HAPPY TRAILS RADIO

Monday, October 29, 2012

Still rockin' at 86, music legend Chuck Berry promises a comeback

Still rockin' at 86, music legend Chuck Berry promised a comeback Saturday with six new songs, some written 16 years ago.

"And as soon as I can get someone to guide me - and I do know a little about the business - I want to push them out," he told reporters at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which honored him with an award and tribute concert. "I'm going to come back and push them out if you know what I mean, somehow."

Berry, a rock pioneer with early hits that included "Surfin' USA", "Roll Over Beethoven," ''Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Johnny B. Goode," wouldn't tip his hand in detail about the new songs or when they might be released.
"They might be old, but they are the same type of music that I have been playing," he said.

The lineup for Saturday night's tribute concert honoring Berry at the State Theater included Ernie Isley and Darryl DMC McDaniels, Joe Bonamassa, Rick Derringer, Rosie Flores, John Fullbright, David Johansen, Ronnie Hawkins, Steve Jordan and Merle Haggard.

Berry offered some advice to the performers: "Keep rocking, keep rocking. That's two words. Next word is: Be kind to your fans."

Earlier in the day, the legend struck a bittersweet tone when talking to reporters about his own mortality and diminished vocal abilities, saying he's been "wondering" about his future.

"I'll give you a little piece of poetry," he said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . "My singing days have passed. My voice is gone. My throat is worn. And my lungs are going fast."
Berry still performs monthly at Blueberry Hill, a club in St. Louis, and says he has no plans to slow down, adding his fans are "having a great time from memory. I hope that I can continue to enhance their memory, because it looks very dim."

To mark the American Music Masters award presentation, the rock hall has mounted a special exhibition with items including Berry's stage clothes, a guitar and his 1958 Chess Records recording contract.

The rock hall's new library and archives has a separate exhibit with items including Berry's 1964 British tour program and a handbill promoting his appearance with the Grateful Dead in 1968.

Past American Music Masters program honorees include Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and Woody Guthrie.

Berry, the museum's first inductee in 1986, called the award and enshrinement in the rock hall a great honor. "You can't get any higher in my profession than this building or this reason for this building," he said.



Saturday, October 27, 2012

Doug Briney - The Northern Cowboy from Alaska

The original Northern Cowboy, Doug Briney is an ICMA nominated Best Male Artist from Alaska. Warm baritone voice reminiscent of Toby Keith, Trace Adkins and Kenny Rogers. When you think of cowboys and country music, the cold climate and frozen tundra of Alaska might just be the last place on earth that you would think of. But, the northern-most state in America is right where up-and-coming country artist, Doug Briney’s by Text-Enhance" career is heating up. With his highly anticipated debut CD, “It’s All Country” just released on March 9th, 2012, and a nomination for Most Promising New Artist at the 2012 ICMA awards, this God-fearing road warrior with the warm baritone voice and love for all things southern, might just be the original Northern Cowboy. With the release of “It’s All Country,” Doug is showcasing his signature sound, which he cultivated from years of touring camps, churches and conferences across the US. “We even played in an airport once, to impress a pretty girl for one of the band members,” he says with a laugh. Blending traditional influences from country music’s past, like Lee Greenwood, Gatlin Brothers and Kenny Rogers, with modern contemporaries like Toby Keith and Trace Adkins, Doug has created an original, honest and authentic sound that is all his own. “It’s All Country” is a timeless collection of well-known country classics from recent memory (“Bleed Red”, “Voices”, ”Ol’ Red”) alongside heart-warming and inspiring by Text-Enhance" href="http://www.musicsubmit.com/ReviewAccept.cfm?BN=67980&TR=4694196#">new tracks, such as the title track and first single, “More Than Just a Farm.” “More Than Just a Farm” was written by ICMA member, Pat Kelley and Ed Leavitt, and it tells the true-to-life story about growing up and learning life’s lessons, set against the backdrop of a working farm. “When I was selectingsongs for this project, I must have listened to hundreds, looking for just the right ones. I wanted songs that, not only spoke to me on a personal level, but would also be very relatable to country music fans everywhere,” says Doug. With his first single, he has done just that. Sure to strike a chord with listeners around the world, the track is already receiving international airplay on more than 150 stations, and it is currently in the Top 10 of two independent music charts (#2 CMG Radio Network, #10 Independent Music Network.) A music video for the track has been released, and debuted at #1 on the OnlyLyrics.com Music Video chart, where it has remained for over a month. The video has also been added to the playlist of Country Music Channel (CMCTV,) a popular internet video channel. While recording in the studio is a labor of love for Doug, performing live on stage is his true passion. He has been a finalist for two year running in the KBear Radio “Country Idol” in Anchorage, Alaska. Through his associations, he also met and performed live with Kelly Clarkson, before her big American Idol win. Doug has also been featured on MusicRow.com, New Music Weekly, Music News Nashville, Knight Rider Radio, The Jiggy Jaguar show and others. Next stop for Doug: Nashville. “I like to tell people that I’ve sung at the Grand Ol’ Opry. Of course, it was in the parking lot..but some day!” It’s this sunny disposition and witty sense of humor that is making country music fans sit up and take notice of this cowboy as one of the “good guys in white.” Living up to that reputation can be a difficult task for any artist, but for Doug, it is second nature. Grateful for being able to live his dream of performing and recording music, he has gladly given back to his community in a big way. He is involved with charities like the Wounded Warrior Project and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, as well as being a pastor at the Cowboy Church of Anchorage. In fact, it’s his unwavering faith that keeps him grounded along his musical journey. Still think a country singer can’t come from Alaska? Just ask this Northern Cowboy: “I have come to know and love the Cowboy Lifestyle through country music…And, it is who I am now, who I have been, and who I will always be.” Artist:Doug Briney Album: It's All Country Artist Name: Doug Briney Album: It's All Country First/Last Name: Amanda Judge Email address: michael@mtsmanagementgroup.com Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska, USA Website: http://www.dougbriney.com Style of music: country MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/dougbrineymusic SonicBids: SoundClick: http://www.reverbnation.com/dougbriney Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dbsongs Other: http://www.twitter.com/dougbriney Label Affiliation: Unsigned Performing Rights Affiliation: Description: The original Northern Cowboy, Doug Briney is an ICMA nominated Best Male Artist from Alaska. Warm baritone voice reminiscent of Toby Keith, Trace Adkins and Kenny Rogers.

