The IMAs on Amercian Idol?!

An American Idol contestant covered IMA Pop/Rock Song Winners, Apples In Stereo's song "Energy," last night!

You'll be seeing this huge poster in NYC....

CONTACT JOELLE@INDEPENDENTMUSICAWARDS.COM FOR INDUSTRY VIP LIST.


ORDER TICKETS AT WWW.SYMPHONYSPACE.COM

You Can Submit to the 9th IMAs thru Sonicbids.com

...These artists did and they ended up being IMA recepients!

FREE live radio drama-esque story-telling event at NYU 4/24

Join a community of writers and audio book lovers in a live radio drama-esque reading celebrating the launch of Gather 'Round: New Audio Stories, a series of stories recorded and produced by Recorded Music senior Vanessa Harris.


Friday, April 24, 2009
Time: 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Location: NYU's Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House
Street: 58 W. 10th St. (closer to 6th Ave. than 5th) New York, NY

The 411: Live radio drama-esque readings, live music, sound effects made by chosen audience participants, wine and refreshments. This is a FREE event.


This is no ordinary reading! Chosen audience participants will be given scripts with directions and items (can of coins, windchime, etc...) to create LIVE SOUND EFFECTS.

Voice over artists will be reading the parts of various characters.

Acoustic guitarist Katie Buchanan will be accompanying the readings to create DRAMA, and will also be playing her own material before and after the event. You can check out her music here:
http://www.myspace.com/katiebuchananmusic

The story-telling line up:

"Electrolytes"
written and narrated by Mary Shyne

"My Father, the Gun Harboring Vietnam Vet" and
"My Mother, the Murderer"
written and narrated by Barbara Sueko McGuire

"How to Avoid Turf Wars in Your Classroom"
written and narrated by Ilana Garon

"Until the Next Check Comes"
by Nicki Gill, narrated by Allyson Briggs

"Chant For Glory"
by Bianca E. Schreiber, narrated by Vanessa Harris

ALSO
There may be another surprise musical guest...
There will be wine and refreshments.

This is a FREE event, guaranteed to be like no other reading you've been to before......

Mark your calendars!!

Velvet Code Tour Recap

Here's the latest from IMA Dance/Electronica Winners, Velvet Code, while on tour with Mindless Self Indulgence!

March 26th Velvet Code Tour Update

Today is my birthday!!! There's no other place that I want to be than with my band mates, Ryan and Nick, living the dream! Performing in Edmonton to a packed house at the Edmonton Events Centre was one of the great thrills of my life. Before the show, I asked two of my idols to join me in spirit: Freddie Mercury and Elvis Presley. I believe they both showed up and provided the support I needed for a fantastic show. At one point, I could even hear Freddie hit a note with me...you know, the high note in the bridge of Trust Fund Girl? Haven't heard it? Go get it now!



Having just come from other Canadian cities (Regina and Winnipeg), we were well rested for the Edmonton show. Of course, the birthday party afterwards with Hollowboy and my fellow Velvet Coders was the best birthday celebration I've had in years. It sure beat the last 4 years of disappointments!





Speaking of the previous few shows, Winnipeg was a hoot. Hecklers were there, ready and armed with their verbal abuse. Considering that the hecklers grew as the night went on, I decided to single one out. He came to the front of the stage, only to be refused entry to the stage. I took that moment embarrass the poor sucker and watch as he got ejected for unncessary roughness. Better luck next time!



Regina was an interesting venue. It felt like I was performing back at my high school. Nonetheless, the fans had amazing energy, even though 99% of them had no idea who we were!

Now on to Calgary tomorrow! Hopefully my birthday celebration won't inhibit a great show tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Cheerz ma deers
Marlon


March 31st - FINAL SHOW in Seattle

This has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Words can't describe how I feel right now...but let's back up a bit to Calgary and Vancouver....

So Calgary was a recovery show for me after being out all night with the boys...I know, I know! Not necessarily the best judgement in the world, but we were already working on 3-4 hours sleep a night. Nonetheless, I guess the fear of failing helped me focus. And what a show it was! Calgary was definitely one of favorite cities to perform in! It was also the most successful merch and CD sale night of the entire tour for us.

I felt terrible about the technical glitches that Hollowboy had. They are some of my favorite people in the world, and I just couldn't believe some of the bad luck they had over the past few shows. However, it is all about bouncing back, right? And they sure did in Vancouver!! Way to rock it out boys!



Playing Vancouver was another monumental moment for me because I spent a year living there. Some of my friends came out to see me perform, some of them, for the first time. When the show was over, we spent a few hours signing autographs and giving away all of our accessories (even my socks! crazy kids were all excited about that!).

Then it was off to an old local hangout for me and a Vancouver friend. Again, I couldn't help myself and was out until the wee hours of the night. Then it was off to Seattle for our final show!

And what a show it was. I finally took some advice to heart and spent the afternoon lying down and resting. I didn't allow anyone to distract me from the task at hand which was to pull off the greatest show of the tour (and my career). That night, we all synched up perfectly and had a flawless show! It was the most incredible rush of my life!





