If you don’t know Dec, he was Senior Vice President of Creative at EMI Music Publishing up until recently and is the guy who found James Blunt under a rock and A&R’d all of his records. He signed a lot of other great stuff and will most likely join another major in a Senior capacity very soon.

So we got talking about EDM and how we both had no idea what EDM stood for up until a few weeks ago. (It’s “Electronic Dance Music”, in case you were wondering.)

You see, Dec and I both grew up in Europe. It’s funny to us how “EDM” got huge in America about 10 minutes ago. Dance Music was the biggest thing in Europe 15-20 years ago and is still a very big part of European culture (dance clubs, festivals, pop music, etc).

EDM is the biggest buzz word in the music business right now. If you want to look cool, you talk about EDM.

If you’re smart, you’ll stay the hell away from it… unless you’ve been an expert in the genre before anyone else was. Or, you hire an EDM expert so you can be in that space, as i.e. Primary Wave did with Hosh Gureli.

The EDM deals for artists and tracks are going to get more and more insane, and there will be a lot of people losing fortunes and getting fired over doing crazy deals and them not working out.

The train left the station, and unless you’re already on it, you’re not gonna do anything huge in EDM.

It’s like swimming in the ocean, seeing a huge wave coming and saying “I want to ride this one”… only problem, you have never surfed in your entire life. You won’t be able to master it in time to catch the wave, let alone figure out how to stand on your board.

Yes, there is big business to be done in EDM, but that space has become incredibly crowded. And if you are looking where everyone else is for the next big thing, you are looking in the wrong place… and you will be spending a fortune doing so.

You have to be ahead of the curve, you have to innovate. That’s how you truly win.

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Check out Hunter Hayes‘ single “Wanted”, which he co-wrote. The song is currently climbing the iTunes and Country Radio charts.

We first featured Hunter as an unsigned artist back in 2009, and still believe that he will become country’s male equivalent of Taylor Swift.

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “This Feeling”
Link: YouTube
Contact: Mike Nazzaro

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Dead Sara, who we first featured in March 2008, have signed a publishing deal with Peer Music. The group is still unsigned for records.

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/deadsara.

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished (after this album cycle)
Buzz Track: “Out My Way”
Link: Private Pre-Release Stream
Contact: Chris Allen

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Major Label Scout is a one of a kind A&R talent-scouting network, which was recently re-launched in conjunction with Atlantic Records.

The company is headed by former Arista Records A&R Executive, Ken Krongard, whose last signing at the label, Avril Lavigne, went on to sell 30 million albums worldwide.

Major Label Scout has approximately 200 A&R Scouts across the U.S., Canada and U.K. and is currently accepting new applications.

You can apply at this Link.

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Aimee Proal, who we first featured in 2009, has signed to Columbia. Her publishing is with Primary Wave/Emblem.

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Growing up on a different continent didn’t… growing up speaking a different language didn’t… growing up not being connected to the industry didn’t… growing up not having a lot of money didn’t… nothing will ever get in the way.

Whoever tries to get in the way, will get his or her ass run over. My grandparents and parents didn’t slave all their lives and survive world wars to let bozos stop me who don’t have 1/10th of the determination that I have in my DNA.

This life is made for the strong, and if you’re a self-entitled little prick who got the keys to the kingdom handed to him by his mommy or daddy, I will rip those keys out of your hands cause no one in my family ever had enough money to buy keys. I mean, no one from my family, except for me, has ever even BEEN to America.

Make something of yourself. You have no excuses!

(I will start posting my thoughts on different topics and motivation on a regular basis from now on. I want to inspire all of you to follow your dreams, and to bring good to the world. Thanks for reading!)

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “Oh Goodbye”
Link: Facebook
Contact: Dan Petel

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished (signed to EMI for Canada only)
Buzz Track: “So Close”
Link: Mixcloud
Contact: Pierre Tremblay

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Single is out in the UK through Chess Club, who released the first Mumford & Sons EP in 2008. No deal for album yet.

Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “King City”
Link: Facebook
Contact: Mike Watson

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Word on the street is that the bidding war for The Neighbourhood has already ended.

Columbia Records just closed the band with what is rumored to be a “crazy 7-figure deal”.

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “I Don’t Like”
Link: YouTube (Original) | YouTube (Kanye Remix)
Contact: (847) 702-4805

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Ghost have signed to Seven Four Ent., which is Tom Whalley‘s new label under Universal Republic. It’s the company’s first signing.

