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lion albums, played over a thousand
shows, won numerous awards and,
more importantly, touched, healed
or changed the lives of millions
of fans. And, the result has garnered
rave reviews internationally.
To check in with the intriguing diva,
you can go to http://toriamos.com or
visit http://facebook.com/toriamos.
• Snoop Lion has inked a deal
via his newly established production
company, Berhane Sound
System, with RCA Records to
release Reincarnated, the reggae
and dancehall influenced album
executive produced by Diplo and
the Major Lazer Production Team.
The album is slated for a Spring
2013 release in conjunction with
Vice Music and Mad Decent. The
recording process in Jamaica was
documented in the film of the same
name, which was officially selected
by the critically acclaimed Toronto
International Film Festival. Check
out tracks at http://snooplion.com.
PROPS
• Hard Rock International and
superstar group U2 have collaborated
in support of Amnesty
International, a global movement
dedicated to ending grave abuses
of human rights across the globe.
To raise awareness and funds,
U2 teamed with Hard Rock and
launched the U2 Signature Series:
Edition 30 T-Shirt. The limited edition
T-shirt was launched at select
Hard Rock Cafe locations in New
York, London and Dublin to coincide
with International Human Rights
Day. It is available online at http://
hardrock.com and will be at local
cafe Rock Shops worldwide in February.
Hard Rock is donating 15 percent
of the retail price to Amnesty
Intentional.
• Anthrax’s stunning comeback
continues with a surprise Grammy
nomination. The surprise isn’t that
Anthrax’s “I’m Alive” received
a Grammy nomination for “Best
Rock/Metal Performance;” the
surprise is that it comes more than
a year after the track’s September
13, 2011 release on the band’s critical
smash, Worship Music, which
was named one of the best metal
albums of 2011 by numerous media
outlets. Fans waited eight long years
for the band’s first studio album
since 2003’s We’ve Come For You
All that features the return of “classic
era” vocalist Joey Belladonna
making his first Anthrax album
in 20 years. Drummer Charlie
Benante revealed, “I had lost all
hope of ever being nominated for
another Grammy, but I guess I was
wrong.” For more news, go to http://
anthrax.com.
• Singer-songwriter Charlie Scopoletti
has endured a lifetime of
challenges, beating back cancer
twice, overcoming physical adversity
(a collapsed lung and a horribly broken
leg) and more. But rather than
be undone by his battles they’ve
inspired him, and the result is a soulful
pop-rock collection, Truth, which
he defines as “perspective music.”
On March 7, Scopoletti will give
something back to his hometown
of Port Chester, NY, headlining a
benefit at the new Capitol Theatre.
As a kid growing up in Westchester
County, Scopoletti recalls, The
Capitol “was my Madison Square
Garden…I passed it every day,
hoping that one day I would perform
there. Dreams do come true.” To
find out more about this inspiring
artist, visit http://csband.com.
THE BIZ
• Music industry veteran, Arthur
Fogel has signed a long-term
extension with Live Nation Entertainment.
In a storied music career
that spans three decades, Fogel
has been involved with promoting
or producing 11 of the top 15 tours
in history, including U2’s 360 Tour
(2009-2011), which is the single
most successful tour ever, with over
7 million tickets sold. He produced
Madonna’s last five tours, including
the most recent MDNA recognized
as the top tour of 2012. Fogel is
currently producing/promoting Lady
DIY Spotlight:
—BERNARD BAUR
Marina V
Marina V is a DIY darling who has residency at the Hollywood Hard
nurtured an incredibly devoted fan Rock Café.
base. So much so, her fans are willing
to do anything for her, including
booking shows and financing her
recordings.
In fact, fans have financed all of her
recordings via multi-tiered marketing
plans. Indeed, two years ago she
raised over $30,000 from fan donations
alone.
V also created an amazing array of
merchandise, from CDs and posters
to handwritten lyric sheets, sheet
music and Russian artifacts from her
homeland.
But, this artist doesn’t only rely on
innovative marketing schemes. She’s
also a serious performer. Marina has
toured with Howard Jones, opened
for Ben Harper, and played over
600 international shows at: NAMM,
NACA, SXSW, the Kodak Theatre,
the Nokia Theatre, the US Embassy
in Moscow, the Russian Embassy in
Washington, D.C. and a two-month
And all that work paid off… She
received an award from Sir Bob
Geldof for the “International Awards
Project” and was flown to London to
perform. She also performed live on
Good Morning Arizona, NBC LA,
KUSI San Diego, and others. Many
of her songs have been featured in
documentaries, films and TV shows,
such as Days of Our Lives, The Good
Wife, the Oprah Winfrey Network
(OWN), and National Geographic’s
Amish: Out of Order. She even wrote
and produced a song for a major
Pepsi campaign.
Last month Marina was invited to be
the debut act for Hellophonic’s social
entertainment platform, and is currently
working on her latest recording
Inner Superhero, while her music
video “Run” is in rotation in over
8,500 retail outlets across the US.
To find out more, go to http://
MarinaV.com.
Have a successful DIY strategy to share? Email bbatmc@aol.com.
WHITE HAS BEST SELLING VINYL OF 2012
Third Man Records, in
conjunction with Columbia
Records, has announced that
Jack White’s Blunderbuss
was the biggest selling vinyl
album of 2012 according to
Nielsen Soundscan’s vinyl
charts with over 33,000 copies
sold. Knocking the Beatles’
Abbey Road off the top spot (a
position it held the previous
three years), Blunderbuss
sales are the highest for a new
album since Soundscan began
tracking vinyl in 2008. White is
currently nominated for three
Grammys in connection with
Blunderbuss, including “Album
of the Year.” For additional
details and the latest news, go
to http://thirdmanrecords.com.
Gaga’s world tour, Born this Way
Ball, and he produced and promoted
Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball
tour, the highest grossing debut tour
in history. “We are delighted that
Arthur has decided to continue his
illustrious career at Live Nation,”
said Michael Rapino, president and
CEO of Live Nation. “And, we look
forward to continuing to expand our
global touring activity under his leadership.”
In other company news, Irving
Azoff has stepped down at Live
Nation. After just two years at the
helm, Azoff has officially announced
his departure from the company.
According to an official statement
from Live Nation (curiously
issued to a half-drunken industry on
Dec. 31): “Chairman Azoff is resigning
from the Live Nation Board of
Directors and as an employee.”
In response, Azoff issued the following
statement: “After successfully
overseeing the integration of
Live Nation and Ticketmaster, my
job here is done. I’m now looking
forward to returning to the entrepreneurial
world.”
• Award-winning event producer
Gary Bowman has launched
Nashville Live!, a full-service live
entertainment event company. Visit
http://nashville-live.com.
MICRO-BIO: Voted one of the
“Top Music Business Journalists”
in the country, Bernard Baur is the
connection between the streets and
the suites. Credited with over 1,200
features in a variety of publications,
he’s a Contributing Editor at Music
Connection.
24 February 2013 www.musicconnection.com