For our inaugural announcement of the Broadtexter Weekly Top Artists, we’d like to make sure we clarify that there are no prizes, no trips to Disney World, no trophies, and no recording contracts. The Broadtexter Team simply loves music. Since we have thousands of musicians and bands now using Broadtexter we wanted to expose you to some of the acts using Broadtexter. Also, having thousand of people searching our site we’ve made it our goal to help you artists get new fans. So we are launching the…
WEEKLY TOP ARTISTS
We take a look at a few factors to select some artists that you can read more about here. The selectees for this week are below. Please visit the individual reviews and leave a comment (support your fellow artists!):
If you have some big news on the horizon and you think it might affect a decision to consider you for an upcoming Top Artists selection, then please Contact Us about it. We look forward to hearing from you.
Many people know John Heffron as the winner of the second season of NBC’s hit reality series ‘Last Comic Standing’, who Phyliss Diller referred to as, “the cute one”.John worked as a radio sidekick to Danny Bonaduce on a highly-rated Detroit morning show before making his way to Los Angeles where he now lives.
Over the years Heffron has made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, CBS’s The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, and two of his own half-hour “Comedy Central Presents” specials. Visit Heffron on Myspace today for more information.
For those of you who like the textured soundscapes of Radiohead, Blowing Trees is a band for you.I first saw Blowing Trees at this years’ SXSW in Austin, Texas and was blown away by their live performance.Their songs are unconventional but still contain hooks that make great pop songs. Check out their Myspace to see for yourself.
My favorite song off their most recent release is ‘The Day The World Left Me’.This would be a perfect song for the MTV “Real World” watchers.I’d be surprised if it has not gotten any TV placements yet.
Antigone Risingis an all female rock quintet know for their grass roots indie ethic and non-stop touring schedule.AR is one of the bands that has found success through the new business model of music by selling their CD’s through the Starbucks Coffee record label, Hear Music.The album debuted on Billboard’s Top 100 comprehensive chart at #92 and went on to sell upwards of 15,000 copies a week through the Summer of 2005.
The band’s front girl Cassidy has a voice that rivals the best rock singers of the 1970’s.For a great example of Cassidy’s vocal power check out the duet with her and Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 on her Myspace. If you ever see Antigone Rising live, be sure to yell out a request for their Queen cover of ‘Fat Bottom Girls’.
One of the things I love most about the Nadas is that the lead singer’s voice reminds me of Bruce Cockburn….who rocks!The Nadas is one of the best Americana bands out there today.Be sure to check out the first song from their Myspace ’Blue Lights’.The vocals are very clear with amazing southern harmonies.I am also a huge fan of good ol’ school pedal steel playing, which is featured in this song.
It’s no wonder that The Nadas were called the ‘Best College Band You’ve Never heard of’ by Playboy.There is definitely some Whiskey Town and Old 97’s in this band who hails from Des Moines, Iowa.Be sure to check out their website and see their full tour schedule which takes them all over the country through the summer.
Personally I think all DJ’s sound the same. I mean, on some level all they’re doing is playing someone else’s music. They’re basically glorified cover artists with really good sound systems.
But DJ Haytek really seems like something different. I must admit he jumped out to me because I noticed 10 people sign up for his mobile club on his first day of posting his Broadtexter widget on his Myspace page. But then when I listened to his music, I understood why so many people take an interest in what this guy does. Maybe it’s the specific songs he chooses to play but it seems like he finds songs that are incredibly unique and hard to find. He also manages to mix things up in a way that I have never heard before. He puts rhythms together that you normally think would never work - and somehow they do.
He’s also not afraid to just let a good song play and not feel like he has to mix all over it. I always say - “A good musician knows when not to play”, and DJ Haytek seems to understand this. Check him out for sure!
Based in Montreal, Canada, John Nathaniel is a young singer/songwriter with a big voice. John has an incredible talent for catchy pop hooks.
Check out John’sMyspace to hear a very cool cover of the Colbie Caillat song ‘Realize’. However more impressive John’s cover version of another artist - are the recordings of his own music. One of my favorite songs of Nathaniel’s is ‘Shades Of Grey’, currently featured on his Myspace page. The production on this song is amazing - everything from the background vocals to the drum sounds that John is able to get.
