October 5, 2009 | 0 Comments

BIG BANG TV at Top 200 / On Tour Now!!

It’s my fourth solo-Band-Mom project! and it RULES!!

This was the first Band Mom band I didn’t initially meet through friends (although we did turn out to have plenty of mutual friends once we talked, including my beloved Tereu Tereu): I just saw Big Bang TV play a show (at one of my favorite venues, Union Hall); and I loved it so much I approached them afterward. And somehow convinced them to hire me! I am so glad. They are so good!

BIG BANG TV

BIG BANG TV

Self-Released

Big Bang TV is what happens when four people who can’t agree on anything try to make music. Matt is a singer/songwriter, Scott is a hip/hop DJ and producer, Joe was metal drummer turned electronic musician, Andrea’s last gig was playing accordion for a female folk trio. They’re influenced by everything from Tortoise to The Pixies to Stravinski to DJ Shadow.

Frantic, post-punk guitars stumble in and out of pools of atari synth and turntable chirps on the band’s self-titled debut. Male/female vocals lazily dance around each other before being swept up by a driving break beat and booming bass.

It’s music that is both catchy and complex, intimate and epic, comforting yet a little creepy.

“powerful and beautiful…cohesive yet multifaceted post-punk-pop. Big Bang TV is for those who enjoy Pavement’s reckless melodies and Enon’s edgy sound. Their song “Hollywood”, with its contagious melody and its ever changing musical background, has the potential to be a college radio hit.” – The Deli Magazine “NYC Artist to Watch”

RIYL: Phoenix, Cold War Kids, Broken Social Scene

Start With:  1, 3, 8, 9     FCC: 2, 6

Contact me for a download link!

The record went for adds a couple weeks ago (on 9/21), and it’s off to a great start. Everyone is lovin’ it, and with good reason – it’s really great! We just barely missed sneaking onto the charts last week, so let’s make this the week!

Also, last week (9/25) I was lucky enough to make it out to their record release show at Southpaw. They were awesome, and they played a Britney Spears cover.

And now you have the chance to see it for yourself! They just hit the road a few days ago, and are quite possibly coming to a city near you. Radio kids, please let me know if you’re interested in having them come in for an instudio, do a phone interview, send some extra CDs as giveaways to promote your show – whatever it is, they are DOWN!!

10.6 – TBA – Buffalo, NY

10.7 – Oberlin College – Oberlin, OH

10.8 – The Crofoot – Pontiac, MI

10.9 – The Hideout (w/ Serengeti & Kid Static!) – Chicago, IL

10.10 – The Bishop – Bloomington, IN

10.11- TBD – anybody wanna help w/this date??

10.12 – Go Bar (w/ Fire Zuave) – Athens, GA

10.14 – Clemson University – Clemson, SC

10.15 – The Evening Muse (w/ Jupiter One!) – Charlotte, NC

10.16 – The Camel (w/ Bellflur and Cubscout and the Rhinocerus) – Richmond, VA

10.17 – Iota (w/ Jupiter One and Bellflur) – Arlington, VA

http://www.myspace.com/bigbangtv

http://www.bigbangtv.tv/

September 14, 2009 | 0 Comments

INFECTED MUSHROOM at RPM and Sirius Satellite Radio!

Speaking of new RPM! I’ve got an Israeli superstar band on my hands here!

Infected Mushroom have been around for like 13 years and 7 albums, and their sound has been constantly evolving. They first became known as THE pioneers of the genre of “psytrance”, a style Wikipedia deftly describes as “hypnotic arrangements of synthetic rhythms and mesmerizing melodies created by high tempo riffs” (thanks, wiki!) . Lately, they’ve been leaning toward more industrial or even somewhat metal sounds, incorporating things like driving guitars and guest vocalist spots from Perry Ferrell and Jonathan Davis. The newest album has been drawing comparisons to bands like KMFDM and other Metropolis Records artists, as well as drum’n’bass like Pendulum, but with psychedelic and Middle Eastern elements all its own.

I started out quite a few weeks ago with the band’s lead single, “Smashing the Opponent”

which hit #3 most added and then smashed (…sorry) onto #26 at the RPM Top 40.

Listen to the single:

Now, though, the campaign for the full-length is in full swing. Legend of the Black Shawarma, in a funny twist of symmetry, has already ALSO hit #3 most added and #26 on the RPM chart. Yay! But like I said, these guys are superstars if you ask the right people, and a well-established name at college radio. We should at least be able to crack into the top 20! So that’s what we’re going for this week.

