Topic: 100000Fans.com

What do you get when you combine a team of music-biz experts, unsigned artists and music fans/advocates…you get a website called 100,000 fans.  We have seen the power of the internet help bands/artists achieve success via guerilla marketing.  Sites like MySpace, Pollstar, iLike, etc. have all taken part to help fans promote their favorite artists.

100000fans.com houses a small selection of unsigned artists that the founders (music biz experts) think have the goods.  They then put the power in the hands of the fans to support and promote the band of their choice! The site’s tastemakers range from studio engineers to label owners, all who have once worked with major artists from Diana Krall to Blink 182.  Once these ‘experts’ dictate a ‘hot’ act, the band/artist’s album is made available to stream/download (for free), alongside a bio and tools for the ‘fans’ to:

1)      share the tracks (via Twitter/Facebook/email)

- and –  

      2) help the band out financially via PayPal “donations”.  The financial support can be “as little as $2”.    Once the business heads behind the site see a significant user-generated groundswell for an artist, they promise to help further advance their career via partnerships with online marketers and labels – helping expose the band to the general public.   Three artists’ are added every week, so fans come back to see which band they want to help support/promote yet!   10000fans.com is a site totally powered by the people.

Discover & support your new favorite band: http://100000fans.com/

Topic: Music buzz amongst Generate Insighters

Zee Avi

Is a singer-song writer musician who was discovered as a result of years of posting videos on Youtube under the moniker KokoKaina.  This is where many of the community members were turned on to her music.  Some describe Avi  as the female Jack Johnson.  She’s only 23 yet has an old school voice and approach to her music.  Her debut album releases May 19^th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0rafi5CG5M&feature=player_embedded

“Zee Avi is the next BIG thing.  I feel about her what I felt about Duffy and Amy Winehouse when I first heard them…like ‘wow, this is something different and needs to be heard by all’.  Avi’s voice is angelic – so jazzy, yet young and inspiring.  She is my pick for the next HOT music artist to break. LOVE Bitter heart!” –  Taryn, 22

K’Naan

A Somalian poet/hip hop artist that’s getting lots of buzz on our community boards.  His song ‘ABC’s’ is a favorite and heard on this past week’s episode of The Hills.   His new album Troubadour was released on February of this year – with ABC’s being the first single released.  He raps about the violence and hardships felt in Mogadishu, the town he grew up in. K’Naan doesn’t think that American rap has much credibility, because even the toughest American neighborhoods aren’t nearly as dangerous as Mogadishu.

http://www.myspace.com/knaanmusic

“I love K’Naan!  He’s one of those rappers that don’t get enough cred.  His rhymes and beats are off the chain.  His lyrics are for real…based on real-life happenings in Somalia.  You know that this boy has seen some stuff.  I really like his album – and can’t stop playing his ‘ABCs’ single. America needs to show some respect.”

         – Omar, 19

Diz Gibran

Said to have a early ’90s NYC style and music, this hip-hop artist was born and raised in LA, skateboarding.   Hip Hop critics have said Diz is really bringing back that true to life hip-hop sound – ‘capturing the essence and raw emotion of inner city men and women’.  This MC’s lyrics come from a life of blood, sweat and tears.  His mixtape ‘Soon You’ll Understand’ is released now on Myspace.   Our community is feeling ‘City Lights’ & ‘Truly Yours’.

“Dizzy is the best thing to happen to hip hop in years.  He inspires me like Tupac once did.   His rhymes are corrupt but that’s what’s so amazing.  This dude is going to be HUGE!” – Mochin, 21

Mather Zickel: He admits he was spoiled by getting “Married” “It’s a very actor-friendly way of working,” he says, adding, “it really is my favorite movie of the year.  Not that I’m biased.”
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) 

Mather Zickel

With the pilot season truncated to three months because of the writers strike, some broadcast networks are switching the order of pilot casting and pickups to save time and give themselves a better shot at sought-after talent.

On Wednesday, British actor Toby Stephens (“Die Another Day”) was cast as the lead in Fox’s drama “Inseparable.” However, the project has not yet been picked up to pilot.
Hollywood Reporter 2/28/08

By DAVID CALLENDER

Published: Oct 15, 2007 MADISON, Wisconsin

What does it take to parlay YouTube stardom into an entertainment career? A year ago, when Matt Sloan was working in a bookstore and Aaron Yonda in a metal shop, they were shooting low-budget comedy films that they showed every week on the local cable-access channel here. When a friend suggested they parody the “Star Wars” films, the two were split over the idea of what Mr. Sloan described as “basically Darth Vader in a grocery store.” But as he and Mr. Yonda began fleshing out the character of Darth Vader’s hapless younger brother, Chad, a shift manager in the Empire Market who can’t land a date despite his Jedi powers, Mr. Sloan said, “I knew we had something special.” With a neighborhood grocery co-op as their backdrop, they shot the first episode of “Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager” with friends volunteering the talent and labor.

Read the rest of this entry »

By DAVID CALLENDER

Published: Oct 15, 2007 MADISON, Wisconsin

What does it take to parlay YouTube stardom into an entertainment career? A year ago, when Matt Sloan was working in a bookstore and Aaron Yonda in a metal shop, they were shooting low-budget comedy films that they showed every week on the local cable-access channel here. When a friend suggested they parody the “Star Wars” films, the two were split over the idea of what Mr. Sloan described as “basically Darth Vader in a grocery store.” But as he and Mr. Yonda began fleshing out the character of Darth Vader’s hapless younger brother, Chad, a shift manager in the Empire Market who can’t land a date despite his Jedi powers, Mr. Sloan said, “I knew we had something special.” With a neighborhood grocery co-op as their backdrop, they shot the first episode of “Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager” with friends volunteering the talent and labor.

Read the rest of this entry »