Although
it's only been in existence since May 2005, Justin Gage's
Aquarium
Drunkard
blog is rapidly gaining a certain cache beyond its Los Angeles base,
as evidenced by its nomination for "Best Music Blog" by the 2007
Weblog Awards. A University of Georgia grad who moved to L.A. with
his wife in 2001, Justin has worked primarily as an editor and
photographer while gradually growing his audience. "The blog...was
originally just a way for me to keep up with friends across the
country about what I had been reading, viewing and, of course,
listening to," Justin reveals. "By the end of the summer the
content of Aquarium Drunkard was almost entirely music-related and
had begun to pick up a considerable number of readers beyond my
friend base. The Drunkard blog is really an extension of what I'm
digging at the moment, whether that be a new, local L.A. band or some
old, obscure soul jams that a reissue label just dug up. It's an
eclectic affair, to say the least." Justin's current musical
faves include Travel By Sea, Le Switch, Of Montreal, The National,
The Broken West and St. Vincent, while a few of his preferred blogs
are Gorilla Vs. Bear, Soul Sides and Little Hits. He remains
defiantly old school in one aspect, however: when receiving music, he
prefers a CD. "I listen to a lot of stuff in the car," he
explains, though, "I also like being able to stream an artist's
songs via MySpace, et al."
|
 |
| Scott T. Sterling |
--The
Basics--
Name:
Scott T. Sterling
Title:
Music Producer/Editor
Company:
Metromix Los Angeles
Time
at Current Position: 8 months
Previous
Jobs: Editor of Urb Magazine, DJ, promoter, starving freelance
writer
Hometown:
Detroit Rock City!
Current
Location: Los Angeles, CA
--Starting
To Dig--
>>What
did you want to be when you were 10?
Ace
Frehley of KISS
>>...and
what did your parents want you to be?:
Doctor,
lawyer-anything "respectable"
>>Describe
some sacrifices you've made for music:
Lots
of relationships. More money than I even want to think about.
>>What
exactly is MetroMix?
Good
question! Losangeles.metromix.com is a nightlife/entertainment
website that's curated specifically for young Los Angelenos that
spend most of their time partying and having fun. Music, bars, clubs,
restaurants, random zombie walks-if it's cool and happening in
LA, Metromix is all over it.
>>If
you had a musical genie that could grant you 3 wishes for the
industry, what would they be?
For
all bands to realize that in order to be truly successful in this
industry, they need to be as self-sufficient as possible. Keep your
merch game tight, and never stop hustling. Don't depend on some
label to do it for you, unless it's your own. Look at what Slug
of Atmosphere has done for a great example.
That
the major labels would just get with the times and start working
with technology instead of fighting it, or worse and just as
prevalent, ignoring it. Labels can still thrive if they're smart.
Rhymesayers in Minneapolis and Merge in North Carolina
two indies doing it right.
That
someone somewhere would realize that concert tickets are
unreasonably high, as are the corresponding service charges. More
people would go to more concerts if they were more affordable. Think
of how many videogames a kid can get for the price of one big show.
>>Mentors
you've had in your industry:
I
am forever indebted to radio DJs Mike Halloran (currently the
program director at San Diego's amazing radio station 94.9FM)
and the Electrifyin' Mojo, both of whom were on-air in
Detroit when I was a kid. Halloran literally broke bands like U2,
Echo & the Bunnymen, Gang of 4 and the Clash
in Detroit. Mojo had a direct line to Prince, would spin all
of the original Detroit techno classics when they were just demos
between Kraftwerk and the B-52's, and is still the
most inspiring and imaginative radio DJ I've ever heard. In terms
of writing, Jerry Petersen of "Orbit" and "Fun"
magazines in Detroit back in the day, Joe Donnelly at the LA
Weekly and Eugene Robinson (the singer in the band Oxbow) have
all been tremendous influences and friends.
--Killing
Time--
>>Top
5 fav Artists of 'Right Now'?
Daft
Punk - I've been a fan since the early days. I saw them play
live in NYC in 1997 without masks, wearing jeans and t-shirts. That
same year I drunkenly accosted them at a DJ gig in Miami to tell
them how much I loved their music. To see the rest of the world
finally realize their genius is very cool.
M.I.A.-
there are few musical artists working today as exciting as M.I.A.
"Kala" is easily one of the best albums of 2007, and her beats
are SICK.
Feist
- I first heard her when she played a set at SXSW back
in 2005. It was just her, a guitar and a boombox, and she had the
entire place mesmerized within a couple of songs. She's such a
naturally gifted performer that deserves every bit of her current
acclaim.
The
Teenagers - these kids are wild. They're kind of a
disco-punk crew from the UK that makes really manic indie dance
tracks that are usually profane but a lot of fun. Look for their
song "Homecoming"-it's hot!
