#BadHabits out now https://smarturl.it/xBadHabitsx

www.usherworld.com

Detroit's News Station with Great Music on the Weekend.

WDET is a community nonprofit institution, actively involved in the life of metro Detroit. The station is the area’s most active promoter of the area’s music and is today one of the few remaining providers of local news. In addition, WDET’s national and international programming offers the best in news, music, opinion and entertainment.

Metal Blade Records history by Dan Slessor:
Founded upon owner Brian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalogue, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it strides into its fourth decade.

What perhaps makes this achievement all the more notable is the fact that Slagel never even intended to start a label. Working in an LA record store and writing for various publications, Slagel was acutely aware that many great bands in the local metal scene were being ignored, and he decided to release a compilation of tracks drawn from these ranks. "There were a lot of really good bands and I was just bummed out that nobody could hear them. It just seemed like I could help them out and have some fun at the same time, and that compilation was the first Metal Massacre," he states. Collating tracks from then unknown bands including Ratt, Bitch, Cirith Ungol, and Metallica amongst others, the compilation sold out immediately. "How important is Metal Blade to our career? They're only the reason we are enjoying the worldwide success we have today," states Metallica's James Hetfield. "Without Brian's openness to some raunchy teens with a crap sounding cassette tape we would be who knows where, and playing who knows what!" With the popularity of the tape spurring Slagel on, the first seeds of Metal Blade were sown. "After the success of those compilations I just started putting out records of bands that I was friends with, but without ever really intending it to be a label at all," he explains. "After I put out four or five releases I started to feel like something was happening, and I decided to quit the record store and quit college and see where it went."

Battling through the first few lean years, when the label consisted solely of Slagel working out of his mom's poorly ventilated garage in the San Fernando Valley, it gradually grew in both revenue and stature. Within a few years Metal Blade would go on to release the debuts of Slayer, Armored Saint, Trouble, and Corrosion Of Conformity amongst others, fanning the flames of the burgeoning metal scene and launching careers of bands that would go onto reap global success. "Without Metal Blade, there is a damn good chance we never would've made it out of L.A," says Slayer's Kerry King. "That was the one bit of luck we needed. You can be the most awesome band on the scene, and if no one notices you, you don't catch on. And Brian Slagel is still one of the biggest metalheads I know!" This genuine love and devotion to metal is central to the relationship many of the artists have with Metal Blade, and King Diamond credits much of its relevance and strength to this passion. "I refer to it as having 'boots on the ground'," the mighty Dane states. "It's not like a major label where some people might be into what you're doing but a lot of them just see it as a job – there's a genuine love for metal there. Through staying true to that and doing their own thing they've carved out a very specific niche that they control, and as an artist it's wonderful to be a part of that."over the years. Clearly without those people we couldn't do what we do, and to everyone out there who has helped us along by being a fan we are so very grateful to you."

Read more: http://www.metalblade.com/us/about-us/

Comedians Chris Spencer, Al Madrigal and Maz Jobrani all have kids. They also have wonderful wives, friends and neighbors who sometimes drive them to the brink of insanity. If it matters, none of them own a minivan - which doesn’t mean they don’t necessarily want one. Enjoy.

To honor Studs Terkel & his legacy, we are sharing stories about Working Now through a SoundCloud Fellowship demonstration project.

RSS link: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/22214123-workingnow/tracks

Stream debut Album "No Hard feelings": https://lnk.to/SchwarzDontCrack_NoHardFeelings

https://www.facebook.com/schwarzdontcrack
https://twitter.com/schwarzdcrack
https://www.youtube.com/user/SchwarzDontCrack

Booking: assistant_mgmt_hh@nettwerk.com

Management: Neverland Music / Martin Schuhmacher
martin@nettwerk.com

Label:
Nettwerk Music

Biography:

“It starts with a sound…”

In Berlin’s ever-mutating musical landscape, musical pleasures emerge and dissolve like the effervescent love of a summer fling. Yet two men have found a synthesis of sound formed from the perpetual electronic obsession of the German capital and the rich tapestry of American R&B. These are the keywords of Schwarz Don’t Crack, the shared aural linguistics of Ahmad Larnes and Sebastian Kreis.

Following his move from New York City, Larnes soon met Kreis and found in him a kindred spirit who had also fled his own region of southern Germany in favor of Berlin’s more progressive dreamscape. The two debuted as Schwarz Don’t Crack in 2011—a year when the dividing lines between genres was beginning to blur more than ever—and they quickly found an audience eager to bask in the jeweled sweat of Larne’s soulful lyrics and Kreis’ liquid bass beats. After debuting their single “Charade” on Kitsuné Records in 2013, the two have since divided their time touring and working on a new EP and a full-length album. 

