August 8th, 2008

Hey thanks for checking out our website/company. We hope you find plenty here to license for you next film/tv show/ad/video game etc.

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A few years ago, I was on a CMJ panel on music licensing. There was the usual barrage of CD tossers afterwards but among them was an interesting compilation of African HipHop handed to me by a patient guy who had asked a well-thought out question during the panel. We're lucky to have Nomadic Wax as part of our label group and I wanted to post this interview with Ben Herson to give you a bit of insight into the label and hopefully drum up some new licensing interest.

Here's a great new track from GoodandEvil...

PLASTIC CARAMELO


////// Sire Records to Release "Body of War:
Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran" on March 18th, 2008

Eddie Vedder, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Bright Eyes, Neil Young, Lupe Fiasco, Roger Waters, Serj Tankian, Blow Up Hollywood, Ben Harper, and More Featured on Double-CD Compilation Benefiting Iraq Veterans Against the War

CD Curated by Tomas Young, Iraq War Veteran and Subject of Award-Winning 2007 Documentary "Body of War"

BURBANK, CA--(Marketwire - February 22, 2008) - "Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran," a double-CD compilation of songs curated by Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, will be released by Sire Records on March 18, 2008 -- two days before the fifth anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq. Young, now 26, was shot and paralyzed from the chest down after serving in Iraq for less than a week. His heart-wrenching and inspiring story is told in the critically acclaimed feature documentary "Body of War," produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro.

Young enlisted in the Army just two days after 9/11 intending to fight those responsible for the terrorist attacks on the U.S. He has transformed his personal suffering into political activism. His powerful story and authentic voice serve to question the war in Iraq that cost him his mobility, and convey the moving journey of a young veteran's survival and adaptation to his new life as a paraplegic.

Young personally selected each of the tracks that appear on "Body of War: Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran," including Eddie Vedder's previously unreleased, live version of "No More," which was written specifically for the "Body of War" documentary and performed with Ben Harper at Lollapalooza 2007 in Chicago's Grant Park. This music, Young says, serves as his personal 'soundtrack for Iraq.' "The compilation record was an idea that grew out of my love of music and my reliance on it before, during, and after the war," he says. "The songs I selected for the record were tracks that inspired, motivated, and at times, literally saved me over the past few years."

"Tomas has taught me a great deal, and our friendship has become one of depth and sincerity," Vedder adds. "It has been a mind-expanding experience. I see how he relies on the strength of the songs to help him through each day. It is a true living example of the power of music."

The "Body Of War" music site (www.bodyofwarmusic.com) goes live today and enables visitors to pre-order the "Body Of War" double CD set.
All proceeds from "Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran," which features original cover art designed and donated by acclaimed political artist Shepard Fairey, go to benefit the non-profit organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), as chosen by Young. Founded in 2004 by Iraq war veterans, IVAW's goal is to give voice to the large number of active-duty service people and veterans who are against the war, but are under various pressures to remain silent. In September, Sire Records donated $100,000 to IVAW in the name of Young, who is a spokesperson for the organization.

"Body of War" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11th, 2007, to unanimous critical praise. Richard Corliss of Time magazine called it "a superb documentary ... almost unbearably moving." Named "Best Documentary of 2007" by the National Board of Review, the film also took home the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Hamptons' International Film Festival, and was runner-up for the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. It will begin a nationwide theatrical release in March.

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One of our more popular licensing clients, Allen Clapp, produced a great new record for The Incredible Vickers Brothers, entitled Gallimaufry. Here's a review from Daggerzine - "...stellar is definitely a word to describe The Incredible Vickers Brothers. The band is Bob Vickers, who used to drum for Allen Clapp’s Orange Peels (Allen produced this) and his brother Rob (my pal suspected that “Bob” might be Larry Winther who was in the Orange Peels w/ Allen and Bob). Anywho, no matter who it is they have created a wonderful 60’s influenced pop record here that I have not been able to stop playing over the last several weeks. It starts off with the acoustic dreamer “Blues for Frankie Valli” and then rips right into the more upbeat “What She Does” which is pure good vibes about a very special woman. By mid-record they toss in two masterpieces: the slap happy “We’re Gonna Get Along Fine” (sample lyric: “…why don’t you just admit that you are in the presence of genius!”) and the driving, epic “English Rose.” They toss in some more pop candy, a few more Simon and Garfunkel acoustic gems and the record ends with the vaudeville-esque “Record Collection Blues” and you, the listener, are feeling not just content but overjoyed , happy that you’ve heard one of the best records of the year."

Seun Kutiwill be performing at LA's El Rey Theater on Saturday, June 21. Here's the lead-off track, "Many Things" from his Mr Bongo Records debut. (You'll need to turn off our victrola by clicking on the musical note just above this text and to the left.)



Recently our friend Felix da Housecat dropped a new single on our desktops (via AIM) - no message, just a song file - very cat-like. "Artificial" is a great dance cut Felix did with French DJ Kris Menace. Call us for your copy today!

Working with Daptone Records and the great raregroove treasure trove inside the Ace Records vault gives us some of the greatest funk and soul sounds you could ever want to hear. The nice folks at Velour offered us the opportunity to add their band Lettuce to our musical family and we're excited to bring this band to you for licensing. From their bio - "Lettuce, the seven-person all-star collective originally formed in 1992, returns to the funk jazz forefront with its third album, RAGE!, a hyper-charged outing of tunes that are equal parts artsy and party. The CD is a tantalizing tribute to funk music — paying homage to all stripes of funksters, including James Brown, Sly Stone, Herbie Hancock, Tower of Power, the Meters, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament Funkadelics, J Dilla—music that reflects “our way of life,” says bassist Erick “E.D.” Coomes, who is joined in the groove onslaught by his co-ragers: keyboardist Neal Evans, saxophonists Sam Kininger and Ryan Zoidis, guitarists Eric Krasno and Adam “Shmeeans” Smirnoff, and drummer Adam Deitch."

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Zox is a bit of a departure for our roster. Their sound is a bit more modern aor than most of our other clients but we thought this was a great record holding strong on the Billboard Heatseekers and On-Line charts with plenty of licensing potential and we're happy to make some new fans for the band and help them find bigger and bigger audiences. Standout tracks include the first single, "Goodnight", "I Miss You" and the album title track, "Line In The Sand".

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Just received brand new music from 2x Short List nominee Dead Heart Bloom. It's a five song EP and we hope you dig right in. Here's a video of Boris & Co. performing "Who Will You Love" from their last album:



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We welcome the Heavy Circles, a great collaboration between Edie Brickell, Harper Simon and a bunch of their friends like Sean Lennon, Inara George, Yuka Honda and Money Mark. Check out this NPR interview with Edie and Harper.
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check out tastemaker Steve Pross' blog:

Currently in rotation on the Victrola:

As always, thanks for listening.

Jonathan Hafter
Big Sounds International

Special thanks to Ivan and Danny at Organ Of Sight for getting this up and running.