Hey all. It has indeed been a while since our last blog post. We here at PickTheBand just wanted to say to stay tuned as we have some great new exciting things happening. So get you band pages updated, share the bands you like and stay tuned.
Thanks for all the support.
PickTheBand.com
After 5 major international contests and tens of thousands of votes, Darlingside, a very unique band out of Northampton, Mass., has emerged as the ultimate winner of the Sennheiser Hear.I Am contest. The band comes away with some great prizes. Not only did they get to perform in Autsin, TX during SXSW, but they won a 3-song demo from Pick The Band Records, some amazing Sennheiser gear and a once in a lifetime showcase to Universal Records at their NY headquarters. This is something bands are only lucky to get and it can change the future of any band.
Established in September 2009 as Northampton, MA’s premier “string-rock” quintet, Darlingside has quickly taken hold in New England’s musical imagination. Playing over 100 shows during their first year of touring, the band has created a seamless, exhilarating sound at the intersection of rock, classical, and folk music. Their first studio offering, EP 1, has earned high praise for its craftsmanship and originality, and the band’s new material has further expanded their artistic range. This spring, the band will be taking its talent and energy on the road, embarking on a tour that ranges as far as Toronto, ON and Austin, TX. With a debut full-length album set to be released later in 2011, this looks to be a breakout year for Darlingside.
Check out their music and other great bands on WPTB Pick The Band Radio. Stay tuned for great things from Darlingside.
HOME
We have reached the end of the Sennheiser HearIAm contest, which we launched last summer and has since provided hundreds of North American artists with several opportunities to take their music careers to the next level. Five bands have won a chance to compete for a spectacular grand prize, which includes a three-song demo deal with Pick The Band, mastering and digital distribution with Universal Republic Records and an exclusive, all expense paid showcase at Universal Republic Records’ headquarters in New York.
Fans can vote for their favorite artists on the HearIAm.com site between April 12th and April 25th, and fans who participate in the voting process will be eligible to win a pair of Sennheiser HD 800 headphones — which many audiophiles consider to be among the best headphones in the world. The finalists, who were selected by music fans and a panel of accomplished judges from Sennheiser, PickTheBand.com and Universal Republic Records, include the following:
• Trucker (from Kansas; winner of Osheaga 2010): Trucker is a six-piece vocal rock band based in Lawrence, Kansas. From Rock to Alternative to Country to Blues, their music demonstrates passion and craftsmanship in every song. Over the last 10 years Trucker has had over 500,000 worldwide MP3 downloads from their website.
• The Hall Effect (from Colombia; winner of CMJ 2010): The Hall Effect is a four-piece indie band that debuted on the Colombian music scene in 2006. Their compelling fusion of rocking riffs and sonic inventiveness soon earned them a loyal following among fans and media.
• Aquivolta (from Mexico; winner of Mexico City Live 2010): Arquivolta was formed in 2009 in Mexico City. The project was first conceived as a progressive funk, double bass and guitar-synth ensemble but has since evolved into a more defined, energetic, and powerful music experience.
• Paul Davidson (from Virginia; winner of CMW 2011): For Paul Davidson, a a talented vocalist singer/songwriter, it is all about living life to the fullest, making the best music he can and sharing it with anyone who wants to listen. Davidson’s vocal ability and unique tone has captivated many fans across the U.S. since he committed himself to a career in music just over a year ago.
• Darlingside (Massachusetts; winner of Austin phase): Darlingside is a “string rock” quintet with lush five-part harmonies, classical cello-violin duets and compelling break-beats that characterize the band’s sound.
Since launching last spring, Sennheiser’s HearIAm campaign — launched in conjunction with PickTheBand.com — has provided artists and musicians with a unique opportunity to expose their music to thousands of fans across the Americas. In addition, music fans registering on HearIAm.com have been exposed to a treasure trove of fresh, new music to discover and share. By participating, these fans have helped their favorite artists gain performance slots at prominent music showcases and become eligible to win music gear and other prizes. By registering and voting, these music fans have become eligible to win a range of prizes including trips to popular music festivals, Sennheiser headphones and other items. Following is a brief description of some of the key milestones over the course of the campaign:
• In August 2010, Sennheiser completed the first phase of HearIAm as Kansas City-based rock band Trucker performed at Montreal’s Osheaga 2010 festival alongside artists like Snoop Dogg and Sonic Youth.
• In October 2010, Columbia’s The Hall Effect won the second phase of HearIAm, playing a fully attended showcase at New York City’s CMJ Music Marathon.
• In December 2010, Mexico’s Arquivolta won the third phase of HearIAm,
performing in an exclusive, packed showcase for music fans in Mexico City.
• In January 2011, Virginia-based John Davidson won the Canadian Music Week phase of the contest, gaining an opportunity to play at one of Toronto’s hottest venues: The Mod Club.
• In February 2011, Massachusetts-based Darlingside won the Austin phase of the contest, and was selected to play an exclusive showcase at The Stage on Sixth.
• In April of 2011, the grand prize winner of the HearIAm initiative will be announced and will receive a three-song demo deal with Pick The Band, mastering and digital distribution with Universal Republic Records as well as an exclusive showcase at Universal Republic Records’ headquarters in New York.
Caption: A pair of Sennheiser HD 800 headphones will be awarded to a lucky music fan who participates in the final voting process on HearIAm.com.
Thanks for all your participation. More to come!
PickTheBand
6/10/2010
Home
Sennheiser’s HearIAm Campaign Offers Music Lovers Tools to Express Their Passion and a Chance to Participate in Coveted American Music Festivals, Among Other Prizes
OLD LYME, Conn. – June 10, 2010 – Headphone and Microphone specialist Sennheiser announced the launch of its HearIAm campaign for the Americas, designed for sound loving musicians and fans seeking to discover and share new music. As part of the campaign, the company has partnered with Pick The Band—the world’s first “fan-run record label.” The initiative will also be supported by Universal Republic Records. For fans, the HearIAm campaign provides access to a treasure trove of the finest as yet undiscovered music available. For musicians, the campaign presents a potential opportunity to reach thousands of fans who crave new music that is both passionate and authentic.
The campaign website HearIAm.com, which interfaces with PickTheBand.com, invites fans to preview and share thousands of their favorite music tracks with others using customized social media tools and applications developed by Sennheiser and Pick The Band. Moreover, fans are able to cast votes for their favorite artists, making both artists and fans eligible to win a myriad of exceptional prizes including trips to well known American music festivals. For artists, the trips include prominent performance slots at these festivals, along with Sennheiser equipment. Musicians and fans will have many opportunities to enter the contest before it conclud es next spring.
“Sennheiser recognizes the significant shift the music industry has experienced over the last several years,” said Stefanie Reichert, vice president of strategic marketing at Sennheiser USA. “As trends like digital downloads and social media take hold, artists need to promote their music using grassroots techniques to reach today’s fans more successfully. On the other hand, fans want to discover and share new music on their own terms. This campaign connects both parties; it makes it easy for fans to discover an untapped pool of new talent, while providing an innovative platform for musicians to reach potential fans.”
Roie Avin, founder and president of Pick The Band, added: “Sennheiser has a very impressive legacy of providing musicians and consumers with high quality product solutions, while Pick The Band has a tremendous track record of bringing musicians and fans together using a proven web platform. Both companies share the same understanding of the market and were able to develop a terrific concept using customized music sharing applications. We believe that our combined efforts, along with Universal Republic’s generous prize contributions, will result in exciting opportunities for both artists and fans.”
Benefits of Participation
All musicians who register for the contest on HearIAm.com will receive a robust marketing toolkit that includes several electronic communication pieces—such as Facebook badges—to help them reach out to fans more effectively. Several finalists will receive customized phone applications to assist in their outreach activities and become eligible to win a performance slot at major American music festivals, along with $10,000 in Sennheiser gear. Partnering festivals include Montreal’s Osheaga 2010, which occurs this July and New York’s CMJ Music Marathon in October. Other festivals will be announced in the near future.
Music fans have a chance to win one of several trips to the same festivals by sharing artists’ music through social media outlets as well as by participating in the final voting process. Several smaller prizes will also be awarded.
By the time the contest wraps up in spring of 2011, a single grand-prize winner will be selected to receive a special A&R showcase and a distribution deal, courtesy of Universal Republic records.
“To be successful in the current music business landscape, artists need to put forth a greater effort and initiative than ever before,” commented Avery Lipman, co-President and COO of Universal Republic Records. “By establishing HearIAm.com and rolling out this highly innovative campaign, Sennheiser is helping to find and cultivate talented new artists, which is a mission we share at Universal Republic.”
Winner Selection
A random drawing will determine which fans will win the all inclusive music experience. The number of votes, the amount of shared music as well as a special judging panel will determine the winning artist or band that will perform at one of the selected music festivals.
The judging panel includes the following participants:
* Brian Hardgroove: Lead guitarist of Public Enemy, producer and host of “The Fusebox” music radio program
* Josh Jackson: Editor in Chief of Paste Magazine
* Roie Avin: President and Founder of Pick The Band
* Tom Mackay, Executive Vice President of A&R, Republic Records
The members of Ghost of Gloria have earned a high coveted publishing contract with the music industry giant. The news came fresh after a heavy touring schedule of electrifying performances and addictive original material.
Ghost of Gloria, has rapidly risen to fame since they formed three years ago. Members include John D’Angelo lead singer and guitarist, Mark Caldwell bass guitarist, Jeff guitarist and Mark Poiesz on drums, were individually signed and will co-produce songs at EMI’s New York studios with the production/songwriting team Espionage starting in June 2010.
They’ve been selected as the “Top 25 Bands to Watch” by Tunelab.com, were exclusively featured on the Front Page of Myxer.com, performed live on television, featured in magazines including recognition as the “Most Renowned Band in the Region”, won the debut contest of PickTheBand.com garnering the highest amount of online votes, and showcases on countless new music websites including Indie top 10 Music.
Including working with multi-platinum producer, Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte), Ghost of Gloria has produced a number of hits and their first professional video for “Fight”. Their music can be heard on the airwaves, and is available in stores and online retailers.
Picktheband's Blog 