こんにちは、Grady Tyreeです。この8年間、PlayNetworkのレーベルリレーションズ／調達管理部門で働いています。この部門は音楽スーパーバイザーのチームにライブラリーに追加される新しいアーティストやレーベルの優先事項を知らせる役目を担っています。

毎週、膨大な数の楽曲を整理していると、必ずしもチャートや音楽配信プラットフォームのトッププレイリストに載っていないアーティストの楽曲を発見する機会が多々あります。最近、新しい音楽や新しいアーティストや新しいサウンドを探すことの重要性が強調されている記事を読みました。そこで2021年に私が注目している4組のアーティストをご紹介しましょう。

OPEN THIS MONTH’S PLAYLIST IN YOUR BROWSER >

Artist: Aaron Frazer

Track: Can’t Leave It Alone

Twitter: @AaronFrazer_

Aaron Frazerを初めて目にしたのは、2019年4月にDurand Jones & The Indicationsのドラマー／シンガーとして出演していたときでした。まだその時点ではこれから起こることは全く予期していませんでしたが、2021年1月の第1週、アーロンはDan Auerbachのプロデュースによる60年代ソウルを想起させるデビュー・アルバム『Introducing…』をDead Oceansからリリースしました。”Can’t Leave It Alone “は、この素晴らしいデビュー作を象徴した１曲です。

Artist: Kirby & D Smoke

Track: Superpowers

Twitter: @singkirbysing

2020年1月のデビューアルバム『Sis.』に収録された「Kool Aid」を聴いて以来、正直 私はKirbyに夢中です。Kirbyの名はあまり知られてないかもしれませんが、これまで「Break Your Heart Right Back」（Ariana Grande）、「Only One」（Kanye & Paul McCartney）、「Don’t Walk Away」（John Legend）、「Die With You」（Beyonce）などの楽曲に関わってきた彼女の名前は目に焼き付けておくべきです。”Superpowers “は2020年11月にリリースされた楽曲。

Artist: Squid

Track: Narrator

Twitter: @squidbanduk

Squidは2021年新人の中でもお気に入りのバンドです。イギリスのブライトン出身のこの5人組は待望のデビュー・アルバム『Bright Green Field』をリリースしましたが、願わくば近日中のライブを願ってます！「Houseplants」（2019年）、「Sludge」（2020年）、そして今回の「Narrator」と、バンドが2019年から投下してきた一連のシングルは、Black Midi、IDLES、Black Country、New Road、Porridge Radioなどのアーティストとの関連性を見せると同時に、ギターを駆使したポストパンクの新たなる脈絡を大衆に取り戻すことに成功しました。2021年のSXSWでのビデオクリップを見て、彼らのライブを見るのが本当に待ち遠しくなりました！

Artist: Vargas & Lagola

Track: Sweet Escape

Twitter: @vargasandlagola

Vargas & Lagolaは、スウェーデン出身のVincent PontareとSalem Al Fakirによるデュオで、Avicii、David Guetta、Galantis、Madonna、Seinabo Seyなどの大物アーティストとアーティストと関わってきました。「Sweet Escape」では、VincentとSalemが、Kevin ParkerとTame Impalaに通ずるサウンドを表現しています。この曲を聴いた直後に、仲間のミュージック・スーパーバイザーにシェアしてしまったほどの衝撃でした。今年2月にリリースされたアルバム「Mount Alda」もぜひ聴いてみてください。

In today’s experience-driven landscape, audiovisual systems are key to helping brands create exciting environments that engage customers, increasing the amount of time they spend in-location. How do you ensure that your system installations are being properly specified, are standardized for consistency, and optimized for performance, value, and longevity? 

