HoustonBands.Net Music News
Friday, Jun 26th, 2009
5 Days Left To Enter Your Songs or Lyrics
There are only 5 days left to enter your songs or lyrics
into June's songwriting competition. Enter today at
http://www.songoftheyear.com . Any submission entered
online or postmarked by June 30th will be entered into
June's round. International entries are accepted.
May's results will be announced by July 7th.
Wednesday, Jun 17th, 2009
THE “GIPSY KINGS” WORLD BEATS AND PROPULSIVE FLAMENCO SET TO RAISE TEMPERATURES AT ARENA THEATRE
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 8:00 PM
The best world tour you can take without a passport, featuring sizzling hits “Bamboleo” and “Un Amor.”
Take a romantic, exotic trip around the globe with the well-traveled and rhythmically-gifted Gipsy Kings without ever leaving the comfort of Houston. What emerged from the band’s upbringing was a modern take on up-tempo, percussion-heavy flamenco and rumba beats that have made the Gipsy Kings world music royalty for over 20 years. In 1988 their self-titled first album contained the international hit Bamboleo, as well as romantic ballad Un Amor. The album spent 40 weeks on the U.S. Billboard charts, an almost unheard of feat before the mid-90s . Since then, the Gipsy Kings have become no less than the most well-known world act to emerge from the South-of-France in history, selling over 18 million albums worldwide. Its concerts are mixed with both playful covers of The Eagles’ classic Hotel California to classic originals from their Latin Grammy-winning album Love & Liberté and their most recent album, Pasajero. Tickets for Gipsy Kings are $65, $75 and $90
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
LEGENDARY ENGLISH ROCKER JOE COCKER MAKES ARENA THEATRE DEBUT
Top 10 hits "You Are So Beautiful" and "Up Where We Belong" Highlight a Career-spanning Set MONDAY, JUNE 15 8:00 P.M.
There will soon be a new name to add to the historic chronicle of rock and soul legends who have performed on the Arena Theatre’s revolving stage. Bluesy British hit-maker and rock icon, Joe Cocker, is set to make his debut in Houston’s home for live music in-the-round at 8:00 p.m. Monday, June 15. Tickets can be purchased online at www.arenahouston.com<http://www.arenahouston.com> or by calling the box office ticket request line at 713-772-5900.
There is only a small handful of Cocker’s rock n’ roll peers who can lay claim to hit singles in four consecutive decades while continuing to tour into a fifth. The Rolling Stones, a band Cocker opened for while singing covers of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles songs under the name Vance Arnold early in his career, is one that immediately comes to mind. The buzz about Cocker’s gut-wrenching croak and flailing physical stage gyrations had already traveled across the Atlantic from his native England when he first toured the U.S. with the Grease Band in the spring of 1969. His reworking of the Beatles With a Little Help from My Friends (featuring an all-star backing band that included Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and Traffic alum Steve Winwood on piano) landed at the top of UK singles charts and climbed to No. 68 in America before he arrived. Within months of playing his first U.S. gigs Cocker was a superstar, arriving by helicopter to perform at the Woodstock Festival and reaching coast-to-coast with performances on The Ed Sullivan Show supporting his 1969 second album masterwork, Joe Cocker!.
Among the concert staples he adapted from that gold record was a cover of Leon Russell’s Delta Lady and several Beatles songs (rearranged with the blessing of the Fab Four who were already smitten with Cocker’s version of With a Little Help from My Friends): She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Let It Be and Something. In the 40 years since first invading America, Cocker has remained a constant and instantly recognizable guttural presence on the rock and blues landscape. In the 70s he was one of the best-selling artists in the country and his rendering of You Are So Beautiful reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. His 1982 duet with Jennifer Warnes, Up Where We Belong, finally landed him a No. 1 hit and a trip to the Oscars after it took off on radio and in the movies as the theme song for the blockbuster film, An Officer and A Gentleman.
