Welcome, Derringer!

I met Jeremy Owens on New Years Eve 2004. He is good friends with Pilotdrift, and had made the trip from Nashville to see them at Good Records' instore and then later at Trees. His voice is on my recording of their interview that night backstage, as they prepared for the show. He's an amazing guy, a study in contrasts, and a heart bigger than his frame. He says he has a "golden retriever personality"; truer words were never spoken. He has done A&R for a small label, written for Revelant Magazine, and he also writes a wonderful New Music newsletter which he sends to friends. I think he needs to have a wider audience. I met Mute Math and Athlete because of his insistance. I would know about many more up and coming bands if I had the patience (of a saint) as he does to comb through the hundreds of MySpace pages as he does, but I don't, so I let his newsletter keep me informed. Now you can, as well.

Welcome Derringer!

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A BIG HELLO! to all of my music loving/music industry readers,
Please grab a cup of something warm... hot tea, coffee, etc... and cuddle into some exciting new music.... this is a bit long due to lots of news, but it's all rewarding...I promise....

First off, I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who read this!! You read about and check out the artists I pass your way, and respond with constant enthusiasm and encouragement to keep trucking on because you appreciate the passion and quality that I strive to send your way every time. This is TRULY PASSION at its rawest state... do you know how many mornings I go into work drained from staying up at night to keep up with all the influx of band requests on MySpace, to listen to all the upcoming samples I can find on current bands with new albums? It's all in order to be at the forefront with the hottest news and the hottest bands. The idea is that I siphon thru all the crap and give you only THE BEST so you don't have to... I get NO PAY for this... it's how serious I am about it. I wouldn't have it ANY OTHER WAY! Of course, sometimes I rely on other music sources as well... great sites like Pitchfork whom I don't always agree with, but I do always think are on top of the hottest news and such....and do a damn fine job with the setup of their site...you will find a link to a marching band covering Radiohead below and it's all thanks to Pitchfork...

It's been almost three years now since I took a risk with some email addresses I came across in the music industry in Nashville and did a STUPID, STUPID thing of sending out *cough* some very informal music newsletters (i.e. Spam, although it wasn't computer generated, it was sent out by me personally and still is) as a test to see if I would get tons of hate mail saying, "I hate getting this stuff, stop it, please" or if in fact, I would get positive feedback...well, the latter happened... and those first few were based around that little UK band that could named ATHLETE ... and now look at those terrific, talented guys... on the brink of album number three in the new year (I've got good word from two prominent sources that I'm gonna freak over the new stuff....how dare they tease me in such ways...I fidget daily with anticipation for the pre-release). My readership grows by the day and it just thrills me to continue this journey. As always, if any of you ever get tired of getting this, please DO NOT hesitate to tell me to remove you... I will do so ASAP... on the other hand, if you LOVE getting this, then please pass it on to friends and help these deserving artists get their music out there.....okay enough of that... let's get on to the news... as I said before, you might want to grab a cup of coffee cause there is alot to catch up on and I'll try to make these brief...

This week's SPOTLIGHT album to potentially spend your money on... (and oh my god, it's a major label release *GASP*)
BRAND NEW - THE DEVIL AND GOD ARE RAGING INSIDE ME I've yet to hear the whole thing because MySpace player is crapping out on me a ton, but what few songs I've made it thru are ABSOLUTELY STRIKING! This is the soundtrack to my life in many ways... it is a masterpiece that seemingly pins down into one album the struggles of an individual who grew up in a background of religion and church and such and growing out of following what you were always told and striking out to find and establish what the "truth" really is.... the rock is MASSIVE... the delivery is not conventional or contrived...it's personal and universal all at once... this is the album that will take BRAND NEW to a stunning new level!!!!!!

