Audley Music

Yusuf Islam meets Cat Stevens

2009-05-05T10:15:00.001+01:00

Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) has produced a masterpiece of a new Album, entitled Roadsinger (To Warm You Through the Night).
I bought this yesterday and it hasn't been off the player, at home or in the car.
This is the one we've been waiting for since Yusuf decided to take up the guitar again.
Probably the best track is the haunting title Roadsinger, but I specially enjoyed the powerful statement of faith in All Kinds of Roses.
If this had ben recorded in 1969 it would have been instantly recognisable as Cat Stevens. The artwork on the album covers and inlay have some fabulously nostalgic pictures of Yusuf's early life.
My recommendation is go get some!

Richly Deserved Honours for James Taylor

2009-01-15T14:22:00.002Z

James Taylor and Judy Collins are to be honoured with lifetime achievement awards at the 10th Annual BBC Folk Music Awards

See full details from BBC here

Dave Dee, iconic Sixties pop star, RIP

2009-01-09T14:53:00.004Z

Dave Dee has succumbed to a three-year battle against cancer, it has emerged today.

Another part of our musical heritage taken from us but not lost.

To see online tributes, go here

What's that twittering?

2009-01-09T11:21:00.002Z

Are you at Twitter?

I find it utterly addictive. The latest way to keep in touch with customers, contacts, fans etc.

I found a useful link to the influential South By South West Festival in Austin Texas.

Follow me at http://twitter.com/noot54 and take a look at the SXSW page

http://twitter.com/sxsw

LANDERMASON, amazing eclectic folk duo

2008-09-23T11:22:00.003+01:00

Many thanks to my good friend Terry at Yuwie for introducing me to LANDERMASON. Terry has a show at www.bishopfm.com and it's well worth checking out.
Read Terry's blog about them here
and check them out at MySpace

Shkola Tanzev

2008-04-15T10:58:00.002+01:00

I am blown away today to hear new sounds coming out of the Ukraine featuring the amazing vocals of Fotomoto's Olga Volodina.
You have to hear this.

Check out this amazing band here

Jeff Healey R.I.P

2008-03-10T13:58:00.002Z

It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of Jeff Healey, the Canadian guitarist probably best asociated ith Patrick Swayze and Roadhouse in 1989.
His untimely passing at the tender age of 41 robs the world of another great musician.

His unorthodox style of knee-mounted guitar marked him out from the crowd.

There was a new album Mess of Blues planned for later this year.

Jeff passed away on 2nd March 2008 after a lifelong battle with the cancer which robbed him of his sight when he was a young child.

There's a full account of his life and career on Wiki

Chat about Yuwie on Skype

2008-02-04T17:33:00.001Z

More and more bands, artists and musicians using Yuwie now

social networking sites that PAY hosted by noot541.

Join now

Chat about what's on your mind. More about public chats.

Antonio Chance the latest artists at Yuwie

2008-01-23T12:00:00.000Z

Join Yuwie at http://r.yuwie.com/noot54

The look for Antonio on my profile page in top friends.

Migrated from Guyana,but raised in the Cypress Hills and East New York areas of Brooklyn, New York, Antonio Chance became infatuated with Reggae music as a child.

He was influenced by artists such as Frankie Paul ( known as the Stevie wonder of Jamaica),

Bob Marley and Dennis Brown etc.,

Antonio Chance soon began working on his own songs turning his passion for poetry into song writing and eventually earned a considerable reputation around Brooklyn Reggae underground parties where he often performed with his childhood friend sound system Tech Live.

Antonio Chance, in his search to produce his own music, began working at Coxsone Music City with one of Jamaica's Top Music Producers, Clement Coxsone Dodd at Studio One Records, as a recording Engineer.

There he began working with some of is childhood idols such as Frankie Paul, Dabby Dabson,BB Seaton and many others who also encouraged him to come from behind the consol and be an artist.

Antonio Chance's first collaboration on a album was with a Guyanese artist name Suppa Bobby, it was a cover song, Title Have you Seen Her.

Antonio Chance's love for music began to expand and he fell in love with R&B and Hip Hop genre of music,which led to his major collaboration in May 1998 with the release of Geffen Records recording Hip Hop artist Killah Priest, Heavy Mental, a Wu-Tang affiliate of the group Sunz Of Man.

Antonio Chance recorded several tracks with Killah Priest,but also made the album Atoms to Adam and Mystic City. In addition to the album there was a white label release on vinyl Wolf In Sheep's Clothing,which can be found in Ma and Pa stores in New York city, and also a UK release of Moanin featuring Killa Sin, the B side of Killah Priest single One Step.

On May 1st 2006 Antonio Chance collaborated with Rapper/Producer Sinima on his Ep release Life is Killing Me, as a feature artist on title track Long and Lonely Nights and If You Really Loved Me.

Currently Antonio his working on his first solo album self Title Antonio Chance. coming soon,so keep your eyes on his myspace page for News and updates www.myspace.com/antoniochance.

See what the BBC is saying about Yuwie

2007-12-30T00:21:00.000Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7153637.stm
Then come back here to get your piece of the action
Yuwie is the fastest growing social interaction site because they share the advertising revenue with their members.Hang out, make friends, get paid!Ok, it may take yopu 6 months to get there, it did with me!
Link this with the chance to network over 360,000 like-minded people to your busines opportunities and it is mind-boggling! ALL FREE!Listen to the short video
http://r.yuwie.com/noot54

Fairy Tale of New York

2007-12-19T10:33:00.000Z

Yesterday, Tuesday 18th December, was the seventh anniversary of the untimely death of Kirsty McColl, sadly missed. It was also the twentieth anniversary of the release of Fairy Tale of New York, her classic Christmas number with the Pogues.

What did the good old BBC do?

They courted controversy by editing the lines of the song because they contained the words 'slut' and 'faggott'.

Apart from any regional differences (in my part of the world a faggott is also known as a 'savoury duck' and it is a minced pork meatball!), the term is accepted as being derogatory but the song itself is part of history.

For better or worse the world was a different place twenty years ago.

We don't go back and censor history because it doesn't suit with modern thinking. The BBC is being hypocritical in that it plays 'gangsta' music and rap some of which is dubious to say the least.

I'd love to hear your opinions on this guys!

PS:- the band Pogues was originall called the Pogue Mahones which in the Gaelic is 'kiss my ass!'

Fabulous Fotomoto

2007-12-08T11:22:00.000Z

My very good friends Fotomoto from Ukraine have uploaded new tracks to their MySpace site and they are well worth a listen.
There are great electro-smooth covers of clasics Big in Japan and Joe le Taxi.
Give your tired ears a treat and wind down from the Christmas shopping.
Visit the Fotomoto page or have a listen at the mp3 player embedded on this blog.

I made this music player at MyFlashFetish.com.

A double dose of Annie Lennox

2007-11-26T09:48:00.000Z

Annie gave a double shot of heaven to her fans this Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday night she performed a couple of numbers segued into each other on the legendary Michael Parkinson show. This is one of Parky's last shows and he is winding down to retirement so staged a musical highlights show.
Annie does not give many interviews so she didn't join him on his famous couch afterwards. Shame.
On Sunday Annie was the subject of an hour-long South Bank show interviewed by Melvin Bragg but intercut about 60%/40% in favour of live performances from the SING show and studio recordings.
The music was fantastic.
Annie gave some insight into her early life in Aberdeen, coming to the Roal Acadamey, meeting Dave Stewart and forming the Eurythmics over 25 years ago.
She also showed us what drives her to produce albums such as her latest masterpiece Songs of Mass Destruction and the work she is doing with the SING project.
Unmissable stuff, shame if you did miss it.

Take a look at the album here

Raising Sand

2007-11-13T15:28:00.000Z

The most amazing musical collaberation betwen stupendous artists Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, produced by T Bone Burnett.
Outstanding stuff!

Check it out here

Check out Olivia Gray

2007-11-10T11:12:00.000Z

This artist is worthy of your attention.

Take a listen

Powered by iSOUND.COM

Kino is a poet of sound and image

2007-11-09T12:43:00.000Z

Amazing sounds, images, and experiences.

Check out the website for the Map of the Universe

Bruce Springsteen Magic

2007-11-05T13:35:00.000Z

Check it out here!

Magic it certainly is, after the Seeger sessions, this is Bruce at his all time best, reminiscent of the powerful and moving 'Rising' and even older sounds and moods.

Absolutely brilliant, recommended listening!

Spooky Tale for Halloween

2007-10-23T14:01:00.000+01:00

THE BUS DRIVER’S TALE

Julie was a bit nervous; it was the first time she had driven the route after dark, and the cold, cheerless December night had closed in with the added hazard of clammy mist.

Also, the inevitable canteen comedians had been winding her up.

