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KDTN BlogTalk Radio's D-Town Records Classics

The Fabulous Peps' great dancer, "Love Of My Life," is an in-demand example of Wheelsville's uncomplicated, fired up, horn-driven sound. Others include Lee Rogers' maelstrom of a song, "How Are You Fixed For Love" and his storming "Cracked Up Over You" - two recordings that sounded just too black to have made the pop charts.

It's hard to decide which is the best side of Silky Hargreaves' 45: "I'll Keep On Trying" or "Love, Let's Try it Again." Perhaps I should say the most fantastic, as "Trying" has a wonderfully atmospheric track with Silky pleading as soulfully as it gets while his self-penned "Love" has a punchy, Funk-Brother arrangement courtesy of trumpeter Floyd Jones. Both these songs have a higher fidelity sound than most of the label's recordings and were possibly cut at Golden World's nice studio on Davidson - Cody Black mentioned Silky did some sessions there.

Lee Rogers - Second Thoughts - D-Town Records

By Kenneth Howard Smith, IFS
From his 1996 publication entitled
"Vinyl Knights:  Kenny Baby's Garage Noise"
Used by Permission of Coleman Kestin & Smith

One of the first recordings that Lee Rogers did when returning to Motown after his one year hospital stay was “Second Thoughts,” a new type of acid blues, with an open production and simple projection that pulled the listener into a dynamite groove.

When Lee finished recording it, all of the staff from publishing and A&R stood in the hallways, listening to the playback. Lee had sit out his three year contract with Motown and left with a new company that he and Smith had created.

 **(Behind the scenes was another story going on. Berry Gordy was during movies, Gwen had lost power to the new president of Motown, Barney Ales, and they were getting very personal when it came to productions and artists to promote. However, Gwendolyn helped us out with the re-launch of D-Town under the table. She was a real friend and publisher to us.)**

 As Lee was leaving Motown Studios, they gave him a standing farewell, as Lee was now using his walker to propel himself from the building. It was his last recording session for Motown. One month later, Lee’s contract with Motown expired, three years after it had been signed. Kenny Smith had decided to release the single from Gwendolyn Gordy and “Second Thoughts” was a killer, and the European record companies went crazy.

 Everybody wanted the single and the follow up album. We managed to manufacture and distribute over 50,000 copies of the single before, we released Lee’s second single, entitled “Love And Life,” recorded for our Platinum Sound Records company. In the winter of November 1979, we reversed the names of the company, making D-Town Records the parent company and placing Platinum Sound Productions as the R & D division. 

Kellie Pickler launches new album

Rising country singer Kellie Pickler is releasing her fourth studio album, ‘The Woman I Am’.
A finalist on American Idol’s fifth season and a Dancing With the Stars winner, the artist says she sought inspiration close to home for her album, which includes two songs she co-wrote with her songwriter husband, Kyle Jacobs.
“I just write about life, you know.” she says. “I think that’s what makes country music so special, it’s that behind country songs are stories about people’s lives and what they’ve been through or where they are at or where they hope they are heading. And that’s why people love country music. It’s there to celebrate the good times. It’s there to mourn the sad times. It’s just a consistent friend that’s always there.”
Kylie Pickler had a tough childhood, between a mother who abandoned her and an alcoholic, drug-addicted father. She signed her first record deal at the age of 20.
“You write a song like you write in your journal or your diary. You just put your intimate thoughts and feelings, and you put your soul down on paper. And those journal entries that you write, it’s so easy to turn that into the form of a song. You know, cause you’re writing the lyrics. The lyrics are what you feel,” says the artist.
“The Woman I Am” has earned critical acclaim, with reviews mostly praising Kellie Pickler’s ascent as a country music artist and her celebration of strong women.
The album is out now.