Cocker’s greatest talent since his earliest recordings is taking other people’s music and lyrics, adapting them to his own free-form style and coming up with a familiar-yet-different song that is independent of the original. He continues to do that into his fifth decade on his most recent album, Hymn for the Soul. Among the new standouts are his take on Stevie Wonder’s You Haven’t Done Nothin’, Bob Dylan’s Ring Them Bells and George Harrison’s Beware of Darkness.
Spun together over the course of an evening, this performance is a history of Joe Cocker’s career and a glimpse at rock n’ roll history as performed by one its framers. It is an evening that shouldn’t be missed. Tickets for Joe Cocker are $55, $65 and $75 and can be purchased online at www.arenahouston.com<http://www.arenahouston.com> or by calling the Arena Theatre box office ticket request line at 713-772-5900. Box office hours are 10:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday – Friday and 5 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. on day-of-show. The Arena Theatre is located at 7326 Southwest Freeway (between Bellaire and Fondren), Houston, Texas 77074. It is a non-smoking venue.Out side smoking area is available. Parking is available at the Arena Towers garage adjoining the theatre.
Monday, May 18th, 2009
MAKE MUSIC HOUSTON LOOKING FOR MUSICIANS
The General Consulate of France in Houston is organizing “Make Music Houston” (a “Fete de la Musique” event) on Sunday, June 21st, the first day of summer. I was wondering if you would be interested in participating.
This event, created by the French Ministry of Culture 25 years ago, is a unique festival of free concerts in public spaces. Given the great success of this popular and largely spontaneous event, this gathering of professionals and amateurs musicians has spread to more than 300 cities around the world. The concerts are free for the audience and organized without any commercial purpose or support. The musicians usually play without any fee. In the United-States, Miami and New-York have launched their annual celebration several years ago.
The original concept is to enable musicians of all ages and musical persuasions — from hip hop to opera, jazz to rock — to perform on streets, plazas and gardens. From high school bands to marquee names, Make Music is open to anyone who wants to take part, enjoyed by everyone who wants to attend.
For its Houston premiere, Make Music Houston would like to invite you to come and share a few songs on the occasion of this free celebration of music. It is a great opportunity for you to meet other artists as well as promoting your music.
To participate, fill in the registration form and send it to adjoint.culture@consulfrance-houston.org
As coordinator of the event, the General Consulate of France will advertise your participation in all its usual promotion means ie the Consulate and Texan-French alliance for the Arts sites, the French Culture National website and a special paper flyer (about 1000 copies).<
You can check out this website to know more about the event: http://fetedelamusique.culture.fr/page.php?arbo=30&id=115
Don't hesitate to contact me for any question you may have.
Sanae FUKUMA Stagiaire service Culturel Consulat général de France 777 Post Oak Blvd HOUSTON, TX, 77056
Monday, May 11th, 2009
The Houston Band Coalition Presents: “The 2009 HBC Awards” or the 2009 HBCA’s!
Submissions/Nominations can be sent via email by anyone, for any band originating in the Houston-Galveston
Metro Area. BANDS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE A CURRENT HBC ENDORSEMENT IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE!
You do however
need to build a profile at www.HBCLIVE.com if you haven’t already done so.
SUBMISSION DETAILS (must include):
1. Band Name
2. Contact Phone
3. Contact Email
4. MySpace link or (2) of your best MP3’s
5. Web Address
6. The #1 reason you think your band should be #1
7. Tell us the “Category” or “Categories” you are submitting/nominating for.Don’t think you fit a category?
Make a suggestion along with your submission if you do not see one that properly represents your band or
musical act.
8. Email your submission or nomination to: promotions@houstonbandcoalition.org
Cut off for Nominations will be June 30th 2009 @ 6PM
Winners will be issued a complimentary write up at HBCLIVE.com which can be used as a formal review for
press purposes. Prize packages to be announced soon! Additional plans are being made for an awards
ceremony this summer. Details on selection, selection date, and other forthcoming information will be
posted at www.hbclive.com as news becomes available. Check back soon for updates.