Ad dollars continue to lag behind consumers' shift to mobile



Time spent on mobile devices surges in U.S., at expense of print, radio, even online

Ad dollars continue to lag behind consumers' shift to mobile

Posted by: Paul Maloney


EMarketer's new study shows the time U.S. adults spend daily using mobile devices (not including phone calls) has more than doubled in the past two years. And in 2012 alone, mobile device usage looks to grow nearly 52%, to about 82 minutes per day.

Last year "non-talk" mobile device use passed print as the fourth most-used major media.



As 2012 is shaping up, the ranking (TV is top, then online, radio, mobile, and print) stays the same. But while television and online are growing in use, broadcast radio and (especially) print are slipping. Even online (using non-mobile computers) is seeing the pace of its growth slow.



"Mobile, by contrast, is growing quickly from a small base — and growth in time spent is also being boosted by fast uptake of smartphones and tablets, which have still penetrated only a minority of all consumers," eMarketer explains. "As more U.S. consumers continue to acquire these devices, and current owners shift more of their digital activities to mobile and portable devices, mobile is grabbing an ever-greater share of time with all media — potentially at the expense of faster online growth."



Ad dollars, as we've seen, have not caught up to these shifts in media usage. While U.S. adults will average 11.7% of their media time on mobile devices, just 1.6% of ad spending will go there.



Read eMarketer's summary here.

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New iTunes fails to launch, but Hypebot says iPad Mini an awesome music device

Posted by: Paul Maloney

Issue Date: October 24, 2012 - 2:10pm

Music fans were expecting an iTunes update as part of Apple's iPad Mini launch yesterday. That didn't happen, but Hypebot says there's still lots about the Mini that make it "an awesome music device."



Obviously, the Mini is thinner and lighter than other iPads, and most other competing tablets, and fits nicely in a purse or breast pocket. What's more, the LTE "ultrafast wireless" lets you stream music at top quality. And, existing iOS apps won't need to be modified to fit the smaller screen, since the Mini has the same 1014x786 resolution.



Read more from Hypebot on why music listeners should love the iPad Mini here.

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Stitcher announces finalists in podcast awards

Posted by: Paul Maloney

Issue Date: October 24, 2012 - 2:10pm

Stitcher, which aggregates podcasts and non-music radio and audio content, has announced the finalists for its first annual Stitcher Awards (first covered in RAIN here).