"Have you heard about the ghost on the 110? "

"You won't like that run in the dark - what about the Lady in White? "

"Wouldn't get me out there tonight, I can tell you..."

Don’t fall for that! She told herself. The garage's latest recruit, just six weeks out of the training school, as green as grass. With her easy-going nature and ready laugh, Julie had made lots of friends, but they were inclined to tease.

The 110 was a semi-rural route, with several miles of country lanes to negotiate. It was quiet at night to the point of being dull, a few pub-goers or late workers. They said it became exciting if a rabbit hopped across the road.

After the first half of her duty, ferrying frantic Christmas shoppers, Julie was looking forward to the peace and quiet of the 110.

Until the leg pulling started, that is. The 'ghost on the 110' was a traditional trick played on all new staff, going back to the days of double-deckers, when fresh-faced conductors were warned 'not to go upstairs alone at night on the 110.'

Were they being serious? Julie found it hard to tell; she laughed it off as best she could.

"Leave her alone, you rotten lot! "

A new voice cut across the canteen hubbub, and there was Bill, the Inspector. Julie had always thought of him as a gruff old bear, with a loud bark far worse than his bite. He seemed to have taken it upon himself to protect her from the worst of the ribbing.

"Got nothing better to do? I'll find you something! " Bill warned, with mock severity. Julie smiled back at him, and she detected the faint twinkle in his eye.

Blushing, she checked her watch, and saw it was just after seven: time to go.

"Watch out for the Lady in White..." she heard, as a parting shot behind her. She slammed the canteen door, hard.

Two hours later, the silly words and giggles came back to her, but they were no longer funny. The darkness swirled with filthy fog, reducing visibility.

Julie picked her way carefully along the lane, anxiously watching the comforting red glow of the ticket machine's time display to see if she was dropping behind.

Suddenly a figure stepped from the nearside hedgerow, arm outstretched in the time-honoured signal for a bus to stop. Julie's gasp came involuntarily, and she was glad the vehicle was empty with no one to hear her.

It was an eerie sight, which greeted her. A figure all in white, blending almost into the mist. Long black hair, half-hidden by a veil, and deep, sunken eyes.

The Lady in White?

Surely not, it was just a joke!

Julie's reflexes had stopped the bus, pushed the door button to open. The apparition glided silently inside, made no effort to stop or speak, just sat, those great dark eyes staring forward. Not daring to challenge the woman, or even look, Julie put the bus into gear and moved away. Each glance into her mirror was pure terror. There sat the proof that the canteen cowboys had been right.

A mile further on the vision rose from its seat - Julie's heart froze to her ribs. Surely there was a bus stop somewhere near, she recalled from the training run?

The minibus halted at a lonely crossroads. In seconds, the Lady in White had left the vehicle and disappeared up the lane, into the night.

With chattering teeth, Julie drove on. Soon she reached the welcome glow of the sodium streetlights, which meant she was nearing town.

Nine-forty read the clock, nearly ten minutes late.

What should she do? Should she tell anyone? How they would all laugh!

Her attention was caught by the dark, uniformed man standing at the first of the town stops. It was Bill!

What was he doing here, his shift had surely finished an hour ago?

Gratefully, she pulled up, admitted the Inspector with a hearty sigh of relief.

"Just thought I'd check up on you, " he said kindly, " I could see they were getting to you with those daft ghost stories."

"Am I glad to see you! You won't believe what's just happened!"

In a few breathless sentences, Julie blurted out the story. To her surprise, Bill chuckled.

"Oh, her? That's Hippy Hilda, our resident nut. She's got a cottage somewhere up that lane. Never recovered from the Sixties, they reckon. Doesn't talk, won't pay her fare unless I'm about. Sound like her? "

"God, yes, thanks. I thought I was cracking up! Now I just feel silly for letting her get away with it."

"That's all right, you'll know her next time. Just remember, Julie, I'll be here to keep an eye on you. Now let me off at the next stop, and then get your toe down a bit. The fog's clearing and you should just make it in time for your next trip. "

"Thanks, Bill, thanks very much. "

Julie watched Bill in her mirror, a big upright figure marching away from the bus stop with a military air.

"Bless him..." she thought, then checked the clock. Nine-fifty p.m. Bill was right, just time to do it.

At the bus station, Julie parked her bus with two minutes to spare. Time for the loo, she reckoned.

Inside the admin block, a knot of men stood, drivers, the depot clerk. They all looked glum, awkward.

"What's up? " she asked, cheerily. Bill's explanation and reassurance had certainly lifted her mood, but this lot looked awful.

"You won't have heard, being out in the country, " said one of the drivers.

"Heard what?"

"It's Bill, the Inspector. Just after eight, walking to his car, going home. "

"What, for goodness sake?”

"Well, we know you liked him..."

"Will you tell me before I brain you?"

They all coughed, or shuffled, or looked at the floor.

"A heart attack, " said the depot clerk, finally. "Sorry, love, he's dead. "

Waves of shock bounced off Julie: she slumped into a chair.

"It can't be, not Bill, not eight o'clock! I saw him, just, not ten minutes ago !"

And there was a flurry of knowing looks – the conmen would not be conned.

Now, the 110 had a new ghost.

Billy Redfield - what a talent!

2007-10-23T09:50:00.001+01:00

Check out this performer at his site

Do you dig Dusty?

2007-10-01T14:28:00.000+01:00

This lady does. Check out her profile and blogs on Yuwie
Dusty Springfield's Shadow

Listen to Tryme da Prince

2007-10-01T11:08:00.000+01:00

This Kid grew up listening to Snoop and Bone Thugs. He's really new to the rap game and has a long way to go. But his southern hospitality and his big heart make him one of the coolest dudes you could meet. Be sure and check out his debut cd "What About Goop" He no longer uses the name Goop,now he is known strictly as Tryme da Prince.

Tryme da Prince

You gotta hear Jody Thomas

2007-09-05T14:35:00.000+01:00

"Heartfelt tenor … lethal" Artrocker
"Haunting vocals. Stunning." Irish Times

Jody Thomas is the reverse of Bob Dylan. Once an electric artist, he's been playing predominantly acoustic shows, to howls of concern from people who like their guitar filthy and distorted. He performs with a small group of rotating musicians who cover extra guitar, bass, piano, percussion and strings. The line up rarely stays exactly the same from show to show, which means that every performance has a different and unique flavour.

Fans who've only stumbled upon Jody over the last 18 months would be mistaken if they classified him as a purely acoustic artist, though. While his debut release, the EP "We Are", has strong acoustic tendencies, there are moments where the nicely-nicely façade slips into noise dirty enough to satisfy even the most hardened rock fiend. The overall effect is one part-Rufus Wainwright, one part-Thom Yorke, one part-Jeff Buckley and one part-Audioslave.

While live shows will remain fairly firmly acoustic in the near future, don't be surprised if the next recordings contain more than a few nods in the direction of alternative rock or even electronica. One thing Jody doesn't do is sit still. In the words of one Edward Vedder: "Do The Evolution…"

V Festival 2007

2007-08-25T17:39:00.000+01:00

My lovely daughter, a budding music journo, risked life, limb, and the mud to bring you this report in pictures from the festival. Well done, duck!
Check it out here

Stan really is THE man!

2007-08-14T09:27:00.000+01:00

Heard Stan for the first time yesterday when he became my friend at Yuwie. Yuwie is becoming the place to get your sounds heard and if you haven't checked it out yet you could be missing out. Take a look here.

Then get along to Stan's page and take a listen

The Seige

2007-08-12T18:58:00.000+01:00

check out this 4-piece for some mellow, laid back adult rock

http://www.channel4.com/music/myband/seige

Myspace vs Yuwie

2007-08-12T09:02:00.001+01:00

Which one do you use or are you on both?
MySpace is the famous one, the giant but Ywie is the one that pays per pageview and is expanding rapidly.
See both my profiles below and compare. I would be interested to know what you think!

http://www.myspace.com/audleymusic

http://www.yuwie.com/yuwie.asp?r=4931

Best wishes to Bob Harris

2007-08-05T02:42:00.000+01:00

Tonight on his BBC 2 radio show I learned that 'Whispering' Bob Harris has prostate cancer and is taking a couple of months off for treatment. If you're a fan, please join me in best wishes and prayers for a positive outcome

You guys know about Yuwie?

2007-07-31T16:40:00.000+01:00

It's cool - much like MySpace but you get PAID for page views! It's gotta be worth checking out!

Rich of the Peakz calls it a day!

2007-05-24T15:34:00.001+01:00

Rich, singer/bass player with The Peakz has decided to call it a day on his band days :-( After 15-20 years involved in music and bands, giving up everything else in order to carry on his love of playing and touring in far and wide places, being involved in 12 John Peel sessions and a Festive fifty No.1) he feels its time to hang up his boots and try other things. Best of luck to Ed and Dei (the best band mates ever) and he hopes they carry on as he thinks they're brilliant. Thanks to all that came to see the Peakz and to those that didn’t its all history now, best of luck to you all !! If nothing else, we'll have the memories

Fabulous double entendres!