INFECTED MUSHROOM

LEGEND OF THE BLACK SHAWARMA

Perfecto

Listen:

By the way, I was curious (and clueless, from a suburb in Ohio) so I looked up what a “Shawarma” could possibly be. Turns out it’s a Middle Eastern pita sandwich thing, and now that I’m aware of it I keep seeing it on signs of falafel places around town. Makes sense, these guys being Israeli and all. The More You Know!

ALSO, guess what!! New update as of 10/5/2009:

The other day I got to take what felt like an exciting new step in my career: I accompanied a band in to their interview at Sirius Satellite Radio! It was a pretty big deal. That place is real fancy, it’s got as much security as (I imagine) the Pentagon does but with much cooler music playing from TVs on the wall. And a dream DJ booth!

All the Sirius employees I met were SUPER nice too. I officially love it there!

Of course the band was Infected Mushroom. The guys from the band (Erez and Duvdev, left to right) were really sweet too! They talked about lots of stuff like living, making music, and partying in Israel (where they’re from) vs LA (where they live now); their genre-bending style and the evolution of the band; the “Riders on a Storm” mashup we recently sent out; and their truly remarkable live show. It was really cool learning about Israel from real Israelis’ points of view, rather than the media or my Jewish friends who have just gone on brief visits through Birthright (which is a very cool thing, but certainly not the same as living there!)…anyway pretty soon you’ll be able to see footage I took from part of the interview over at the LIFT/PRO MOTION blog!

We tried to go out for pizza afterward, but it was like 11am and we couldn’t find a pizza place open. (I know right, I got up early enough to be DONE with something by 11am?! Whaaa)…so I ended up wandering in Times Square looking for a wireless hotspot and ended up getting displaced from the seat I finally found by a fire-eating contortionist. Just a regular day in Times Square I guess.

Anyway, as you know from the post below, these guys have been KILLING it on the RPM charts at college radio. We did hit that top 20 forever ago, in fact after hitting #20 we then blasted on to #12 for two weeks in a row! So now, obviously, the goal is TOP TEN AT RPM!!! Let’s do this, you guys. We can totally do this!! I would LOVE for this to be my first Top 10 record. And so would these guys, just look at their smiling faces (with Geronimo from Sirius)!

YAY!!!

September 14, 2009 | 0 Comments

DJ BROC at RPM Now!!

Heyyyy!

There are a bunch of new irons in the LIFT fire these days.

The first one I haven’t yet mentioned comes from a mister DJ Broc. This guy makes some smooth house-, almost trance-like original tracks for your listening pleasure. They just roll off your back in waves. On top of the bed of “bliss” (bad album puns coming right up!) floats female vocalist K-Rai, among a few others.

DJ BROC

BLISS

Thump Records/Universal

This record had a great debut at #34 after a #3 most added slot at RPM. It’s been a few weeks since it slipped off though, so let’s bring that bad boy back on there! Those DJs who were going wild for Paul Van Dyk’s original stuff would have a pretty good chance at getting into this – not that it’s an exact replica or anything, but in a similar vein.

Let’s do it up!! Listen here:

August 20, 2009 | 0 Comments

update // old friends // new friends

Hey buddies!

It’s been a bit so I just wanted to keep your sweet curious faces posted on what’s been going on in Band Mom Town lately. Turns out, lots of things! I’m light on Band Mom priorities at Top 200 but heavy on RPM ones through LIFT for the next couple weeks; my next Band Mom rock add will probably be mid-to-late September (announcement soon on who!) and I’ve got two current LIFT priorities you’ll be seeing posts on here soon about as well.

As for the older stuff, thought I should let you know, WE DID IT! We made it onto the Top 200 chart with This Is A Shakedown at kind of the last minute. At #156! Not too shabby!! Thanks so much for all your help, radio dudes! That one was certainly a marathon with 6 weeks on RPM then 7 at Top 200, but we pulled it off. Sean Walsh also snuck on the chart for a second time recently; I’ll still be mildly pushing him for a few victory-lap weeks while we regroup and prepare for the next wave of new stuff. In fact, you guys, something important has been going on which I think merits its own paragraph:

EVERY RECORD I HAVE EVER WORKED, AS THE BAND MOM OR THOUGH LIFT, HAS CHARTED AT LEAST ONCE!

omg. Whuuuuut. I hope I didn’t just jinx it. That’s 13 records, or a total of 14 campaigns counting shakedown’s double run, since the beginning of 2009. For the sake of letting you know the follow up on my previous posts, I think the only goal I set that I didn’t quite reach was Paul Van Dyk at #10, but it did hit #12 3 times (and 13, and 15) so it’s not like that was a wash or anything. Yes! Band Mom on a roll!!!