Copyright © 2013 euronews

Seventh Tower

—by Joe Cirilo, September 19, 2013

Seventh Tower

Seventh Tower

Independent

Spanning 18 minutes and boasting the same powerful aggressive edge that made so many hardcore bands famous is the debut EP Seventh Tower from the group of the same name. In the case of hardcore musicians, Seventh Tower finds its place situated nicely in one of the more dynamic corners. Craftily combining gang vocals with face-melting solos and subtle electronica seeping in through the seams, they manage to find a sound they are comfortable with that bodes well with the scene they represent.

The focus of the lyrics trends toward the relatable everyday plights of every individual, and does a fair job of examining them. Though it’s not the most creative theme in the world, there are plenty of variations on the take that make it appear brightly bold in the shadow of larger, more established groups’ work.

While the bass and drums play an integral part in shaping the backdrop with a deep and percussive style providing that big thump in your headphones, they prove a mostly subtle effect underneath dueling guitars and heavy rhythmic progressions that make the music. Between the low end chugging of the rhythm, inventive use of harmonics by the lead and quick cutthroat solos, they bring the release from just another no-nonsense hardcore release to something worth talking about.

Seventh Tower is one of those EPs that just never seems to get old no matter how many times you play it through. Five tracks from “Crown Me King” to “Came This Far,” it would leave even the most critical of tastes wanting more. While it has a few moments where it can feel monotonous, for a debut, it does an impressive job of introducing who the band is and setting the stage for whatever comes next.

Soundation - Free Online Digital Audio Workstation Recording Studio

Soundation Features & Requirements  - Free Online Recording Studio - www.soundation.com
Free signup for DAW

Soundation Studio is a powerful tool for creating music online. The Soundation Studio sequencer contains many of the features otherwise available in expensive desktop applications. The main purpose of Soundation Studio is to bring these features to you through an intuitive, powerful and easy to use interface, anywhere and anytime.
Features
Sequencer
Over 400 Royalty free loops
3 Virtual Synthesizers
Simple
Mono
Super Saw
Virtual Drum Machine
White Noise Instrument
SAM-1 sample player with 5 instruments
Acoustic Piano
House Piano
Rhodes Piano
B3 Organ
Church Organ
Virtual Keyboard for auditioning the virtual instruments
11 Real Time Effects
Filter
Reverb
Delay
Degrader
Phaser
Distortion
Compressor
Equalizer
Limiter
Fakie (side chain compression simulator)
Tremolo
Audio Editing Tools
Trim
Loop
Cut, Copy, Paste
Time Stretching
Pitch Shifting
Volume, Pan, Mute and Solo per Channel
Channel automation for any parameter including effect and instrument parameters
Master Channel
Virtual keybord for auditioning Instruments
Save songs to desktop or account
Audio Recording
Publish songs to Facebook or other website with embeddable widget player
Save as .wav mixdown
Paid Features

With any of the paid account types you get access to additional features.
For more info on account types, check out the Accounts & Pricing page.
Sound sets — Small loop collections that, once purchased, are stored to your account.
AudioLocker — An application that allows you to upload and store sounds from your desktop.
Premium Sound Library — Searchable library containing more than 5,000 loops.
System Requirements

Minimum requirements for running Soundation Studio
Flash Player 10, but latest version (11) is recommended
Browser: Explorer 7, Firefox 3, Safari 4, Google Chrome 7 or better
CPU: 2GHz
Memory: 1 GB
Mac user? Soundation requires an Intel based Mac (the sequencer will not run on PowerPC Macs)
The AudioLocker Application requires Adobe® AIR® 2.0 or better

Soundation Studio in Google+ Hangouts Kicks Off Social Music Creation


Introducing the First Social Remix Contest with Video Collaboration

PowerFX System AB Stockholm/ October 14th, 2013 - After Spotify and SoundCloud another small Swedish music tech company, PowerFX Systems, is hoping to impact the digital music world with their cloud-based music making app Soundation Studio for Google+ Hangouts. Soundation combined with the multi-person video calling feature in Google+ Hangouts allows you to create or remix music with up to nine users in separate geographical locations and video chat together in real-time.

