BeatPick Blog on music licensing, creative commons music, gigs

Il Tempo is a daily Italian newspaper that has been publishing since 1948, and has recently decided to update their ‘look’. Not only do over 50,000 Italians read Il tempo everyday but they will soon be watching Il Tempo’s newest advertisements that features a piano solo from BeatPick’s very own artist, Galdson (track “Roots”)! Il Tempo’s advertisement will be shown in underground metro stations throughout Rome, Italy. Not only is this great publicity for Galdson, but our artist also gets paid! Yeah Baby!

For every BeatPick artist, commissioned projects are split 50/50, unlike most record labels and music sites where an artist receives as little as 4.9% i.e. ITunes. Artists deserve more than what the music industry has to offer and this is why BeatPick is here! Support our Independent artists and check out Galdson’s, “Roots” right here at BeatPick.com.

Is it really possible to transcend the Beatles‘ legacy in modern Rock music? Such an argument is forever present in music literature and in everyday discussions: while some may indicate Electronic music, or pre-Beatles Folk as examples of traditions untouched by the Fab Four, many others are convinced their impact on the musical world is quite simply omnipresent.

What’s a simple fact is that the amount of bands who have attempted tributes or mere imitations of the Liverpool lads’ work is outstandingly long, and goes from levels of pure brilliance (as with bands such as XTC or the Electric Light Orchestra, or single artists as the unfortunate Daniel Johnston) to the downright mediocre.

What’s quite unusual is to find a band that has the courage to tribute the Beatles’ more complex, orchestral, Sgt.Pepper-phase works within an indie-produced debut album. And that is what makes WhiteRoom’s “Barcelona” such a surprising and ambitious piece of work.

The Montreal band - headed by Alex Dray and Eddy Silva - is attracting much attention thanks to a well-orchestrated series of tracks that swing between many moods, with an undeniable fascination for the sulky laments of Thom Yorke & co.

Yet at Beatpick.com the track that caught most attention was one that is more of an excursus than a trademark for the band: with its’ roots placed firmly in Lennon’s “When I’m 64“, “Barcelona” proceeds to capture exactly the atmosphere of the song it tributes, even transforming Montreal into somewhat of an English cottage location (”We talk for hours, but don’t use words, then you get up and feed the birds“), and including a magnificent horns section (there’s even a trumpet solo and a trombone!).

And then, after a tale of love (”If you want these things, they’re more than dreams, just ring my doorbell“) and peace, when only a few seconds are missing to the end of the track, the tongue rolls straight into cheek, as Lennon’s ghost emerges to state “I’ll call you when you’re 110, and we’ll walk through the sunshine again“. I guess with life expectancy growing by the day, and 64 not being such a grand age anymore, it needed some upgrading….

The band have recently been playing various clubs in their home area, but are surely preparing to network a long way around the globe: if there’s any divine justice, sounds this exciting should by far make them the Next Big Thing to emerge from Canada.

To download “Barcelona” for FREE, click here.

To visit the band’s Beatpick profile and hear the rest of their fantastic eponymous debut record, click here.

Striking Media Music is one of BeatPicks newest artists who have a lot to offer the music industry. Striking Media Music is a partnership that was created in February of 2007 by Dan Cullen and Deryn Cullen. Dan and Deryn have over twenty years experience in music, offering decades of experience in the areas of musical composition, performance and education. Both are involved in many projects including creating compositions for Mica Films, and are currently composing music for the soundtrack of a sci-fi film that will be released October of this year.

Striking Media Music’s latest album, Beanstalk Suite, is a beautiful compilation of classical symphonic and contemporary orchestra music.

Each instrumental ensemble offers a variety of emotions- each mood changing with striking transitions that remind me of another BeatPick artist, Demetrios Katis. Beanstalk’s first track, “Phee” is full of suspense and drama, making this piece of work epic and powerful and certainly unforgettable. This track is perfect for the ‘big screen’ and will certainly give listeners a sense of awe. One of my favourite tracks on the album is “Phi”, a dramatic score full of piano ups and downs with empowering climactic points. Every time I hear “Phi” I think of a frenzy circus show full of chaotic events, beautiful costumes and a theatrical tragedy happening on stage. “Phi” is absolutely brilliant.

“Phum”, the last track on the album, is dark and dangerous classic contemporary that sounds similar to Shostakovich. If Alfred Hitchcock was alive today there is no doubt in my mind that this track would be implemented into one of his famous horror mystery flicks. It gives me goose bumps just listening to it.