Deerhunter
- This band is from Atlanta, and they're hard to describe.
Defiantly experimental but with a penchant for dreamy pop melodies,
their latest CD "Cryptograms" is somewhere between Captain
Beefheart and Animal Collective. Singer Bradford Cox
is a twisted genius, and his solo project Atlas Sound is also
well worth checking out.
>>Famous
person/persons you resemble
At
my last freelance gig, the clients would call me "Morph,"
because they insisted that I looked like Lawrence Fishburne in "The
Matrix." I've gotten Donald Faison, aka "the black guy on
'Scrubs'" a couple of times.
>>Why
does your job rock?
Metromix LA rocks because I get to work
with an amazing team of people that I admire professionally and enjoy
socially. I wouldn't want to spend all of those long, sleepless hours
eating cupcakes and fried turkey with anybody else! That and all of
the free drinks.
>>Your
Daily Reads:
I
love Brooklynvegan.com,
and check in with Pitchfork,
Stereogum,
Idolator
and Goldenfiddle
pretty much everyday.
>>Best
album of all-time:
Are you serious? Today, I'll say
"Sandinista!" by the Clash.
>>Worst
album of all-time:
Ha! Let's just say that I have a very
low tolerance for trance.
>>How
can people get in touch with you?
Losangeles.metromix.com/music
is where I do my thing. You can always holla at me at
myspace.com/scotttsterling
>>Parting
Words
Don't believe the hype!
|
Pelle
Carlberg - "Clever Girls Like Clever Boys Much More Than Clever
Boys Like Clever Girls"
A
little birdie told us that Pelle
Carlberg
has "been playing in bands since the Middle Ages" and fortunately
for us, it sounds like he has been perfecting his music since then,
too. Carlberg was first introduced to the musical world as the lead
singer of Edison, who had released three successful albums in Sweden.
This time, Carlberg returns with his second solo album, In A Nutshell
on uber-indie label Twenty Seven Records, with the track
"Clever
Girls...". This is a very witty, up-beat and just downright
charming tune that would sound good on any road trip. Carlberg's
influences include The Grease Soundtrack, The Cure, Nick Drake, The
Smiths, Nirvana, Belle and Sebastian and U2. Currently touring in
Germany, Carlberg plans to return to the US, UK, Beijing, Singapore
and Hong Kong in 2008. If you can't wait for a tour stop near you
and want to see Carlberg perform live, check out "Clever Girls"
live here
and "Go To Hell, Miss Rydell" live here
and of course pay due diligence by poppin by his MySpace page here.
|
Johnossi - "Execution Song"
The band Johnossi (Control Group/Tcg) consists of best friends John Engelbert and Ossi. After just three shows in demo
clubs, they scored a record deal. These two have quite a personality and a sense of humor and it definitely shows with
the video to "Execution Song." After seeing this video for the first time, I had to watch it again...and again...and
again. First thing that came to mind was if Chucky from the movie Child's Play had friends, they were starring in this
video. The idea behind the video is a little girl doesn't want to play with her doll anymore, so he leaves and finds
other dolls and stuffed animals to be with. They end up doing very adult things (watch the video!) and it ends up
being a very entertaining video at just over two minutes. There were certain parts that reminded me of something Peter
Gabriel would do, but this is darker and creepier. It's a fantastic song and a brilliant video that you need to see
now ... go on, look already!
