Have you ever discussed an artist that you know that does not exist with another individual who tells you how great they are? Anyone who has been in the music business is no stranger to this phenomenon. People who are responsible for discovering talent want “to be in the know.” In other words, it’s their duty to know every artist that exists on planet earth, if not, they are falling behind. Music fans think alike, especially hipsters who pride themselves for discovering artists before the rest of the masses.

Anyhow, Jimmy Kimmel took his popular Lie Witness News segment on the road to Coachella, where he had some fun with the local fauna by asking them their thoughts on bands “so obscure that they do not exist.”

Buzz Track: Portals

Synth rock and Boston based Herra Terra have been making noise being compared to M83, The Faint, and Muse. They have released 3 studio recordings with the latest material being produced by Boston producer Taylor Barefoot. They sell out Ralph’s Diner (Worcester, MA) and have performed with Deftones, Shiny Toy Guns, Bad Rabbits, Semi Precious Weapons among more. The band was voted Worcester’s “Best Live Act” and had several songs placed on popular TV shows. Upcoming shows include The Bowery Electric and Brighton Music Hall.
Contact: band@herraterra.com

The EP is becoming popular again. For instance, Luke Bryan released an EP last month which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard albums chart.

“Invented around 1950, the EP was long considered the misfit format of the recording industry: Shorter than an album and longer than a single, EPs generally run about 30 minutes and top out at a half-dozen songs. They’ve proven especially easy to digest as digital downloads or streams, because they can give listeners a hearty sample of an unfamiliar act without asking them to commit to a full-length (and full-price) album. As a result, they’ve become crucial to the way many new acts introduce themselves.”

When Republic Records signed the Icelandic folk-rock band Of Monsters and Men last year, its jubilant song “Little Talks” was just starting to get radio airplay. The group had already recorded an album in Iceland, so its new label quickly “polished” four of the songs and released them as an EP. The goal was to give curious fans a bigger sample of the music, and get a head start on sales. Priced at $4.29, the digital EP “Into the Woods” probably qualified as an impulse buy for some shoppers. It sold 55,000 copies. “Psychologically, it’s not as intimidating as buying an album with 12 songs from a group I’ve never heard of,” says Avery Lipman, president and co-founder of Republic Records, which is owned by Universal. Read more

Buzz Track: Roadshow

LA-based quintet Wires in the Walls explores a textured space between Americana, anthemic indie rock, austere post-punk, and pop. Since the band’s formation in 2009, they have played many of LA’s top venues and toured the east and west coasts as well as having their songs placed on popular TV shows. Check out the track Roadshow from their latest release Leap, Timber, Leap.
Contact: wiresinthewalls@gmail.com

Buzz Track: Somebody Loves You

News Update: Betty Who just released her debut EP and will perform at Pianos in NYC on May 3rd. She is a 21-year old indie-pop artist, originally from Sydney, Australia but currently living in Boston, MA. She worked with producer Peter Thomas (Hoodie Allen, Neon Hitch) on her debut EP. She hit the 20,000 mark on Soundcloud, and just partnered with Talenthouse to launch a worldwide remix contest for her latest single, “Somebody Loves You”.
Contact: ethan@ethan-schiff.com