The South By SouthWest Music Conference is over, but there’s A LOT of commentary and comments about it. More than I could say here, except for the fact that what I’ve read is all over the map. But hey c’mon, we’re talking a long weekend with 1,700 artists and bands. Dude, that is so over the top, where do you even begin?
I began by reading the official SXSW blog, which didn’t even seem all that interesting. I got more out of what some others were blogging about. And those blogs range from the absolutely lively to the uttermost awful and then some.
Not only were the bands, killer and “kill-me-now” mentioned, but moreover the music industry and it’s much debated death and re-birth. Advertised, branded, and co-sponsored showcases and dead-end street parties. The beautiful and the beastly.
Read about it and rejoice however, because the majority has ruled that MUSIC LIVES. It’s all about the passion and love-of-life that music brings us. It’s not about money and who got signed to a major, but how many fans can you draw to a 3AM …

It’s funny how we find new music. I was talking to my brother and he had just been listening to a new young band by the name of “At Cliffs End”.
His daughter knows the drummer, who just happened to drop by the other night. So they were hanging out and talking, checking out the band’s MySpace page and we are very impressed. These kids are GOOD!!
Here’s a young group from Jackson, Mississippi who have recorded their 2nd EP (The City) and have tour dates all over the southeast, including a lot of festivals this summer. AND they have management (The Graduate Booking Agency.)
PLUS The City EP is on iTunes and getting five star reviews!!
These guys are rockin’ . The four songs on their MySpace page sound just as fresh and relevant as anything else I’ve heard lately. THIS is the new generation of bands the music industry should pay attention to. They’re using the internet, leveraging their resources, utilizing management, gaining exposure from playing festivals.
Rock ON, all you young dudes!!!
So check these guys out, you’ll like what you find.
At Cliffs End… On Tour this summer…
The City EP available on iTunes…
MySpace page …

Sheryl Crow’s new album ‘Detours’ is finally available…
Video:
1st Single “Love Is Free”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edTMzKB-_QU

“Shine Over Babylon”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbNXurCKQ8

YouTube Music Channel: youtube.com/profile?user=Sherylcrow
Blog: sherylcrow.com/blog

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I was reading one of the best informed and brutally honest music industry blogs around today, “The Lefsetz Letter” at lefsetz.com/wordpress when I came across Bob’s post about the famous Caribou Ranch Studio in Colorado.
It’s a fascinating story about the many famous hit artists who recorded there; Joe Walsh, John Lennon & Chicago, just to name a few.The Rocky Mountain News has some great articles and video about it here…
Rockymountainnews.com/special-reports/the-legend-of-caribou.
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Ringo Starr & Dave Stewart and band will perform a short set of Ringo’s songs, live at an exclusive event celebrating the release of Ringo’s new Capitol/EMI album, Liverpool 8.
Video with Ringo & Dave
from media.ringostarr.com
Join the free live webcast at ringostarr.com Friday 4:00 pm ET, 1:00 pm PST on Friday, January 25 at Los Angeles’ House Of Blues on Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles’ KLOS 95.5 FM is helping promote Ringo’s new album, Liverpool 8 on CD or USB Wristband at Amoeba Music in Hollywood.
The Imation Flash Wristband holds up to 256 MB of data and can be used on any computer’s USB port. thetechzone.com has a good article with picture.
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Jack Bruce and Robin Trower have released a new album together. “Seven Moons” is now available from V-12 Records, which was just released on January 8th. amazon.com has glowing reviews about the new album, which is the third collaboration between these two rock legends. I liked the samples I’ve heard so far. You just can’t mistake the signature bass guitar sound of Jack Bruce, and Robin Trower’s fiery stratocaster licks.
“Seven Moons” CD:
Jack Bruce on vocals & bass guitar
Robin Trower on vocals & guitars
Gary Husband on drums
Robin Trower has already begun his U.S. tour. His website has the tour dates posted.
Jack Bruce will not be touring with him. He’s busy with his new live album with the HR Big Band (at the 37th Deutschesland Jazzfestival in Frankfurt, Germany.) His current band is Jack Bruce & The Cuicoland Express featuring Bruce on bass, keyboards and vocals; Vernon Reid on guitar, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, El Negro Horacio Hernandez and Robby Ameen on drums, and Richie Flores on congas. jackbruce.com
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We’re beginning to see an entirely new level of “user participation” online. Radiohead made headlines last year with the “radical marketing” of their new album. Now the Foo Fighters make an open invitation for instrumentation. Here’s their official video on YouTube…
Join the Foo Fighters onstage in Los Angeles at the Grammys on February 10th to perform a brand new orchestral version of the song “The Pretender”! You and up to 19 others will work with a world renowned composer to create a blazing new song and one winner will be featured onstage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJf2-LOH92c