“Digital music making is usually a solitary affair”, states Bil Bryant of Soundation. “You sit in front of your computer and make your music or your remix, but with the Soundation in Hangout combination, a whole new collaborative experience is available. The video element and the potential of engaging anyone with an internet connection really expands the possibilities.”

To kick off this development, Soundation is teaming up with the exciting, new artist and web sensation, Daria Musk, for the first ever social music making remix contest. Daria Musk is one of the most successful artists on Google+, with over 3 million followers and has provided her song “Ghost” for the contest. Participants can login with their Google+ or Soundation account and launch Soundation Studio for Google+ Hangout and invite friends in the Google+ community. Once a remix is complete it is published to a Soundation group where each remix can be listened to and voted on with likes. Daria and dancer Karen Cheng will select the winner from the top ten most voted submissions and they will receive a Meet and Greet with Daria and Karen to explain the remix which will be broadcast via Hangout On Air to YouTube. Karen will make a video of herself dancing to the winner remix and post it on YouTube and Soundation will supply a Chromebook Pixel.

For more information on the #DariaRemix Contest go to soundation.com/dariaremix


About Soundation

Soundation Studio is the most advanced online music making app that comes with 11 real time effects, 8 virtual instruments, automation, imports wav & midi files, recording and includes over 800 royalty free audio clips from the award winning PowerFX sound library. Soundation makes it possible for anyone with an internet connection to make digital music.

Google+ Hangouts is a multi-user instant messaging and video chat service developed by Google within Google+.

Daria Musk is a singer-songwriter, social media savant who uses social media tools to promote herself and others in viral collaborations, campaigns and causes.

Karen X. Cheng is the creator of 'Girl Learns to Dance In A Year' video with over 3 million YouTube videos. Her site giveit100.com encourages and helps others make videos like hers.


Company and Media Contact:
Media Contact:
PowerFX Systems AB
Soundation Studio
Bil Bryant
Tel: +46 8 6609910
email: bil@powerfx.com

Staple Singers - Tell Him What You Want - D-Town Records, circa 1960

Katy Perry's 'PRISM' Shines At No. 1 On Billboard 200

Oct 30, 2013

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SDCOG RADIO ONE

MTV Records Sign Up page for Recording Artists

MTV Records Artist Sign Up Page

http://www.artistlink.com/



By creating an account with ArtistLink, a page is automatically created for you at artists.MTV, VH1 or CMT based on your genre. If a page already exists you have the option to claim that page as your own.

Upload tracks, videos and images through ArtistLink, and add them to your page. You also have the ability to add a custom banner on your page, which you can use to drive traffic to wherever you want.Coming soon you can sell your albums Direct-to-Fan, right on your page.

Lorraine Davies - A Time For Me

Basic Band Info

Band Name:
Lorraine Davies

Album Name:
A Time for Me

Email Address:
lorrainedavies@robmac.org

Website Address:
http://www.lorrainedavies.com

Music Style: Country

Influences: Trisha Yearwood

Personal

First Name :Lorraine
Last Name :Davies
Geographic City: Oshawa
State: ON
Country:Canada
Zip Code: L1G 4N6

Band Description

Lorraine Davies is a Original Female Singer Songwriter and Performer with a unique and powerful voice.

Lorraine Davies is an original singer, songwriter and performer that resides in Ontario, Canada. Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Lorraine now resides in Oshawa, Ontario with her husband Rob. Lorraine has always enjoyed singing, but it was not until she raised and supported her children that she undertook a career in singing. Lorraine has a unique and powerful voice that is suited for most genres. Her first CD, “A Time for Me,” was country, but, she is just as talented in singing Rock, Pop, Alternative and Adult Contemporary and Standards. Lorraine has performed across Ontario and Florida. She performs as a solo act, as well is part of The Too Drunk to Fish Band, and, the duet The Mac's with her husband Rob. Although outstanding in performing her originals, Lorraine is just as entertaining performing covers from many different genres. Lorraine has been the opener for many name acts, as well as the closer for many musical events, and anything in-between. She has performed at fairs, festivals, ribfests, weddings, corporate and special events everywhere. Once you hear Lorraine sing, you will instantly become a fan. Lorraine chose to put family first before taking on her dreams. Now it is her time to shine, and when she sings, she certainly shines. Be sure to give the voice of Lorraine Davies a listen. You won't be sorry you did.