“…the things I feel the most…”

Simplicity is a cornerstone of Schwarz Don’t Crack’s ethos, a driving force that has shaped both their releases and live performances into something fierce and immediate. Their signature sound is rich with pop hooks and melodies that never skirt too far into mainstream territory, backed with luscious beats that combine the entrancing snare of a well-produced and intriguing sound palette without distracting from the thrust of club propulsion. 

The duo’s first self-titled EP balances this combination effortlessly. Dance floor-ready cut “Little Pieces” showcases Larne’s powerful vocals while Kreis works in elements of liquid bass over the wooden snap of dissected UK garage snares and a breathy, gasping kick that summons succubal desires into the feet and loins of anyone listening. Smooth red velvet audio comes in the form of “Lay You Down”, evocative of Hot 97-flavored summers gone by. While the subject matter behind their lyrics—tales of love, betrayal and pain—is universal, there’s an intimacy in their music as well a deft production hand that makes each piece feel as intimate as though it was being sung straight into your ear.

“…and it takes your breath away.”

With each new sonic exploration into inspirations new and old, Schwarz Don’t Crack flex their musical muscles to become something stronger—unmistakably classic on several levels, yet firmly in the Now and always beautifully surprising. If your musical world has become too predictable, let them take your hand and lead you to the chance floor.

Press contacts:
Patricia Nigiani / Nettwerk Music Group
ph: +49 40 431 900 18
f: +49 40 431 846 51
e-mail: patricia@nettwerk.com


Management:
yeoram@martinsolveig.com
ludivine@martinsolveig.com
Music Curator:
mika@kopg.co.uk 


Booking:
US - paul@amonly.com
Europe & Asia - cris.hearn@codaagency.com

PR:
martinsolveig.team@listen-up.biz

No one could have imagined at that time what to expect - like Xavier de Maistre himself, when he decided to change the face of the harp 16 years ago. Today he plays pieces like "Moldau" by Smetana in breathtaking precision and presents masterful pieces of music that are usually played by an entire orchestra.

Meanwhile, a worldwide audience listens to his virtuosity and enjoys the unprecedented sounds. Pieces, that no harpist played before, or even thought about - like the Haydn piano concertos. Not only that makes him one of the most extraordinary musicians, even masters of this time.

Xavier de Maistre began to study harp with 9 years. Like many other famous musicians, all started with love - but in this case not as expected the love to his harp. It was rather the love for his former teacher, who offered extra harp lessons. Early, it turned out that Xavier has a great talent and no wonder he started with 25 years to play for the Vienna Philharmonic. Before that he played 3 years for the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and in 1998 Xavier won the first prize of the "USA International Harp Competition“, the major harp competitions in the world. But since Xavier´s family is not from a traditional harp-playing dynasty they put great importance to a solid education. So Xavier started his study of politics at the „Institut des Sciences Politiques“ in Paris and spent 1 year in London at the „London School of Economics ", when he finally decided to prefer music to the political studies. For a musician, he achieved very early what all harpists dream of – a position in one of the best orchestras in the world, the Vienna Philharmonic.

However Xavier de Maistre was about to go on. To see this point as the highlight of the career, which would definitely be a great honor for most of the harpists, and aslo for Xavier, but it was also a kind of sad moment. He achieved the ultimate goal of a harpist at age 25. Through his countless appearances and his keen ambition he has always wants to refute the long-existing bias of the harp - played in the background by angel-like women. Thanks to his his quick anticipation, intelligence and tremendous skill, he has played many pieces as a soloist with the harp and delighted thousands of listeners. Finally, he succeeds to establish the harp as an independent instrument. During his career, many great conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Andre Previn, and Daniele Gatti became curious on him and his passion and asked him to play with them. A long series of concerts follows, convincing the audience that Xavier de Maistre is undoubtedly the master of his instrument. Not for nothing, beside famous conductors, also the most successful singers like Barbara Bonney, Kathleen Battle and Diana Damrau played with him. Likewise, of course, the long list of world-renowned opera houses which he had already visited: Theatre des Champs Elysees Paris, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Musikverein Vienna, Tokyo Opera City, Lincoln Center New York, Salzburg Festival, La Scala Milan and many others.

No wonder, Xavier´s enthusiasm and his gift to play will not put an end to this success story. Awarded with the Echo Klassik Award 2009 for his album "Nuit d'Etoiles" as "Instrumentalist of the Year" (Sony Music) he reaps the fruits of his labor.

For more than 9 years Xavier de Maistre is working as a professor at the Musikhochschule Hamburg and now also teaches at the Julliard School in New York, at the Toho University in Tokyo and in London at Trinity College. After 11 years with the Vienna Philharmonic Xavier leaves his position in order to devote himself to his international solo career - a step that no harpist has done before.

Dwayne Camera-ready Baker is following