you plan the festival?

NK: Siren Nation is a year-round job. We usually take a break after the festival and through the holidays, but our first fundraiser of the year is the second week of January. We have a calendar of annual events that we produce every other month from January through September and eighty percent of our budget comes from these events. We start planning various aspects of the festival itself in January.

CD: What are the biggest challenges of putting an event together like Siren Nation?

NK: We are struggling, as are most of our community and fellow arts organizations, to stay in the black. We’ve always run a pretty tight operation as the vast majority of our revenue comes from events we produce throughout the year, but we are an all-volunteer-run organization. There is any amazing wealth of talent and skills on our board but we’re constrained in our development and growth by lack of time, energy and funding. People who attend arts events do not understand the true cost of such events. Portland is so saturated with art and talent that people expect to (and can) go see a great show for five dollars. But it is not possible for an artist to survive off what they make at the door, never mind all the supporting personnel. What people are willing to pay is not enough to adequately compensate the artists, and finding money to subsidize ticket sales is really challenging.

CD: Is there a charity recipient?

NK: The first year we were enough in the black to make a nice donation to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls. Since then we have not been able to make cash donations, although we support local non-profits any way we can. We donate ad space in our program, offer space to table at our events and the opportunity to speak to our audiences. None of our organizers get paid a dime for all the hard work they do all year long. Ninety percent of the money goes to pay the performers what we feel is a fair wage for the work they are doing. So the money does not go to a charity per se but paying artists to share their best is a worthy cause.

CD: What do you do when you are not doing this?

NK: When Siren Nation started five years ago, I was working as a nanny. Then I started working in the trades and spent the past three and a half years working as a carpenter and painter. This fall I decided to go back to school and am now a full-time graduate student at PSU in their Masters of Public Administration program, focusing on non-profits. I also have a part-time job on campus as volunteer coordinator for the Queer Resource Center.

CD: This being the third year of the event, is there anything new?

NK: The biggest change is that we are downsizing to a smaller venue. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Someday Lounge. They have been hugely supportive and enthusiastic about hosting Siren Nation, and local music and arts in general. It will be a much more intimate space which I hope will contribute to a stronger sense of community during the performances. Another small change is that we’ve consolidated three art shows we did last year into one big art event with more than 50 local visual artists.

CD: What are you most looking forward to seeing or hearing?

NK: Picking what I am most excited about is extremely difficult because the festival is like my baby and I am incredibly proud and excited about each and every facet. If I had to pick, though, I am particularly excited about the film portion of the festival. It was not our intention to screen only documentaries, but that’s the way it worked out and each of the documentaries features a woman who is a pioneer in her own right [Ferron, Alix Olsen, Storm Large]. Serendipitously all the films form a program that is cohesive and very inspiring. I’m looking forward to the film Ahead of the Majority and learning more about Patsy Mink, the US Representative from Hawaii who was the first woman of color to serve in the House. She also authored Title IX.

CD: Tell me about the music you’ve got planned this year.

NK: I’m incredibly excited to have Emily Wells perform at this year’s festival. We tried to get her last year but it didn’t work out so I am especially thrilled that we were finally able to get her. She is an incredibly talented young woman who not only writes her own music and lyrics, but plays a vast array of instruments incredibly well. She’s quite the wunderkind. Y La Bamba plays beautiful and unusual music. Grey Anne is enchanting and lovely, a one-woman show with layers and layers of harmonies and clever lyrics. Sallie Ford is new to Portland and blew us away at the Dolly Parton Hoot Night. Her sound is quite retro and has a ton soul. We’re also super excited about Tender Forever, another one-woman band from K Records who recently relocated to Portland and has been working on her first new album since 2007 so we’re really excited to hear what she does before she heads off to tour in Europe.

Siren Nation runs November 5-8 in various Portland venues: Thursday night kickoff is at the Olympic Mills Building, Friday night film festival will be at Hollywood Theater and free workshops, panels and craft fair will be held on Sunday from 11-5 at McMenamin’s Kennedy school. Music performances on Friday and Saturday nights are at the Someday Lounge. For a full schedule and more details go to www.sirennation.com.

Dowtown Sasquatch

For those of you not familiar with melodramatic Canadian teen TV shows, there’s no bigger name in the business than Degrassi. The first Degrassi series aired in 1979 with The Kids of Degrassi Street, but it wasn’t until the late 80’s with Degrassi Junior High that the brain child of TV writer Linda Schuyler developed a cult following. Today’s incarnation of Degrassi, Degrassi: The Next Generation, is currently nearing the end of its eighth season. Over the years, the series has covered just about every possible horrible thing that could ever happen to you as a teenager. Through all the trials and tribulations there was one thing Degrassi characters could always rely on to get them through the tough times —music! Degrassi bands like The Zit Remedy and Downtown Sasquatch provided much needed relief to all the endless drama. It’s no surprise then that some of the actors on the show have begun to forge careers in the music industry.

Cassie Steele, known for playing the role of Manny Santos, recently released her sophomore album Destructo Doll. The single, “Mr. Colson” is a rock tune with a lot of heartache and soul.