(Google Image Search: YAYYY)

Aside from just Total Domination in All My Projects, I’ve had a real nice few weeks, seeing a bunch of old friends and making some new ones along the way. Thought I’d show you some of ’em!

Well, for one thing, my buddy Jesse Stensby‘s band, We Became Actors, from Minnesota, played their first ever NYC show. It was real fun, and I was there, and so was Cynthia from WBWC, and then we all had a nice little sleepover (except for Cynthia, who has her own bed), but my camera was busted, so I have no proof. Also a few days before that I caught Black Moth Super Rainbow, Deer Tick, and Luke from WITR in town at shows all in the same day. It was awesome and again, undocumented. So here I am bloggin about it! For the record, those all count as Old Friends.

 

Then I got a new camera, and saw Old Friend Kayla from KUPS (/AAM/Domino)! We watched Tom and Summer’s Infinite Playlist and ate some Red Mango (a Pinkberry knockoff) in Union Square at midnight. She wishes she went to the School of the Future.

 

A few days after that, I went record/movie shopping and shared delicious pierogies (the food of my ancestors, which spell check somehow doesn’t know is a word) with the adorable Deirdre from WCHC. She is both an Old Friend and a New Friend, because it was the first time we met in person, but we’ve known each other for 2 years now! Radio is so silly.

 

Next up was Old Friends Jukebox the Ghost, who got sweaty opening for (not-friends, possibly even with each other as they are breaking up) Harvey Danger:

 

Last but definitely not least, just last night I had the pleasure of catching Old Friends the Extraordinaires (who normally have 4+ members) as a two-piece:

 

Who played with (I hope New Friend!) Tavo Carbone, who premiered their/his new album in live show form. It was lovely, reminded me of Bowerbirds meets Mountain Goats plus maybe a little They Might Be Giants (whoa!)…like quirky but also pastoral, sardonic but lush. I don’t write music reviews:

 

Yeah! Alright well and, since I am already bloggin’ a bloggg here, and I haven’t blabbed about movies in a while, here is a short list of movie-related things:

Favorite 2 movies I’ve seen since Adventureland (see previous gush about that one): Away We Go and The Brothers Bloom

2 movies I saw recently where directors did Q&As afterward: Cold Souls and Deadgirl

2 best parts of Funny People: Yo Teach and RAAAAAAANDY

2 older movies I just saw for the first time that are currently changing my life: Brazil and Boogie Nights

2 awesome new web series I just watched: Pilot Season (Sarah Silverman, Sam Seder, Jon Benjamin making hollywood jokes, actually from 2004 but re-releasing now) and Back On Topps (Randy and Jason Sklar, starts funny and insider-y about sports, gets funnier and slightly less insider-y)

1 new rom-com Sandra Bullock vehicle I’m pitching to studios, in which she plays a fallen angel who has been burned by love but then meets Gerard Butler who slowly beats down her inhibitions: Goodwill Toward Men

Guess which one of those facts is not true.

 

 

Stay tuned for updates on all the new LIFT stuff going on!

July 27, 2009 | 0 Comments

THIS IS A SHAKEDOWN! at TOP 200 Now!

Yo!

Well, I forgot to tell you (you being The Internet, of course) about this when it happened, but after 6 weeks of a successful RPM campaign [remember this post?], we decided to see what would happen if we switched the focus over to Top 200 instead. So we sent out 250 new CDs (this time with a Band Mom sticker in addition to a LIFT one!) and I started talking them up as a rock band and not just a dance act. Cool!

So far, it’s going pretty well. Reception is positive on the whole, and those stations who were already playing it at RPM have been very nice about switching it over on their charts. Thanks, you guys! They are a dance-punk band after all, with at least as much punk as dance. We haven’t hit the Top 200 charts though, so that’s the goal this week. Let’s do it!!

I saw these guys play in Cleveland last month, and they’re definitely the real deal. Very good at looking and playing like rock stars (and very nice dudes!)

The smoke machine was a little much but I guess that is something you just have to deal with when you have a laser show, right?

(As a side note, this COMPLETELY INSANE movie was playing in the background, it seems to have been some kinda labor of love by Danny Elfman and a bunch of his family members on LOTS OF DRUGS in 1982)

 

Anyway, also during that trip to Cleveland I got a cool tour of Shakedown’s record label’s offices and studios, Reversed Image Unlimited/Ante Up Audio.

Alex from WJCU (and my hometown of Mentor!) came along!