Get a tailored solution for your needs A unique system design should be developed for every location, taking the venue size, layout, materials/finishes, and budget into consideration, as well as your desired performance expectations and functionality requirements. We often see systems sold to brands that aren’t in alignment with the experience they are looking to create or have not been optimized for their specific locations. All aspects of a  properly designed system should work together as a truly integrated solution.   Simplify the procurement process Sourcing the right equipment for an audiovisual system install can be difficult, especially when supply chain disruptions arise. Getting equipment to the right places on time adds even more complexity. Look for partners who have strong, direct relationships with […]

ヒップホップの世界的なトレンドを牽引しているのがアメリカであるということは、誰もが認めるところだが、2020年に特筆すべきトレンドは有名男性アーティストに頼らない独立した女性アーティストたちがスターとしての活躍を見せたことだろう。

もしかすると（または願わくば）女性蔑視の文化が後退してきたのかもしれない。また、彼女たちの才能が否定できないほど素晴らしかったのかもしれない。音楽業界全体が、より公平なやり方で表現をする時代が来たと判断したのかもしれない。あるいは、Lil KimやMissy Elliottのような革新的なアーティストが再評価されるようになったのかもしれない。

いずれにせよ、現在の米ラップ界を席巻しているのはCardi BとMegan Thee Stallionだ。さらに2020年はCity GirlsやFlo Milliらの大躍進があり、2021年はTierra WhackやBabyxsosaらの新進気鋭アーティストの新作が期待されている。

本記事では世界中で注目されているラップ界の女性たちを紹介しよう。  

今月の音楽プレイリストを開く >

日本 日本語／韓国語／英語の3ヶ国語を操る ちゃんみな の活躍の場は、2021年には全世界へと広がることになるだろう。2020年にリリースされたEP「Angel」は、Jhene AikoやAriana Grandeのような官能的ポップソングさはあるものの、彼女自身の独特なクールな雰囲気を放っている。さらに「Very Nice to Meet You 」ではよりレイドバックな側面も見せている。   Rachel WatashigaとMamiko Suzukiによる女性デュオChelmicoはヒップホップの王道を歩んでいるようだ。伝統を重んじる彼女たちだが、M-Floとのコラボレーション曲「Run Always」ではEDMへのアプローチといった新たな音楽への挑戦も見せてくれる。  

イギリス サウスイーストロンドン出身のEnnyは、J. Coleの歌詞やMissy Elliotのダンスにインスパイアされラップを始めたが、次第にダンスよりも楽曲制作に惹かれていったようだ。「Peng Black Girls 」はイギリスでマイナーヒットした曲で、黒人のエンパワーメントを訴えた楽曲となっている。   サウスロンドンを拠点にするナイジェリア系イギリス人のShayboのラップは、ラフでありながらタフ。そのアグレッシブなスタイルはバラエティに富んでおり、アフロビートからの影響が大きいミニマルな トラック「Dobale」の完成度はズバ抜けている。  

ナイジェリア 絶好調のベテランラッパーPhlowが、気ままにスタジオ録音したEPがこの「Marmalade」。「Cheque」は彼女の魅力を持て余すことなく見せており、そのダンサンブルなサウンドは彼女自身のラップの血統を証明している。これぞクイーンのヴァイヴ。   この数年シーンから離れていたもう一人のベテランラッパーEva Alordiahは、この「Friend Or Foe」でトップに返り咲いた。Kendrick Lamarにインスパイアされた彼女のフロウからは目が離せない。  

ブラジル 服飾デザイナーでもあるTássia Reisは新進気鋭ラッパーであり、エモーショナルなR&Bでクラブ受けもする「Dollar Euro 」のようなトラックを得意としている。   Clara Limaはまさにラップをするために生まれてきたような女性。現在のヒップホップで失われかけているバトルラップの出身だが、楽曲制作にも長けている。「Amarok」では自己のスタイルをトーンダウンしているようにも聞こえるが、エッジを効かせることも忘れてはいない。

A Message to Our Customers from CEO Ross Honey:

Like all of you, we have spent the last several weeks tracking the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how it is impacting our world. For Octave Group, that means understanding how it affects our employees, customers and communities, and then making the necessary adjustments to our work and operations.

To that end we have two goals. First and foremost, our priority is to keep our employees, customers and the communities we operate in safe. This has been at the center of our planning and actions every step of the way.

Our second goal is to continue to deliver a high quality of service and maintain smooth operations while adapting the way we work. With these goals in mind, we have made several changes in our operations in response to the threat of the coronavirus.