Dr. Philip Lindholm

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

• max volume

00:00

04:34

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Dr. Philip Lindholm is a client we have come to know really well over the years. He has been collaborating with StudioPros since the beginning of our company’s development. If anyone knows how we’ve grown as a production team and what it takes to get your songs recorded online with our team of session musicians, Philip does!
Over the course of the past 6 or so years, Lindholm has collaborated with StudioPros’  on at least 20 projects, ranging from full fledgedmusic productions, custom instrumentation, backing vocals, mixing, mastering and more. He has had success as an independent singer/songwriter having songs licensed for independent movies, as well as releasing recordings independently. Currently, he is the singer/songwriter for the Seattle-based band Whisky N’ Rye.
Lindholm takes a very hands on approach when collaborating with our team, which is why his final product is always something he can be proud of. When doing productions for his projects, we are sending him step by step previews of each instrument we track here at our studio and he takes a very close look at each file before moving to the next instrument in line. He has played a producer role on his projects by adding his own vocals, harmonica, and additional guitars to add to the mix for his own signature sound, and has even tracked with some of his favorite musicians from elsewhere around the globe to customize his sound. We gladly have mixed in additional instrumentation that he’s provided so he can be sure he’s 100% happy with the final product that we provide for his recordings.

Check out Philip Lindholm’s Songs

All I Ask:

(harmonica, vocals, additional guitars provided by Lindholm)
Until The End:

(female backing vocals, vocals, and strings provided by Lindholm)

SP: How was the StudioPros process for you? Was it difficult to work online?

For me, the online process was more natural. I started, like most singer/songwriters, working out of a local studio. It was an historic room with excellent players and a renown engineer, but I didn’t like the results. The process went too fast for me to be deliberate about the production choices I was making. By contrast, working online allows me to walk away for a day or two and think specifically about each of the parts as they are tracked, which is necessary if you know what you want but aren’t spending pre-production time with a band in the rehearsal room before laying it down to tape. I didn’t have a band, and found myself working with session players who had heard the song for the first time that morning.
They were incredibly talented, but I didn’t like what was happening in the room and had difficulty controlling it from the vocal booth. So I went online in search of a recording process that would allow me to have more time and control over how the song developed, making sure that note, every hit, was how I was hearing the song in my head, and not simply the product of what happened in the studio on a particular day.
SP: How did the StudioPros’ production team help you get your songs sounding professional?
My songs sounded professional out of the local studio, but with StudioPros my songs sounded more *intentional *as I could produce them in a way and time that was comfortable for me.
SP: How many songs have you produced with StudioPros?
StudioPros has been a part of more than 20 of my songs in one way or another. My process is such that I track my parts at home, then track the remainder by drawing upon a network of players from around the world – LA, NY, London – but I always return to StudioPros. I’ve worked with tremendous players from around the world, and the cats at SP are every bit as good.
SP: What are you doing with your music? What’s next for you?
World domination! I’ve put together a killer band who have learned the songs and reinterpreted them in their own way for stage. Our first show is on 11/30/13 at the Mix in Seattle (hint: Seattle folks, check it out), and we have three more shows on the books. The plan is to release the record early next year and then tour, hitting clubs and the festival circuit across the U.S.
SP: Who are some of your favorite songwriters and musical influences?
In short, I’m an extremest, loving the thunder of Led Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses alongside the quiet of a Nick Drake or Jose Gonzalez. Most things in between bore me.
SP: What is the inspiration and writing process like for your songs?
I think like most songwriters, I started writing in my teens. It was the only way to vent the extreme frustration and passion and bliss you feel so acutely at that age. Songs, then and now, rarely start from playing an instrument. The songs usually come to me full form, and then I have to figure out how to play them on piano or guitar. And the process was always just for me. Then people started hearing the songs, and liking the song. The devil was in the door…
SP: Do you draw inspiration from your everyday life?
What else is there? It is our daily life that shapes and informs our imaginations. No matter how many books we read or travel shows we watch, we cannot help but live right where we are, for better or worse. Songwriters like Regina Spektor love imagining what it would be like to wear someone else’s shoes, but if you look close: these stories always resemble the writer’s reality most of all.
SP: What do you do for a living?
I should be teaching at a university or consulting for a major firm, at least that’s what everyone else in my doctoral cohort at Oxford seems to be doing now. Instead, I take walks, raise my boy with my lovely wife, and start a new business every couple years. I strive for a quiet life. Maybe one day I’ll get there. I’m a writer and photographer by trade, and am always looking for a quiet moment to exploit through pen or lens.
SP: What is your plan for your final recordings?
I hope people listen and hear the honesty, and the hard work. I wrote these songs for me, but I recorded them to share. If people listen, then it makes all the late nights worth it.
To find out more about Dr. Philip Lindholm and his band Whisky N’ Rye:
Follow Whiskey N’ Rye on Facebook
Follow Whiskey N’ Rye on Twitter
Whisky N’ Rye: http://whiskeynrye.com
Philip Lindholm: http://www.philiplindholm.com