John owns a recording studio where he is a producer and that is also where he records his own songs. He is a multi-instrumentalist that plays guitar, piano bass and even some drums. Even though John’s songs are produced he still manages to not lose that acoustic feel. John Nathaniel’s songs sound great with full production but you could also see how they would sound just as good if you were to sit down and play them with nothing but an acoustic guitar - which is truly the sign of a great song.
Even though John Nathaniel is only 25 years old he has seen his share of the music business. He has been in a band that was touring, had videos in rotation and broke up. But this is an artist who is not looking back but rather to the future. It’s easy to tell that all of the experiences that he has had up until this point are what make him an artist far beyond his years.
Falling Over Failure was another one of those bands that jumped out at us because they got a good number of fans joining their mobile fan club the day they posted their Broadtexter widget. FOF it turns out is not only popular on Broadtexter.com but also on Myspace - consistently ranked through Myspace in the Top 10 bands in PA for pop punk, rock & alternative genres, and in the Top 100 for pop/punk bands internationally.
FOF is definitely a LIVE act but they manage to capture their raw energy on their recordings as well. It’s no wonder that FOF has been packing venues all across their home state of PA, including the famed Crocodile Rock Cafe where they have opened for such National artists like Cute Is What We Aim For, This Providence, All Time Low, Forever The Sickest KIds, Sound the Alarm, and Mayday Parade. Try to definitely check these guys out live!
Todd Carey is a singer/songwriter able to mix the best of pop and folk.He reminds us of such artists as John Mayer, Howie Day, and David Mead. His latest release, Watching Waiting, produced by Marshall Altman (Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson) is a collection of Pop and Rock radio friendly tunes.
Todd has opened for such artists as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Black Crowes, Trey Anastasio, and Josh Kelly. He has also opened for Jason Mraz with whom he shares many vocal qualities due to his light, clean, airy voice.Todd recently posted the song ‘Smile’ on his Myspace page and in it he’s joined by Sara Bareilles.This is an instant pop hit song!
In January 2008, Todd Carey became one of the first independent artists to launch a ground-breaking “Pay What You Feel” campaign which allows people to pay $0 - $10 to download his nationally distributed album. Purchases of $5 or more yield a $1 donation to the Go Green Initiative - an organization that funds educational programs for children about environmental issues. Carey has sold over 2,500 albums via this model since the inception in late January ‘08, and the numbers continue to grow. The Three of Hearts tour marks Carey’s first since the campaign began and expects to see plenty of new fans that recently discovered his music. Learn more at www.toddcareymusic.com/paywhatyoufeel.
Dendai Uno jumped out at me because with only 142 friends on his Myspace page, he collected 6 mobile fans in the first day of posting his Broadtexter mobile club widget. Those kind of numbers are exceptional for mobile opt-ins, in todays “still very gun shy world of people giving up their cell phone numbers.”
So I checked the band out and the first thing I’d have to say about Dendai Uno is that you’d probably really want to see this band live. It’s not that their music does not come through on tape because it does. It just it seems like music that really should be fully experienced. This is the kind of CD that reminds you that you need to get out and see live music and not just listen to it on a record. I think that we all forget sometimes that CD’s are really just meant a promotional tool for the music….so sign up for his mobile club to find out when he is performing in your area.
Talk about a totally unique sound!The Weepies manage to blend the songwriting of two amazing solo singer/songwriters - Steve Tannen and Deb Talan - into one cohesive sound.Their iTunes sales from the their previous release ‘Say I am You’ topped the folk charts in eight countries.Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol nominated them for a Short List Music Prize, and Mandy Moore asked them to write with her and sing on her latest album.They were invited to open for the Indigo Girls and to be apart of last years Hotel Café Tour.You also may have heard The Weepies in JCPenny and Old Navy ads over the holidays last year as well as featured in ABC’shit drama ‘Grey’s Anatomy’.
Their latest record HIDEAWAY, is a darker companion to their last album, with 14 new tunes. You can sample new songs on their Myspace page including the Title track ‘Hideaway’ which has that distinct Weepies sound and slick production.