We have eliminated all non-essential business travel and enforced a work from home program for almost all employees to do what we can to help prevent the spread of […]

The best season of the year is finally here! Despite what many people think, the weather in Seattle isn’t mild year-round (it doesn’t rain 365 days a year), and we actually do have a summer season–with weather in the high 80’s and even low 90’s! Those “highs” are laughable to most but once you are acclimatized, the struggle is real. So when it gets back down to the 60’s it’s a beautiful thing. Especially if you love the overcast days. Blake Kirpes has picked four tracks that he’ll be spinning though what he considers to be the best season of the year, fall.

Artist: Amber Coffman

Twitter: @Amber_Coffman

Track: All To Myself

I’m absolutely loving the brand new single from Amber Coffman (of Dirty Projectors). It’s hands down my favorite song at the moment. This is her first single from her upcoming album on Columbia Records called City Of No Reply.

Artist: Angel Olsen

Twitter: @AngelOlsen

Track: Never Be Mine

The new Angel Olsen […]

SXSW Interactive 2014 | Wearables, privacy, security hawks

Welcome to review 2 of 10 for the top albums of 2013.  Stayed tuned for another tomorrow!

Artist: Palms

Album: Palms

Label: Ipecac Recording

http://palmsband.com/music

I could easily write about each album on my Top 10, but I’m gonna single out my #4 entry because I think it might have been lost on most of the general public for whatever reason, and I want to let people know just what they’re missing out on. Palms is a side project featuring Chino Moreno (Deftones) and three members of the now defunct post-rock behemoth, Isis – bassist Jeff Caxide, guitarist Bryant Clifford Meyer and drummer Aaron Harris. Combining the luscious musical landscapes sculpted by Caxide, Meyer and Harris with the dynamic vocal abilities of Chino, one would assume the music to be equal parts Isis and Deftones – but therein lies the beauty of this record, it sounds nothing like either! This self-titled debut is more ambient driven shoegaze than straight up post-rock heaviness that most expected when this […]

It’s a milestone day at PlayNetwork. We’re excited to announce the launch of our redesigned website, www.playnetwork.com.

During this project we focused on illustrating how our music, digital media, and original content experiences have helped brands tell transmedia stories that connect with customers across channels.

In an age when the ability to drive brand affinity and loyalty through advertising has peaked, brands must find new ways to engage customers and evolve their marketing methods to connect with them outside of transactions. Storytelling through all touch points – in-store, on device, through the web, at event – must integrate and stir emotion with everyone who consumes the content. Win hearts before you win wallets.

Since we focus on helping brands engage with customers through dynamic content experiences we wanted our website to embody that same idea. Watch videos on each of our services, see some work we’ve done for top brands, learn about the people who make Play, search for jobs and more.

We’d love your feedback! Tell us what […]

We round out the month of January with the final 20 artists from our top 40 Albums of 2012 Music Supervision team. Stay tuned through 2013 to more great music coming our way! 

An added bonus for you audiophiles: we’ve built an exclusive channel on our web radio player featuring all of artists on our Top 40 list. Click the image below to enjoy!

Cuban-born Alex Cuba is one of those rare singer-songwriters who sings both in English and in Spanish.  Having spent his youth in Artemisa, which was formally part of La Habana Province in Cuba, he started to play the guitar at the tender age of six under the tutelage of his father with a mix of Jazz fusion style and Cuban Soul.  In 1999 he moved to Canada and began making a name for himself playing alongside his twin brother in the duo The Puente’s Brothers while receiving his first acclaim with a Juno nomination.  This of course was the first of many more accolades to follow.