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TAXI bills itself as the world’s leading independent A&R company. They came highly recommended to me from a friend. So I looked over their website and got a good idea of what they’re all about. If you’re a songwriter or composer looking to sell your music, get a record deal or find other distribution outlets for your music, then TAXI is your vehicle.
But with all the layoffs in the music industry and unrest at the record labels, even a recording contract at a major label seems pretty risky at this point. I think I’d seriously consider digital distribution online with a strong indie, and TAXI seems to fit the bill.
Read more and ride TAXI at taximusic.com
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The video for Sheryl Crow’s first single, “Love Is Free,” from her upcoming Detours album, to be released on February 5th.
Sheryl said this about her new single:
“The song ‘Love Is Free’ is inspired by New Orleans. What struck me about it is the stoicism of the New Orleans people; they are spiritually based. You can see it in their eyes that they aren’t going to give up, they are going to rebuild.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edTMzKB-_QU

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No that’s not a misprint. We’re flashing back to that classic time, January 1968, to see what was happening 40 years ago in music & pop culture. And baby, it was happening!!
Events in January 1968:
The Beatles launch Apple Corps, Ltd., including their own recording studio, record label and fashion boutique in London. Apple Records was the only division that ever made money, while the clothing shop went bust the next year and eventually gave away remaining stock. Other artists that signed to the label included Badfinger and James Taylor.
Gibson Guitars patents it’s own Flying V electric guitar design. Actually, Gibson’s website shows the original design came about 10 years earlier, in 1958, with the “V Factor” as the standard, from 1967.
Concerts:
Johnny Cash performs at Folsom Prison in California. The “live” album is released later that year. It was chosen by the Library of Congress in 2003 to be added to the National Recording Registry.
Albums:
“We’re Only in It For the Money” is released on Verve Records by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. The album poked fun at the flower power generation of hippies, the Summer of Love, …

We’ve got lots of great things to look forward to in the new year on MusicRamble.
We have always tried to keep a major part of our blogging on the origins of Classic Rock and Roll. And in keeping with that tradition we will now be covering Rock and Roll 40 Years Ago
Who were the noisemakers and news breakers in 1968?
Those classic rock anniversaries are something we’re going to celebrate, as we revisit these historic albums, concerts and TV shows, during this pivotal year in our pop culture and musical history.
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Happy New Year!
We are looking forward to another great year in Music and we hope you stay tuned in with us.  CyberCoder
Ramble On…Let’s all have a Great 08!!  MikieSoft
Thought you might need a little flashback, so here is KISS playing Rock And Roll All Nite, Live At The Continental Airlines Arena On New Year’s Eve, 1996

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW2O9c_-4bo

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Happy 58th Birthday Billy !
Best known as the guitarist of ZZ Top, Billy has a long history in Rock and Roll. As an founding member of the Moving Sidewalks who opened for The Jimi Hendrix Experience in Texas during their first Amercian tour.
Billy also has a very distinctive sound that is helped along by using a regular Mexican peso as a pick.
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Ike Turner, died today at the age of 76.
Ike was well known for being half of the R&B duo of Ike and Tina Turner. Unfortunately he probably received more fame for being abusive in that marriage. However he was a good musician and band leader and was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
Ike Turner was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi on November 5, 1931.
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We are a little late with this, but we thought we would share a few Christmas Music selections with you. Provided by our friends at Amazon.com
Do you have your Rock and Roll Christmas Music ready for the holidays?
<A href=”http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fcybercodedcom-20%2F8003%2Fc653eaf5-53db-45f7-a40b-d73c96c6b608&Operation=NoScript”>Amazon.com Widgets</A>
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On October 9th, Puddle of Mudd released their new CD Famous, which is the follow up to Life on Display. Famous is the 3rd release from this intense band. Come Clean was the 2001 debut that sold over 5 million copies and several radio hits (including “Blurry”, the most played song of 2002).
This CD continues their excellent craftsmanship at songwriting while maintaining a sense of intensity that so many others seem to lose. The vocals are once again a highlight of their sound.
“It’s about passion and writing music that connects with other people and somehow heals them. I really want to try to crawl under peoples’ skin and at the same time make some kick-ass rock ‘n roll music,” Source : Wesley Scantlin
Puddle of Mudd have released webisodes about their life on the road and they are available on their official website @ http://puddleofmudd.com
You can also check out Puddle of Mudd at their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/puddleofmudd.
And of course you can purchase Famous at Amazon.com
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