On that note, Phee Phi Pho Phum- if you don’t listen to this album then you are dumb! OK you’re not dumb but you’d certainly be missing out on an amazing creation. The talent behind Beanstalk Suite is striking and worth the listen. It’s no wonder that Dan and Deryn call themselves Striking Media Music! Listen to Beanstalk Suite here, at BeatPick.com.

It’s great to hear the hundreds of music submissions from brand new artists, but it’s even better when BeatPick gets a submission like Jamie K Crawford, a new artist who is out-of-this-world talented.

Jamie is a classically trained pianist, soulful vocalist and a wonderful song writer. Her self titled album Jamie K, brings all three of these talents into a beautiful piece of work. Jamie K is full of sultry vocals and classy beats making this album perfect for any cool lounge.

Throughout the album the piano’s strong presence compliments Jamie’s soulful vocals. Songs like “Dare to Dream” and “Broken keys”, are two of Jamie K’s strongest tracks. “Dare to Dream” is about Jamie’s new found passion for her music and talent, something that she had almost lost faith in years ago. Sincere and real, this track really delivers emotion and reminds us BeatPickers of Tori Amos. “Broken Keys” has a more serious and cool beat, accompanied by a beautiful violin and piano entrance. Lyrically, this track gets two thumbs up, three thumbs if I had a third! Another favourite on this album is “Love’s Mistake”. This track is much more R&B and less soft-pop and makes me think of Alicia Keys. On this track Jamie pushes a higher note and a faster beat which subtlety shows off her vocal range.

When asked her thoughts on her music Jamie said, “I’m finally in the place I’ve always wanted my music to be. I feel like my current musical vision is crafted in the new album. I want all of the listener’s senses to be engaged in the experience of the music. My time is coming and I am excited for the world to listen.” It’s no doubt that the powerful tracks on Jamie K are going to make her musical vision come to life and make this album a success. Want to brighten up your day- then take a break with Jamie K, here at BeatPick.com.

At Beatpick.com we’re proud of the ever-growing variety of music in our roster. And, of course, we’re even prouder of the high quality standard of the new bands we are signing.

One of such bands is the Art-Rock duo from Nashville You Are A Hologram, whose eponymous debut album is a passionate demonstration of an evolving alternative Rock scene under the surface of what is better known as the eternal hometown of traditional Country music.

E ddie Mangrum and Matt Michiels’ style has its’ roots somewhere between such American tradition, a more British, moody side, and an almost EMO theme basis. If you add to that an interesting, almost experimental approach to processed drums and beats, the mixture could be seen as an actual marriage between modernity and classic rock.

Opening track “Under the Water” is probably the finest example of the duo’s songwriting skills: an emotional and inspiring semi-ballad based on a more traditionally Nashville tempo, in which the structure leads to a gradual, subtle growth of intensity the further the track goes along. Ideally such a progression is the perfect accompaniment to the “main character”’s personal evolution: the track starts with a fragile and almost doubtful voice/guitar verse describing the disillusion about man’s limits (”I can breath, I can breathe under the water….I can fly, I can try harder and harder“), yet grows steadily towards an ending that is slowly more and more full of hope and optimism (”I still believe in the things that brought us together“); in particular this can be observed in the magnificent guitar-work, where the taste for delicate chord progression drives the project into more psychedelic, almost shoegazing territories (the My Bloody Valentine influence appears quite evident also in other tracks on the album - in particular “Fast Ones“).

If you want to download the track for free, click here.

To visit YAAH’s Beatpick profile, click here.

Recently, one of our most popular artists Mole, was selected by Weebeastie, an Ad agency who provides some of the most creative and high quality adverts on TV, just check out their Lexus commercial and you can see why we are so excited! Weebeastie chose our artist for a TV advertisement promoting the Travel Channel. This advertisement will be distributed in the U.S. and Europe on all Travel Channel affiliate programs with Mole’s song “Dive”, as the background. Opportunities like this are an amazing outlet for our

independent artists that struggle for more publicity and recognition of their work. Advertisements for TV like that of the Travel Channel is just one of many commercial projects involving BeatPick. Stick around, maybe your music submission will find its way into every household via television commercials!

Original Marines is a popular family clothing line with franchises all over Italy. Recently, this clothing retailer licensed ten amazing songs from our artists for their in-store advertisement. These songs will air in every store for three months in an in-store advertisement that screens Original Marine’s up and coming autumn and winter collection! Original Marines is located in all major cities in Italy making this a great opportunity for our artists to gain more exposure and a new audience.

Songs involved in this advertisement include “Down the Drain” by Sleeve Channel, “Blumenau” by Napolitano Lounge Connection, “Mojo’s Last Stand” and “Blow Out the Sound” by Heavy Mojo, “Second Time” and “Tonight” by Nell Bryden, “Sourcrout” by Foley, “The Dude” by Carl Moses, “Bubblegum” by Ohn.