After going solo for the first time in 2004 with his brother helping out in songwriting duties he released his debut record “Humo de Tabaco” (Tabaco Smoke) that included local Canadian Ron Sexsmith as a collaborator.  With their song “Lo Mismo Que Yo” reaching #52 in the UK Singles Chart.  Having since released 3 more records while winning two Juno Awards for “Humo de […]

Brent Knopf has accrued a lot of overtime at his job. At least from my point of view… I’m thinking about how many hours a week I spend at the office (I’m paid hourly, they cap me at 40). So when I consider doubling my workweek, besides feeling exhausted, I feel amazed to hear Knopf assert in a recent OregonLive article that he spends 80 hours a week or more working on band projects. Even for a prolific and devoted artist, that level of involvement and intense dedication has the potential to result in a serious case of burnout. Apparently not so for Knopf. As one-third of Portland based Menomena, several years ago he decided to branch out with Ramona Falls (because one band is just never enough), a new side project he named after a waterfall near Mt. Hood. Now releasing their second album Prophet, the band is nearing the end of this summer’s West Coast run and will be hitting the road again soon after for […]

Although today’s PlayLive guests, the French Indie Electro-Rock duo Housse de Racket were born and raised over 5000 thousand miles from our PlayLive stage, in a suburb of Chaville (France), the band member’s Pierre Leroux and Victor Le Masne developed and initial friendship over a T-shirt with Seattle ties.  Back in the 90’s the two teens who had previously snubbed each other in passing, sparked up a conversation when a Pearl Jam T-Shirt worn by one of the members, attracted the eye of the other. They began discussing Eddie Vedder, Kurt Cobain, and the Seattle music scene; a musical kinship which led to a friendship, and eventually a band.

Starting out as in-demand session musicians-for-hire with local bands such as Air and Phoenix, Housse de Racket were first brought to the fore as featured artists on a Maison compilation release; curated by French electronic label, Kitsune. The Maison series featured such artists as Bloc Party, Cut Copy, and Simian Mobile Disco, and also help break such bands as […]

Exciting news from the PlayLive Mainstage… we are gearing up for not one, but TWO excellent performances this week. We will be vacating our desks today and Tuesday to party with The Front Bottoms and Lost in the Trees. Man, work is such a bummer sometimes isn’t it?

THE FRONT BOTTOMS – Monday, March 26th

“We kinda thought we were a punk band but then we’d play on bills with real punk bands and we’d be like ‘Whoa, were not punks. What the hell are we?” – The Front Bottoms

With that quote from The Front Bottom’s drummer Mathew Uychich, it’s pretty clear that his band is simultaneously defying labels while searching for a defining identity. The fact that Mathew is also listed as the band’s official bullhorn player further supports that claim. The Front Bottoms have been tearing up the New Jersey (Bergen County, to be exact) DIY scene for some time now with their catchy brand of pop-punk. Their songs are irreverent, playful and above all thoroughly […]

Here’s a name to share with you: ‘Mati Zundel”. This artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina is on the ZZK label, who are starting to release intriguing new Latin releases that are based on Cumbia, Urbano and Electronica dub beats.  With Mati’s new release titled “Amazonico Gravitante”, the elements he mixes are something that are not normal in the Latin world; he mixes Cumbia, Urbano, Electronica and Latin Folk to create an artisanal sound that will hopefully have other’s following in his steps.

Here’s a video of the new single “Señor Montecostes”…disfruta!

[youtube http://youtu.be/NbUfQpF3PFA]

Alex Espinosa, Associate Music Supervisor PlayNetwork

Among Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters there is  2 time Grammy winner Jim Lauderdale who will be performing on our PlayLive stage this Friday. Jim recorded his first album in 1986, and has since released 19 studio albums. Among his accolades: 2010 Grammy nominee for “Could We Get Any Closer” / 2008 Grammy winner for the “Bluegrass Diaries” / 2002 Grammy winner for “Lost in the Lonseome Pines”.

In addition to his prolific recording career, Lauderdale has also held a tremendous influence on the Country music world and is the songwriter behind dozens of country music’s biggest hits including Patty Loveless’ ‘You Don’t Seem to Miss Me,’ Mark Chesnutt’s ‘Gonna Get a Life,’ Gary Allen‘s ‘Forever and a day,’ and several George Strait tunes, including ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’.