2007-04-12T11:59:00.000+01:00

Here are 12 of the finest double-entendres that were aired on British TV & Radio

1. Pat Glenn, weightlifting commentator - "And this is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning and it was amazing!"

2. New Zealand Rugby Commentator - "Andrew Mehrtens loves it when Daryl Gibson comes inside of him.'

3. Ted Walsh - Horse Racing Commentator - "This is really a lovely horse. I once rode her mother."

4. Harry Carpenter at the Oxford-Cambridge boat race 1977 - "Ah, isn't that nice. The wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the Cox of the Oxford crew."

5. US PGA Commentator - "One of the reasons Arnie (Arnold Palmer) is playing so well is that, before each tee shot, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them ..... Oh my god!! What have I just said??"

6. Carenza Lewis about finding food in the Middle Ages on 'Time Team Live' said: "You'd eat beaver if you could get it."

7. A female news anchor who, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked, "So Bob, where's that eight inches you promised me last night?"
Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too, because they were laughing so hard!

8. Steve Ryder covering the US Masters: "Ballesteros felt much better today after a 69 yesterday."

9. Clair Frisby talking about a jumbo hot dog on Look North said: "There's nothing like a big hot sausage inside you on a cold night like this."

10. Mike Hallett discussing missed snooker shots on Sky Sports: "Stephen Hendry jumps on Steve Davis's misses every chance he gets."

11. Michael Buerk on watching Phillipa Forrester cuddle up to a male astronomer for warmth during BBC1's UK eclipse coverage remarked: "They seem cold out there, they're rubbing each other and he's only come in his shorts."

12. Ken Brown commentating on golfer Nick Faldo and his caddie Fanny Sunneson lining-up shots at the Scottish Open: "Some weeks Nick likes to use Fanny, other weeks he prefers to do it by himself."

AXIS Festival- Love Music Hate Racism

2007-04-05T14:19:00.000+01:00

The marvellous Andy Gower will be supporting the incredible Get Cape Wear Cape Fly at the Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent on Friday May 4th 2007.

Winter Olympics Vancouver 2010

2007-04-03T16:37:00.000+01:00

Now that Vancouver has won the chance to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, these are some questions people the world over are asking!!!! Believe it or not these questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website.

Obviously the answers are a joke; but the questions were really asked!!
Q:I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow? (England )
A. We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die.

Q:Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA )
A: Depends on how much you've been drinking.

Q:I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto -can I follow the Railroad tracks? (Sweden )
A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q:Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada? (Sweden )
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.

Q:It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to contact for a stuffed Beaver. (Italy )
A: Let's not touch this one.

Q: Are there any ATM's (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax? (England )
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada? (USA )
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe . Ca-na-da is that big country to your North...oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary . Come naked.

Q: Which direction is North in Canada? (USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada? (England )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA )
A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is...oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Do you have perfume in Canada? (Germany )
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you sell it in Canada? (USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy )
A: Yes, gay nightclubs

Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada? (USA )
A: Only at Thanksgiving.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? (Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gathers. Milk is illegal .

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget its name. It's a kind of big horse with horns. (USA )
A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent. They roam the city streets eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. Spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking will scare them off.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA )
A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first.

Darwinian Stupidity

2007-04-03T14:05:00.000+01:00

Darwin Award Winners 2006

Yes, it's that magical time of the year again when the Darwin Awards are
bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us. Here then, are the glorious
winners:

1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at
his intended victim during a hold-up in Long Beach, California,
would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder.
He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked..... And now, the honorable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat-cutting machine and, after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and he also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby
bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very
excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he got the injuries he told local police he wanted to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, he man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total
amount of cash he got from the drawer...$15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?)

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted something to drink pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinderblock through a store store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinderblock and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinderblock bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on
videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the
snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order.
When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for
breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.

******A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER*****

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the
vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

In the interest of bettering human kind please share these with your friends and family .. unless of course one of these 10 individuals by chance is a distant relative or long lost friend.

In that case be glad they are distant and hope they remain lost.

Going for a Spot on myLot

2007-03-29T12:59:00.000+01:00

This post is so that the clever little robot spiders who go scurrying all over the webiverse and blogosphere can find my Audley Music post and go for a spot to get it read by the 80k plus members of myLot. Clever, huh?
Aparently I have to include this link

myLot User Profile

Fotomoto in the Guardian

2007-03-19T14:55:00.000Z

Just had to remind folks of the Guardian article from a while ago which helped get Fotomoto so much attention in the West.
If you haven't seen it, catch it here

Are the Dixie Chicks Still being punished?

2007-03-06T09:54:00.000Z

For their Politics?
They swept the Grammy Awards, but apparently the Dixie Chicks are still not in favour with the Academy of Country Music.

Nominations were announced Monday for the annual ACM Awards and there was no mention of the trio despite their five Grammys for Taking the Long Way. The Chicks have won 10 ACMs in their career, including Entertainer of the Year in 2000, but have been shunned by the Nashville establishment since their President Bush-bashing comments in 2003.

While the Academy of Country Music isn't ready to make nice with the Chicks, the organization made sure the usual Nashville-pleasing subjects were accounted for, led by George Straight, Brooks & Dunn and Rascal Flatts.

Get the full story:-

http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/40410711

Live gigs in danger!

2007-02-24T18:49:00.001Z

MUSIC PETITION UK
There is a government move to make it very difficult for musicians to perform live in small venues, or for schools, pubs and charities to raise money for causes through musical events.
The new legislation will inhibit the central role music making has in our lives and communities.
If you circulate this to your musician (and non-musician!) friends, all each person has to do is go to the government's petitions website below, give your name, email and address - it takes about 30 seconds. And it could make a vital difference to the nurturing of community music making, and enabling young musicians to find their feet in the performing world.
The live music/licensing e-petition now has nearly 19,000 signatures. It currently stands at no.19 in the list of 1,702 petitions on the Number 10 website.
This is good, especially in just under a month - and there are five more months in which people can sign. But the petition needs to do much better to make an impression on ministers, and to encourage DCMS to implement music-friendly amendments.

website: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/licensing/

Peakz back on Radio 1

2007-02-08T23:18:00.000Z

Our very fave band Peakz escaped from their North Wales lair and made a daring cyber-raid on the Beeb, ensuring Welsh DJ extraordinaire Huw Stephens played their track 'Follow Me' on his late night show on Radio 1 Wednesday night/Thursday early morning.
Fortunately you can listen again here if you were unable to make it and learn more about Peakz in their North Wales fastnesses at Audley Music.

Eric von Schmidt 1931-2007

2007-02-06T23:50:00.000Z

Eric von Schmidt
Singer and writer who inspired Bob Dylan
Michael Carlson
Monday February 5, 2007

The Guardian

Eric von Schmidt, who has died aged 75, was a captivating performer and songwriter, but his legacy remains firmly tied to Bob Dylan. A major figure in the Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, he was a man of huge generosity to his fellow musicians.
When Dylan travelled to Cambridge, where he met Joan Baez, he crashed with von Schmidt, learned songs from him, and played his first game of croquet stoned. Dylan repaid the hospitality on his first album by crediting "Rick von Schmidt" in the spoken introduction to Baby Let Me Follow You Down, although, in fact, von Schmidt's own version was adapted from Blind Boy Fuller's original. Three years later, Dylan posed for the cover of Bringing It All Back Home next to a pile of records. On top was The Folk Blues of Eric von Schmidt.

Even that plug did not propel von Schmidt to stardom, but stardom was something he never sought. He had a parallel career as a painter, including album covers for Baez, Cisco Houston, John Renborn, Rev Gary Davis, Geoff and Maria Muldaur and even for James Baldwin's readings. His masterpiece was the gatefold Sweet Moments with the Blue Velvet Band, a short-lived bluegrass supergroup featuring Jim Rooney, Bill Keith, Eric Weissberg, and Richard Greene, which included a board game over both inside panels.

His artistic talent came from his father, Harold, a Western painter who did illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post. Born in Wesport, Connecticut, von Schmidt was selling his artwork while still a teenager. He had been captivated by country music after hearing the Grand Ole Opry on the radio, and at 17 he was listening to Leadbelly.

While in the army, he read Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception, and discovered he could order peyote legally by post, which made his army experience more rewarding. After a spell in Florida, he won a Fulbright scholarship to study art in Florence. He moved to Cambridge in 1957, where he painted and became the centre of the coffeehouse scene. He recorded his first album, featuring the song Grizzly Bear in 1961 with folk historian Rolf Cahn. In 1963 he and Richard Farina recorded in London's Dobell's Jazz Record store, with one Blind Boy Grunt (Dylan) on harmonica. That was followed by Folk Blues, with Geoff Muldaur and Fritz Richmond from the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. His fourth, Eric Sings von Schmidt, again with Muldaur, included Joshua's Gone Barbados, one of the most covered of all folk songs, including the Basement Tapes epic version by Dylan and The Band.