Original Indie - Music Categories:
Houston’s #1 Country Act
Houston’s #1 Hard Rock Act
Houston’s #1 Metal Band
Houston’s #1 Industrial Act
Houston’s #1 Modern Rock Band
Houston’s #1 Classic Rock Band
Houston’s #1 Texas Blues Act
Houston’s #1 Jazz Act
Houston’s #1 R&B Act
Houston’s #1 Rap Artist
Houston’s #1 Latino Act
Houston’s #1 Acoustic or Folk Performer
Houston’s #1 Experimental Act
Houston’s #1 Cover or Tribute Act
Original Indie - Musician Categories:
Houston’s #1 Guitarist
Houston’s #1 Bassist
Houston’s #1 Drummer
Houston’s #1 Vocalist
Houston’s #1 Keyboardist
Houston’s #1 Performing DJ
Original Indie - Special Awards:
Houston’s #1 Male Vocalist
Houston’s #1 Female Vocalist
Houston’s #1 Live Performer Award
Houston’s #1 Instrumental Award
Houston’s #1 Scene Supporters Award
Houston’s Most Original Act
Houston’s Most Charitable Band (Band that works hard for benefiting others)
The Honorary Houstonian Band Award (Non-Houston based band that supports local music in Houston)
For information about our great organization log-on to: www.houstonbandcoalition.org
Sunday, May 10th, 2009
Texas music history written as Murphey takes top honors at Texas Music Awards
PALESTINE, TX – Michael Martin Murphey was named Entertainer of the Year at the 7th annual Texas Music AwardsTM on Sunday, April 26th at the Palestine Civic Center, then wrote a new chapter of Texas music history with a reunion of the Cosmic Cowboy Band. Five members of the original Cosmic Cowboy band (Murphey, Gary P. Nunn, Craig Hillis, Bob Livingston and Herb Steiner), who had not performed together in that configuration since 1972, took the stage with past TMA recipient Robert Frith on drums and played a surprise reunion set at the awards show. Murphey hosted the show, offering commentary and introducing several of the fifteen nominees who performed at the show. At the conclusion of the awards presentations, Murphey performed several songs solo, then invited the rest of the reuniting band on stage.
"It was a magic moment," remarked Jinelle Boyd, Executive Director of the Academy of Texas Music, Inc. and co-founder of the Texas Music AwardsTM , "We knew it was going to be special, but we had no idea it would be so perfect. Anyone who passed on the opportunity to see this should be ashamed, truly!" While the reunion was a spectacular end to the day, award recipients were presented with career-changing recognition for their outstanding work during 2008, which was the qualifying period for the 2009 season. The two youngest nominees fared well at the show. Just teenagers, but with a great deal of talent, Crystal Sands of Frankston was named Female Vocalist of the Year, and Cody Riley of Canton received the Rising Star Award.
The awards show, underwritten and presented by Northeast Texas-based MyTexasMusic.com, is the annual fundraiser for the 501(c)3 Academy of Texas Music, Inc. whose mission includes public and private music education programs, college scholarships, and assistance programs for musicians in need. Past recipients and industry professionals were on hand to present the awards. Randy Brown, last year's Male Vocalist of the Year, was on hand to present the award for Producer of the Year to Billy High. Robert Frith, the reigning Singer/Songwriter of the Year was on hand to pass the torch to Connie Mims of Houston who became the first female to receive the Singer / Songwriter award. Boyd explains how important this process is to the nominees, ”Independent artists need something to bridge the gap between regional success and the national attention they deserve.