Jim’s unique sense of melody and song writing ability has helped forge a sound that is truly his own.  Stuart Munro of the Boston Globe writes of Lauderdale who is equally known for his bluegrass talent, “…Add Lauderdale’s terrific musical stylings, the twangy […]

Brooklyn-based indie rock quartet Caveman is currently sound checking on our PlayLive stage for what is sure to be a unique and intimate acoustic performance! They’ll be performing songs from their wonderfully ambitious full-length debut album CoCo Beware, a release that got them on Stereogums’s 40 Best Bands of 2011 earlier this year! Visit the bands official website and find them on Facebook and Twitter for music and tour dates.

Below you can check out a performance of the opening track of Coco Beware, “A Country’s King Of Dreams”, recorded live on KEXP at the Ace Hotel in New York during CMJ 2011.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBJr2V1qZOE&w=560&h=315]

Tis the season for your sales to sing! If you are in retail, these tips will help you attract more customers and even put a smile on their face!

 Help consumers navigate the chaos

Use overhead and in-store messaging to provide gentle reminders of those things we often forget (i.e. a grocery store might have gentle reminders of those things we so often have to return for or (heaven forbid) send the husband to pick up – “Making Pumpkin Pie this Thanksgiving?  Did you remember the evaporated milk?”)

Be social!

Make sure you don’t forget about your Facebook and Twitter followers. Send them special offers to drive sales in store and online. Offer a deal of the week or day via social media/web – a coupon via social media that requires that they redeem it in-store for a discount or gift with purchase for coming in.

Go mobile

Distribute free mobile coupons that drive people into the store.  Sync up with a geolocation app and give out […]

PlayNetwork’s most recent PlayLive guests, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, just released their wonderful new album, Marble Son! Their intimate PlayLive set featured new tracks from Marble Son, as well as past material spanning back four albums to their 2002 debut (Reckless Burning).

Below you can check out the official video version of a song featured in their PlayLive performance called, “Air Is Thin” (From their 2007 release, Like Love Lust & The Open Halls of the Soul).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZdZnhV1EUk]

Pictures from their performance can be found in our PlayLive photo album. For more info be sure to check out the bands’ Facebook page, as well as follow Jesse’s new Twitter account @JesseSykes

Blake Kirpes, Associate Music Supervisor PlayNetwork

2011 was my first SXSW experience. Based on the reports from friends and artists I know that had attended, I never thought of SXSW as a festival that catered too deeply to electronic music or hip hop. Though there was a very obvious focus of blues, rock, folk and guitars in general (they were everywhere) this year’s SXSW boasted in an impressive line-up of quality underground electronic music and hip hop, including the likes of Richie Hawtin, Boys Noize, Diplo, James Blake, DJ Premier, Trentemoller, Mount Kimbie, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Marco Carola, Talib Kweli, Switch, Moby, Housemeister, Daedelus, Big Boi, Afrojack, Addison Groove, Skrillex, De La Soul, Starkey, MSTRKRFT, Spank Rock, Jamie xx, EPMD, Baths, Shabazz Palaces, Pharoahe Monch, Beats Antique, Eskmo and Gold Panda to name some standouts. Though it was a pleasure to see so many familiar artists, the real joy for me came from new discoveries like soul singer Charles Bradley, folk-rock singer Sharon Van Etten and electronic crooner Jamie Woon, all of whom delivered stunning sets.

[…]

What do you get when you take all of the top ballroom talent from SYTYCD, DWTS and National Championships and make them perform together?  The answer is a spicy hot, nonstop ballroom dance extravaganza called Burn The Floor.  This new Broadway production came to the Paramount Theatre last weekend and blew me away.  The dancers transitioned seamlessly from Cha Cha to Viennese Waltz to Rumba to Jive and more.  The best part was the hottest Samba I’ve ever seen to “Magalena”.  I highly recommend checking this show out.  Fly to the to New York if you have to.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ftDoAmA_KI]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVlah7oYyWo]

Kymberlee Taylor Executive Assistant/Sales Coordinator PlayNetwork, Inc.

So I did it!  I completed my goal of watching every single non-local comedy show.  It took the whole three days and a lot of following special guest and my imaginary friend Doug Benson around but I did it.  He proves the worth of Twitter with his smart one-liners and ‘Where’s Doug‘ secret sayings to get free merch.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUM69fH7FaE]

Bumbershoot did a great job of designating venues for certain genres of comedy.  Vera Project was local acts, Charlotte Martin was musical comedy, and Intiman was your typical stand up.

