Inside Stereofame

If good things come to those who wait, then Nashville-based rocker Stephen Vickers must finally be getting his due. With a career that has taken him from his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama to Los Angeles and back to the South, the power-rock troubadour's arena-ready anthems have earned him the title of Stereofame.com's Artist of the Month for February 2010.

In a modern rock landscape dominated by half-hearted crooners clinging to what remains of the grunge movement (insert Nickelback), Vickers' self-assured baritone and honest lyrics serve as a welcome relief. While he counts late 90s alternative acts such as Matchbox Twenty and Third Eye Blind among his wide range of influences, Vickers points to his childhood as his earliest introduction to music. "Like pretty much every southerner, I grew up singing in church," Vickers said. "Towards the end of high school, I started taking the guitar more seriously. I would try to learn things like Dave Matthews songs and then just started writing my own stuff." After graduating high school, Vickers picked up and moved to Los Angeles at the urging of his good friend and fellow musician Ken Merrione. Unlike so many others who migrate West with dreams of stardom only to watch them fade beyond the horizon with the setting California sun, Vickers' rock-ballad "Give You My Life" (recorded with Merrione) caught the ears of L.A. radio station Star 98.7 and earned him and his band a spot among the top five finalists for its "Rockstar Search" contest. "That was a pretty cool experience being in L.A. and hearing my song on the radio," Vickers said. "We got to perform at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip with all these other amazing bands."

After the untimely passing of his friend and mentor Merrione (and much soul searching), Vickers moved to Nashville to return to his Southern roots and reinvigorate his songwriting. These days, Vickers is busy working on new material that he hopes to release later this year. "Describing the new songs to people I tell them to imagine if Rob Thomas wrote an album for Chris Daughtry and it was produced by Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic," he said.

No doubt, Vickers will have a whole new group of fans eagerly awaiting his latest offerings as a result of his selection as Artist of the Month. Vickers praised Stereofame as a unique platform through which his music can reach a worldwide audience. "It's a lot like Myspace but devoted specifically to musicians," Vickers said. "I recommend it to everyone I meet because it's such a great way to get feedback on your music."

As Stereofame's February 2010 Artist of the Month, Vickers will get valuable exposure to an international audience in addition to a $1,000 prize. Stereofame is a one-of-a-kind community where artists are judged objectively by the listening audience. Artists gather more points as they rise in rank and refer their fans from other sites. Plus, artists can sell their music here, too, so they're getting serious points while making money, something iTunes doesn't offer! Listeners are also rewarded for their input, as they can earn points for listening to a song and giving it a "thumbs up or down," and writing thoughtful reviews. They can help talented artists get the attention they deserve by signing artists to their virtual record label and then promoting their signed artists to their friends. Of course, fans get tons of points for buying music and bringing people to the site, too. All these points can be cashed in for various prizes such as iPods, musical equipment, gift cards and more.

Think you've got what in takes to be Stereofame's next Artist of the Month? Then go to Stereofamecom and upload three songs to www.Stereofame.com/contest/aom. And if you're a fan, log on to Stereofame.com today to help some of tomorrow's biggest and brightest stars get heard and earn some sweet prizes at the same time!

Labels: aom, contest, Stephen Vickers, Stereofame.News

Part Cyndi Lauper, part Michelle Branch, New Jersey-born singer/songwriter Justina is all talent. Listening to Justina’s powerful vocals, one can hardly believe that a voice with such command and self-assuredness comes from a 26 year-old girl who stands all of 4'11".

With irresistible hooks and refreshingly personal lyrics, Justina is asserting herself as a rising star in the female singer/songwriter landscape. Her ability to bounce from gentle love ballads to Beatles-esque pop tunes with heart and honesty has earned her the honor of being chosen as Stereofame.com’s first repeat Artist of the Month winner.

"It's like being on a virtual micro-label," Justina said of Stereofame. "You can upload your music to a mass audience and there’s nothing to lose, it's an awesome thing to be a part of."

Since receiving a guitar on her 18th birthday, Justina has immersed herself in the craft of songwriting, a pursuit that she says comes with its highs and lows.

"Sometimes good ideas will just hit me and sometimes I have to force them out," she said. "It's different every time but that’s what is so great about songwriting, it can be so frustrating...but ultimately it's very rewarding to be able to put your emotions into something positive."