He was at his peak, but despite a rapturous reception at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where Farina and his wife Mimi Baez, Joan's sister, famously danced to his singing, Dylan's going electric overshadowed him. His next album did not appear until 1969. Who Knocked the Brains Out of the Sky is surprising psychedelic folk, with Dylan writing the liner notes. Von Schmidt then ventured to Woodstock to make two records. The first, 2nd Right 3rd Row, was released in 1972 on Poppy Records. Poppy folded before releasing its follow-up, Livin' on the Trail, also featuring the Band's Garth Hudson and Geoff and Maria Muldaur, with Rooney producing. The tapes were rediscovered and finally released in 2002. In the ensuing 30 years, von Schmidt made only two records.

His art career flourished and, with Rooney, he wrote a brilliant history of the Cambridge folk years called Baby Let Me Follow You Down (1979).

In 2000 he developed throat cancer. That year he received a lifetime achievement award from the society of music publishers, ASCAP, and was serenaded with his and Tom Rush's What a Mighty Storm. It was a tribute to a singer whom Dylan said "could sing the bird off the wire and rubber off the tire ...separate the men from the boys and the note from the noise".

Twice divorced, he is survived by two daughters.

· Eric von Schmidt, musician, born May 28 1931; died February 2 2007

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007

What do you know about MyLot?

2007-02-06T09:51:00.001Z

One of the more popular social web forums online which pays its users to participate in discussions, myLOT has certainly grown rapidly since its humble beginnings in the earlier part of 2006. With over 65000 users, it’s become a mecca of some sort for users looking to make some extra income online.

Several readers have written in to friends and mylot admin asking for an article on how to maximize myLOT earnings. This list came about as a result of some research and experiments over a period of a week and I do hope that it helps anyone who’s crazy about myLOT as a option for making some income online. Personally, I’m rather fascinated with how so many people are, shall we say, addicted to myLOT’s earning program.

If you’re new to myLOT, you might also want to start by reading this detailed review for more background information.

Getting Referrals: Put your earnings on Autopilot

One of the best ways to make money with myLOT is through it’s referral system, which pays you 25% of earnings for each person you refer to the community. Having a great number of hardworking referrals definitely automates your earnings without having to spend lots of time online. Referrals are basically like Adsense, you don’t have to do much except monitor your earnings occasionally. The million dollar question: How does one get many active referrals for myLot?

Here are some suggestions:
1. Set up a blog or webpage to advertise the benefit of MyLOT. Promote this blog or webpage by giving the link to friends and families. Also try link exchanging with relevant blogs or websites.

2. Participate in many forums. Always do a topic search for ‘myLOT‘ and read the forum rules regarding advertising and referral links. Nobody wants to constantly read about myLOT over and over again, so take note of that. This will help you to avoid spamming, reposting and getting banned.

3. Send an email to everyone on your Inbox. Keep it polite, simple and short. A pretty traditional method but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn how many referrals you canget this way.

4. Leave comments and your link on blogs with a relevant topic/subject/niche. This is a tricky task because you don’t want to come across as a nasty referral link spammer. Make sure the blog post you are leaving a comment on is within the “make money online” niche or specifically relates to myLOT. Do not just leave your link without sincerely commenting on the specific blog post itself. The easiest way to find such blogs would be to do a search about such topics on Blogger, Wordpress.com and Technorati.

5. Advertise. Do it the good old affiliate marketing way. As stated earlier, set up a sell page with information on MYLOT. Create a very attractive banner or button. Spend some money buying prominent ad space on high traffic blogs or websites. If you’re a hardcore myLOT fanatic, you can even try using Google’s AdWords as an promotional campaign.

6. Stick up posters or one page ads on free bulletin boards or street corners. You could either put down your referral link or just list an email if you want to personally explain the process to anyone who’s interested in signing up. A tad aggressive and time-consuming but if you’re mad about myLOT, it’ll help.

7. Put up a silly video about myLOT on Youtube or any other social video website. This might sound a little ridiculous but it’s all in good fun and never fails to get loads of attention. Remember to include a webpage which promotes your myLOT referral link.

Discussion Hacks: Maximize your earnings.

Because myLOT does not reveal it’s earnings algorithm or rates, many users have tried to experiment with several techniques to increase their earnings. Here are some of the tried-and-tested methods that do work to noticeably increase daily earnings.

8. Set a target to hit and resolve to complete it within the day. For example, you might decide to start at least 10 discussions and/or write at least 50 responses to questions every day.

9. Divide your work. Work at answering questions before beginning to start discussions. I usually feel that this helps to speed up your rate while keeping you focused.

10. Start open-ended discussions. Don’t ask questions that can lead to a yes/no answer. This increases the overall quality of your discussions.

11. Reply to everyone that responds to your discussion topics. This has the benefit of prolonging the discussion and increases your earnings.

12. Rate each reply to your questions by actively using the + and - buttons at the bottom of every reply.

13. Use a lot of tags for every question or reply. If you always ask questions in a specific area, write down the tags in a notepad so you can copy and paste it immediately after posting replies or discussion topics. Tags definitely increase your earnings while ensuring that your discussion is more widely read.

14. Post interesting pictures to discussions as well as the interests section. You’ll get paid for images too so it’s good to put some effort in that.

15. Don’t only post in one topic, try spending more time on a wide variety of topics. Some users have claimed that posting consistently in one topic reduces the rate of earnings.

16. Maintain high quality posts. The strength of your post partially depends on the + and - rating next to it. Encourage your readers to rate your discussions well.

17. Work with other MyLot fans. Start a group of determined posters and work with them by mutual responding to each other’s discussions.

18. Complete the ‘My Interests’ section and start a discussion by clicking on one of the interest categories. This possibly leads to increased earnings and also greater profile views/interaction.

19. Rotate posting duties. Get someone to post on your behalf using the same account. Stick with a brother/sister or friend who you can trust. Take turns posting at different hours of the day and of course, try to share the profits!

20. Link off your blog. If you run a blog, lead your readers to myLOT discussions you’ve started by dropping a link at the end of your blog post. If they’re myLOT users, they’ll probably particpate and extend the discussion. If they aren’t, you’ll most likely get a new referral.

There you have it. You might want to implement a few methods daily to see the difference in earnings yourself. If you aren’t already registered with myLOT, start by signing up here.
Technorati Tags: myLOT, make money online, work from home, work at home, wealth, pay to post forums

Police back together?

2007-01-30T16:23:00.000Z

Well, it seems that the dream of a Police reunion really is coming
true. Just announced this morning, The Police are reuniting and will
be the opening act at the Grammy Awards this year, February 11, 2007!

Here is the official press release from the Grammy.com web site:

Hopefully news on a tour will follow soon. I will continue to keep
everyone posted!

Have a GREAT day!

Richard Ashcroft at the NIA, Birmingham

2006-12-04T11:15:00.000Z

Richard Ashcroft, one-time lead singer with the Verve, and now a stupendous solo artist, played to a packed house at the NIA, Birmingham, on Sunday 3rd December 2006.

All the masterpieces were there, including 'The Drugs Don't Work' and 'Music is the Power'.

He was ably supported by Australian songsmith Pete Murray

Why don't dogs surf the web?

2006-11-25T13:15:00.000Z

Why Dogs don't surf the web...Can't stick their heads out of Windows 2000.
Too difficult to "mark" every website they visit.
Can't help attacking the screen when they hear "You've Got Mail."
Fire hydrant icon simply frustrating.
Involuntary tail wagging is dead giveaway they're browsing www.pethouse.com instead of working.
Keep bruising noses trying to catch that MPEG frisbee.
Three words: Carpal Paw Syndrome
'Cause dogs ain't GEEKS! Now, cats, on the other hand...'
Barking in next cube keeps activating YOUR voice recognition software.
SmellU-SmellMe still in beta test.
SIT and STAY were hard enough, GREP and AWK are out of the question!
Saliva-coated mouse gets mighty difficult to manouever.
Annoyed by lack of newsgroup, alt.pictures.masters.leg.
Butt-sniffing more direct and less deceiving than online chat rooms.