This week's CHRISTMAS album to beat ALL Christmas albums:
Okay, yeah, you are thinking Sufjan... but it's not. Whereas, I have my copy of Sufjan's Christmas album on its way to my mailbox and hopeto enjoy it... the album I'm REALLY looking forward to wearing out this holiday season is OVER THE RHINE'S second holiday offering...this time it is ALL original tunes and strikingly so... it is very simple yet still wondrous.... Karin stands head and shoulders over many female artists to rank as my favorite EVER... she is so versatile and so in tune with the emotion of each song she delivers... she becomes the character, she becomes the lyric... and Linford is a hero of mine both in poetry and in songwriter...SNOW ANGELS is the new album and you should definitely PRE-ORDER it here today...
Now on to more music bullets.... Derringer stands with his gun at the ready... aim... FIRE!

1) AIR (arguably my favorite band in the world) is releasing a NEWALBUM in the NEW YEAR! Can 2007 get any better? (Athlete, Air, and dammit, Travis, please get that new one to us soon as well) It is produced by Nigel "I gravel at your feet" Godrich. It features some Japanese instrument dabbling and more... It launches sometime early in2007 and they will tour US in May (I WILL finally see them live for the first time even if I have to pay out the wazoo...haha)

2) Johnny Lloyd Rollins - *he's posted new songs!*The first artist signed to my Derringer Record label... wait no, the artist that WOULD be my first signee IF I owned a record label is poised to make a huge splash by 2007. Meetings are happening with majors, and majors are showing serious interest. I predict a massive bidding war and the one who lands the deal with him WILL NOT BE SORRY! Mark my words. His album is getting NOTHING BUT GLOWING and FLAWLESS reviews from the gradual influx of music websites and magazines. Still no release date for LET'S BE POOR TOGETHER but you can guarantee when it does hit... it's gonna break some records... it's AMAZING...Johnny has just been featured singing a ditty on a hilarious new commercial for COMCAST... check it out here...

3) Derek James - Speaking of commercials... Derek James and I have been getting many emails in response to a bit that was running on the Travel Channel...it featured his song Smoky Light and had his name and song listed in corner of commercial...thus leading to an influx of emails saying "I remember you writing about Derek way back when...I saw him on a commercial tonight...Loved his song!!" Derek is working on putting together a new EP with some massive hit potential... many of the song she has been performing to tremendous response at live shows and he needs to get on cd due to hot demand... "Like A Woman" is a destined hit and I can already see it landing on a female targeted commercial or two in the future as well... Additionally, Derek has been really encouraging about some of my own music ideas lately and is showing an interest in working together on some things which I truly look forward to. His commercial is here...

4) Some AMAZING new videos are currently out that DEMAND YOUR ATTENTION...namely BOMBS by Faithless. It is a song of huge emotional impact with lyrical fire that torches the soul and comforts it all at once. It is alternately inspiring and convicting. The video enhances the impact with contrasting images that are creatively woven together and it is an experience that will pin you to your chair... it is best viewed at this link but if your computer does not handle that one...then you can always rely on the YouTube link... Both song and video have landed on my ongoing BEST OF 2007 LIST on my own MySpace page Additionally, THE FORMAT have given us a unique and very low budget gem of a video for the glorious tune, DOG PROBLEMS go here ...

5) Radiohead covered by University of Arizona marching band! This was featured on Pitchfork Media and this is AWESOME!!!!