The musical comedy was a lot of fun and pretty much everyone involved had toured with Flight of the Concords.  I saw David O’Doherty open for my celebrity crush Demetri Martin a couple years ago and I still reminisce the hilarity his performance produced.  His dad was a trained jazz pianist and D.O.D. plays his things like “My Beefs 2010” on his 1984 tiny electric yamaha keyboard.  Sell out performances by Patton Oswalt and […]

Even though the Facebook fan page didn’t reach its goal of 10,000 followers (which means no officially recognized holiday, TBS marathon, or new 90210 movie) we can still celebrate our favorite Beverly Hills gang!!

This is a once in a lifetime event so I’m getting out my Brenda Barbie and running my own 90210 marathon tonight.  I said it and I’m not ashamed.

Larry King loves it too.. and for even more details on the event go here.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KSXEo9b70I]

Now hum along and get this song stuck in your head all day!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRXm1AavtmY]

Kymberlee Taylor Executive Assistant/Sales Coordinator PlayNetwork, Inc.

“Moomins and the Comet Chase” is a new animated film for children, and Bjork happens to be a huge fan of the Moomins. She composed a song with Icelandic poet and author, Sjon, entitled “The Comet Song”. This song is available on iTunes as of today, and all the funds generated from the sale of the track will be donated to UNICEF Pakistan Childrens Charities. You can also check out the Moomins on Facebook here. The video is streaming directly from Bjork’s website, and it may have a few technical issues due to influx of traffic to her site today since this was just announced. Click HERE to watch and please enjoy!

So… I’m sure you’ve heard the viral sound of Justin Beiber’s song, “U Smile” slowed down by 800%, and the process of slowing that song down created a sound that is unearthly. The original of the sing can be found here:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsp4oM4x7yA]

But when it’s slowed down by 800%, this is what you get:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0RqzP_N2Ps]

Have you heard the slowed version of Tracey Ullman’s “They don’t Know”? Here is the original:

And slowed down, she sounds eerily like Tears for Fears…

So, there you have it! Now, run home, grab your vinyl (or buy a program with audio slowing capabilities) and see what musical treasures you can create by slowing things down a bit!

Zoë Dixon Messaging Coordinator PlayNetwork, Inc.

Ever wonder what the Quileute tribe thinks about their fame as a morphing, teenage, vampire-hating wolf pack in the Twilight series?  Well if you’re lucky enough to live near the Seattle Art Museum you can find out what this tribe is really all about in a special story time and drumming circle this Saturday from 1-3pm.

Check out the article in the Seattle Times for more details.

Local News | ‘Twilight’ leads Quileute tribe to help museum tell its true story | Seattle Times Newspaper.

Kymberlee Executive Assistant/Sales Coordinator PlayNetwork, Inc.

I figured since I have had the same lyrics playing on repeat in my head for the past few weeks, I would hunt down the video and share it with you.

“Love The Way You Lie” is a huge success track off of Eminem’s new album “Recovery” which was released in June of this year. It features Rihanna on vocals, and personally, I couldn’t have paired a better duo to pull off this song. It’s preformed from the heart, and please keep in mind that this song may be offensive to some, so viewer discretion is advised.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U]

Zoë Dixon Messaging Coordinator PlayNetwork, Inc.