The Texas Music AwardsTM serve to give these artists a stepping stone to bigger and better things.” The red carpet, Texas-formal event has been held in four different cities in the past seven years, and several locations are being studied for the 2010 and 2011 show. Boyd added, "The economy has touched everyone and our board of directors has a tough decision to make about our future locations. We must do what's best financially for the show in order to attend to our noble mission. Cities with more to offer financially are getting special attention." Boyd continues, "Wherever the show is next year, you can bet it will be fantastic. It's in our nature to aspire to bigger and more spectacular events." For more information on eligibility, nominations, voting for next year, the awards, or sponsorships, visit www.texasmusicawards.org A list of the 2009 recipients appears below:
Producer Billy High (Cuero, TX) “HIGHSPEED HAYRIDE” (Highspeed Hayride) Vocal Duo or Group Smythe and Taylor (Houston, TX) Musician Rodney Pyeatt, guitar (Temple, TX) “EVERYTHING IN COLOR” (Cody Riley) Record “Lucky Me Lonely You” Jerry Audley (Anna, TX) “AUDLEY ENOUGH” Song “Gather ‘Round” Tres Womack, songwriter (Bastrop, TX) Tres Womack Female Vocalist Crystal Sands (Frankston, TX) “CRYSTAL SANDS” (Crystal Sands) Male Vocalist Wade Bowen (Austin, TX) “IF WE EVER MAKE IT HOME” (Wade Bowen) Album Highspeed Hayride (Goliad, TX) “HIGHSPEED HAYRIDE” Entertainer Michael Martin Murphey (Dallas, TX) Singer/Songwriter Connie Mims (The Woodlands, TX) Rising Star Cody Riley (Canton, TX) “EVERYTHING IN COLOR” Live Band Ben Morris and the Great American Boxcar Chorus (College Station, TX) Disc Jockey Ryan Fox – 99.5 The Wolf – Ft. Worth, TX Broadcast Radio Station KHYI – 95.3 FM – Dallas, TX Internet Radio Station Radio Free Texas www.radiofreetexas.org (Nederland, TX) FOUNDERS AWARDS: Palmwood Award J.B. Cloud, Disc Jockey, KBCY, Abilene, Texas Dave Wheaton, Disc Jockey, KBHT, Grapeland, Texas Artistic Excellence Lynn Stokes “TERRA NOCTURNE”
Photo capture : http://www.texasmusicawards.org/media/2009/murphey_2009_050.jpg
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Announces 2008 Winners --
Grand Prize Awarded to Australians Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall
for Their Song "Caught In The Crowd"
April 30, 2009 -- The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announce its 2008 winners. It is with great pleasure that ISC bestows its highest honor, the ISC Grand Prize, to Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall of Brisbane, QLD, Australia for their song "Caught In The Crowd," a brilliantly quirky pop song with an emotional message about schoolyard bullying and peer pressure. The Grand Prize winner takes home $25,000 in cash (US) and over $20,000 in prizes - the largest Grand Prize of any songwriting competition.
With judges as diverse as Tom Waits, Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Ray Davies (The Kinks), Chaka Khan, McCoy Tyner, Jerry Lee Lewis, Robert Smith (The Cure) and many more, winning the ISC Grand Prize is an accomplishment that recognizes excellence in the craft of songwriting.
In its seventh year, ISC received over 15,500 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide, confirming ISC's status as the leading global songwriting event. The New York Times called ISC, "the songwriting competition to take note of." In all, ISC bestows prizes on 62 winners, awarding more than $150,000 in cash and prizes.
For a complete list of 2008 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm
The song "Caught In The Crowd" struck an emotive chord with the ISC judges for its narrative about a young girl who befriends a fellow student but then, succumbing to peer pressure, turns her back on him when he gets bullied at school. The song, entered in the Pop/Top 40 category, was praised by the ISC judges for its powerful lyrical content and strong pop sensibility.
Candace Avery, the founder and director of ISC, states, "The song tugs at my heart and give me chills every time I hear it. Its theme is so personal yet universal that everyone can relate to it. That, combined with its infectious melody, makes the song a stand-out. This is the first time the Grand Prize has ever been awarded to Australian songwriters, and we hope this throws the spotlight on the extraordinary and creative music scene in Australia."
The co-writers, Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall, are not just bandmates and musical collaborators but also husband and wife. Strong songwriters in their own right, together they create a yin-yang of music that brings out the best of each other. Miller-Heidke is already a rising star in her home country, Australia. With her early training as an operatic singer, Miller-Heidke has evolved into a pop artist whose debut CD, Little Eve, went Gold on the back of four ARIA nominations. Her latest CD, Curiouser, was produced in the USA by Mickey Petralia (Beck, Flight of the Conchords) and released in Australia at the end of 2008.