Get YOUR songs produced with StudioPros!

To read more about how to collaborate with StudioPros’ production team:
http://studiopros.com/music-production.php
Take advantage of a Free Project Consultation here:
http://studiopros.com/free-consultation-form.php
Contact one of our available producers today at: 1-310-928-7776 or info@studiopros.com to get started on your projects!

'Oh Sweet Lorraine': A 96-year-old man's love song for his late wife jumps into the iTunes Top 10

By Grady Smith on Aug 28, 2013 at 2:24PM @gradywsmith

 

 

 

Take a quick look at the Top 10 songs on iTunes today, and you’ll see all the usual suspects: Robin Thicke, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Eminem.

But take a second look, and you may notice a short little lullaby called “Oh Sweet Lorraine” that’s currently the ninth most downloaded song in the country. Where’d it come from?

Well, from an unlikely source: Fred Stobaugh, a 96-year-old Illinois man with no previous musical experience, who lost his wife of 73 years, Lorraine, in April. On a whim, the widower entered a songwriting contest that he saw advertised in a local paper with a love song he’d written for his bride.
Green Shoe Studio, the company running the contest, couldn’t accept his handwritten entry (the competition was digital-only), but they were so touched by his story that they decided to produce his song — and a short documentary about it — anyway. That video, which was posted in July, recently went viral, and the exposure has sent “Oh Sweet Lorraine” soaring up the charts.

GET EW ON YOUR TABLET: Subscribe today and get instant access!

“She was just the prettiest girl I ever saw,” Fred says of meeting Lorraine in 1938. “Real timid-like. I just fell in love with her right there.” The couple married in 1940 and had three children and four grandchildren. They would have celebrated their 73rd anniversary in June. “After she passed away, I was just sitting in the front room one evening by myself, and it just came right to me,” he says of his song. “I just kept humming it and singing it. That’s how I came to write it. It just fit her.”

The resulting song is simple, but that’s the beauty of it. “Oh sweet Lorraine,” the chorus begins, “I wish we could do all the good times over again.” The song continues, “Life only goes around once, but never again.” It’s heartbreaking, it’s beautiful, and it will make you cry. See for yourself in the clip below:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KDi4hBWsvkY

Star Wars Episode VII: Carrie Fisher Confirms Role as Princess Leia

March 17, 2013 | Alisia C. 

 

In a recent interview with Palm Beach Illustrated, Carrie Fisher has confirmed that she'll be reprising her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars Episode VII, to be directed by J.J. Abrams and released some time in 2015.