Despite her soulful sound, Justina is an unabashed "chick rock" devotee. In addition to counting artists like Pat Benatar and Stevie Nicks among her influences, Justina credits the aforementioned Branch with giving her the motivation to take herself seriously as an artist.

"(Branch) is the whole reason I picked up the guitar when I did," Justina said. "She had just come out when I was 18 and she was really the only young girl out there that played her own instrument and I was really inspired by that."

Most importantly, Justina clings to the belief that her integrity as an artist defines her sound.

"I hate the whole lip-synching thing," she said. "It's so fake, I just like real music and real artists who put creativity into every aspect of it."

One things is for certain, Justina is the determined to share the creativity inside of her with the rest of the world.

"I wake up in the mornings, get ready, get in the shower and I’ll have a hook in my head that just needs to get out."

As Stereofame's January 2010 Artist of the Month, Justina will get valuable exposure to an international audience in addition to a $1,000 prize. Stereofame is a one-of-a-kind community where artists are judged objectively by the listening audience. Artists gather more points as they rise in rank and refer their fans from other sites. Plus, artists can sell their music here, too, so they’re getting serious points while making money, something iTunes doesn’t offer!

Listeners are also rewarded for their input, as they can earn points for listening to a song and giving it a "thumbs up or down," and writing thoughtful reviews. They can help talented artists get the attention they deserve by signing artists to their virtual record label and then promoting their signed artists to their friends. Of course, fans get tons of points for buying music and bringing people to the site, too. All these points can be cashed in for various prizes such as iPods, musical equipment, gift cards and more.

Think you've got what in takes to be Stereofame's next Artist of the Month? Then go to Stereofame.com and upload three songs to www.Stereofame.com/contest/aom. And if you're a fan, log on to Stereofame.com today to help some of tomorrow's biggest and brightest stars get heard and earn some sweet prizes at the same time!

Labels: aom, Justina

The boys from Fatkid Dodgeball know a thing or two about hard work. In fact, the Columbus, OH quartet seem to embody the working class mentality of their blue-collar hometown. Even the names of the members (Frank - Vocals/Bass, Bull - Vocals/Guitar, KC - Guitar, Ryan - Drums) sound like nicknames hurled between factory workers.

"There's a great scene in Columbus, lots of really good bands," Frank said. As Stereofame's 2009 Artist of the Year, Fatkid Dodgeball (the unusual name comes from a saying of one of Frank's college roommates) are in relentless pursuit of the perfect rock performance. "It's the energy, that hard rock edge with some sing-alongs and real solid melodies. I think that's what we've kind of grown into," Frank said. That mission has already taken them across the country but the foursome has fought the urge to move to a larger market and has instead decided to plant deep roots in the Columbus scene. "It can be difficult to get noticed outside of Columbus," Frank said. "But it's not like New York City where it's difficult to get on anyone's radar because everybody is in a band."

The rockers have found a niche spreading their high-energy live shows to an appreciative audience of students in Ohio. "The cool thing is there's a college in just about every corner of the state," Bull said. "So that helps us a lot by giving us places to go out and play with a built in crowd."

With a sound that recalls the hard-driving guitars of the Foo Fighters and the melodic sensibilities of bands like Jimmy Eat World and New Found Glory, Fatkid Dodgeball, known to their fans as FKDB, are poised to explode in a genre that hasn't seen many fresh faces for a while. Despite the band's collective affection for distorted guitar driven rock tunes, it is FKDB's democratic approach to songwriting that has accelerated the group toward a more mature sound. "When we really found our sound is when we stopped trying to sound like anyone else and started doing what came natural to us," Frank said.

As FKDB's sound continues to evolve, it's relevance hasn't been lost on Stereofame's online community. Users & judges on the site rewarded the band with Stereofame's coveted Artist of the Year honor, which carries with it a prize of $5,000. "The best thing about Stereofame is it's a way to get instant feedback," Frank said. "We can put up an exclusive track and get it heard by people who really know and love music."

