It’s Been Said…
DIY Currency: Solid Gold
SXSW is 6 weeks away and if you’re starting your ‘must-see’ list, be sure to add Minneapolis’ Solid Gold. The indie-electro trio has been building one of the more impressive DIY stories of late. They’ve sold close to 10,000 albums, received press nods in Billboard, NME, Pitchfork and Filter among others and their new video is premiering on MTV2 and mtvU this month. We hear labels are circling in on this one with some offers already in. The band has two upcoming hometown shows if you want to beat the SXSW rush.
Labels and pubcos are taking notice of Oren Lavie, as the buzz continues to build around the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. Lavie, who has now garnered over 10.5 million views of his “Her Morning Elegance” video on YouTube, played a string of recent dates at the Hotel Cafe that brought out majors and indie A&R folks (with no record or pub deal in place, and an a new album’s worth of material, it’s no surprise). Attorney Ben Laski is handling legal duties…
The story keeps building on Matthew Mayfield. His new EP Breathe Out in Black was sitting at #1 on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart this morning, just two days after being independently released. In fact the entire EP was recorded, mixed, mastered and up for sale digitally in the span of a week. Check out www.matthewmayfield.com for more… Keep an eye on L.A. locals The Sequel. The band has been popping up on label radars of late and has more than a few showcases already on the horizon. EMI Music Pub players Dan MacCarroll and Declan Morrell snapped up the band early for publishing. Get on it…
Young gun Ben Adelson settles in at a new A&R gig at Epic Records. Adelson was previously at Universal Republic and brought in Flobots and Owl City. He also co-manages recent Roadrunner signing Young the Giant (formerly The Jakes)… Meanwhile, we hear there is an established big-rock act who is currently a free-agent and is being courted by multiple labels on both coasts. Inquiring minds want to know? Here’s a hint, they didn’t play the Super Bowl Halftime Show…
IN THE MIX: K Sera, Moonlight Bride and Tyrone Wells…
08.31.09Oh how Notable it is: Q&A with Music Publishers Damon Booth & Tom DeSavia
Notable Music Founder Cy Coleman
**UPDATE 9/01/09: Notable Music and IODA announce new partnership, read the press release HERE
With a diverse and impressive publishing roster that includes music legend Cy Coleman and an amazing Jamaican music catalog, the crew from Notable Music is marking their territory in the new music landscape. The boutique pubco’s Damon Booth and Tom DeSavia recently sat down for a little Q&A sesh with RM 64 knuckleheads Rodel Delfin and Scott Sheldon.
RM 64: Before we get into the inner workings of Notable, share with us your industry backgrounds.
DB: I’ll start considering the guy who moved me to LA from Chicago is sitting right next to me. I started my career working for ASCAP in their Midwest office and Tom (DeSavia) was my boss. When he left to work at Elektra Records in the late 90s, ASCAP moved me to Los Angeles and I took over Pop music membership at the PRO. From there I went to EMI Publishing where I was a Creative exec for a few years and then crossed over to the label side, doing A&R at Warner Brothers Records.
During this period I was introduced to an amazing songwriter who later became my brother-in-law, named Cy Coleman. He was also an independent music publisher as he had never sold his publishing and he had this great American Songbook collection. We ended up becoming very close.
When Cy passed away suddenly in 2004, I left Warner Bros. to keep his little boutique company, Notable Music up and running, thus keeping it a family business. I’ve been doing that for three years now and we moved the company from New York City to Pasadena, CA two years ago. And I was fortunate enough to have Tom come on board earlier this year as VP of Creative.
TD: For me, I started as a music journalist for a publication called Cash Box. I was later asked to interview at ASCAP. I got the gig and ended up staying there for seven years before going to Elektra Records where I did A&R for six years. After that I went back to ASCAP for an additional eight years, heading up the West Coast membership staff.
Over the years, Damon and I have been such good friends that joining him at Notable is really like a kid’s fantasy. To have the opportunity to work together after so many years is amazing.