Cast newcomer Ray Ablack, who plays heartthrob Sav Bhandari, spent three years studying Vocal Music at Cardinal Carter Academy for the Arts in Toronto. When he’s not taping Degrassi, he spends time singing in his band KIAI and working on his own material.

Drake

Currently, Aubrey Graham — the actor who played Jimmy Brooks—is taking the hip hop world by storm under the stage name Drake. Fresh from signing a lucrative $2 million dollar record deal with Aspire/Young Money/Cash Money Records, Drake is gearing up to release his first commercial album after generating a great deal of buzz with his popular So Far Gone mixtape. It also doesn’t hurt him to have Lil’ Wayne as his personal mentor.

The three avid Degrassi fans in the OurStage office were more than delighted to find out that one of the bands on OurStage featured a bona fide Degrassi actress in their music video. Actress Amanda Septo, who plays fan favorite “Spike,” did the guys in Toronto’s Pizzamind a favor by showing up to their video shoot for “My Baby’s Got it Going On.” Check it out!

From the IMA website:

The Independent Music Awards helps indie artists & releases worldwide overcome mainstream obstacles by placing Winners & Finalists in front of more than 15 Million new fans via yearlong promotion, marketing & distribution programs.

Sounds like a pretty good idea to us.

The Independent Music Awards are currently accepting submissions, so head over to their site and check it out for yourself. You could be in the running this year.

When I was a young girl, Michael Jackson was my world. I was a fan of the Jackson 5 Motown classics, followed his solo departure with Off The Wall and gave him my preteen heart with the release of Thriller. Every day I’d come home from school, put on the record and craft dance routines along with my sister in front of the poster image of my hero that adorned our bedroom wall. I would day dream about owning my own red leather “Beat It” jacket, seeing him in concert and becoming friends with the music and dance icon. In 1984, one of my dreams came true when my grandfather returned home with 4 tickets to the Jackson 5 “Victory Tour”. My grandparents took my sister and I to our first concert, THE CONCERT—the one that I had pined to see all summer. The four of us sang and danced and felt so lucky to witness the magic. When I returned home from the concert, I wrote a 20 page review—careful to note every detail of the show—and mailed copies  to all my friends and relatives. I wanted to share the wonder of Michael Jackson’s talents with the world.

Yesterday my childhood hero—an artist who broke records, broke down racial barriers and influenced generations of musicians and dancers—passed away at the age of 50. The circumstances of Michael Jackson’s death are still unknown although attending physicians say he suffered a cardiac arrest. In the days that follow I suspect we may learn details that are reminiscent of the tragic deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith, fellow entertainers who medicated private pains. However, Jackson’s pains were never private. He wore his demons on his bizarrely reconstructed face which aided in the polarization of billions of fans spanning the globe. As the news of Jackson’s parting spreads, I can’t help wondering what the truth was behind the many years of tabloid headlines and thinking the King of Pop really died of a broken heart.

He was a hero in his youth, a villain in his 30’s and 40’s. Many fans were outraged by Jackson’s plastic surgery, eccentric lifestyle and behavior as well as the accusations involving children. Other fans loved and supported the icon through every infamous headline. I am left in a state of limbo, confused by how to resolve the talent with the controversy. However, I overlook my own sadness over the passing of Michael Jackson which leads me to believe that, ultimately, my childhood perception of who he was will prevail.

OurStage would like to send condolences to the friends and family of the entertainer. We also want to invite the music lovers and musicians of our community to share your own stories and thoughts about Michael Jackson. As we all process his untimely departure let the memories of his music and the moments that defined his talent replay in our minds and hearts.

The NMS is once again tearing down boundaries constructed by the music industry by empowering artists to take control of their careers. On July 21, at New York University’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, the reincarnated New Music Seminar will announce the dawn of a new music business era, offering practical-yet-cutting-edge solutions for all artists regardless of genre. The conference will kick off with an address by keynote speaker, Courtney Holt (president of MySpace Music) and will be followed by four educational sessions on how to combine new and old music industry methods with technology for career success. The event will commence with live performances by artists riding this revolutionary wave with their self-realized record sales of 10,000+ units and having sold out 500+ capacity venues.

Limited tickets are available for this one day event. Register here now.

Lynn Julian, aka Cookie Cutter Girl, is the antithesis of her stage name and encourages women everywhere to break free from their cookie cutter molds and join the girl power revolution. Her girl power pop songs have received airplay on 500+ TV & radio stations and 30+ CDs Internationally. CCG’s latest quest is documented in the new comic book written by Lynn with the help of the “queen of licensed children’s books”, Justine Fontes. The comic book story follows a young woman’s superhero alter ego, Cookie Cutter Girl, who gathers the strength within every woman she helps in the form of pink energy rays and shoots them at her enemies to fight the injustices of the world. Check out Cookie Cutter Girl’s profile on OurStage to get the full story.