Stereofame is a one-of-a-kind community where artists are judged objectively by the listening audience. Artists gather more points as they rise in rank and refer their fans from other sites. Plus, artists can sell their music here, too, so they're getting serious points while making money, something iTunes doesn't offer! Fans of music are also rewarded for their input, as they can earn points for listening to a song and giving it a "thumbs up or down," writing thoughtful reviews, and helping talented artists get the attention they deserve by signing artists to their virtual record label and then promoting their signed artists to their friends. Of course, fans get tons of points for buying music and bringing people to the site, too. All these points can be cashed in for various prizes such as iPods, musical equipment, gift cards and more.

Think you've got what it takes to become Stereofame's next Artist of the Year? Then go to Stereofame.com upload three songs to Stereofame.com/contest/aom and try to first win Artist of the Month honors. And if you're a fan, log on to Stereofame.com today to help some of tomorrow's biggest and brightest stars get heard and earn some sweet prizes at the same time!

Labels: aoy, contest, FKDB

Search for "winter" to see a surprise.

Thanks to www.icondrawer.com for the graphics.

"It's time to see all the places we will go," croons Braz, lead singer of the New Jersey based Mere, in their song "Higher." That type of optimism is peppered throughout Mere's music, indicating that Braz and company are ready to discover all the places they will go. With a sound that is, at once, hopeful and triumphant, Mere seem prepared to take their message as far as they want. Whether tackling weighty themes of heartbreak and turmoil or celebrating the beauty in the relationships around them, Mere's music always looks for the light at the end of the tunnel. "There are good things and bad things in life and we're happy to talk about them all," guitarist Brian Bason said, "but at the end of the day, life is beautiful."

The quintet's shared focus on tightly packaged melodies and hook-driven songwriting makes them instant radio fodder, helped along by Braz's soaring vocals. Fittingly, "Higher" has gathered attention as a theme song of sorts (it has been featured by NBC as part of their Olympics coverage) and for a band who eschew musical excess, the track is a microcosm of Mere's collective focus on the craft of songwriting. "We like to treat notes like they're expensive," Bason said. "You have to spend them like they're money. Sometimes you have to spend money to get something good but you should never spend frivolously."

As Stereofame's December 2009 Artist of the Month, that message is one step closer to reaching the mass audience Bason has in mind. As a band who unabashedly wear their hearts on their sleeves, Mere has crafted a sound that blends the melancholy pop sensibilities of Lifehouse with Braz's vocal prowess that recalls the best of bands like Starsailor and Dishwalla. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed by the Stereofame community, where they are ranked among the top fifteen artists on the site. "The best part about Stereofame is that the community is full of really great music fans," Bason said. "They support the artists like no other site."As the latest in the growing list of Stereofame's Artists of the Month, Mere get to take advantage of the site's ability to introduce artists to a national audience like never before. In addition to a $1,000 cash prize, Mere is now eligible for consideration as Stereofame's Artist of the Year, which carries with it a $5,000 cash prize.

Labels: aom, contest, Mere

MIA Magazine recently published an article about Shifta. Republished with permission.

---

MIA Music
SHIFTA
By Jarrell Douse

Kingston, Jamaica's newest musical installment, Shifta Mason, considers modesty a virtue. His unassuming dress and choice of a ordinary midday meal of two cheeseburgers, small-sized pouch of fries and a cup of water lend credence to a pared down philosophy that appears to serve the singer well.

He's casually clad in a pasty, red t-shirt, tattered blue jeans, a Texas fitted baseball cap, and feet that would've been shod in a pair of well-worn Ed Hardy casuals--had he not been stepping on the backs of them. The site of this interview also bolsters his embrace of all things moderate - McDonald's on 62nd Street in Liberty City, just off of I-95.

Sitting so that he's facing outside, Shifta peers out of the window as though something behind the glass is commanding his attention with a hold so taut, his eyes cannot move.

He blinks, then, confesses that his recent rise to respectable notoriety is attributed to his musical interests and interpretations--a cacophony of traditional grassroots reggae and back-bending, hip-winding dance hall beats-- and a subscription to the belief that he can have whatever he wants-- and he wants it all!

He advises anyone wishing to stifle his self-imposed expectations: "Don't hold your breath."

Innovative and daring, this young trailblazer also infuses sounds from "di yaad" with distinct snippets of American rhythm and blues, and hip hop influences into a niche he has carved for himself amidst the soulful genres.