You can bet that these songs were carefully picked to reflect the company image and the target audience, thus creating an ambience and energy level that truly makes a difference in the shopping experience. Such attention to a customers’ experience has proven to increase dwell time and customer engagement within a store. If this is what Original Marines is looking for, than I think they bit off more than they could chew because these songs are hotter than the autumn fall collection! So again, Congratulations to our artists involved in this project!

Fair Music is one of the first global initiative for fairness and justice in the music business. This web log discusses news, background and stories about fairness in the music business and lack there of. This site brings an awareness to the fact that artists don’t always receive their fair share of every CD bought and every song downloaded and do not have complete artistic freedom with their work. It is a long standing debate between an audience having the right to listen to the music they want without the strings attached, and the artists having the right to receive proper recognition and compensation for their work without losing their identity in a major label or the royalties they deserve.

Fair Music is supported by many big organizations like European Music Council, World Culture Forum Alliance, International Music Council and UNESCO. These international organizations and NGOs cultural support initiatives fall within the scope of Fair Music’s objective in the field of music. All of which are striving for fairness in the creation, production, distribution, access and enjoyment of cultural expressions! To join their cause, sign Fair Music’s Fair Music Manifesto’s seven initiatives. These initiatives focus on having a code of conduct for the music industry, so that fairness and justice are no longer considered to be exceptions but become the norm!

Recently, Fair Music site named BeatPick as an example of how new business models for music distribution can balance the interests of artists, producers, customers and marketers justly. Here at Beatpick, we offer audiences and artists a trusted label that can offer musical diversity, recognition and compensation. BeatPick proves that a code of conduct in the music industry is profitable!

If you are reading this article and don’t seem to understand why the Fair Music site is a big deal then close your browser, turn off your computer, leave your ipod and walk away because your favorite artists deserve more from you!

Many studies have been made reagrding what attracts the average white middle-class person to the problems of afro-american communities of the USA, so crudely recounted in many Hip Hop stars’ words. Apparently Hip Hop audiences are in fact mainly constituted by a mass of white voyeurs, curious to get insight into a culture so distant from their own. So, why not, let us at Beatpick participate in this role play too, and express all our voyeuristic love for this track!

And believe us, there’s many reasons for such enthusiasm.

First of all, the mastermind behind “Understand Why” is in fact a white producer, whose understanding of Hip Hop culture and sound processing is profound enough to compete with all better known international Rap production moguls. Joe Preston, aka IZM, has been working in the West Coast scene long enough to know exactly how to transform a track into an underground classic, with such taste for electronic insertions and beats it’s hard to hold still while listening.

Add to such premises MC T.O.C.’s furious flow regarding the complex relationships between American black communities and the USA, and the bomb-track is complete. “I can’t trust this Government, I can’t call the police, who the fuck can trust? Understand why I’m trusting the streets“: pure gangsta poetics, such ghetto-centric imagery one would suddenly think we’re back in Compton, L.A., at the beginning of the nineties…

At Beatpick we’re proud of our ever-growing Hip Hop section: check out a few of our artists, from sophisticated Toolshed Productions to quirky gangsta virtuoso Killa Kat… And of course one of our new favourites, bling-obsessed Hip Hop heavyweight Tony Cash…

To download “Understand Why” for free, click here.

The co-operation between our very own Leo Pari and popular Italian comedian Beppe Grillo marches on in the typically incendiary fashion that has counter-marked all the Genovese satire master’s latest actions.

Grillo, some kind of a Poltergeist for the Italian political class, is organizing an initiative called V-day (Vaffanculo Day, ie. “The Fuck off Day”), which will see the participation of thousands of Italian people in the main squares of over 180 cities across the country. The demonstration is aimed straight against the Italian parliament and government, and proposes to sign a series of documents and flyers that protest against an ever more static political regime.

For such an important move in his own campaigns, Grillo needed an official hymn, and unsurprisingly his first choice was Beatpick’s Leo Pari, who had already recorded a track featuring Grillo samples, “Un Grillo per la testa”. The track was used as introduction to the shows in the comedian’s tours across Italy.

Pari’s new Grillo-centered track is just as uncompromising as one would expect, featuring a furious Grillo sample (as well as a tiny sample from Italian trash hero Marco Masini’s 1991 hit “Vaffanculo”) and a hard-hitting video that advances heavy criticism to both sides involved in the Italian political arena.

Check out Leo Pari’s Beatpick profile, here.

To download “Un Grillo per la Testa” for free, click here.