Cookie Cutter Girl has been selected for the ASCAPlus award every year since she joined the organization and is now on a mission to save the day for all independent songwriters. Join this Pop Superhero on her mission to support independent musicians and maybe win a little cash while you’re at it!

In the early days of the music industry, a leak was as simple as a radio DJ copying an advance release and giving it to a friend. Today within minutes of someone sharing an album online, it’s available to anyone with an internet connection (and sufficient knowledge of where to obtain these files). It has become a daily habit of publications such as Digital Music News to announce leaks and add exposure to the growing leak issues in the industry. These recent leaks include hot shots such as Green Day, Eminem, Wilco and Franz Ferdinand.

Recently there has been a new front to this leak battle; Independent artists are starting to see the same issues as their Major label counterparts. One such example: Tori Amos’ latest album leaked on May 11th, it was due to hit stores only 8 days later.

Luckily, artists are fighting back with other promotions to promote buying their album. Those who pre-ordered Tori’s album on iTunes received a password to order tickets for her summer tour before the general public. The album also came with a DVD video; items like this are not usually included in prerelease leaks giving fans a reason to pick up the album. Artists like Tori also have another thing going for them: a loyal fan base who may download a leak but will still purchase the album for the extras and in support of the artist.

The industry is changing.  The classic music industry tactics are futile.  Labels must embrace change and adjust tactics for success as independent artists have, or they will soon fall to dust.

 
Tap Tap Revenge is only one game in a list of uber-successful iPhone applications from the developer, Tapulous. Only 3 weeks after launching the original game, they were boasting over 1 million users and grew to over 6 million in less than a year after that. They’ve launched special versions for NIN, Coldplay and Weezer and have over 160 artists listed in their Catalog ranging from the indies to the majors. Now, after launching the second version in March ‘09, they already have 2.7 million new people tapping away… that’s huge exposure for any independent artist! So how did all these great OurStage bands find themselves in the favor of such a popular mobile game? We caught up with Tapulous’ Tim O’Brien to find out.

As Tapulous puts it, Tim is “the guy who gets the songs,” and “is the Rosetta Stone of Tapulous, able to translate the tech talk into the grunts and screams the music world understands.” His deep background in the music industry from street team development to tour management has helped him give Tapulous the street cred it needs to stay constantly fresh and engaging in the ever-evolving music community. His past experiences in the music world also led him to develop a huge amount of respect for the bands and musicians that aren’t afraid of a little hard work. Those are the bands that find their way onto the iPhone screens of millions of music fans.

‘Bands choose their own fate,’ he says. Bands find Tim and pitch him with their story and music. He offers up top placement for the bands who are willing to work for it and the fruit of their labor is the millions of fans who will get, ‘turned on to new music in a really engaging environment. They will listen all the way through and many times over if they really like the song.’

90% of the game’s catalog is independent music and the company is looking for ways to continue in that direction by working with indie artists, labels and publishers (They are already pulling from the catalogs of INgrooves and OurStage partner, DashGo). Tim says he is even considering building a special indie track of the week, pushing one lucky band’s music to millions of inboxes and generating even more exposure. Speaking of the track of the week, if you don’t already have the game, be sure to download Tap Tap Revenge this week because the featured artist is long-time OurStage supporter, Matt Nathanson.

Singer/songwriter Cary Brothers summarized the sentiments of many industry insiders when saying, “Times are tough in the music industry, and now more than ever we need people like the team at Paste looking out for artists on the fringe of the mainstream.”

We at OurStage hope the music lovers and indie artists in our community will be inspired to save one of the most respected voices championing independent music. Donations to help out our friends at Paste can be made HERE.

Artists contributing songs for the Save Paste Campaign so far:
A Camp, Ari Hest, Army of Me, Arrested Development, Ben Folds, Ben Wakeman, Betty LaVette, Bill Mallonee, Birdmonster, Bloodkin, Bob Mould, Brandi Carlile, Cara Luft, Cary Brothers, Cowboy Junkies, Dan Zimmerman, Derek Webb, Duncan Sheik, G. Love and Special Sauce, Gomez, Greg Laswell, Indigo Girls, Islands, Jamie Lidell, Jason Harrod, Jennifer Daniels, Jesse Sykes And The Sweet Hereafter, Joe Henry, John Doe, John Roderick (The Long Winters), Josh Ritter, Josh Rouse, Keller Williams, Liam Finn, Loney Dear, Luke Brindley, Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson, Matthew Caws, Matthew Sweet, Meiko, Neko Case, Of Montreal, Ortolan, Over the Rhine, Passion Pit, Patterson Hood, Portastatic, Robert Pollard, Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, Rosie Thomas, Samantha Crain, Sandra McCracken, Shawn Mullins, She & Him, Slow Runner, Soul-Junk, Southeast Engine, State Radio, String Cheese Incident, Switchfoot, Thao, The Avett Brothers, The Clarks, The Decemberists, The Jayhawks, The Low Anthem, The Minus 5, The Rosewood Thieves, The Spring Standards, Umphree’s McGee, Venice Is Sinking, Welcome Wagon, William Fitzimmons