6) New artists worth keeping your hawk eyes on...
a) Meiko - The girl can sing... amazing vocal... if she can keep pumping out songs as loveable as PIANO SONG and the others...she's gonna do REAL well...
b) Walter Meego - THANK YOU INSOUND for my new addiction and what is currently ranking as my favorite tune of the year... I am listening to this as Hot Chip likes to say "over and over".... I am eager to buy an album and see them live... this group makes the wonderful Hot Chip sound weak.... hahaha... and HC is NOT weak at all, but Walter Meego brings the catchiness and infectiousness in waves...I became an immediate fan!
c) Sparrow House (aka keyboardist from VOXTROT) I am pleased to announce that the keyboardist from VOXTROT has delivered a gorgeous debut EP under the moniker, Sparrow House. It isa quiet gentle work but with plenty of melodic intrigue and lyrical grabbing to keep the listener interested. (And if you haven't heard the new Voxtrot EP then you should and DEFINATELY listen to the spectacular track, SWAY...it is my new favorite autumn song)
d) EDDYFINK I sent out an email previously about these stunning rockers that are just getting warmed up for the major leagues. If you haven't listened to them yet, please do so...I'm convinced that between the amazing musicianship and the masterful wordplay along with the arc and range of vocal inside the sexy lead singer, Andy Pisanu, this band isTHE next big UK phenomenon. If I were to label them, I'd have to officiate a new genre.. "Corkscrew Rock"... you'll never expect the places they take you...
e) FELL CITY GIRL New UK band worth watching... I'm especially keen on their song, February Snow... though the other tunes on their MySpace fail to equal that stunner of a tune, I think they are capable of more grandeur...

7) Existing artists/bands that I've finally arrived at on my musical map (and shamefully, WAY too late)
a) THE BOXER REBELLION I'm tuned into this band thanks to Andy of Eddyfink... WHY IS THIS BAND STILL STRUGGLING? they should be massive... check out tunes like WATERMELLON and WORLD WITHOUT END... and you'll understand why...
b) Ron Sexsmith and Martha Wainwright.... shame on me for waiting so long to dive into these AMAZING artists... thanks again to Andy for pushing me into their pools of perfection... I was walking the streets of New York with rivers coming out my eyes due to Sexsmith's "God Loves Everyone" and "Gold In Them Hills"....
and FINALLY... If you have stuck with me and gotten this far... THANK YOU!!!
My best friend/buddy, Stukenberg, has been busy working on a some material for what will be his debut album... He moved to be back around his family and girlfriend in Wisconsin about the time that I moved to New York and I miss him like crazy... but his move, like mine, has proven fruitful and successful as he is working at a small upstart label there in his area and the label is SUPER EXCITED to help him with his debut...He has posted two new demos which are striking in their potential..."Senses" and especially "Don't Mind" which gushes out of the gate with the spunk of an early firestorming Billy Joel... yes, they still need a little polish but Stuk assures that these are only demos and they are enough to get me excited.... hope you enjoy!

I want to give a shout out to INSOUND... they are an online store where I've begun buying all my cds ... they offer reasonable prices and much like my favorite indie store in Nashville, Grimeys...they are GREAT about offering EXTRA goodies with purchases that you wouldn't get at major retail outlets.... plus they send outMP3's every week from the hottest up and comers in indie music...thus how I heard my latest obsession WALTER MEEGO... so if you want to make shopping easier... go to their page... and NO, this NOT a plugging of them because they want me to... I am not getting any kickback or anything... it's a personal recommendation that I feel compelled to let the world in on...

Be sure and vote for the PLUG Indie Awards here... and in the blank at the end where it asks who is criminally missing from the nominations...I'm trying to stir up a revolution and get people to put THE FORMAT... they are a deserving band who have kicked back from getting dropped from the MAJORS and produced an AMAZING album that should be recognized and awarded by the Indie community... it is the only Indie album in my running BEST OF 2007 LIST that is missing from the nominations....
For all the latest personal blogging updates and indie artists I find worth shouting about... always visit my MySpace page... you are ALWAYS welcome to the state of Derringer and it's visiting station... found here.... , but if you are a reader of this, then thou shalt NOT FEAR because you will ALWAYS get the same quality updates here too... and maybe more....

As a bonus for being a reader, I want to forward all of you something special that came into my email inbox via the masterful music blogger and online radio guy, GORILLA VS BEAR...the back story is in the email... READ IT... it's very interesting and then listen to the song... you will love it... I PROMISE....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

hugs from the state of DERRINGER,
Jer