|
| WTF?!? [..in 5 seconds, or less] |
|
Alternative Specialty
Top 20 Songs
For Week Beginning
10/29/2007
| TW |
Artist |
Title |
Label |
| 1 |
Louis XIV |
Guilt By Association |
Pineapple / Atlantic |
| 2 |
Sigur Ros |
Hljomalind |
XL |
| 3 |
Radiohead |
Bodysnatchers |
Self-Released |
| 4 |
Rogue Wave |
Lake Michigan |
Brushfire |
| 5 |
Band Of Horses |
Is There A Ghost |
Sub Pop |
| 6 |
Small Sins |
On The Line |
Boompa / Astralwerks |
| 7 |
Puscifer |
Queen B |
Sony BMG |
| 8 |
Carbon/Silicon |
The News |
Cornerstone Promotion |
| 9 |
The Go! Team |
Doing It Right |
Sub Pop |
| 10 |
Babyshambles |
Delivery |
Astralwerks |
| 11 |
Say Anything |
Baby Girl, I'm A Blur |
Doghouse / J |
| 12 |
Les Savy Fav |
Patty Lee |
French Kiss |
| 13 |
Bat For Lashes |
What's A Girl To Do? |
The Echo Label / Caroline |
| 14 |
Oasis |
Lord Don't Slow Me Down |
Big Brother |
| 15 |
Jimmy Eat World |
Big Casino |
Tiny Evil / Interscope |
| 16 |
Radiohead |
Jigsaw Falling Into Place |
Self-Released |
| 17 |
Foo Fighters |
The Pretender |
Roswell / RCA |
| 18 |
The Go |
You Go Bangin' On |
Cass |
| 19 |
The Soulsavers |
Revival |
Columbia |
| 20 |
Coheed & Cambria |
The Running Free |
Columbia |
|
Alternative Specialty
Top 20 Releases
For Week Beginning
10/29/2007
| TW |
Artist |
Title |
Label |
| 1 |
Radiohead |
In Rainbows |
Self-Released |
| 2 |
Babyshambles |
Shotter's Nation |
Astralwerks |
| 3 |
Sigur Ros |
Hvarf/Heim |
XL |
| 4 |
Louis XIV |
Guilt By Association |
Pineapple / Atlantic |
| 5 |
Band Of Horses |
Cease To Begin |
Sub Pop |
| 6 |
Les Savy Fav |
Let's Stay Friends |
French Kiss |
| 7 |
Carbon/Silicon |
The Last Post |
Caroline |
| 8 |
Rogue Wave |
Asleep At Heaven's Gate |
Brushfire |
| 9 |
The Soulsavers |
It's Not How You Fall, It's The Way You Land |
Columbia |
| 10 |
Thrice |
The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II |
Vagrant |
| 11 |
Small Sins |
Mood Swings |
Boompa / Astralwerks |
| 12 |
Spoon |
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |
Merge |
| 13 |
Puscifer |
V Is For Vagina |
Sony BMG |
| 14 |
Thursday |
Kill The House Lights |
Victory |
| 15 |
David Gahan |
Hourglass |
Mute / Virgin |
| 16 |
Say Anything |
In Defense Of The Genre |
Doghouse / J |
| 17 |
Various Artists |
Free Yr Radio |
Toyota / Urban Outfitters |
| 18 |
Shout Out Louds |
Our Ill Wills |
Bud Fox / Merge |
| 19 |
The Go! Team |
Proof Of Youth |
Sub Pop |
| 20 |
Serj Tankian |
Elect The Dead |
Reprise / Serjical Strike |
Chart based on electronically monitored airplay of radio stations
listed here
To report a problem or issue with this chart, email us.
In order to make your music eligible for the charts, please see the
Submit Music page.
If you have questions about the charts, please see the FAQs section or send us an
email.
To see Top 50 or Top 100 chart information, or other airplay reports, please send an email with your Name, Company Name and Questions/Comments to music@mediaguide.com.
*chart history being defined as a chart entry at or above the chart limit © 2007 Mediaguide. All rights reserved.
|
LOUIS XIV DEPOSES BAND OF HORSES: After six weeks of topping the Mediaguide Alternative Specialty Song chart, "Is There a Ghost" from Band of Horses (Sub Pop) has been toppled by "Guilt by Association," the title track and first single from Louis XIV's new Pineapple/Atlantic album. Don't feel too bad for Band of Horses, though, as the Mount Pleasant, SC-based group still remains #5 on both charts, with full-length Cease to Begin occupying that position on the Album index, while Louis XIV moves up to the fourth position. Still topping the Album chart for the fourth consecutive week is Radiohead's self-released In Rainbows, with "Bodysnatchers" (#3) and "Jigsaw Falling into Place" (#16) continuing to receive specialty love. A pair of acts that couldn't possibly be more different debut in the next two slots on the Album end, with Babyshambles' Shotter's Nation (Astralwerks) bowing at #2 thanks in part to leadoff single "Delivery," which debuts at #10 on the Song side. Hot on the heels of Pete Doherty and company are Icelandic heroes Sigur Ros, whose Hvarf/Heim (XL) makes its initial appearance at #3 on the Album chart, with significant airplay for single "Hljomalind," which debuts at #2 on the Song chart despite being an absolutely nightmarish spelling for copy editors everywhere. One more debut of note involves a couple of founding fathers of the entire Alternative movement: Carbon/Silicon, headed by Clash and Big Audio Dynamite ringleader Mick Jones and Generation X/Sigue Sigue Sputnik mastermind Tony James, appear on the Album chart at #7 with The Last Post (Caroline), with "The News" receiving the majority of airplay, showing up on the Song side at #8.
|
Michael Persh, Sara Leathem, Elise Elbe, Sonia Tchak, Lucy Dickins, Juuso Maasara, Karlyn Hawke, Silke Holker, Sami Peura, Wayne McDonald, Hal Stokes, Emma Carlsgaard, Joe Arnold, Clyde Erwin Barretto
|
| |
|
|