Tips on Home Recording

2006-11-20T21:27:00.000Z

To Record or Not To Record - At Home, That Is
by Seth Lutnick
I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording. I love moving faders, adjusting levels, panning, reverberating, sequencing, you name it. I especially love all that software, and the colorful ways that they show the music as a waveform. It is just cool.
And I'm not the only one. My cousin has just become hooked as well, and all around the globe many many songwriters are falling prey to the "Call of the Cubase." After all, what once upon a time could break the bank, is now easily accessible on our desktops. Every songwriter can record his songs for a pittance. So is this a good thing? And should we all be doing it?
On the surface, it's a no-brainer. Well, why not record? It stimulates creativity. It liberates more music from the brains of its creators. It puts more pleasure into the world. And yet, there is a downside or two to consider when you plan to record your stuff, at least at home.
Natural selection was Darwin's theory, and it applies equally to music as well. I'll be honest, I'm not the greatest songwriter. I tend to write stuff that is too long, overly cliched, and requiring the vocal range of Luciano Pavarotti mixed with Paul Robeson. Every so often, though, almost despite my best efforts, I'll crank out a beaut. When that happens, it deserves immediate posteritizing (recording for posterity), but, alas, there is a long line of "I-really-shouldn't-record-this-but-why-not-it's-cheap-to-do-it" material in front of it. Each of those will take a good week of work to arrange, record, overdub, mix, master, remix, remaster and burn. Add to that two days of regret after I've listened to the atrocious thing, you have 9 days. If I had to pay for a studio, I'd only have gone with the winner, and thos eother songs would have thankfully remained mere twinkles in my eye.
That's the first thing to consider. It's not for the betterment of the world to record everything just because you can. With the advent of the home studio, the natural selection process disappeared, and people don't have the same pressure to let their material grow, become refined, and be sure that they are going for the gold before they start laying down tracks. Always ask yourself if you can do better before you start. Don't let the technology cripple creativity with its instant allure.
Now let's say you really have an ace song on your hands. No reason not to record this, you're saying, and you're right. But. Is doing it at home the way to go? The answer is a resounding ... depends. Depends on what gear you have, sure. But even more, it depends on what you are capable of doing with that gear. If the ease with which one can record at home has limited creative quality, it may do the same to sonic quality when the creativity has been truly remarkable. I love those gadgets, but I will admit that I can never seem to get the sound I hear in my head when I write those songs. If I were properly trained, I'm sure I'd have a different take, but I'm not, and how many of us are?
So my compromise has been to have all the fun in the world with the songs I'm not staking my future on, while the keepers get a professional to make sure that I'll get that record deal. I would highly recommend, however, to record your songs at home as a prequel, if you will, to the studio. The benefits are knowing how your song will take to tape on a basic level, as well as seeing any weaknesses in your arrangements. It is a great scratch pad, and then, when you get into the studio, you'll have a great head start.
I hope everyone thrills to this wonderful world of songwriting, and whether your goal is simply to give CDs to your friends and family or to be a megastar (hope we make it), you'll use home studio technology to stimulate creativity, improve your craft and career and have a blast. Happy tunes!
Seth Lutnick is a singer/songwriter/actor who has recorded two albums of original music, as well as appearing on TV, film, stage and radio. His website shares ideas, tutorials and product links on the art of music recording, as well as other areas of life. Visit www.getitdone.biz/Music/ for great ideas on home and studio recording.

Andy Gower

2006-11-20T17:12:00.000Z

I'd like you to listen to a very talented artist called Andy Gower, who is from Stoke-on-Trent. Most of the time it's just Andy and his guitar so get on down and have a listen.
You can do that at Andy's MySpace Page
I would be pleased to receive comments back on the tracks available there.

Juanita Family & Friends on Radio 2

2006-09-01T13:40:00.000+01:00

Hi Friends,
it's been a while with lots of other activities keeping me away from this favourite blog.
However, some big news!
Whispering Bob Harris himself, of legendary Whistle Test fame, has played songs from the Jaunitas album on two of his shows.
Most recently on his country show on Thursday night, 31st August.
If you missed it you can listen again online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2 and look for Bob Harris country in the listen again section.
The song played was 'Cruel Hand of Fate' and Bob described their music as 'wonderful and intriguing'.
That's quite a feather in the cap of one of our favourite bands.
There's still a limited supply of this golddust album available through www.audleymusic.co.uk and go to the Juanitas page!

Audley Music Site revamped!

2006-05-15T12:53:00.000+01:00

Take a look at the new look Audley Music Site.
There's a new bands page with links to the features you need. The old heading was getting a bit full as it's now popular and we were running out of space!
Be sure to listen to the podcast while you're visiting.
Latest additions are
Power of County

and
Headliners

Fotomoto on Radio 1

2006-05-11T16:53:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning 9/10 May at about 0045 Huw Stephens played a new Fotomoto track "Bigger ma pen" on his OneMusic show. It sounded really great, quite different from previous songs.
If you missed it, the track's on their Myspace account or you can listen again at the BBC Radio 1 website
Please have a listen and leave a comment.

Juanita Family & Friends on BBC Radio 1's OneMusic

2006-03-18T12:47:00.000Z

Thanks to Huw Stephens at Radio 1's OneMusic for biggin' up our buddies the Juanita Family and Friends on Tuesday night's show. He announced that they are coming to UK to do a session for BBC in May, and they also have a gig in Cardiff on May 4th.
That's a must see.
Busy trying to arrange UK/Ireland more gigs as we write this.
There's a limited number of their brilliant CD in lovely cardstock cover available to buy online but it will have to be first come, first served.
Get 'em here, while they're hot. After May, everybody will want one. Hit the button below.

Peakz at the Garage

2006-03-10T16:39:00.000Z

Seven-thirty on a piss rainy night in Highbury, and Arsenal are about to play Real Madrid.
Queuing at the Garage, opposite Highbury and Islington Tube Station, a few souls huddle against the wet, insignificant in the pre-match crowds and electric atmosphere.

D'Silva play first, a good set, and guess what I got the set list...

The audience they've persuaded out on this filthy night are appreciative!

Then, sorry lads, I didn't catch the name, a bright hard rock outfit playing technically competent covers and originals.

What a treat, Velvetines, next, ten songs of pulsating appeal and you wonder how does such a massive voice emanate from the tiny form of the lead singer?

They too are well received, the small venue is reasonably full, but we're 15 minutes behind the pace and they've hogged the stage (deservedly!).

Some of their following drift away in search of late buses and trains, and in the red half-light Peakz put thier gear on stage and prepare to rumble.

Big Rich looks haggard, a true rock cliche of life on the road, too many miles from Capel Curig via the Flapper & Firkin in Brum yesterday, and no sleep since Watford Gap.

His huge frame dwarfs Ed's slight figure on stage. Peakz might go unnoticed till the first six notes from Rich's bass rampage round the room.

Some people halfway down the stairs and homeward bound turn heads, hesitate, and start back in. This is gonna be worth listening to.

Drummer Deian (say it Day-ann) sits in bare-chested magnificence, displ;aying his tattoos, and the guy from Velvetines comments,

'You can tell this is all he ever wants to do..'

He plays just behind the beat, a hammering foundation for the uncompromising guitar thrash which is 'Platform 9' , a 'song about sluts' and 'Devil Eyes', a little love song.

Even the tender 'Conwy Valley Luv Song' takes on a hard edge and the guys take it to an ear-mutilating climax with 'Freeway in Texas'. The feedback effect reminds you of the Tardis dematerialising...

For the twenty or so hardy souls who stayed to listen the reward is Rich - Big Rich and the Peakz.

The album 'Lovers and Liars' can be had from
www.myspace.com/peakz
or www.audleymusic.co.uk/peakz.htm

Get Noticed Quicker by Google and Yahoo!

2006-03-02T10:20:00.000Z

Not strictly a music post, I know, but if you have band websites and blogs this is one way of getting your site spidered quickly by the major search engines.
Try searching for 'peakz' on yahoo or google and my audley music website and the blogs and podcasts associated with it come up near the top, and that's where we all want to be.
Try this, it's free, and it's better than waiting months to get noticed, or worse still, paying some scammer to get you 'instant' results.
There just ain't no free lunch, but this is a low-cost snack!

You could pay a fortune for the boys who claim to 'get you on google in days' or 'raise your ranking in Yahoo' and all that stuff. The long and short of it is it costs you, hard moolah.
However, if you take advantage of the Google and Yahoo 'personalise your space' features, just add your url or blog feed in the 'add content' sections.
Guess whose pages they index first when they send out those busy little spiders?
Why, their very own, of course!
It won't guarantee a million visitors but it will mean your pages are there for the viewing.

When you go to the Google homepage you will see a link in the top right corner called Personalised Home.
Click on that and it goes to a page with an invitation to Personalise your homepage.
Don't have a Google Account? You'll be invited to create one.
(You use you gmail settings to sign in if you have that service)
When it's done, go to the personal page and you will be invited to 'add content'
Put your personal web addresses here and your blogs and your rss feeds if you have them.
With Yahoo, it's similar.
When you go to their homepage you'll see a 'My Yahoo' link.
Put some basics on the page to get it going and then use the add content as above.

