Kings of A&R

Program the Dead give it to you like you need it. Live wire rock-n-roll played by hard luck poets with nothing - except everything - to lose. Produced by William DuVall (Alice in Chains, Comes With The Fall), Ginger is the sound of Raw Power-era Stooges dragging Revolver-era Beatles down the Sunset Strip on a death trip bender, with a young Bono trapped in Mick Jagger’s body serving the drinks. Resistance is futile. Endless gigging throughout the US and UK, Program the Dead have broadened their appeal by seamlessly sharing bills with bands like Mindless Self Indulgence, Ra, Bloodhound Gang, Buckcherry and 69 Eyes. Program the Dead have recently topped 60k plays on YouTube for an excerpt from their Atlanta Sessions Documentary, showcasing the making of their latest album, Ginger. The album is being self released with a digital drop date of Feb 27. For more information contact Nico Constantine or legal Paul Schindler.

Next show: Feb 8, Whiskey, LA

Recommended Listening

• Let Me Inside
• Pretty Mess
• ‘Ginger’ Full Album Stream

New York-based band Fight Of Your Life have recently released their new album, The Phoenix EP. Although forming just last year, they have already landed shows and tours with Helmet, Blindside, 10 Years, The Warped Tour and Papa Roach. Jacoby Shaddix even lends some guest vocals to their track ‘The Phoenix and The Fall.’ For more information contact Dan Friedman. Check out the tracks Leave The Light On and Church Bells. 

Labels will be attending tomorrows S.I.R Studio performance at 7:00PM.

KOAR doesn’t typically reserve its space for lunatic movie directors, but we couldn’t let this shameless marketing tactic slide. Disgraced movie director James Cameron who claimed to be ‘the king of the world’ when he won an Oscar for Titanic has no shame to push a script that he wanted to sell. He was set out to find the real Jesus and my GOD he came back with the goods. Golly Day, The King of the World found Jesus. The last time I picked up the yellow pages I found the name Jesus 75 times. But Nooo…He found the real one. This maniac human is actually going on the record making outlandish claims. Director Simcha Jacobovici told the press conference: “For millions of readers, the Da Vinci Code was a fantasy, a fiction. Here is a Judah, son of Jesus, next to a Jesus and a Mariamne.” Greed sees no boundaries. Some hollywood execs are concerned on how this could effect his career.

• Lastly, check out the new Avril Lavigne single girlfriend. You may not be a fan, but please, don’t let this stop you from listening to this track. This will give you an idea of the state of the music biz and why consumers stopped buying records. Seriously, what production team is responsible for this?
• Alternative rock act Cog who has close to a gold record in Australia will be playing their first performance here in the states at the Whisky (LA) on March 5th. Cog are free agents in the US. Reps will be coming to this one. For more information email management.

• My Favorite Highway will be performing tomorrow at Jammin Java (Virginia), 8:00pm. Will be a sold out gig. Expect some label reps. For more information contact Dan Friedman. Check out the track
  Murder On The Radio . After one listen you will be hooked. This track could be a smash.

• David Geffen the music and film producer is taking a stab at politics. Dave loves his name in the press. Gotta love hollywood producers getting involved with politics. Geffen, who was a co-host of an Obama fundraiser Tuesday night in Los Angeles, saved even sharper criticism for former president Bill Clinton.

• Top 40 Station Adds Unsigned track.
  Top myspace artist One Less Reason’s new track “If You Want Me” has been added to Jackson’s, MS top 40 station Y101. The Program Director Nate West heard the buzz on the band and after listening to the song he decided to add the track, which is not an easy feat today. His instincts are correct, “If You Want Me” is reacting and is a top requested song. For more information email the management.

UPDATE: One Less Reason just SOLD OUT the 800 capacity venue Hals N Mals in Jackson, MS. Now if it works in this market, by theory, it should translate in most markets.

• Octone Merges with A&M.
  According to HITS, Interscope Geffen A&M has just announced the formation of A&M/Octone Records. The roster will include Octone acts including Maroon 5, Flyleaf, Michael Tolcher and Dropping Daylight
• Could we have a Columbia/Epic?
• Gambling on the Ringtone Business
  The Record labels are consumed right now cutting deals with mobile ringtone companies. A recent look at the global wireless market declared that the market for ringtones has peaked.
• Coleen Mcmahon is creating a lot of chatter around her. The 19 year old is well known in her Oregon hometown for being vocally and visually mesmerizing. After her classmates ‘elected’ her prom queen for being the most talented, she took her parents car and drove to Los Angeles catching the attention of  producers who worked with Evanescence and Josh Groban.  Insiders say she is the next Celine Dion.
• Sirius, XM expect deal to close by end 2007. Could iPod integration follow? Commentators think that if the deal goes through, it may give scope to integrate satellite radio with iPods in the future.
• Check out Matthew Perryman Jones (Nashville) who will be performing tomorrow at 7:00pm, the Living Room in NYC.

EMI the struggling British music company, has said it has received a fresh takeover approach from US rival Warner Music.

Analysts said even acceptance by EMI could lead to regulatory difficulties.

Warner’s approach comes as EMI is battling against sliding sales of compact discs in the United States. EMI last week said it expected revenue at its recorded music business — EMI Music — to show a decline of about 15 percent in the year to March 31 compared with the previous 12-month period. 

Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio on Monday said they would merge in a stock-for-stock deal, a move that has been long expected in the young industry.

XM and Sirius said they would combine to create a company with an enterprise value of $13 billion, including $1.6 billion in net debt.

Under the terms of the deal, XM stockholders will get 4.6 shares in Sirius.

Veteran media executive Mel Karmazin, currently Sirius CEO, will be CEO of the combined company, and Gary Parsons, now chairman of XM, will hold the same position in the new company. The deal will need regulatory approval.

KOAR posted weeks ago that it looked like MTV was going to cancel TRL since kids are no longer tuning in. According to sources MTV execs have officially canned TRL and fired the people responsible for its production.

MTV just canned 250 employees and the bloodbath isn’t over yet. MTV is facing the challenges of a changing society and the new frontier of the digital age.

Recent data from Nielsen media peg TRL’s viewership at 393,000, down from almost 600,000 in 2001.

Update - When MTV heard the press leak of TRL being canned, the CEO immediately responded with an open letter stating that TRL will air ‘as always’. Meaning TRL will air until they find a replacement.