How cool is my job? Today I came in and worked like I normally do, but then at 3:45, instead of yawning and looking at what meeting was next up on my calendar, I got to stroll a few feet to check out a live show! Just being in the business we’re in, I’ve been able to check out a few bands, like Minus the Bear and Fun, but today is a special double-header featuring Susan Cowsill and J.P., Chrissie and the Fairground Boys (that’s Chrissie Hynde’s new band in case you hadn’t heard!). How amazing is this … a true icon and some fantastic musicians! To prepare for this historic day, our video & production crews transformed part of our nondescript, office-park building into a bonafide mini-club complete with black curtains, bright lights, camera equipment, a small stage, and adoring fans! PlayNetwork employees and guests have already been treated to a set by Susan Cowsill and her band. On the road from New Orleans, Susan’s […]

The view from my car as I venture out of Seattle, up and over the Cascades and into the central portion of Washington State is a view that I enjoy every time I find an excuse to make the eastward trek. This last Saturday, my reason for the breathtaking commute was a celebration of women in music, otherwise known as Lilith Fair. For those of you who don’t know, Lilith Fair is a traveling concert and music festival founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Dan Fraser, Terry McBride and Marty Diamond. The women who have graced Lilith Fair with their presences include but are not limited to Tracy Chapman, http://www.jeweljk.com/, http://www.suzannevega.com/, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Liz Phair, Fiona Apple, Joan Osborne, http://www.didomusic.com/us/home/, Lisa Loeb, Tracy Bonham, Juliana Hatfield, Dar Williams, Alana Davis, Dixie Chicks, Beth Orton, Nelly Furtado, Bonnie Raitt, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Mary Lou Lord and much, much more. In […]

I’ve seen many shows as a fanatic of live theater performances – particularly comedy, Broadway, dance, and Cirque Du Soleil.  The Grand Chapiteau set up camp right in PlayNetwork’s backyard, Marymoor Park, so it wasn’t long until I just had to go.  Kooza wasn’t my favorite show from the incredibly talented and strange people at Cirque, but it certainly was entertaining.  It still gave me all the feelings these shows should –  wonderment, excitement, fun, thrill…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O0-HJhjw8Q]

A lot of the Cirque shows are great for kids but this one has a Grimm Reaper scene and a giant dog that I, for one, thought was terrifying.  Of course I laughed nervously as the dog ran into the audience (because the children, for some reason, thought it was hysterical).  The show reminded me of one of my favorite movies as a kid, Little Nemo (which was also a bit like a horror movie to me but I watched it anyway because sometimes it’s good to […]

It’s now coming up on a year since the world of music lost their King of Pop. Responses around the world made it clear that Michael Jackson was a pop icon, and his music and life inspired and touched the hearts of people across multiple generations on a global level. The days following the announcement of his death, tributes to Michael were created throughout the world and shared across the internet. On the one year anniversary of his passing, I wanted to share what I thought were some of the tribute highlights.

The following video is a clip from “Dancing with the Stars” and features Latoya Jackson during the intro and was sponsored by Macy’s. The songs featured are I Want You Back, Man In The Mirror and Thriller. You thought trying to mimic the moves in Thriller were hard, try doing it in 6 inch stilettos on a hard-wood floor. Mad kudus to the ladies for pulling that one off.

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Dancing isn’t your cup of tea? […]

PlayGreen, the sustainability committee at PlayNetwork, has been working hard on a blog for a little while now, and PlayGreen is a vital part of our GPC, or Guiding Principals Committee. Some refer to the GPC as the soul of PlayNetwork, where we have groups that organize community outreach programs, pet adoptions, healthy living events, employee parties and events, live performances at our offices and much, much more! To view the PlayGreen blog, please click here. Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you back here sooner than later!

In celebration of Crunch Gym’s 21st birthday – or 21 years of sets, grunts and rock n’ roll – PlayNetwork helped the company launch its very own custom web radio, equipped with prizes, parties and more.  Set in a bar scene, users can enter contests by viewing the shot of the day. Other cool features include the “wall of shame” in the photo booth, a list of upcoming parties, fun facts about the gym by hovering over people and objects, and of course, the ability to share it all on Twitter and Facebook. Simply scroll over the DJ booth for your music controls and find a new workout favorite. Check it out here!

With already an extensive music database to choose from for branded media services, we’ve broadened our music library by partnering with Hello Music, an online aggregator of sorts for independent and unsigned musicians. This move is also a great opportunity for these music artists, giving them access to universal distribution to some of the world’s most well known brands through PlayNetwork.