But before he would introduce his artistic genius--which is evidenced in his hit song "Do It" (produced by Power Surge featuring Miami's chart topping artist Flo-Rida)--to the ears of his increasing American fan-base, he says that he had to put his "time in."

His time included innumerable hours perfecting his voice, tone, and even, patience, while creating a name for himself back home.

"I thought it was important that I establish a certain level of respect in Jamaica before I could expect to establish any in the United States. I had to get the attention of Jamaicans before I could get it anywhere else in the world--if you're not respected at home, where are you respected," he said.

Shifta insists that he is not an "overnight sensation." His father, Piper Fras, legendary Caribbean promoter and producer is often credited for helping to spawn the careers of Lady Saw, Reggie Stepper and General Degree.

His dad's success notwithstanding, Shifta said his persistence, not family ties, catapulted him to the status he now enjoys.

"You gotta hustle in the music industry," he says, adding "I know what it is like to stand beside the deejay booth (for hours) hoping for the opportunity to drop my demo in the deejay's hand. I know what it is like to sit outside of [WEDR] 99.1 Jamz waiting to talk to DJ Khaled."

He knows what it is to be hungry for something that you love almost more than air.

"Some people tend to think that I am where I am because of my father and that I had it easier than other artists. Some people may even think that my success over the last several years is a fluke."

But what many don't know about him but he wishes that they did, is that he has "been into music a long time" and has "no plans of leaving it anytime soon."

His impetus for creating music began in Jamaica when he was around seven or eight-years old, he recalls. Then, as teenager, he dared to become a deejay if only for the purposes of making music, and to satisfy his ardor for entertaining people.

"I like to make music that makes people feel alive."

As he grew up he continued to deejay, but discovered the rhythm of his own beat; inevitably instigating a need to create his own music, his own sound.

"I'm not new to the music industry--maybe a little to the American music scene, but I've been on the mixed tape circuit for a while, now, with my Timeless Entertainment brand."

His hard work and perseverance, humility and genuine motivation, have afforded him the "excitement" of sharing with music lovers from Europe to Japan to Africa, his distinct mix of reggae and dance hall and hip hop.

Some might say "not bad" for a young man who has yielded a career out of a hobby-turned-dream that continues to materialize. Shifta eats the last of his second cheeseburger, washing it and the last of his fries down with his cup of water.

He is looking out of the window, again.

Silence.

He soon breaks it, to say, "If you want to be someone it is important to be humble, and to know that the beginning of everything begins in the mind. So, do it!" he declares, while managing to smile a modest smile.

Hollywood-based singer/songwriter Zuri Allen Star has been performing since the age of 5. Her music, which is a blend of urban pop, has been climbing the charts on Stereofame since a fan created a profile for her about a year ago.

"I went on Stereofame.com to check it out and was immediately sucked in," says Star, who will be making her upcoming 2nd cd available for download on the site. "I have had the most positive experience with them, it's really enhanced my career!"

Other opportunities with Stereofame for Zuri have included a recent tour in China and performing in the Stereofame CMJ Showcase in New York City.

"I've already gotten more out of my exposure on Stereofame than any other site on the internet. I'm honored to win this month's Artist of the Month contest, and I'll be putting the money I won into the recording costs for my new album," says Zuri, who is again collaborating with producer, Mike K (Nelly Furtado, Natasha Bedingfield).

The Stereofame Artist of the Month contest is the hottest tool for independent talent to gain international exposure, get serious objective written reviews and win a $1,000.00 cash prize. Monthly winners qualify for the upcoming Artist of the Year contest, where $5,000.00 is up for grabs, along with other promotional exposure.

There's also competition for the listeners where the more votes they post, the more chances they have at a 10,000 point prize! The more points the artists and listeners earn, the more they can cash in for killer rewards like iPhones, surfboards and PlayStations.

Artists can enter next month's Artist of the Month Contest by submitting up to three songs to www.Stereofame.com/contest/aom.

In today's evolving music scene, it's an exciting time to be an artist and a fan, especially at Stereofame, where they both get exactly what they deserve. The chance to have a voice and have it be heard!

Labels: aom, contest, Zuri Allen Star