She is a rockstar. Also, Chuck Moseley, formerly of Faith No More, was recording there.

 

Crazy! Anyway, all of this to say, Cleveland is pretty cool, no matter what these
videos tell you, and CHART THIS IS A SHAKEDOWN ON TOP 200 THIS WEEK!

 

: )

July 21, 2009 | 0 Comments

Paul Van Dyk going for TOP 10 now!!!

Hey you guys!

I’ve got a super-important thing to talk to you about this week. The thing is, PAUL VAN DYK has been hovering in the Top 15 on CMJ’s RPM charts for the past 4 weeks now. Last week it hit #12 for the third time! This is getting downright silly. Normally with any no-name artist’s record, I would be way psyched about this kind of performance, but with this guy – the GREATEST DJ IN THE WORLD – it’s killing me that he is so obviously top 10 material and not quite up there!

We are SO CLOSE, don’t give up now!! I still believe we have a real chance of hitting that top 10 spot. But I need your help! So we’re giving it one last huge push this week. RPM directors, encourage any of your djs who might possibly be interested in Paul to give this guy a spin this week! Who knows, somebody skeptical might even be pleasantly surprised. A ton of you have already had it at #1 for weeks now, but if there’s space on your chart for the album to move up, even pushing it up a spot or two would be a huge help. And if it’s been close to charting for a little while, you’ve got this week to show yourself!! And whatever you do, don’t let it drop off just yet. Come on, let’s make this happen!!!

We also sent out two sets of remixes recently to up the ante a little: remember these are not going for chart action themselves, but just serve as little incentives to play Paul even more. “Home” and “For An Angel” are both available along with the full-album 2-disc set – contact me for download links!

In case just hearing this fantastic album and knowing who this guy is isn’t encouragement enough, here are some words from your fellow RPM DJs/MDs:

International dance god. Should I bother writing more? This guy will fill any size stadium with tens of thousands of people… and every single person will be dancing. It’s like a religious experience, not even kidding. If you don’t know who Paul Van Dyk is you have not lived! Play something off this right now! Don’t know where to start? My favorites are: Disc 1 – Tracks 2, 12 and 13. Disc 2 – tracks 6, 7, and 10. – Emily/KAMP, Tucson, AZ

The show was so awesome! The dancing was incredible. He was everything I hoped it would be and more! – Skye/WRVU, Nashville, TN after a live show

Paul van Dyk is quite legendary. That’s pretty much why he’s on my chart. – Max/WWHR, Bowling Green, KY

I’m gonna put it so far above #1 it’ll be at like negative 14! – Jeremy/WIDR, Kalamazoo, MI

Oh yeah that’s one of the best things we have going at rpm right now. he really is the best dj ever, or i guess that’s arguable but definitely at least the most popular dj ever… it’s Paul Van Dyk for f***’s sake, we’re talking about one of the most important or influential djs of all time. still such an important figure – Brian/WUTK, Knoxville, TN

Paul Van Dyk is tighhhhht dude! – Dave/WCKS, Allendale, MI

 

Ha. So there you have it. Okay! Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else. Now BREAK – go team, for real, we can do this!!!!!

June 22, 2009 | 0 Comments

Sean Walsh & The National Reserve going for TOP 200 Adds NOW!!

My THIRD official BAND MOM ADD hits radio this week!

Sean Walsh is a buddy of mine from Brooklyn who I first met when he was playing drums for Timothy Thomas Cleary. Also, in a weird small-world moment, I actually heard of him a few months before that – from Tereu Tereu! He makes some really lovely Motown-y alt-country.

 

 

SEAN WALSH & THE NATIONAL RESERVE

HOMESICK

Lover’s Dream

 

Sean Walsh and the National Reserve are a group of friends that will sleep on your couch, sing in your shower, drink your beer, cook you dinner, play in your town, park in front of your house, sing you songs, make you laugh, talk to your girlfriend, stay up late with you, and hopefully at some point make your heart a little lighter.

With its indie rock tinged with country, Motown, and classic rock ‘n’ roll, their debut album “Homesick” is a catalog of heartbreak, endless travel and loss of love and home. Layered with timeless horn lines and rumbling organ, even at first listen you’ll feel like you’re hearing your oldest friend talk to you from across the bar.

The band has been hard at work touring the East Coast and Midwest for the past 3 years, playing shows with bands like Dr. Dog, Vampire Weekend, and Hymns. Frontman Sean Walsh released an EP on Eyeball Records in 2006 before forming the National Reserve. He then took his good timin’ friends into the studio over the summer and fall of 2008 to record “Homesick” with help from producer/engineer  Kyle “Slick” Johnson (Modest Mouse, The Hives, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Fischerspooner, Rogue Wave). The album will be officially released on July 14th via their own label, Lover’s Dream Records.