PlayNetwork was chosen by CEC Entertainment to produce CEC TV, an in-store TV show for Chuck E. Cheese’s.  PlayNetwork’s in-house video team is responsible for creating , licensing, and  editing the content for this fun and entertaining program. The goal for CEC TV is to bring together popular kids and youth driven content, current music videos, exclusive music artist and kid features, cool games, exceptional graphics and Chuck E. Cheese exclusive music videos, all into one fun and exciting in-store network.

Check out the CEC TV highlight reel here and let us know what you think!

It’s hard not to know about the ongoing Donald Trump / Rosie O’Donnell feud – but their musical interests brought them to the same crowd just last week.  In the same company you could find Edie Falco, Serena Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Kushner and Ed Norton, along with screaming, head-banging, punk -rockers.  Wait, what? Yes, you heard right. Donald was rocking out to Green Day.  Don’t worry though, he was sure to keep it classy; it was on Broadway. We’re talking about the April 20th premier of  American Idiot, the Green Day musical, that’s now playing at Broadway’s St. James Theatre in New York.                                                                                                                                                                                     The rock opera is a hit already, receiving rave reviews from the New York Times, Washington Post and Rolling Stone, among others.  According to reviews, the musical, which features music from the 2004 Green Day album,  tells the story of young Americans encountering love, alienation, war, unprotected sex, and drug use on their search for a meaning in life.   […]

If you are like most people, then you probably find yourself sitting at a computer for a good chunk of your day. You also probably like to have some tunes playing in the background to keep yourself entertained while doing all those important things that make the Internet essential to our daily lives –  tweeting, checking email  and Facebook, doing your online shopping…you know.  And when you don’t feel like paying that $1.29 for a song anymore, and are sick of that playlist you’ve heard over 100 times, this is the time to turn to web radio, which was, by the way, ranked #2 in the decade’s top radio trends by Radio Survivor.  What do we say to this? Amen! After years of illegally downloading music, getting viruses from doing that, potentially getting fined, losing all music when the computer crashes – finally, we have arrived at web radio.  

The problem for us though is that we don’t want some generic web radio where we’re going to be listening […]

It’s been a few days since Digital Signage Expo ended and we haven’t posted a re-cap on the event, but hey, its Vegas baby! So please grant us some slack, we needed recovery time. Now that we’ve slept it off we have to admit it was a pretty great event, and while what happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas, we’re just too excited by what we saw to keep it to ourselves. Share we must.

 Props to Karen Barone and the rest of the team over at ExpoNation for hosting the show.  Our techies were beside themselves with all the innovative ideas that were being shared amongst industry players big and small. A big theme on the show floor this year was interactive digital signage. There was even a sign at the show displaying the #DSE2010 Twitter feed (PlayNetwork is the top tweet 😉

  The DOOH industry has become a front runner in our “people driven economy” and we’re thrilled to be a part […]

The Chemical Brothers – The Salmon Dance

Tom Rowlands, one half of the English electronic duo, The Chemical Brothers, turns 39 today.  Happy Birthday, Tom!  To celebrate, I’ve chosen one of my favorite tracks, (and my favorite Chemical Brothers video) The Salmon Dance as the Song of the Day.

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t like this video.  It’s like a super-psychedelic Finding Nemo.  It’s also surprisingly educational.  Plus, I bet that once you listen to The Salmon Dance you won’t be able to get it out of your head.  Enjoy!

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Heather

Producer, Branded Music

PlayNetwork, Inc.

In 2003 i was lucky enough to play Austin’s SxSW festival. Our show was fine, but the real highlight of that festival is the chance to see new and up and coming bands from all genres. It’s typical for an Austin bar to do theme nights during the festival, and one was doing All British Night. Fancying myself an anglophile i was completely excited! Would i hear the new Smiths?! Or the new Clash?! Or even the new Blur?! Nope. What i heard was familiar yet foreign to my personal tastes and i couldn’t get enough. The new Queen was more like it, long before the other Queen-ophiles like Mika, and before Muse stopped trying to be Radiohead and started to imitate Freddie et al, there was The Darkness…

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Buy It! Amazon or iTunes

Half of the crowd loved it while the other half didn’t know what was going on. I was somewhere in the […]