INDIE NEWS BEAT January 18, 2005 Edition

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* The 3rd Annual Club World Awards - 2005 Nominees Announced
* Gaz Reynolds Unleashes "Electric Kama Sutra" On P2P Networks
* CatDesigners Selected As Breakthrough Artist Of 2004
* City Canyons Records adds Peter Ulrich To Stellar Roster
* WCH Radio's Artist Of The Year
* Darkwave/Trip-Pop Duo Hungry Lucy Featured On PRI's Echoes
* Benefit For UNICEF/Asian Tsunami
* SessionLoops Shipping Multi-Track Artist Drum Loops
* Indie Artist Selected To Perform At Presidential Inauguration
* Survey Shows Disappointing 2004 Concert Season Set To Turn Around

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The 3rd Annual Club World Awards - 2005 Nominees Announced

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Club Systems International is pleased to announce the nominees for the Club World Awards 2005. Now in their third year, The Club World Awards recognize innovation in design, technology, sound, and talent across nightclubs in North America. The nominees are a snapshot of what's hot in the nightclub industry this year, and a barometer for the direction of trends. The best-of-the-best winners in all 17 categories will be announced at The Club World Awards ceremony to be held at a marquis nightclub during Winter Music Conference on March 23rd, in Miami, Florida.

"The Club World Awards is Club Systems' way of recognizing the true heroes of the nightclub industry, and the innovations that keep it constantly evolving year after year." ­Kerri Mason, CLUB SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL editor

The Awards ­ also known as the "Disco Globes" after their mirror ball trophies ­ honor the hottest, newest, most cutting-edge products; and the DJs, promoters and proprietors who strive to bring the public the ultimate clubbing experiences. The Club World Awards also provide an indication of where the fast-paced, dynamic industry is headed in the coming year.

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Gaz Reynolds Unleashes "Electric Kama Sutra" On P2P Networks

In the face of legal debates over file sharing in the Supreme Court, London-based Dance/Pop artist Gaz Reynolds is releasing his branded peer-to-peer software to coincide with the release of his music video 'Electric Kama Sutra'. Fans can download both the music video and file sharing software as a bundle, making sharing the video with other file sharers worldwide a breeze. The sotfware and video are available at MusicDish.net.

The 'Electric Kama Sutra' video is now being featured on 2 shows on BPM TV (http://www.bpmtv.com) in Canada - HOT 20, counting down the best in dance across all genres, as well as the Official Hot 20 Dance Chart. The controversial single, which is currently playing on GFA radio along side Eminem, Dido & LL Cool J in the States, took HOT AC & CHR radio formats around the world by storm.

"'Electric Kama Sutra' is a mid-tempo NRG laced track that is as much trendy sounding as it is sparkling for the dance floor of today. Congratulations to this artist that is very talented as a singer, songwriter and producer. **** 1/2" Euro Dance Hits 09/04

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CatDesigners Selected As Breakthrough Artist Of 2004

CatDesigners, a Bowie-Morrissey-esque indie band based in London, are the darlings of Whisperin' & Hollerin', a one-stop site for reviews, interviews and features of great music.

Lead writer, Tim Peacock, has already given great reviews for both CatDesigners albums (2003's "Chemical Jazz" and 2004's "Strange Little Creature") and followed up with an interview in the summer of 2004. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that Whisperin' & Hollerin' would consider CatDesigners when drawing up a list of their favourite music from 2004.

However, their position at Number 1 in the Whisperin' & Hollerin' end-of-year list of Breakthrough Artists from 2004 exceeded CatDesigners' expectations. CatDesigners' lead singer, Nick Troop: "It's a great endorsement. It's nice to know that someone thinks that what we do is better than most everyone else".

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City Canyons Records adds Peter Ulrich To Stellar Roster

City Canyons Records is exceedingly proud to add Peter Ulrich, the noted percussionist from the legendary Dead Can Dance to its roster. His upcoming album Enter The Mysterium, scheduled for release on March 1, is a mixture of world music, art pop, dream pop, old music and darkwave.

Enter The Mysterium is similarly diverse but with brilliant pop influences that should cause it, while losing none of its stunning originality, to appeal to a broader audience. Mysterium features words and music by Ulrich, vocals by Ulrich and Ulrich playing both traditional instruments and a selection of exotic instruments from all over the world. Ulrich's music in Mysterium music recalls "Dead Cab Dance" but has an an exotic flavor of its own, blending seamlessly an array of musical genres--darkwave, dream-pop, ancient and medieval, new age, world and ethnic-- into a lush tapestry.

But words cannot explain that music to understand it, you must enter Ulrich's world of light and shadow, a world of black and white magic, a world haunting, mysterious, sometimes frightening but in the end uplifting--a world powerfully mapped out in Ulrich's new album, Enter The Mysterium to be released under the City Canyons imprint in spring of 2005.

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WCH Radio's Artist Of The Year

Starting at the end of 2004, WCH Radio & Next Step Promotions instituted the annual "WCH Radio Artist Of The Year" This year we have chosen Micky as our 2004 "Artist Of The Year."

Fourteen year old Micky is from Waterloo, Belgium, and speaks both French and English. "I was impressed with Micky's above average interest in his musical career". according to John O'Day, CEO of WCH Radio.

Micky has developed his own brand, keeps up with how his song "Hazardous" is charting on our station, which is available on CD Baby, and is also available as a ring tone and real tone. He has his own website (www.mickymusic.com), and has developed his own promotional items (via Cafepress)". Says O'Day.