Although Fisher didn't say much about her Princess Leia role, she did crack a few jokes. When asked what Princess Leia is like today, she responded, "Elderly. She's in an intergalactic old folks' home." When asked if Leia still wears her signature bagel buns hairstyle, Fisher quipped, "The bagel buns and the bikini, because she probably has sundowners syndrome. At sundown, she thinks that she's 20-something. And she puts it on and gets institutionalized."

Although  Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford haven't yet committed to reprising their roles, Mark Hamill did express to Entertainment Weekly that he had lunch with George Lucas to discuss it. Rumor has it that the original cast will be on board for Star Wars Episode VII, but so far the only formal commitment has come from Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher.

In her recent interview, Fisher goes on to discuss her personal life, offering anecdotes about her altruistic attitude and battle with addictions. Fisher has been open about her struggle with drug dependency and sobriety, often offering biting commentary and wit in the form of screenplays and novels.

Editor's Note: Since the publication of this article, George Lucas has formally confirmed that Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford have signed on to reprise their roles in the upcoming film.  
Photo: moviehole.net

Mix Music Before Online Radio

Online Radio

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By Michele Kadison


Adult Contemporary music, also called AC, mix music online, or The Mix, is a category of mainstream music geared towards 25 to 54 year olds. The Mix is generally divided into three categories that satisfy sub-groups within this demographic: Soft (or lite) AC, Hot AC, and Urban AC. Individual tracks in streaming music “club mix” radio stations, for example, often overlap between categories, but on-the-air radio as well as Satellite radio stations, cater to each of these four categories, sometimes with overlaps as musical tastes evolve and as artists begin to cross over into multiple formats.

Before Mix Music Online: The Early Days

In the early days of radio, the top 40 was played on AM stations, regardless of what type of music it was, be it ballads, R&B, or more rock oriented styles. In the 1970s music began to become divided according to demographic groups and their preferences. Specialized radio stations began cropping up, playing music specific to various genres. As music and the listening demographic became more diverse, radio programmers had to find creative ways to classify sounds which appealed to maturing age groups. As listeners began to get older and evolve toward the mix music online listeners of todya, their tastes changed, gearing more towards vocal-based music from the 1960s and on. Adult Contemporary music was born out of this need to create a pocket for people looking for softer, less demanding sounds.

The FM dial was the first place to introduce “beautiful” music, which was also called “easy listening.” The FM stations featured popular vocal-based hits from the 60s as well as more current ballads. In 1961, Billboard published an Adult Contemporary music chart, which in 1979 became just plain Adult Contemporary. As the genre evolved, rhythmic dance tracks and teen pop were added, but still maintaining a mainstream feel that stayed away from hard rock, alternative, and hip hop.

The Mix: AC Evolution

After MTV made its debut, Vh3 was born as an Adult Contemporary version of its big brother. During the mid 80s you could see artists on Vh3 that fit into the AC category, which made it very inviting 30 to 40 year olds who did not feel as comfortable with the MTV format. Videos by Alanis Morissette, Hootie & the Blowfish, Melissa Etheridge, Ace of Base were in relatively heavy rotation, rivaling some of the harder rock videos seen on MTV. Eventually, mainstream AC music became infiltrated by artists with strong video exposure like Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Whitney Houston, and Tears for Fears. Additionally there began to be a profusion of artists who crossed over from one genre to another, helping to create what is called The Mix.

The Mix: Adult Contemporary Breakdown

Soft AC

Born in the 1970s and evolving through the 80s, this has been the longest running AC format, and is still popular today. A combination of middle-of-the-road (MOR), easy listening, and soft rock, its appeal is to an older demographic of listeners in mix music online.
Soft AC generally keeps songs in rotation for many years as there is limited listener pressure to expand the format. Lately newer guitar-driven sounds have been added to the classics to create a more diverse mix without compromising Soft AC standards. Some of the artists include Avril Lavigne, 2 Doors Down, The Fray, Hinder, and Fall Out Boy. Added to this are musicians who are considered “cross over”, which includes country artists such as Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flats, and Darius Rucker who are all finding success on both charts.