News organizations dominate the nominations. NPR received the most nods, with other top finalists including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, KCRW, BBC Radio and The Wall Street Journal.



Stitcher picked six finalists for each of 20 different categories, based on the more than 55-thousand listener votes. Through November 5th, listeners can vote for their favorites from among the finalists. Stitcher will name the winners in December at the first annual Stitcher Awards ceremony, to be held in San Francisco.



You can see a list of all the finalists here (note, you'll need to "Like" Stitcher on Facebook to see the nominees and vote).

Friday, October 19, 2012

First adult film star Sylvia Kristel dies at 60


Sylvia KristelSylvia Kristel, 1952 - 2012Sylvia Kristel, arguably the first adult film star, has died at the age of 60 after suffering a long battle with cancer.
"She died during the night during her sleep," her agent told the AFP.  She was admitted to a hospital in July after suffering a stroke, though she was first diagnosed with throat and lung cancer roughly ten years ago.
The Dutch actress, born in Utrecht, Holland, made waves around the world as the star of 1974 erotic French film "Emmanuelle." In the controversial film she played the woman after which it was named -- a young model Emmanuelle, married to a much older man. The plot revolves around the couple as they move to Bangkok. Kristel's character then engages in a number of extramarital affairs as her husband doesn't seem to mind.
The film garnered a major following, played for 11 years in a theater on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, and remains one of the most successful French films of all time. "Emmanuelle" also inspired a number of sequels in which Kristel also starred.
Kristel's performance in the "soft core" film even drew critical praise from Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert. He wrote in 1975: What makes the film work is the performance of Sylvia Kristel... [who] projects a certain vulnerability that makes several of the scenes work... The performers in most skin flicks seem so impervious to ordinary mortal failings, so blase in the face of the most outrageous sexual invention, that finally they just become cartoon characters. Kristel actually seems to be present in the film, and as absorbed in its revelations as we are. [via the BBC]
Sylvia Kristel in 2008Kristel in 2008 (Photo: (AP/Leoni Ravestein/Features Creative Management)Kristel appeared in nearly 60 titles over the years, including television movies. She admitted to drug and alcohol addiction and experienced her share of bad relationships, later saying if she had it to do over again, she would have never entered those relationships -- with the exception of early boyfriend, Belgian author Hugo Claus.
Having won a few notable beauty pageants by the time she was 21, Claus is the one who initially encouraged Kristel to become an actress. The couple had a son, Arthur, in 1975.
Somewhat ironically, Kristel was educated in a convent and had a strict, religious upbringing -- something she fled from as a teenager when she moved to Amsterdam.
A private funeral will be held for Kristel, according to her agent.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Internet Radio European Summit event is this Friday!