Fast forward to April 2

The most difficult thing I've ever had to experience is leaving the tour. Now that it's over, the big question is can we all return to ourselves without losing touch with reality? I find myself still feeling like I need to know when sound check is or when we have to be at the venue to load in. I keep wondering where Rick (our sound guy) is and why he hasn't asked us to run through a song for him. I miss hearing the Hollowboys sing the melody to "Say You Love Me".

But I do believe that if we can recover from the short bout of emptiness and reflect on the past month, I think we'll be well prepared for our next adventure, hopefully in Europe :)

Marlon
Velvet Code

Watch Leerone on theStream.tv

8th Annual IMA Music Video Winner, Leerone, performed with a string quartet last night on interactive web-network, theStream.tv .

Check it out:


Raw Rhythms - Leerone

Watch This Episode on www.theStream.tv

Just another example of how IMA Winners & Finalists get hooked up! Enter the 9th Annual IMAs now.

Check it out!

IMA Music Video Winner, Leerone, LIVE Interview, Performance & Fan Chat tonight!

LIVE INTERVIEW & PERFORMANCE......

TUNE IN & CHAT WITH LEERONE TONIGHT:

www.thestream.tv

Independent Music Award Winners Richard Julian, Kristy Krueger and Amy Speace Share Stories And Songs At The Home of NPR’s Selected Shorts

Great storytellers create vivid portraits that reflect the human experience and capture a moment in time; singer-songwriters shoulder the added burden of setting it all to music. Yet the inspiration for the song is often the greatest story never told. Fittingly, three acclaimed recording and touring artists and winners of the prestigious Independent Music Awards, Richard Julian, Kristy Kruger and Amy Speace, will share their stories and songs Thursday, May 7, 8:30pm on Broadway at Symphony Space – home of the popular NPR short story series Selected Shorts.

Produced by Music Resource Group, “The Independent Music Awards Presents” is the first in a series of live performances showcasing accomplished independent musicians who are recognized by the IMAs. The evening will be introduced by, Anthony DeCurtis, a Rolling Stone contributing editor and author of In Other Words: Artists Talk About Life and Work, a collection of interviews he conducted for Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and other publications. (DeCurtis is also a veteran member of the IMA selection panel). A cocktail hour will begin at 7:30p in the adjacent wine bar unWINEd Café.

Purchase tickets ($25 in advance / $30 day of show) at www.symphonyspace.org.

The Players:



Brooklyn-based, Richard Julian is renowned for writing pop/jazz-infused tunes and melding music and lyrics to create cinematic masterpieces. His talent has earned him the attention of fans around the world including Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt and Norah Jones (Julian also tours and records with Jones as The Little Willies). His most recent album Sunday Morning In Saturday’s Shoes, produced by Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Los Lobos), spans the human condition, from the ruminative morning after title track that speculates about a debutante’s late night out, to the satirical “God III,” which sympathetically explores the trials faced by children of over achieving parents, in this case, the all too human son of Jesus Christ.



Singer-Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Kristy Kruger is touring the US on a mission -to honor the memory of her brother, Lt. Col. Eric Kruger, who was killed in Iraq just days after being deployed. Since the tragic loss, the Texas native has hit the road performing riveting memorial concerts in each of the 50 states her brother gave his life for. Channeling Billie Holiday and Johnny Cash, Krueger is an engaging storyteller and essayist, her appearance on Public Radio International's “This American Life” has endeared her to fans the world over, including the series host, Ira Glass. Hailed as a “female Tom Waits,” Krueger’s latest release, Songs From a Dead Man's Couch, is a quirky blend of her Texas Americana roots and her love of New-Orleans style jazz.



Jersey City-based Wildflower Records recording artist, Amy Speace, is already receiving widespread critical acclaim for her soon to be released,
The Killer In Me which mines the mystery and heartbreak of relationships gone wrong, borne largely out of the dissolution of her 10-year marriage. Written during a self-imposed retreat to an isolated cabin in upstate New York, Speace wrote the songs in between hiking and chopping wood for the stove. Blending the best parts of Lucinda Williams with Roseanne Cash, Amy sings Americana influenced pop songs for grown ups and exudes an earthy urban hipness that resonates with men and women alike.

About the IMAs:
Independent Music Awards is a unique international program that helps independent artists overcome mainstream obstacles to reach millions of new fans and industry gatekeepers. Now in its 9th year, the IMAs honor artists who broaden the definition of commercial success & represent the diversity of the global Indie scene.

Past IMA recipients include Martin Sexton, Jamie Lidell, Apples in Stereo,
Eleni Mandell, Koko Taylor, Lucy Wainwright Roche, God Forbid, Sugarcult,
Tony Trischka and Jennifer Nettles.

Submissions for The 9th Annual Independent Music Awards are currently being accepted. For details, industry and artist judges and entry forms visit www.IndependentMusicAwards.com.

TO SET UP INTERVIEWS WITH THE ARISTS & REQUEST PRESS PASSES CONTACT:
Joelle Batelli
Publicity & Sponsorships
PH: 973- 767-1816
E: joelle@IndependentMusicAwards.com


Jody Gnant
Partnerships & New Media
jody@IndependentMusicAwards.com
PH: 973- 767-1815
E: jody@independentmusicawards.com


# # #