RM 64: On to Notable, how did it start?
DB: Notable was started in 1962 by Cy Coleman. He was widely considered one of the last of the great American Songbook legends. He was the baby of that group which included Cole Porter, George Gershwin, as well as contemporaries like Sammy Cahn and Stephen Sondheim. He had a couple of huge hits during his early 20’s and wrote for Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., collaborators who at the time were much older lyricists than him.
A lot of the writers he was working with didn’t want to sign their publishing away to someone they didn’t know, so they signed with Cy. And he kept signing writers that loved him and that he trusted. And they trusted him.
Cy could identify talent really early, but he wasn’t trying to sign anyone and everyone. His philosophy was, ‘I’m a songwriter, I’m going to take care of my own songs and other artists who I trust and want to work with.’ But he had a career writing and performing everyday. And you know, even though the songs were standards, you have to work them just as hard as a new project because they will fade and people will forget them.
DeSavia (left) & Booth (right) circa early 90s, with their spiritual guide, Francisco (middle)
RM 64: What were some of your goals when taking over the company?
DB:Things weren’t going the right direction when I came in, so we took over the catalog and moved administration through Chrysalis Publishing, who has been amazing partners. Right away they brought up the idea to do a tribute album of Cy’s work. I thought it was a great idea. They introduced us to Dave Palmer, an L.A. based producer, arranger and musician, and we brought in some contemporary singers to do Cy’s songs in new arrangements. The idea was to present something new to these standards so people wouldn’t expect what they heard. We’re trying to bring in a new audience to match the name with the music and keep the legacy going. The tribute album which will be coming out via New West Records features Fiona Apple, Patti Griffin, Ambrosia Parsley, Missy Higgins and a variety of great artists who knew and loved Cy’s songs.
| Posted in Interviews, RM64 Features, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Bits & Pieces: Tuesday Catch-Up
Mumford & Sons to Island Records UK
Sounds like the management derby that had everyone clamoring for Hollywood Records artist Breaking Benjamin is winding down. Expect an announcement soon… Take notice artist Burn Down the Mission recently took a trip up PCH to play for Rick Rubin and we hear the three other majors are lining up to get the band in front of them next… Recent Rolling Stone darling and RM64 favorite, April Smith, kicked off a wet and sticky Lollapalooza last weekend with a great set and also went on camera to tour the festival grounds and sample the food for Billboard.com… Lastly from the ‘in case you missed it’ department, London’s Mumford & Sons (one of the artists featured on the Future Sounds 33 comp) have recently signed with Island Records UK. And as first reported here L.A.’s Jonneine Zapata has been chosen to support Mark Lanegans’ Soulsavers on their upcoming national tour in September. Stay tuned…
In the mix: CrazedHits.com dude & Charlie Walk?, The Union Line
08.6.09Rumble L.A. + A2IM Mixer Tonight!
Rumble L.A. party is happening tonight at 3 of Clubs in Hollywood and it’s also the event’s one-year anniversary! Congrats to our friends at Future Sounds on one epic year of Rumbles!
Should be a great night with performances by Chief (Domino Records), Princeton (Kanine Records) and Future Sounds Radio favorite Cheetahsaurus…
There will also be an A2IM (American Association of Independent Music) SoCal Industry Mixer before the show from 7:00 – 9:00PM, including FREE beer (while it lasts) provided by Firestone Beer!
Bands start at 9:00PM
We’ll see you there…
Three of Clubs (1123 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90038)
| Posted in Rumble L.A., Uncategorized | No Comments »
Sean Bones & Local Natives @ Space15Twenty Tonight
Tonight catch Brooklyn’s Sean Bones (Frenchkiss) and local buzz band Local Natives at Space15Twenty in Hollywood. Presented by our friends at Future Sounds and Buzzbands LA, the event is FREE and ALL AGES. The action starts at 7:00PM. See you there, we’ll be in line for the ice cream truck…
| Posted in Stuff We Like, Uncategorized | No Comments »
| Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »