News: Recording Industry

MANHATTAN, N.Y. -- The Los Angeles Music Network's "LAMN Jam" heads for the Big Apple. Launched three years ago in Los Angeles (where performances continue), LAMN Jams go beyond traditional showcases by featuring artists performing original songs, followed by instant professional critiques from a panel of industry experts. This year, artists will perform for $20,000 in prizes.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Rebelling against the current downturn for traditional record companies, Chris Honetschlaeger, President of BETA Records, has announced a new generation of record deal which partners the company with the artist in a non-exclusive three song contract and plans to sign 100 artists in 2008.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Rap icon B Real of Cypress Hill brings the heat just in time to melt away those holiday blues with the release of his eagerly anticipated new mixtape, The Gunslinger 3: For A Few Dollars More on Latin Thug Records, available in stores and online December 11 across the USA.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Killian Wells, an up-and-coming young pop singer, songwriter and producer, has allegedly become the target of a stalker from British Columbia, Canada, according to his label Inferno Records. Wells claims the overly zealous fan has e-mailed and made multiple phone calls to his Manhattan recording studio posing as a DJ from a phony radio station in an attempt to obtain unreleased tracks.

RECIFE, Brazil -- D'Accord Music Software, a leader in music software, announces a new version of its award-winning software - iChords - that recognizes and presents chords from any MP3, WMA files or CDs. By using iChords 2.0, musicians can learn how to play any song on keyboard or guitar. It also exports song videos to iPod and iPhones.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Altergate Publishing announced today that former TV anchor, author, and celebrity presenter Kelly Lange will give the Best Pop Campaign Award to Dee Dee Phelps for her 2007 promotion of "Vinyl Highway, Singing as Dick and Dee Dee" (ISBN: 978-1-934321-75-1).

LOS ANGELES, Calif. and LONDON, England -- BETA Records, the online record company, officially launched BETA Records UK on September 1, opening a London office and a portal for music lovers and artists of every style. This follows the success of BETA Records in the USA, Germany and Mexico.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Artist, producer, and film composer Tom Rothrock, legendary vocalist Roman Carter, and a host of studio session pros have completed a unique collaborative project titled: ROMAN CARTER "NEVER SLOW DOWN." A full length release is due out November 6th, 2007, on the recently re-launched independent Bong Load Custom Records label.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Are you a frustrated musician or vocalist seeking a record deal? Are you an unsigned or indie music artist who is looking for that first big break? Want2BDiscovered.com, LLC is giving unsigned artists more exposure than any other web site and has launched a seven-month urban talent competition - the Urban Showcase Series - to help get musicians discovered and the public involved.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- On Saturday, July 28th, at 10:30 a.m., Dee Dee Phelps, author of "Vinyl Highway" (ISBN: 978-1934321751), singing as Dick and Dee Dee will read on stage at the 2007 Hollywood Book Festival. The annual program celebrates books that deserve recognition from the film, television and multimedia communities.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- With the opening of the new BETA Studio in the Los Angeles facilities of BETA Records, musicians have a new home for creativity. The studio, located off Sunset Blvd. in the heart of Hollywood, includes a video production room with green screen, interview room, make-up room, DJ and Internet radio production areas, kitchen and guest room.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- JSM Music owner and executive producer Joel Simon and his studio will have their own cause to celebrate at this week's BET Awards. Tuesday night's awards will include the world premiere of a new TV commercial featuring Mary J Blige - part of a campaign for Chevy Tahoe - for which Simon and JSM Music played a key role.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- A&R Select, a full service artist development and marketing firm for independent artists and bands announces that IDASAS from Redlands, California, has won the 2007 Battle of the Bands competition at BB King's, located at Universal's Citywalk.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Protectomatic Music and Entertainment (PME) proudly announces the release of Jeremiah's new album, "Love Notes," on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007. The first single off of Jeremiah's recording, entitled, "Did I tell you," is also being released. In conjunction with the new single and album, PME and Jeremiah will be launching a new website at www.jsongz.com with the recording.

SEATTLE, Wash. -- Hop Productions proudly announces the release of Fodakis, the new album by Das Vibenbass on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007. The Seattle quartet that is, "crushing the borders of Jazz," presents Fodakis - a collection of songs that consciously challenge cultural assumptions about the jazz medium.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- mTraks, Inc. announces the official launch of its public beta website, now open. mTraks(TM) is a killer social music community and digital music marketplace. mTraks has raised $550,000 from a consortium of private angel investors and is represented by Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati.

DALLAS, Texas -- Roemtech, LLC has announced the availability of their innovative PlenumAmp (PMA-240). It is designed and approved for above-ceiling installations. It allows the end-user to have an audio amplification system that is easily concealed in commercial environments such as school classrooms and business meeting rooms.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Georg van Handel (CEO) and Chris Honetschlaeger (President) with BETA Records, LLC, announced today that they will partner with Synthesis to provide a captivating digital indie music magazine for their users. Synthesis will publish a digital multimedia magazine on a regular basis featuring select BETA artists and a look inside the BETA lifestyle. The magazine will be available for free subscription and download from BETA's upcoming social music community.