THE SPOTLIGHT: JANUARY, 2004

SPOTLIGHT: JANUARY, 2004

This issue is brought to you by Rainmaker Music Publicity...Indie before Indie was cool. Visit http://www.rainmakerpublicity.com or call toll free 1-888-965-5556. I'm sending this issue out from a new location. Yeah, I had to move again. It was a rather interesting situation. After living at the same place for six years, I had to move because I couldn't stand the people who lived next door. It was like living next to a retarded version of The Brady Bunch. The new landlord turned out to be even worse. He was a real piece of work. He inherited the house and the huge tax bill that came with it. He showed me the letter one day and said, "What are WE gonna do about this? How are YOU gonna pay this?" He figured he would get someone in there to rent AND help to get him out of debt. On top of that, he claimed that the $450 a month that I was giving him was putting him in the hole. I couldn't believe that one. I know one thing for sure...he didn't use that money to buy a clue!

Anyway, enough about that. It's time to move forward. So, let's get into this issue, shall we?

MMC8 2004: http://musicconference.net

Be sure to check out the SPOTLIGHT Yahoo group. You don't have to become a member to post or view messages. It's just like a message board and, what's cool about it is that you can keep up to date with a lot of the artists that we're writing about and you don't have to worry about being added to another mailing list. The musicians post their news and all you have to do is click on the link below and read the messages you wanna read. It's that simple!

THE SPOTLIGHT GROUP: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spotlight_magazine

DRP Records is at it again with "Gimmie The Medicine Volume 2," a two disc compilation album that features 46 bands! There's a lot of great material to be found here, including stuff from some of our favorite bands such as Gargantua Soul, Mary Prankster, EDENPARK, Cloud Party, Spinebelt, Anthrophobia, Eastcide and Ninetail, all of which we wrote about. Even Spitfire Records recording artist Dog Fashion Disco make an appearance. Is that cool or what? This release, as well as the previous one, is a must have addition to any music collection. So, be sure to pick up a copy. You won't be disappointed.

DRP RECORDS: http://www.drprecords.com

I'll be doing some press work for vocalist/keyboardist Tammy Raybould and I'm excited about getting her music out to a much larger audience. It'll be quite a challenge for me because she's accomplished quite a lot on her own. In fact, her previous release, "Maybe," was distributed by Sony Music. For those of you who aren't familiar with her music, now's the time to introduce yourself to what she has to offer. She's a brilliant singer/songwriter who serves up a refreshing combination of pop and rock music. Tammy's an honest performer with a lot of energy and she has a passion for creating the best material that she possibly can. Her music has a "feel good" quality about it and all it takes is one listen and you'll be hooked. You'll be hearing a lot more about her in the future. You can count on that. For now, be sure to check out her web page to see what she's all about.

TAMMY RAYBOULD: http://www.tammyraybould.com

While it's almost four years old now, I thought I would mention the Dave Evans release, "A Hell Of A Night" again because it's just a really cool album. For those of you who aren't familiar with Dave Evans, he was the original vocalist for AC/DC. He was replaced by Bon Scott and the rest, as they say, is history. The idea behind this album is rather unique. You have Dave Evans and Australian AC/DC tribute band Thunderstruck doing a selection of AC/DC songs as a tribute to Bon Scott. As Eric Cartman would say, "Sweet!" It's a must have release for any true AC/DC fan. So, be sure to pick up a copy!

DAVE EVANS: http://www.daveevans.au.com

The Beautys are no longer together. But, you can still pick up a copy of "The First Seven Inches Are Always The Hardest," which is a huge collection of unreleased, seven inch and compilation tracks that are being featured on CD for the first time. There's a wealth of material to be found on this twenty six song release. It's a must have addition to your punk rock collection. So, be sure to check it out to see what The Beautys were all about.

DIAPHRAGM RECORDS: http://www.cringe.com/diaphragm

ohGr is probably better known as the vocalist for proto-industrial rock band Skinny Puppy. On this release, with creative partner, Mark Walk, the music is more in the post industrial electronic vein. At least that's how it's described in the press material I recieved, which I'm using to tell you about this release because, for the most part, this is a style of music that I don't really get into and I usually have a hard time trying to tell other people about it. The name of the album is "SunnyPsyOp" and it's a ten song release that has a running time that's about ten minutes shy of an hour. It was released by Spitfire Records, which is a really great label that doesn't put out anything that isn't good.

ohGr: http://www.ohgr.org
SPITFIRE RECORDS: http://www.spitfirerecords.com

I did happen to enjoy Zeromancer's "Eurotrash" album, which, to me, sounded like a goth version of Duran Duran doing electronic rock. The title track, "Raising Hell" and "Doctor Online" were really cool tunes and I still listen to this release every now and then. Can't say that I got into the whole album. But, there was enough good material on this release to make it stand out. They've got a new release available, but, before you check it out, pick up a copy of "Eurotrash" and you'll see why I had nothing but praise for this band.

ZEROMANCER: http://www.zeromancer.com

Paolo Gregoletto from Metal Militia has some news to share with us. The band welcomes new members Jason Mooney, who is a two time drum finalist (1996 & 2002) for Slayer, Chris Manning, whose speed and amazing skill as a lead guitarist, brings just the right touch of classic old school style blended with a hardcore metal sound and finally, George Buritica on rhythm guitar, whose crushing backup vocals adds a new dimension to the bands sound. With the new line up in place, Metal Militia will start pre-production of their sophmore album and begin a frenzied touring schedule, starting in March.

METAL MILITIA: http://www.metalmilitia.cc

Sirens Wild Ride began as the brainchild of NYC and Canadian based GoGirls artists Athena Reich and Emily Zuzik. The two women assembled a collective of female musicians that range from folk, funk, soul, rock and pop to bring a diverse line up to each show. We've introduced you to Emily Zuzik, Denise Barbarita and Jennifer Marks. In the next month or so, we'll bring you Athena Reich and French recording artist Pi, who we're now in touch with. We're looking forward to it!

SIRENS WILD RIDE: http://www.sirenswildride.com

Before we end this issue, I've got a question for you. Do you like this newsletter the way it is or do you think it would be better if I would feature two or three people, but, go into more detail about who they are and what they have to offer? Let me know, I'm curious to hear what you think! Be honest and speak your mind.

I know I've been talking about the debut print issue of SPOTLIGHT for quite a long time now. It's still in the process of being laid out and as soon as I get the pages back, it's off to the printer we go. I'll keep you posted!

Until next month...support local music!

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