"Caught In The Crowd" is the newest single from the CD and was part of a national campaign in Australia where high school students were invited to make a video for the song addressing the issue of bullying, a common and disturbing occurrence in schools worldwide.
In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving songwriters also share in the prestige and kudos of winning their respective categories in ISC 2008. These winners hail from all over the world (63% of this year's winners come from outside the USA), representing diverse cultures and ranging from talented amateurs to seasoned songwriting veterans. The 20 categories include all genres of contemporary music, from rock to pop to jazz to R&B/Hip-Hop and more. See below for a complete list of ISC 2008 winners.
ISC is now accepting entries for 2009. The 2009 competition will include many new judges and a new Adult Contemporary (AC) category. Go to http://www.songwritingcompetition.com for more information and an entry form.
A partial list of ISC 2008 Winners is as follows (see site for Honorable Mentioned):
Grand Prize
"Caught in the Crowd" - Kate Miller-Heidke, Keir Nuttall - Brisbane, QLD, Australia
AAA
First Place
"Worlds Away, Yards Apart" - David A. Holland (Hiding in Public) - London, England
Second Place
"Hey Mister" - Suzanna Choffel - Austin, TX, USA
Third Place
"Somewhere Beneath This Sky" - Shahryar Mazgani - Lisbon, Portugal
Americana
First Place
"Cruising For Paradise" - Kevin Meisel - Belleville, MI, USA
Second Place
"The Dark" - Ben Kyle - Belfast, N. Ireland and Minneapolis, MN, USA
Third Place
"Lips Stained Red With Wine" - Kim Beggs - Whitehorse, YT, Canada
Blues
First Place
"All Going Wrong" - Darren Watson - Wellington, New Zealand
Second Place
"U.P. Down Blues" - Uros Peric - Celje, Slovenia
Third Place
"Mister Coffee" - Chris James Del Villar and Patrick Ryan - Chicago, IL, USA
Children's Music
First Place
"Wee Wee Dance" - Rob Compton (Babaloo Music & Fun) - Washington, MO, USA
Second Place
"My Toothbrush Fell In The Toilet" - Rob Compton (Babaloo Music & Fun) -
Washington, MO, USA
Third Place
"Banana Pie" - Chris Pennington and Paul Johnston - Montreal, QC, Canada
Comedy/Novelty
First Place
"Clinton Got A Blowjob" - Eric Schwartz - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Second Place
"Moe" - George Wurzbach - Brooklyn, NY, USA
Third Place
"The Blarney Stone" - Brad Shapiro - Oviedo, FL, USA
Country
First Place
"Made For You" - Jackie Kavan, David G. Smith, and Mike Willis - Stockholm, Sweden
and Nashville, TN, USA
Second Place
"Where Would Your Heart Be" - Greg Johnson and Deanna Harper - Nashville, TN, USA
Third Place
"Somewhere Somehow" - Drew Timothy McAlister - Sydney, NSW, Australia
Dance/Electronica
First Place
"Raised By Wolves" - Bill Halliday and Gareth Jones (The Cansecos) - Toronto, ON, Canada
Second Place
"Imagination Kaskade-Remix" - Jes Brieden (Jes) , Josh Gabriel, and Dave Dresden (Gabriel & Dresden) - New York, NY, USA
Third Place
"The End Of Something Big" - Nic Gorissen (Bignic) - Penetanguishene, ON, Canada
Folk/Singer-Songwriter
First Place
"Davey Jones" - Gordie Sampson and Michael Logen - Halifax, NS, Canada and Nashville, TN, USA
Second Place
"The Treehouse Song" - Ane Brun - Stockholm, Sweden
Third Place
"Volunteers" - Mark Erelli and Peter Nelson - Somerville, MA, USA