Hope you find this useful - if you have any queries email me
mike@audleymusic.co.uk

What have we been up to at Audley Music?

2006-02-28T12:36:00.000Z

Where have we been and who have we been listening to, at Audley Music?
Highlight of the month was sitting in on Huw Stephen's show on OneMusic for Radio 1 last Tuesday. Thanks to Huw and Louise and Princess Amy. Fascinating stuff and very good tunes, of course.
Plenty of activity on Myspace - some quality friends added and very good new music.
Check out Belisha and some cajun neighbours of mine from the deepest bayous of Stoke-on-Trent, Elvis Fontenot and the Sugar Bees. Get to their gigs if you can. they seem like a riot!
Also have a listen to an amzing singer/songwriter who deserves a lot of attention, Tricia McTeague. Why ain't we hearing the likes of Bob Harris playing her excellent stuff?
Gigs?
Stan went along to the Sugar Mill in Stoke to hear StellarStar on Saturday and hasn't stopped raving about them yet.

Now for some plugs!

Peakz start their live gigs this week kicking off at the Tyn-y-Coed in Capel Curig on Thursday 2nd March. The royal progress continues to the awesome Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on Saturday 4th March.
Tuesday 7th sees 'em at the Flapper & Firkin in Birmingham, and the next day, Wednesday 8th March Upstairs at the Garage in London.
Peakz were featured on Kerrang radio last Sunday night and on Huw and Bethan's Radio 1 Wales last Thursday where Rich demanded that Huw 'Play my song, dammit!'
Check out the website www.audleymusic.co.uk for more details and to get some useful samples for download.

Juanita Family & Friends are coming to UK to do a session for OneMusic on the Beeb on May 3rd and are looking for gigs in England, Ireland, and Wales around that date, preferably after.
Listen to the tunes at their site and see why you've gotta hear 'em, see 'em, book 'em for a gig.

What else in a full bulletin?
Give some ears to the Audley music podcast and please support it by subscribing. It helps pay the rent!
Cheers,
Mike

Peakz wow 'em in Wales

2006-02-24T12:21:00.000Z

Bori Da!

Peakz were played on Radio1 Wales last night, 23rd February: Bethan and Huw obviously liked the work!
You can catch up with Peakz on their very own Myspace slot which is
www.myspace.com/peakz

Two songs there to listen to, Devil Eyes and Freeway in Texas.

Please comment and let the band know your views.

Diolch

Radio 1's One Music and Huw Stephens

2006-02-23T11:34:00.000Z

Wow!
Tuesday 21st February, I got an invite from Huw Stephens to sit in on the OneMusic show from 2300-0100.
It was a brilliant show and very interesting to see how the show was produced and broadcast. There was some really cool music played - if you missed it catch it again on the net using the BBC Play Again feature.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1

Peakz make it to Kerrang...

2006-02-12T22:11:00.000Z

Peakz got their song Freeway in Texas played on Kerrang Radio's unsigned band show tonight Sunday 12th Feb but they were in an almighty rush towards the end of the show and didn't give out any details of the band - gigs or website or owt.
Reckon we should all email unsigned@kerrangradio.co.uk and ask for details of Peakz.....!

If you love music, pass this on

2006-02-09T23:38:00.000Z

Pass along this small tribute, copy this code.

Peakz Gigz Update

2006-02-09T15:40:00.000Z

PEAKZ GIG DATES:
Thurs 2nd March Tyn Y Coed Hotel Capel Curig
Sat 4th March Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
Tues 7th March Flapper & Firkin Birmingham
Wed 8th March The Garage (Upstairs) London

PEAKZ RADIO PLAYS
Sun 12th Feb Kerrang! Radio 9pm-10pm
Thurs 16th Feb Radio1 Session in Wales 'Play My Song Dammit'.

www.myspace.com/peakz

www.myspace.com/audleymusic

Ouch! We got it wrong about Peakz

2006-02-04T11:38:00.000Z

Doh!
The date for Peakz to be featured on Radio 1 Wales is now 16th February 2006 between 1900 and 2100 GMT on the Play My Song Dammit! feature.
Keep listening.
More news on the podcast - look to the right or go to
www.audleymusic.co.uk for the latest edition!
Mike

Peakz on Radio 1 Wales

2006-02-02T09:53:00.000Z

Peakz will have their song 'Follow Me' played on the BBC Radio 1 Wales show between 1900-2100 GMT tonight February 2nd on the 'Play My Song, Dammit!' feature.
Why not listen out then comment?

Fotomoto in Kiev

2006-01-31T09:00:00.000Z

How's this for a cool review? Note girls go free!

Saturday 28

Fotomoto.

Fotomoto, a funky alt-electronica trio from Zaporizhya, will play Venzel club on Saturday. Give the band some credit, too: with just keyboards, a drum machine and a female lead singer, they've gotten their own live session playing on BBC Radio 1. The music is uber-cool, danceable, and the best thing to come out of Zaporizhya since sliced black bread.

Venzel (66 Chervonoarmiyska, 287-2520). 11 p.m. Tickets Hr 40 for men, or Hr 20 with flyer.

Free admission for women.

Tour Dates for Peakz

2006-01-30T19:08:00.000Z

Dates now confirmed for the Peakz live gigs

Thursday March 2nd Tyn-y-coed Capel Curig
Saturday 4th March Club Ifor Bach Cardiff
Wednesday March 8th Upstairs at the Garage, London

Watch this space for more dates and venues.

Peakz on Kerrang Radio

2006-01-30T13:19:00.000Z

Hi all,
what a week!
Two days in Dublin Wednesday and Thursday, mostly working for the man who pays the rent (as you do!) but managed to get some time to look round for possible gigs for Juanita Family and Friends when they come to Europe in May 2006. More on that later, we hope.
In the meantime, news that Peakz tune 'Follow Me' will be aired on Kerrang Radio on Sunday 5th February b2006 between 2100 and 2200 GMT. Find it on the internet or Sky Channel 933.
Here's what their manager Karem had to say from Spain!

How's it going compardreys? Just a quick email to ask for your help....

One of 'THE PEAKZ' songs will be played on Kerrang! Radio's unsigned show (digital TV/Radio sky channel 933) next Sunday (5th February) night between 9pm and 10pm

If you value ur sanity or just want me to shut up and stop harrassing you then please txt 80908 and email unsigned@kerrangradio.co.uk after they're played saying how much you love them/ their music/ their manager/ you want to hear more, etc.

Thank you please!

Karen

www.audleymusic.co.uk/peakz

A tale of Fotomoto...

2006-01-20T16:18:00.000Z

Mike Eardley is a public transport information specialist living in and working from Stoke-on-Trent.
His travels on business take him all over the UK and Ireland.
He is also a writer, with a published historical novel (June 2004) to his credit, and he runs several websites.
Eardley Family name history – Eardleys Everywhere!
www.m-j-eardley.co.uk

The Novel!
Letter from Poitou

Audley Publications – designed to give assistance to writers on how to self-publish
Audley Publications

Audley Music – promotes Fotomoto, Peakz, Juanita Family and a few others. It also does the same as Audley Publications but for musicians, encouraging the do it yourself approach.

Audley Music on Myspace.com
www.myspace.com/audleymusic

email mike@audleymusic.co.uk

07718 540131

Fotomoto, John Peel, and a dimly-lit bedroom in Stoke-on-Trent…

I first heard of Fotomoto through one of those random chances which seem to so influence our lives, kicking us off down an unexpected path.

My younger brother Richard had been living in North Wales for quite a few years, and I knew he had taught himself guitar in solitary flats and hotel rooms whilst earning a living as a chef in a string of establishments.

I even had some demo tapes he had made with a band appealingly called “The Scabbs”.

Through the North Wales musical set Richard hooked up with a band called Melys, and he played bass guitar with them. Melys had already enjoyed quite a bit of success with radio play and appearances on S4C. Their big triumph came at Christmas 2000 when they beat little know bands such as the White Stripes and Strokes to win John Peel’s legendary Festive Fifty with their single “Chinese Whispers”.

I was very impressed with this, having been a life-long fan and admirer of Peel since seeing him at the Hollywood (Staffordshire!) Festival, in summer 1970. I started listening again to J.P.’s late night midweek shows as a result, in the hope of catching some reference to Melys.

One evening John played a track by Fotomoto and commented that the band were looking for feedback and gave their email address. I emailed them and that started an email/internet dialogue which turned into much more!
My dabbling with the internet and web sites had extended to setting up a family name history research site, mostly for the benefit of American relatives, but also to keep abreast of the technology for my rent-paying job.

I offered Fotomoto some space on my isp and they leapt at the chance, as they were keen to be better known in the West and free webspace was hard for them to come by. They designed the site and I set it up, along with an email group for interested fans.