 

 

RIYL: Neil Young, Ryan Adams, Jackson Browne, Rocky Votolato, Wilco, Magnolia Electric Company

START WITH: 7, 3, 9 FCC CLEAN

 

http://www.myspace.com/seanwalshmusic

http://www.seanwalshmusic.blogspot.com/

http://www.seanwalshmusic.com/

 
 

 

Contact me for a download link!

June 22, 2009 | 0 Comments

GRAFTON PRIMARY at RPM now!!

I am SO EXCITED about this band!!

 

 

GRAFTON PRIMARY

EON

Resolution/MGM

 

You know what, this record is the one that has most closely aligned with my personal tastes of anything I’ve worked thus far at LIFT. It’s awesome to work the blockbusters, the big names, etc, but what gets me tingly is hearing a new band that I can really connect with. Not only are these guys Australian (already tilts the scales waaay in their favor in miskotown), but they sound to me like a darker Cut Copy, like with a serious Joy Division/New Order lens applied to it. GREAT.

Decide for yourself!

 

And as always, contact me with feedback or download/hard copy requests!

contact info for this project:

jenn@promolift.com

718.238.0234

http://www.promolift.com/lift_main.html

http://www.myspace.com/graftonprimary

June 22, 2009 | 0 Comments

PAUL VAN DYK at RPM now!

Here’s a new one! Fairly obviously, this is the biggest thing I’ve worked yet.

 

 

PAUL VAN DYK

VOLUME: THE BEST OF PAUL VAN DYK

Ultra

 

Basically a greatest-hits record, the first disc of this set is Paul’s original jams, while the second is his remixes. I’ve been hearing that the second disc has some problems with some stations; if this is the case with your copy just drop me a line and we’ll get you a new one or the download right away.

Just a couple weeks in, this record is killing it on the charts: after 43 stations reported it as an add, we quickly jumped from #40 to #17 last week at RPM. Let’s make this my first Top 10 album!!

 

Contact me with feedback or download/hard copy requests! Special treat: there’s also a download of the “For An Angel” import remixes available!

And you can STREAM it here:

 

contact info for this project:

jenn@promolift.com

718.238.0234

http://www.promolift.com/lift_main.html

http://www.myspace.com/paulvandyk

 

 

June 3, 2009 | 1 Comment

Tereu Tereu are KILLING IT!

 

Oh man!!

You guys, Tereu Tereu’s radio campaign is going SO WELL! After hitting #17 Most Added on CMJ (or actually tying with Au Revior Simone for #16), this week we already smashed onto CMJ’s Top 200 like it was no big deal at all. #132!!

 

127 72 96 61 8 PAPERCUTS You Can Have What You Want Gnomonsong
128 128 126 102 6 PAPER ROUTE Absence Universal Motown
129 80 83 80 4 THIEVES LIKE US Play Music Shelflife
130 107 148 31 9 VARIOUS ARTISTS SCORE! 20 Years Of Merge Records: The Covers Merge
131 170 – 131 2 CLIKS Dirty King Tommy Boy
132 – – 132 1 TEREU TEREU All That Keeps Us Together Self-Released
133 130 142 112 5 APE SCHOOL Ape School Counter
134 144 143 22 15 WAVVES Wavvves Fat Possum
135 141 80 80 5 DREAMDATE Patience Skywriting
136 – – 136 1 LEGENDS Over And Over Labrador
137 176 – 137 2 OWL CITY Of June Universal
138 92 77 33 8 MSTRKRFT Fist Of God Downtown
139 – – 139 1 JEFFREY LEWIS AND THE JUNKYARD ‘Em Are I Rough Trade

 

Wait – we debuted above a Labrador record and also Jeffrey Lewis?!? This is amazing! You guys are THE BEST.

 

WOXY.com is on board!!

I guess I had to resize that screencap pretty small but the gist is they featured it on the front page during today’s “new tunes tuesday”. Right in between Pomegranates and Grizzly Bear. PERFECT.

They’ve also been getting some really cool recent press: both from DC’s Onion A/V Club, and from the blog Brightest Young Things. noice!

This week rules!!! Of course it helps to have AWESOME MATERIAL to work with. Considering how easily this came, the push is now on for TOP 100!!!

 

HOLLER!!

 

UPDATE week of 6/8: WE DID IT! The album hit #99 this week!! YES!!!!

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