Gospel/Christian
First Place
"What I Do With Your Time" - Anadara Arnold and Stephanie Lewis - Nashville, TN,
USA
Second Place
"We're Not The Losers" - Wade Iedema (Lifetone) - Lismore Heights, NSW, Australia
Third Place
"Show Me The Way" - Sam McClain (Mighty Sam McClain) and Donn Scott Shetler - Newmarket, NH, USA
Instrumental
First Place
"The Bletherer" - Colin Steele (Colin Steele's Stramash) - Edinburgh, Scotland
Second Place
"Provocation" - Mizuho Sato - Tokyo, Japan
Third Place
"Luna (Whale Song)" - Chris McKhool and Kevin Laliberte (Sultons of String) - Toronto,
ON, Canada
Jazz
First Place
"Code Word" - Pascal LeBouef (LeBouef Brothers Quintet) - New York, NY, USA
Second Place
Adversity" - Chie Imaizumi - Saitama, Japan
Third Place
"I'll Catch You" - Peter Sarik - Budapest, Hungary
Latin
First Place
"Pa' Que Te Quedes" - Beca Perfecto - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Second Place
"Tan Solo Palabras" - Julio Andres Rodriguez and Anthony Merrifield - Barcelona, Spain
Third Place
"Suspiro De Limeña" - Camilo Masilva (Masilva) - Lima, Peru
Lyrics Only
First Place
"Your Available Heart" - Bryan Tess - Kerry, Ireland
Second Place
"Cold Snap" - Clementine - San Francisco, CA, USA
Third Place
"My Father's Son (A Country Man)" - Ashley Godfrey - Canberra, ACT, Australia
Music Video
First Place
"Overexposed" - Kahn Morbee, Glen Hodgson, Paul Hodgson, and Neil Pauw (The Parlotones) - Johannesburg, South Africa
Second Place
"The Treehouse Song" - Ane Brun - Stockholm, Sweden
Third Place
"Broken Bones" - Nick Milwright (Blackchords) - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Performance
First Place
"It's You" - Shayna Zaid and Joel Dean (Shayna Zaid & The Catch) - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / New York, NY, USA
Second Place
"Giant Mistake" - Kahn Morbee - Johannesburg, South Africa
Third Place
"Light" - Paula Valstein - New York, NY, USA
Pop/Top 40
First Place
"Lonely" - Paris Wells and Ryan "RhyNO" Ritchie - Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Second Place
"Because Of Me" - Yong Hyun Kim - Seoul, South Korea
Third Place
"Theme Song" - Tim Mahoney and Kevin Kadish - Minneapolis, MN, USA
R&B/Hip-Hop
First Place
"Fire & Flame" - Tea Petrovic - Vancouver, BC, Canada
Second Place
"Be The Change" - Gina Rene - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Third Place
"Uh-Oh" - Seyed Nazeri, Shari Hill, Kristopher Flagg (The Axis) - Dallas, TX, USA
Rock
First Place
"In This Diary" - Kristopher Roe (The Ataris) - Anderson, IN, USA
Second Place
"A Case Of Mistaken Identity" - Remi Chasse, Tailor Made Fable - Terrebonne, QC, Canada
Third Place
"Reflections Of A Madman" - Tony Villiers (Chrome Horse) - Dublin, Ireland
Teen
First Place
"Greeny" - Victor Michon-Petit - Dijon, France
Second Place
"A 6/4 Song (That's Also In 6/4)" - Matt Savage - Francestown, NH, USA
Third Place
"Say So" - Jonathan Weaver (Weava) - Hoover, AL, USA
World Music
First Place
"Tamahana" - Opetaia Foa'I (Te Vaka) and Malcolm Smith - Auckland, New Zealand
Second Place
"1.000 Stars" - Leni Stern - New York, NY, USA
Third Place
"Stimabu So" - Ephrem Jonathan Ocalia (Ephrem J) - Willemstad, Curacao
People's Voice 2008 Winner
"Siempre Hay Esperanza" - Rei Ortiz - Jacksonville, FL, USA
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