The first two albums, the eponymous Fotomoto and Fotomoto2 were manufactured by me burning individual copies in my bedroom late at night, usually after a hard day’s work. They were mailed all over the world – UK, Ireland, , Mexico, Germany…such is the power of the Internet, Mr. Peel’s reputation and recommendation, and word of mouth.

Moscow record label Snegin produced their third album, “suranov, a?” but only made a limited run. It sold well, it sold out, and after that it was back to making copies one by one for the fans who knew where to look.

In June 2004 a long-cherished ambition was fulfilled. Fotomoto had been invited to do one of the most prestigious things in the musical world – a John Peel session at Maida Vale in London.

They endured bureaucracy, lack of ready cash, and a forty-hour coach trip from Kiev to London to make that dream come true.

The session was a triumph, with John Peel raving over their sound. I even got a mention!

I had the privilege of meeting Fotomoto in London, albeit briefly, as I happened to be there on business the day before they left.

We met at the ‘Head of Steam’ at Euston for about an hour while I waited for my train back to Stoke. Their spoken English was somehow worse than the pidgin emails they sent, but we got along and parted with many hugs and good wishes.

Rock journalist Matthew Collin took up the story. He had been fascinated by Eastern European rock for years and was intrigued by the tale of Fotomoto’s determination to play in the West. Matthew went to Ukraine to interview the band and it coincided with the Orange revolution in that country.

Music was mixing with politics and it was heady!

The resulting article in the Observer created a huge surge of renewed public interest in the band. John Peel’s untimely death added a frisson of tragedy to the whole issue.

Email and hits to the website went wild. Everybody wanted a copy of “suranov, a?”, the album Snegin had dropped. Following the Observer article I was interviewed by local fanzine editors and radio.

“How does a guy in Stoke get involved with a band in the Ukraine, and more column inches of interview in the Observer than John Peel..?”

I had the great honour of meeting John Peel a couple of times.
The first was the awesome live session played by Melys in 2001 on the night Liverpool won the UEFA cup. Richard blagged me an invite and John spoke to me because I was the only other guy in Maida Vale approaching his age…”

Naturally he was euphoric about the win, and threw his record list to the floor, commanding Melys to ‘just keep playing’. I was introduced as ‘the man who looks after Fotomoto’ and I felt proud of that. I have a much cherished photo of John, Rich and me – John is clutching a glass of celebratory red!

By now I had a standing invitation to visit live sessions at Maida Vale if I happened to be in London on business. I tried very hard to ensure my meetings were on a Tuesday. Bosses, if you’re reading, please forgive!

Fotomoto also had a standing invitation to do another session, but this was not realized till December 2005.

The world had not forgotten John Peel, but it had moved on. Radio Ones’s OneMusic now occupied Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 2300-0100 GMT.

Huw Stephens took up the cudgels for Fotomoto. I was invited to an early live session with Gryff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and went armed with the back catalogue of cd’s as J.P.’s originals were probably languishing with thousands of others at Peel Acres.

A date was agreed to record the session and this was December 7th 2005. Fotomoto also played the Progress Festival in Ghent, Belgium on the way to London. They also performed a live set at the Spitz club in the East End.

Once again I was fortunate enough to be in London the day after, though nursing a hangover from the company’s bash the previous night!

We met in Oxford Street, bustling with Christmas shoppers and sightseers watching the last red London Routemaster buses on route 159.

Try explaining to Ukrainians whose English is rudimentary, the intricacies of the extremely British eccentrics who are bus spotters. It certainly made my headache worse!

We got some great photos in Hyde Park, and parted sadly to await the broadcast, which went out on January 17th 2006.

The new songs, designed for live performance rather than studio recording or album, were brilliant.

Once again the internet switchboards lit up, buzzing with interest and delight. We can only look forward to the band’s new work coming out on cd – even if it means making every one with devotion, late at night, in a dimly lit bedroom in Stoke-on-Trent.

Neat way to get indexed!

2006-01-17T14:09:00.000Z

Seems there's a shortcut to getting your blog indexed with Yahoo, at least.
If you use Yahoo, add your blog feed to content on the My Yahoo page.
For details of the brilliant Gcast podcasting software used on this blog, go to this site
Hope this helps.
PS - Fotomoto on Radio 1 Tuesday 17th 2300-0100 GMT
Huw Stephens

Fotomoto on Huw Stephens' OneMusic

2006-01-11T11:48:00.000Z

Hi,
sorry it's been a while since the last post (bugler joke!) but the work which pays the rent has kept me busy.
Huw Stephens played a Fotomoto track 'Bela' on his OneMusic prog last night 10th January. It's not in the official tracklisting for some reason but it happened halfway through the show just after midnight if you catch it on Radio 1's Play Again feature.
It was by way of an intro for the Session which was recorded in December which will be broadcast on Huw's show next week, 17th January from 2300-0100 GMT.
Picture of yours truly with the band in Hyde Park on a freezing December morning which was also the last day of Routemaster buses in London - the band thought the camera crews were there to see them...(har! Har!)

The OPINION

2005-12-19T17:35:00.000Z

The OPINION

Audley Music's Podcast

2005-12-19T14:37:00.001Z

Well,
after a lot of tinkering this amateur has managed to set up the capability to podcast! So, there will be a chance to listen to latest sounds, hear reviews, and news and opinions.
There is currently a Fotomoto track for download but stay tuned as they say for updated podcasts.
There's a link off down to the right or you can try it here

http://www.audleymusic.co.uk/podcast.htm

Please let me know what you think!

Mike

Fotomoto BBC session soon!

2005-12-16T15:25:00.000Z

Well - after a long and arduous journey by long distance bus Fotomoto made it back to Ukraine from London and have sent me a teaser of the session to be broadcast by BBC on Huw Stephens' OneMusic show on a Tuesday night - soon! BBC do not yet have a date for this.
Watch the website for details
http://listen.to/fotomoto
or
http://www.audleymusic.co.uk
You heard it here first!!

Robert Plant Rocks on!

2005-12-13T12:01:00.000Z

The crew from Audley Music went to see Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation at Wolverhampton Civic Hall last night (Monday 12th).
Wow! What can you say? He can do it, and do it, and do it again!
The band turned out many numbers from the recent Mighty Rearranger album liberally peppered with old and revered tunes such as 'When the Levee breaks', and a house-demolishing finale of 'Whole Lotta Love'.
It was as good, if not better, than anything from the Zepp days.
Can't wait to be there again.
Dig the picture.

Juanita Family

2005-12-07T11:11:00.000Z

Juanita Family!

Airplay on Radio 1

BBC’s Huw Stephens gave an airing to Lana’s plaintive tones on ‘Let’s Get Drunk and Watch TV’ ia his OneMusic Show at 2300 GMT on Tuesday 6th December. It’s at the top of the show and you can listen to it online via www.bbc.co.uk/radio1 and go to ‘listen again’
He also said the Juanitas are coming to Britain in the Spring to do a session for the Beeb which is great news. Latest estimate is it could be early May but watch this space or go to
www.audleymusic.co.uk for details.

And the Peakz are?

2005-12-02T15:53:00.000Z

Latest piccies of the band from their secret North Wales hideaway expressing a fascination for redundant farm machinery. Or does it just look cool and moody? Judge for yourselves.
Catch the band's biography at http://listen.to/thepeakz

Peakz

2005-11-24T13:09:00.000Z

Peakz

Peakz are peekin’ out

Expect to see the dynamic Wales-based duo out on tour with Songs of Lovers and Liars from February 2006.
Interest from record companies and Internet Stations abounds.
Rumour has it you might catch ‘em at a Barfly near you…

http://listen.to/thepeakz

Fotomoto Update

2005-11-24T13:01:00.000Z

Fotomoto Update

Spitz and BBC

Much relief! The knotty problem of visas and all that boring stuff seems to have been sorted and the band are coming to UK via the Progress Festival in Ghent on 1st December.
Fotomoto play London’s Spitz venue on Monday night 5th December.
Check out details here
http://www.spitz.co.uk/venue.htm

Give’em all the support you can

http://listen.to/fotomoto

Fotomoto

2005-11-18T15:27:00.000Z

Fotomoto

Fotomoto in London – Date changes!

Sorry, once more the dates are changing! Spitz club has changed the fotomoto gig to Monday 5th December. Please be aware and apologies for anybody whose diary (like mine!) has been completely blown…

The Festive Fifty

2005-11-11T14:59:00.000Z

The Festive Fifty Lives!

John Peel’s Festive Fifty lives! BBC’s OneMusic is carrying on the tradition started by JP almost 30 years ago.

Why don’t we have a go at voting some of Audley Music’s band into good places here?

Huw Stephens has played Fotomoto, Juanita Family & Friends, and last week he gave a blast to Peakz!