RAIN 10/2: Even the U.S. will be well-represented at RAIN Summit Europe

Paul Maloney
Special thanks to our U.S.-based industry friends who'll make the trip over to Berlin this week for our very-first RAIN Summit Europe. This is especially for attendees here in the United States that will incur the time and expense to take advantage of this unique learning and networking opportunity. We'll do our best to make it worth it for you!
Some of our esteemed experts who'll speak are also U.S.-based. We've previously announced Liquid Compass CEO Zachary Lewis (here) and Triton Digital's Patrick Reynolds (here). Joining Reynolds from Triton will be VP/Sales for Europe, Daniel Karlsson. He'll take part in the "Targeted Advertising & Listener Registration" panel.
Also joining us from "stateside" will be TuneIn VP/Sales & Business Development Carl Rohling. TuneIn is the free online radio tuning service, which aggregates over 70-thousand music, sports, news and current events stations from around the world. TuneIn functionality is available via TuneIn mobile apps, and is built-in to select BMW and MINI car dashboards (Rohling will speak on "The Connected Dashboard" panel).
The Echo Nest is a "music intelligence" company, the largest repository of dynamic music data in the world. This data helps application developers build smarter music apps. The Echo Nest's customers include Clear Channel, Nokia, eMusic, MOG, Rdio, Spotify and more than 15-thousand independent app developers. You'll agree, then, that it makes perfect sense for The Echo Nest to be represnted on our "Personalized Radio" panel. Doing the honors will be CTO Brian Whitman.
We're proud to welcome Spotify's European GM and VP of Ad Sales Jonathan Forster as our keynote speaker. Spotify now has 15 million active users worldwide, 4 million of whom pay for the service every month. Besides its on-demand streaming product, Spotify Radio is a personalized radio stream listeners create based on artists, songs, or genres, which can be further influenced through "thumbs up/thumbs down" song ratings.
We're looking forward to Friday's (October 5th) RAIN Summit Europe, at the stylish nHow Berlin. We hope you'll be able to join us (Click here for registration info and the agenda).
Paul Maloney
Billboard, as part of an article on Apple negotiations for a webcast service, sheds more light on music publisher Sony/ATV's announcement to pull out of ASCAP and BMI (we covered this inRAIN here).
[Note: this story regards digital music services' use of the composition right of a song; not the copyright sound recording.]
Digital services (new ones immediately, others when current deals expire) will have tonegotiate with Sony/ATV (which now also owns EMI Music Publishing) and will no longer be able to rely on the "compulsory" license to use compositions and simply pay ASCAP or BMI the going rate.
Sony/ATV (and EMI) represents hundreds of thousands of songs.
"'All we are seeking is a fair and reasonable royalty for the writers and ourselves for digital performances,' Sony/ATV chairman/CEO Martin Bandier told Billboard.biz. 'We think the songwriter is just as important as the master recording and should get a fair price.'"
The "master recording" is the sound recording, for which webcasters pay a far higher percentage of their revenue than other forms of radio, and (for now) for other royalties.
Billboard reports Sony/ATV is pulling its digital performance rights, including EMI, from BMI and ASCAP on January 1, 2013. Apparently, Sony/ATV is not pulling its digital rights from SESAC, which is not under the "government consent decree" and "sometimes has greater flexibility in rate negotiations than BMI or ASCAP."
Read Billboard.biz here.
Paul Maloney
Maybe the most enthusiastic endorsement of Internet radio for advertising came from panelistTaylor Wood (pictured right), National Radio Supervisor at Group M. Discussing how campaigns delivered on digital channels generate so much data beyond simple "impressions," he said, "It's bringing a life to radio that's never existed before. We're finally able to capture actions that are taken off of our audio messaging," e.g. "retweets" and Facebook "likes" generated from campaigns. "We need to be capturing all this data," he continued. "Clients aren't used to getting all this data back on their buys."
Michael Theodore, Vice President, Member Services at the IAB moderated the panel "Identifying Opportunities for Advertisers in Internet Radio" at our recent RAIN Summit Dallas event.
The panelists agreed that advertisers have exited what Theodore called the "101" phase in that most we're well aware of the Internet radio medium, and the advantages of the platform. Panelist Karen Cuskey (left) of TBS Promotions said while most clients look initially at a campaign's click-thru rate (to see if the targeting is correct), they quickly want to know more. "Not just 'What's the quatity,' but 'what's the quality' of those clicks? We're looking for lead-generation: are you giving me your name, are you interested in my product, am I actually selling, and if I'm selling, what's my ROI against what I just spent to find you?"
Cuskey made a point for how mobile device-centric the audience has become ("Everything we do is mobile, we're all mobile."). She described a particular Pandora campaign that incorporated a "click-to-call" instant reponse mechanism. With all the tracking involved, she explained, the client could monitor response to the campaign and adjust along the way.
What's good about that, added JWT's Lee Triggs (right), also a panelist, is that with digital, you can test programs on mobile first, before introducing it into other media.
Woods described another unique campaign on Pandora. Pandora develed a custom station for realtor Century 21. But as the client couldn't envision a consumer actually wanting to tune in to a "Century 21 Radio," they suggested keeping the channel private as an internal tool for sales agents, with its custom playlist, Century 21 ads, and customized player. Agents now use it during open houses, and the client feels itportrays Century 21 as creative and unique.
The fourth panelist, Shannon Haydel (left) of The Richards Group, offered attendees some advice: "Think about the (overall) change in (consumers') media consumption." She suggests media planners "start looking at digital and mobile as parts of your overall plan."
"But don't put it in your plan simply because it's 'new & cool,' added Woods. "Know what you're doing, make sure it speaks to client's needs, and develop a custom solution for the client."
Please listen to the entire "Identifying Opportunities for Advertisers in Internet Radio" panel via SoundCloud below (that's moderator Michael Theodore in the photo), and watch for more fromRAIN Summit Dallas.