From Camille Paglia/ The Sunday Times

Lady Gaga never saw it coming. After a relentless, mammoth, publicity extravaganza for her new album, ArtPop, she was upstaged by a comet seeming to swoop in out of nowhere — the release of Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Eminem’s sales boomed big, while Gaga’s embarrassingly fizzled, leading to quick deep discounts to keep ArtPop on the charts.

Eminem, now 41, did few interviews and personal appearances for this formidable double album. As with Adele sweeping the Grammys two years ago, his instant commercial triumph demonstrates the readiness of a discerning world public to respond to power and passion of voice rather than to manipulative gimmicks or exhibitionistic stunts. CONTINUE READING

Buzz Track: More Than Gravity

Kit Walters started his career as a front man for a progressive metal band and has produced several hard rock bands for labels such as Epitaph, Fearless, and Tragic Hero Records. He now fronts a pop, electronic, rock project aptly dubbed KIT. He co-wrote and collaborated with writers Wendy Starland (Lady GAGA) and producer Mike Gonsolin (Snoop Dog, Benny Blanco) on the track “Hail to The King”. He has opened up for acts such as Flo Rida, Cobra Starship, One Republic, and Kat Graham.
Contact: kitwaltersmusic@hotmail.com

From The New York Times

The Universal Music Group, the giant record company that sells almost 40 percent of the world’s music, is about to get a little bigger through a deal with the independent label behind Mumford & Sons.

Glassnote, founded by Daniel Glass in 2007, has struck a global distribution agreement with Universal for its music, starting March 1. The deal is a blow to Sony Music Entertainment, which had handled Glassnote through its Red distribution unit. CONTINUE READING

From NPR:

Last year, American Idol winner Phillip Phillips released the song “Gone, Gone, Gone” from his debut album The World from the Side of the Moon. The song went to #1 on the Adult Alternative and Adult Contemporary charts and peaked at #24 on Billboard‘s pop song chart, the Hot 100. For Gregg Wattenberg, one of three credited co-writers of “Gone, Gone, Gone,” the song’s chart performance was of particular interest because it translated indirectly into cash.

“U.S.-only hit songs — when I say ‘hit’ I mean like top five, not like No. 20 — can generate anywhere from one to two million dollars in ASCAP monies,” Wattenberg says. CONTINUE READING

Buzz Track: Lights Out

Kings favorite Tommy Burr who gained traction from our last post will soon release a new EP which features the new single Lights Out. Tommy is a singer-songwriter generating a great deal of attention with his hist last 5 song EP. His video for the track Get Up has 100k views on YouTube and he co-produced the songs with Kristoffer Eriksson (also in Violet Days) and Herman Gardarfve. He’s been performing at several venues in Stockholm.
Contact: magnus@catapult-music.com