Hot AC

Hot AC is another area where the balance of music includes sounds from the early 60s to today’s mainstream hits. It seems that each Hot AC station has its own formula for determining format, where some stations include more classics than new mix music online, or visa versa. Today the format can often be harder to define as more and more music falls into “cross over” categories. Still, certain genres remain outside Hot AC programming such as Alternative, which is too far from the taste of mainstream listeners.

Since the 2000s however, Hot AC stations have added R&B as well as hip hop to their play lists. Artists like Akon, Amy Winehouse, Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Ne-Yo, and the Pussycat Dolls are heard on many of the Hot AC stations, as well as some conventional hard rock bands such as the Goo Goo Dolls, Bon Jovi, and Aerosmith. Dance music artists like Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, Paula Abdul, and Madonna are also part of the mix. Slowly Hot AC is stretching its boundaries by introducing bands like Linkin Park, Third Eye Blind, Pink, and Red Hot Chili Peppers if programmers feel that local listeners are receptive.

Mix Music Online: The Current Phenomenon

The modern Adult Contemporary format is currently in a state of flux as it competes with many top 40 stations. Some AC stations are dropping soft artists in favor of harder sounds. Artists like Daughtry, Nickelback, and Kelly Clarkson are staples on mainstream AC stations, as well as ballad singers like as Josh Groban and Nick Lachey. Because of changing demographics, which alter the standards for an adult format as people age, additional categories are forming to embrace changing tastes. Streaming music “club” mix tracks also create shifts as remixes give a new energy or dimension to old favorites.
Mainstream Adult Contemporary is a format that often gets the highest ratings with listeners aged 24 to 54. Urban and rhythmic AC is geared towards adult African American audiences, where airplay favors R&B, soul, and some hip hop artists. Musicians like Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Sade, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, and Des’ree are popular in this format among mix music online listeners. Rhythmic AC or “MOViN” features dance music, remixes, R&B, and early hip hop and caters to African American, Hispanic, and white audiences. Here everything from soul and R&B hits featured during the 60s through the 90s, including the Motown sound and disco are in rotation.

A final AC category has emerged in the past years called Quiet Storm. Usually this format is heard from early evening until late at night and features Urban and Soft AC sounds. Whitney Houston, Angela Bofill, Toni Braxton, En Vogue, Johnny Gill, Anita Baker, and Howard Hewett are good examples of artists that fit into this pocket, appealing to an adult demographic of all ethnicities.

Radio programming, whether it is on-air or via satellite, will always be searching for better ways to satisfy listeners’ tastes and expectations. Programming will continue to eliminate and add artists as their popularity ebbs and flows. The one sure thing is that listeners are constantly aging, which creates a constant demand for music that falls in the Adult Contemporary category, whatever songs the format — and any mix music online radio — embraces in the future.

Lou Reed on Liver Transplant: 'I Am a Triumph of Modern Medicine'

Lou Reed says he's feeling better after undergoing a serious liver transplant procedure last month. 

"I am a triumph of modern medicine, physics and chemistry," he wrote on his Facebook page. "I am bigger and stronger than stronger than ever. My Chen Taiji and health regimen has served me well all of these years, thanks to Master Ren Guang-yi."

The wife of the 71-year-old ex-Velvet Underground frontman, Laurie Anderson, had recently revealed that her husband underwent a liver transplant in Cleveland, Ohio last month.  

"It's as serious as it gets," she told the U.K.'s Times of London paper. "He was dying. You don't get it for fun."

The 'Transformer' rocker had cancelled his appearances as the Coachella Music Festival in April this year. But it appears he's planning on getting back to work soon enough. 

"I look forward to being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with your hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future," the artist concluded in his Saturday note. 

In addition to his mention of the Tai Chi Chuan practitioner in his Facebook post, Reed also has written and performed original music for Master Ren Guang-yi's DVD, 'Power and Serenity'.