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “Crazy Summer”
Link: Soundcloud
Contact: Ryan Posen

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“I’m loving JMSN right now.” – Usher in NME Magazine

Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Link: YouTube | Facebook
Contact: Brandon Phelps

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Baby Bee, who we first featured in November 2011, have officially signed to Universal Republic.

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Check out 14-year old Ahsan, the kid is a star.

John Ehmann played me this project last week when I was over at Interscope, he co-signed it together with Larry Jackson.

Watch the video for his cover of Michael Jackson’s “Who’s Loving You“.

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Performing at El Rey in LA tomorrow.

Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “Sweater Weather”
Link: YouTube
Contact: Kirk Harding

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Same manager as Black Eyed Peas.

Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “High Volume”
Link: YouTube
Contact: Polo Molina

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9Electric are playing the Viper Room tomorrow at 10pm. Several labels and publishers are attending.

Visit the group’s Facebook Page or contact legal Eric German.

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Massive YouTube platform. No deal finalized yet.

Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: 11:11
Link: YouTube
Contact: Rocco Valdes

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Industry showcase tomorrow (May 1, 10pm) at SIR Hollywood.

Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “Yours Always”
Link: Soundcloud
Contact: Stella Reid

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “In The Sunshine”
Link: Facebook
Contact: Steve Brodsky

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Amazing soul artist breaking out of the UK, signed to Polydor. Check out his song “Home Again“.

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200k singles sold to date. 600k+ YouTube subscribers and 200k+ Facebook fans.

Status: Signed to The Collective for records & pub, open to JV’s.
Buzz Track: “Are You Happy Now”
Link: Soundcloud | YouTube
Contact: Chris Allen

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Hunter Hayes was first showcased on Crazed Hits as an unsigned artist in December 2009.

The 20-year old is one of the most talented young singers and songwriters in country music and was recently up for Best New Artist at the ACM Awards. He has the potential to become the male equivalent of Taylor Swift, in terms of crossover appeal.

Check out the video for his new single, “Wanted“.

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Performing in NYC tomorrow at SOB’s.

Status: Unpublished / Just signed to Interscope for records
Buzz Track: “Say Its So”
Link: YouTube
Contact: Mike Akiko

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Bonnie McKee has officially signed to Epic Records. The deal was done via Dr. Luke, who previously inked the 28-year old to his own label (Kemosabe) and pubco (Prescription Songs).

McKee released an album on Reprise Records back in 2004 but eventually parted ways with the label. Her career took off after co-writing a variety of hit songs such as “California Girls” (Katy Perry), “Dynamite” (Taio Cruz) and “Hold It Against Me” (Britney Spears).

Kudos to Pulse Recordings, who signed McKee’s publishing after her Reprise deal and then facilitated the partnership with Dr. Luke.

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Kimbra, who we first showcased as an unsigned artist in 2010, has climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart as a feature on Gotye‘s “Somebody That I Used To Know”.

Kudos to Universal Republic’s Rob Stevenson, who signed Gotye to a North America deal.

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “Forever”
Link: Facebook
Contact: Jon Lieberberg

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ASCAP hosted its 29th Annual Pop Music Awards last night in LA. Top awards were presented to:

- Songwriter of the Year: Max Martin
- Song of the Year: “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars
- Publishers of the Year: Warner/Chappell and EMI Music Pub

Max Martin was named the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year for the fifth time in his career, penning an astounding ten of the most performed hit songs of 2011, including “Blow” by Ke$ha, “Till The World Ends” by Britney Spears and “Raise Your Glass” by Pink.

Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine and Bruno Mars of The Smeezingtons, Khari “Needlz” Cain and Cassius D. Kalb collected the ASCAP Pop Song of the Year award for “Just The Way You Are” by Bruno Mars.

Dual ASCAP Publisher of the Year honors went to EMI Music Publishing and Warner/Chappell, who each had 18 of the most performed songs of 2011.

Trent Reznor received the ASCAP Golden Note Award, presented to songwriters, composers, and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones.

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Fidlar are managed by Jeff Sosnow (SVP A&R, Warner Bros.) and were recently signed to Mom + Pop Records by A&R veterans Michael Goldstone and Craig Winkler. Check out music at this link.

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European antitrust regulators are expected to approve the acquisition of EMI Music Publishing, which was lead by Sony/ATV. The combined publishing assets will account for 31 percent of the business, making it the clear leader in the industry.

A confidential report obtained by The New York Times says Sony/ATV will lay off about 60 percent of EMI Music Pub’s staff within two years, as part of $70 million in annual savings.

Sony/ATV Chairman/CEO, Marty Bandier, issued the following statement about two hours ago in regards to the layoff rumors:

Dear all,

By now, I am sure you have read or heard about today’s New York Times story that references Sony and the investor group’s plans for integration. I wanted to write to all of you to set some of the facts straight.

Over the last several months, we have been working with many units of your company to develop a strategic integration plan. This plan changes daily, as we continue to analyze the vast amount of information and meet with the department and regional heads at EMI Music Publishing. Since various governmental agencies around the world are still reviewing the proposed transaction, it was, to us, premature and inappropriate to share our thinking publicly. It is unfortunate that the New York Times received this information while we are still developing this integration plan.

While we do not have a completed integration plan to date, I will share with you some of our thoughts as to that process. If the transaction is approved by all the necessary agencies around the world, our current plan is to reduce the total number of employees of the two companies. The exact numbers or percentages are not final. Since our companies remain separate, we continue to learn more about the existing structure of EMI Music Publishing, which is quite different than when I was there, and evaluate the information we receive. Without a doubt, it is our intention to retain the best and brightest employees at both companies.

I will keep you apprised as all of these various events move forward.

Best,
Marty

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Zach Horowitz has been named Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group. He previously served as President and COO of Universal Music Group.

UMG Chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said in a statement, “Zach’s appointment to lead UMPG is testament to how important publishing is to my plans for UMG’s future. For nearly two decades, he has championed the interests of our publishing company and been the key architect of its growth.”

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Phlo Finister, who we showcased last month, has just signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell.

The deal was done by Cameron Strang, Brad Aarons and Steve Lindsey. Kudos to Phlo’s partners Charlie Walk and David Airaudi.

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “Otherside”
Link: YouTube
Contact: Zach Quillen

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Young The Giant was first featured by us in October 2008, when the group was still unsigned and known as “The Jakes”. Take a look at the video for their new single, “Apartment“.

If you’re not already familiar with their music, make sure you listen to the band’s first two singles, “My Body” and “Cough Syrup“, which were both Top5 Alternative Hits in 2011:

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Guess who joined Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on stage during their set at Coachella last night? 2Pac, via 3D hologram.

Everyone’s talking about the “performance” of the deceased rapper and now a video of it has surfaced on YouTube:

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Status: Unsigned & Unpublished
Buzz Track: “This Won’t Last For Long”
Link: Band’s Website
Contact: Scott Frazier and Jason Fields

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“Kirby Ferguson’s excellent ‘Everything is a Remix’ project is one of the most important efforts to illuminate the mechanisms, paradoxes and central principles of creative culture in modern history — an ambitious four-part documentary on the history and cultural significance of sampling and collaborative creation.”

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Creating some buzz out of the UK. Signed to Island via London-based indie, Luv Luv Luv Records. Take a listen to the song “Yeah Yeah“.

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Nicki Minaj, first showcased on Crazed Hits as an unsigned artist in January 2009, has scored her second Billboard 200 #1 album with her sophomore LP, “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded“.

The album sold 253k copies in its first week, led by the single “Starships,” which has already climbed to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

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We first showcased Kay in March 2010, prior to inking a deal with Interscope via Ryan Tedder’s imprint. Check out the song “Strangers” off of her new EP “My Name Is Kay”.

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Buzz Track: Where Have You Gone
Link: facebook.com/carouselmusicpage
Contact: carouselmusicpage@gmail.com

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Unsigned/unpublished Hoodie Allen, who we first featured in 2010, is currently #1 on iTunes with his debut album “All American”.

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/hoodieallen or contact Hoodie directly via Email.

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He was recently signed to Interscope/Aftermath, in a JV with Top Dawg Entertainment. Check out the song “The Recipe“, featuring Dr. Dre.

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They have offers on the table but still 100% unsigned/unpublished as of right now. A deal may close soon though.

Buzz Track: Switzerland
Link: www.facebook.com/bisonfolk
Contact: jacobmarshall79@mac.com and bisonfolk@gmail.com

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We first showcased Allen Stone in January 2011. He has created a tremendous industry buzz since then – selling out two shows in both, Seattle (Neptune: 1000 cap) & LA (Troubadour: 450 cap), and appearing on Jimmy Kimmel, Conan, and Live From Daryl’s House.

Despite rumors, no deal has been finalized yet – Allen is still unsigned and unpublished with several labels and pubcos chasing the 24-year old. (Agents, take note, he is also still available for international booking and just sold out a show in Amsterdam.)

For more info, visit allenstone.com or contact manager BJ Olin, who recently joined Red Light Management.

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