You can vote here (and find track listings if you ain’t sure)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/huw/festive50_part1.shtml

Vote! Vote! Vote!

Juanita Family

2005-11-08T09:08:00.000Z

Juanita Family & Friends
in the UK

Howdy folks – just heard that your favourite band from Portland, Oregon are heading to the UK, possibly via some dates in mainland Europe in March 2006.
Check out details on the website and listen to some of their toons.
http://www.audleymusic.co.uk

The Peakz on Radio 1

2005-11-07T15:38:00.000Z

The Peakz on Radio 1

Huw Stephens’ One Music site features The Peakz as one of their unsigned hero bands.
Check it out now

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/huw/unsigned.shtml

Mike

Fotomoto need help

2005-11-06T22:48:00.000Z

Fotomoto need help!

Fotomoto are playing a festival in Ghent, Belgium on December 1st 2005 and then need to get to London on Saturday 2nd December to prepare for their Radio 1 OneMusic session to be recorded on 7th December. On 8th they play London’s prestigious Spitz club.
Anyone traveling from Belgium to London who can accommodate them (4 bodies) the guys can pay about 150 euros towards fuel etc., or if you know of a coach or anything that’s coming here…?
Email me michaeljayuk@yahoo.co.uk
Mike

Peakz on Radio 1

2005-11-03T13:20:00.000Z

Peakz on Radio 1

Radio 1’s Huw Stevens played Peakz track “The Girl You Gotta See to Believe” on his OneMusic Show on Tuesday 1st November, said it was “good stuff”.
You can hear it again on www.bbc.co.uk/radio1 and go to the ‘listen again’ feature.
Well done, boys.
Peakz music, along with Fotomoto and Juanita Family albums, can be got from
www.audleymusic.co.uk

Fotomoto in the UK D

2005-10-28T12:41:00.000+01:00

Fotomoto in the UK! Doing the OneMusic thing for BBC Radio 1 on 7th December and a gig at London’s prestigious Spitz on the 8th. Can’t wait, and yes! I will be in London on that night.

And now, dear reader…

I’m so pleased with this new thing I found out. My sister site Audley Publications is dedicated to helping people self-publish their work, whether it’s a novel, poetry, music, a comic, whatever… I always encouraged writers to use pc technology to publish their work on cd-rom or dvd. There’s an e-book available from the site http://www.audleypublications.co.uk which shows folks how to do this.

BUT NOW…

I’ve plugged in to this system where a self-publisher can produce home made books which look as good (or better) than those you buy in the stores!
Ideal for small or amateur runs if you just want to make a dozen or so or publish to order.
The equipment is so simple, from any hardware store for a few quid (or bucks!)
The system can be seen here
Make your own books

Good luck with it.

Not getting enough?

2005-10-25T11:56:00.000+01:00

Not getting enough people to your blog?
There is a way I’ve found which is also quite fascinating in that it gets you to see some really interesting stuff.
You read other blogs in exchange for other bloggers reading yours.
Extraordinary!
Go here and see
http://www.blogexplosion.com/index.php?ref=Noot54
and good luck

Doo0m & Gloom!

2005-10-03T23:15:00.000+01:00

Just heard! Literary success at last! My new short story, inspired by a news article, came 3rd in the World SFF Short Story Contest.
If you read it, it might make you wanna cancel Christmas plans for this year…
http://www.sffworld.com/news/193.html
Keep on rockin’ in a free world.while ya can!

Fotomoto and Peakz Update

2005-09-30T17:16:00.000+01:00

Hello, hello, hello… here’s our latest news from the bandz

Fotomoto date for the Spitz given as 5th December is now the 8th December – that’s the day after recording for BBC Radio 1’s OneMusic.

Details of the tour still a little sketchy – we’re hoping to film the recordings and performances with a view to making a music/interview dvd. It would be a big help if folks could give feedback on that.

Peakz album may well get an airing on OneMusic toward the end of October – keep yer ears Peeled.

Gotta go – the Friday night curry’s waiting.

Peakz make it to CD!

2005-09-20T14:02:00.000+01:00

Hi – it’s been some time, but busy, busy, busy! Three days in London last week at Olympia making an exhibition of myself!
The big news is that the long-anticipated alum by PEAKZ is now available from www.audleymusic.co.uk
Be sure to visit the site to read the biog and details of the album.
Gotta go- off to Glasgow today to sit in a lonely hotel room and listen to Huw Stevens on OneMusic at the dead of night – there are worse fates, I suppose.

So much happening

2005-06-04T23:09:00.000+01:00

Wow!
Let me down and all you as well.
No daily blog
Well....
Fotomoto doing a mega European tour, cruel & merciless sweep across central Europe... no, that's the old style Soviet Army...
December 2005 hopefully, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgium, and London, hopefully mid December - stay posted for details.
Also, still wiaiting for confirmation that Juanita Family might be in UK November 2005 - ish...
Jest listening to Whispering Bob, spent three whole days trying to suss problem on daughter's pc to alleviate her MSN habit- turned out to be duff heatsink fan = know what that feels like.
Yuk.
You are a stanger here but once, that's a quote from my new novel, History of the Oleii.
Michael

Juanita Family goes down a storm for charity!

2005-05-12T17:01:00.000+01:00

Afternoon, all,
just got back from three hectic days at a trade conference, doing what's necessary to pay the rent! The big-hearted individuals who attended arranged a charity auction on the last night, at the function dinner, and amongst the items pledged was a Juanita Family and Friends cd.
The bidding went up and up and the cd sold for £35 ($70). What a result!
In all the auction raised £3200 for a charity sending buses from UK for use in the tsunami disaster area. Well done all!
Now I gotta go get some sleep!
Mike

Check out Mojo June 2005

2005-05-07T23:51:00.000+01:00

Hi guys,
writing this blog listening to the incomparable Bob Harris on Beeb 2 (Hi Bob!) with the news that Fotomoto's Model album gets a big 4 stars in the review for Mojo by our friend Matthew Collin.Look for a link soon on the site www.audleymusic.co.uk
Got the new Robert Plant album, Mighty Rearranger, today, and together with Bruce Springsteen's Devils & Dust, and Juanita Family & Friends, these cd's have had no rest, I kid you not! The neighbours are considering an ASBO.
Michael

Media prices to die for

2005-05-04T17:26:00.000+01:00

Hello all,
just finished talking to my little bro who runs Media Weeble. Fantastic prices for all pc media, printable cd's, dvd's - just the thing for home manufacture of your music, which of course, is what we recommend and encourage at Audley Music.
Check out the website at www.mediaweeble.co.uk
If you'd like Audley Music to take charge of your medium or small run cd manufacture, including the graphics, print, marketing, and promotion, drop us an email, mike@audleymusic.co.uk, and let's see what we can do to help.
If you live in UK please don't forget to vote tomorrow, or think it doesn't matter - every single one does.
What will the political landscape look like Friday morning? Who knows?
Mike

Man vs Machine

2005-05-02T22:07:00.000+01:00

Hi,
sorry I missed yesterday but it was my birthday and we can all be forgiven for the excesses that occur.
One of the presents I had was a pedometer which measures how many steps you take in a day, and to be healthy you are supposed to take 10,000.
Of course, it then becomes a challenge to show the bloody machine you CAN do it!
On Sunday I did 9,600 and today I did 14,600. Quite a good average!
One of the other presents I was given was a bottle of 12 year old single Islay malt whisky and I'm off to sample that in a sec, to counter the good effects of all that excercise.
Looks like the Juanitas will definitely be in UK November time now, and I'm still waiting to hear about Fotomoto but I did get a nice long email from them.
Peakz album is in the final stages and will be available soon. Watch this space.
Bye for now from Bank Holiday Britain.
Michael

Update on possible tours

2005-04-29T13:25:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon,
it seems like the Juanita Family visit to UK will be late autumn rather than summer so wtach this space for news or take a look at www.audleymusic.co.uk for the latest. You can also get their self-titled cd there by mail order or online.
It's been a hectic week, what with two days in Glasgow doing the job that pays the rent (I do this other stuff for fun!) and a heavy work schedule, but never mind, there's what we Brits call a 'Bank Holiday' coming up which means we get a long weekend with Monday off and all the official buildings like post offices and banks firmly closed.
Won't stop the DIY stores from going mad though.
Have a good one!
Michael

Audley Music Kicking Off

2005-04-28T15:47:00.000+01:00

Hi,
this is Mike from Audley Music with a new blog.
Hope to keep all and sundry updated with the latest news from Audley Music.
Hear their latest tunes at www.melys.co.uk
Listen to our news at www.audleymusic.co.uk
Latest hot stuff is that we hope Juanita Family and friends can come over from Portland Oregon to UK to do a session for the BBC in the summer. We're also hopeful for a European tour from our friends Fotomoto in December 2005
I'll try to update daily