The Artist Of The Year is a new category for WCH Radio & Next Step Promotions, and we are very proud to present Micky with this award. This is also one of several features we plan to add to the station in 2005. O'Day said.

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Darkwave/Trip-Pop Duo Hungry Lucy Featured On PRI's Echoes

On Monday (Jan. 24) Darkwave/Trip-Pop duo Hungry Lucy will be featured on the nationally syndicated radio show "Echoes" hosted by John Diliberto.

A daily two-hour series of evocative, ground-breaking music seamlessly bridging new instrumental, world fusion, new acoustic, impressionistic jazz, and inventive vocal styles. Echoes presents a modern soundscape of music that draws from a multitude of cultures, traditions, and genres updated with innovative technological advances. Daily produced features highlight an artist, a new development, or an event in contemporary music. Monthly Living Room Concerts include a diverse range of intimate performances in artists' homes.

Hungry Lucy has released 3 internationally acclaimed albums since 2000. Often compared to artists like Delerium, Lamb, Depeche Mode, Jem and even Madonna, their music runs the gamut from down tempo trip-hop to darkwave/goth and even touches on uptempo pop music. Often known for their version of Depeche Mode's "Blue Dress", Hungry Lucy will be touring the US in support of their latest CD, "To Kill a King".

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Benefit For UNICEF/Asian Tsunami

Espionne Records Presents A Benefit for UNICEF and the victims of the Asian tsunami. Performances by singer-songwriter Jodelle and standup comedian Ophira Eisenberg.

Jodelle will perform songs from her brand new CD "The Adventures of Jodelle" with her full band. When Jodelle performed at The Cutting Room back in mid-October, it was standing room only. The Cutting Room was packed and a new show, planned for Friday evening, Feb. 11th, promises to be that and more. Jodelle will be donating a portion of the proceeds to UNICEF to help aid the Asian countries ravaged by the tsunami disaster.

Jodelle has been one of New Jersey's best-kept 'secrets' but that changed after the October show at The Cutting Room. No one quite expected it but that's what makes a Jodelle show special. There are touches of Tori Amos, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Laura Nyro, Sarah McLachlan and Shawn Colvin rolled into a Jersey composer/pianist. New Jersey's secret is now New York's discovery.

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SessionLoops Shipping Multi-Track Artist Drum Loops In Apple Loops Format

To coincide with the release of Apple's Garageband 2, SessionLoops announce the availability of the first multi-track rock drum loop collection in the Apple Loops format.

Featuring drum legend Simon Phillips, the collection includes hundreds of song-oriented loops and grooves, organized in 34 Drum Sessions with a tempo range from 63 BPM to 182 BPM. Each Drum Session contains loops (named Verse, Chorus, Fill. etc), inspired by a specific drummer or band, from AC/DC to The Police, to Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. The multi-track format allows you to create a custom drum mix from the original studio takes - providing a separate track for Kick, Snare, Hats, Stereo Tom OH Mix and Stereo Room. Where applicable, stereo percussion tracks are also included.

"Drum Foundations is all about bringing world-class drum performances into your home or project studio," said Jon Jannaway, co-founder of SessionLoops. "For our multi-track edition, we wanted to create a format that combined flexibility with ease of use. Our approach means you can now easily create custom drum mixes to fit the vibe of your songs. Effectively, Simon Phillips is behind the kit - and you're in the producer's chair."

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Indie Artist From Wisconsin Selected To Perform At Presidential Inauguration

It's the call of a lifetime. Imagine answering your phone to find out that inaugural planning personnel including the president's daughter, Barbara Bush, have personally selected your indie band to perform at the 2005 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.

It can happen. Boxkar, the five-piece rock band from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, received just that call. "Of all the visions and dreams we have had of the national stage, they never included an opportunity like this," said lead singer Chris Szebeni.

Boxkar will perform at two separate events during the weeklong inauguration celebration. "America's Future Rocks Today" scheduled for Tuesday, January 18, will feature a multi-media spectacle featuring many of today's hottest acts. Open to the public and held at the D.C. Armory, this show will focus on youth and service. Projected attendance is 10,000 to 15,000 people.

The next night, Wednesday, January 19, Boxkar fills out a roster of various performers including choirs, symphonies and speakers as part of the "Celebration of Freedom," which will be held in Ellipse Park with the White House providing a serene backdrop. This celebration is also open to the public. Projected attendance is 60,000 to 80,000 people.

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Survey Shows Disappointing 2004 Concert Season Set To Turn Around

Musicians and promoters take heart: 2004 was as low as it goes. If consumers put their money where their mouth is, expect 2005 to rebound. This according to a new nationwide online survey of 18- to 34-year olds which found that 39% of 2004 concert-goers expect to spend more than they did last year in the upcoming concert season.

In addition, one-fourth of people who didn't attend a paid concert last season expect to this season. Barring any unexpected jolts, this could lead to a 23% increase in spending from 2004 to 2005, offering a beleaguered concert industry respite from one of the worst concert seasons on record.

The summer 2004 season was so poor -- experiencing as much as a 40% dip by some estimates -- that a team of student researchers at Boston University's College of Communication undertook to find out why the dip happened in the first place and whether there was hope for a comeback.

According to their survey, the dip was the result of significant concertgoer disappointment: 52% of those surveyed believed that there are not as many artists they want to see in concert anymore while 72% believe that ticket prices are just too high. Even more telling is the fact that an overwhelming 70% feel that ticketing agencies make a "fortune" from concerts.

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Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission