Archive for March, 2008

San Francisco Music Tech Summit

Thursday, March 6th, 2008

Xiie Team members V.P. John McNerney and A&R Exec. Jason Kelly attended the San Fran MusicTech Summit in California and came back with a lot of new friends, and loads of new information on the digital music market.

John McNerney writes:

San Francisco Music Event is One Hot Number

March 3, 2008 (Houston) – We just returned home from the San Fran MusicTech Summit in California and let me tell you the event was a huge hit. We attended hoping to meet and discuss the growth of this new and budding business with some of the world’s top minds and they really turned out in support of this event.

The first realization we made was that the summit drew quite a mix of business titles. Every one of the panel sessions were attended and/or paneled by professional musicians, promoters, technologists, lawyers, venture capitalists, presidents and V.P.’s. What became glaringly obvious and quite refreshing was that the panelists themselves were not there to promote their personal causes, there was very little self promotion going on. So, if you are growing a site for unsigned, independent musicians as we are then this summit had a lot to offer in the way of sharing ideas and insight into the future.

We also gained a new perspective on the industry as a whole, and the means to operate efficiently in this business. Industry insiders expect the already present online music business will begin expanding at exponential rates.

Overall the San Fran MusicTech Summit can be described as a place, an intersection, that invited the colliding of various points of interests under one umbrella titled: Music Tech.

Some of those we met were:
Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby, John Perry Barlow of Grateful Dead fame, Ariel Hyatt of Ariel Publicity, Jerry Harrison of Sausalito Sound Studios, Bill Goldsmith of Radioparadise.com, Ted Cohen of TAG Strategic, Katina Bishop of EFF, Benjamin Masse, founder and president of Double V3, Samantha Murphy, founder of SMtvmusic.com, Vijay Raghaven of DigitalFreedom.org, Balance of Rasputin Music, Haley Jones of Red, Roger Lamay of WXPN radio, D Labrie of RonDavoux Records, and up and comer Earth of Vision Lounge.

Congratulations are definitely in order for event founders Brian and Shoshana Zisk. Brian is the co-founder of Future of Music Coalition and Shoshana is a widely regarded entertainment lawyer. If you want to make some terrific contacts and learn more about the digital music market, San Fran Tech Music Summit is a must attend.
http://www.sanfranmusictech.com

 

 

Sponsors of the event: Matchmine, Digital Freedom, Double V3, ToneThis, Eventful, Rumblefish, In Ticketing, MusicBrainz, Future of Music Coalition, Mozes, sake2me logo

Elliott Smith Photo Exhibit at SXSW

Monday, March 3rd, 2008


Noise Pop @ SXSW: Elliott Smith Photo Exhibit by Autumn de Wilde

Elliott Smith’s intensely personal music has left a deep mark on a generation of fans and musicians. Autumn de Wilde worked closely with Smith as a friend and photographer for several years before the singer’s untimely death. This showcase of startling and rare images captures an intimate and unseen side of his personality. In addition to showcasing de Wilde’s work during this year’s Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco, we’re bringing this special show to the 4 Walls Fine Art Gallery in Austin TX to coincide with this year’s South By Southwest Conference. Limited edition prints will be available to purchase.

Chronicle Books recently published the book Elliott Smith by de Wilde including her remarkable photographs and conversations with Elliott Smith’s close friends, family, and musicians he inspired. Complementing de Wilde’s riveting, personal images are ephemera, handwritten lyrics, and revealing talks with Smith’s inner circle, many speaking here for the first time. Also included are a foreword by Beck Hansen and Chris Walla, and a live CD of unreleased solo acoustic performances. Find more information here.

Elliott Smith Photo Exhibit by Autumn de Wilde
4 Walls Fine Art
115 East 5th Street, #1
Austin, TX 78701
512-472-2007

Opening – Thursday March 13, 2008 4-7pm

Gallery Hours – Fri March 14 –Saturday March 22 (closed Monday, March 17) 11-5pm

Listen to a podcast.

The Van Halen Reunion Tour Cancelled

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008

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Canceled indefinitely and we didn’t even get to see the show!!

We knew it wouldn’t last long before Eddie got pissed at something and pulled the plug. Reportedly Valarie Bertinelli’s big mouth tell-all was just enough to to put the nail in the coffin. Van Halen was scheduled to play a show at the American Airlines Center in Dallas

tomorrow night, but TMZ reports that there will be no further live shows at this time, that some dates may be rescheduled–and that the cancellations aren’t David Lee Roth’s fault.

[TMZ / Photo: beverlyhillspeople, idolator]

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Arcade Fire is Backing Obama

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008

Arcade Fire is playing free shows for Obama.

They are playing shows to help Barack rock the vote for the March 4th primaries, which include contests in delegate-rich Texas and the site of the show, Ohio. Via press release:

Arcade Fire will be playing a free concert on Sunday, March 2nd at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio in support of Barack Obama’s bid for the Democratic nomination. The show is at 7 p.m., first come first serve.They will also be playing a free show at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on Monday, March 3rd. Doors are at 7 p.m., and the show is 18 and over, first come first serve.

 
It smells like Bono in here.

[source: Stereogum]